Author Topic: Queen Victoria - a 'Cursed' Ship?  (Read 8472 times)

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Queen Victoria - a 'Cursed' Ship?
« on: January 01, 2008, 08:27:20 AM »
Hi All

I had to laugh at the media scramble to claim that Cunard's Queen Victoria is a 'cursed ship' following the failure of bottle of champagne used by the Duchess of Cornwall at the naming ceremony failed to smash against her bows

The Ship is currently fighting back against an outbreak of Novavirus which so far has incapacitated some 80 passengers. The QV is currently on a cruise around the Canary Islands.

In typical Cruise Line tradition, Cunard are blaming one of its passengers for bringing the bug on board - now where have I heard that before :-o

Regards

Steve Ellwood

Offline ChasB46

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Re: Queen Victoria - a 'Cursed' Ship?
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2008, 12:02:40 PM »
Steve,its highly likely a passenger or "seagull" took it on board as the Norovirus is widespread in the Southampton area at the moment. Four infected wards closed in the General Hospital today. Seems to be a regular occurrence. Last previous ward closing outbreak May 2007. We caught it on a P&O cruise so its not too fussy which cruise line to frequent.
Quote from Health Protection Agency ..."Outbreaks usually tend to affect people who are in semi-closed environments such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools and on cruise ships.Outbreaks tend to affect more than 50% of susceptible people". So I guess its a better than even chance, with the large passenger numbers on cruise ships, that you will not be far from a dose.
Chas

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Re: Queen Victoria - a 'Cursed' Ship?
« Reply #2 on: January 01, 2008, 12:07:04 PM »
Hi Chas

As you say, seems a problem in Southampton - run on and subsequent shortage of toilet rolls in the region  :lol:

We had an outbreak during a cruise of the Caribbean on Ocean Village a couple of years back. What amazed me now and continues to amaze me is that the fickle finger of fate is never pointed at crew members?

Regards

Steve Ellwood

Offline ChasB46

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Re: Queen Victoria - a 'Cursed' Ship?
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2008, 12:42:34 PM »
I suspect its a virus that is attracted to those that cannot defend themselves eg the MobileRiche pensioners who are battling zimmers to retain first place at the freebie food.

MK

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Re: Queen Victoria - a 'Cursed' Ship?
« Reply #4 on: January 01, 2008, 12:54:57 PM »
Curiosity in all new Cunard launchs, something obscure happens in first days of those ships. Maybe the Queens are not too healthy in UK and then the ships suffer in some way. QM2 before launch in Saint Nazare, 15 people died falling a provisory bridge in open doors day. Now this Virus with some 80 passengers in Quarentena aboard QV.
This to not say Cunard is the following fellow of White Star Line with major Cursed Ships like the famous rms Titanic, everybody knows, I can not heard about her anymore, the sisters rms Titan and the other never built. WSL went bankrupt and now they are again as success Ocean Liners Cunard.
Better waiting some few years travelling at Cunard.  :-D

Offline Cornelia Klier

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Re: Queen Victoria - a 'Cursed' Ship?
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2008, 01:27:01 PM »
That article and whole thing make me rightout laugh, I mean, talking in nowadays times about things like "cursed" etc., I thought we are past those times of supersittion and dumbness.

Starters-troubles with new Cunard ships, well such can be read about many ships, but with most ships, those things simply don't make it to the news and are silently solved in shipyards and cause folks at shipping-companies grinding teeth, untill all runs smoth, which in most cases, will happen, even with ships that are prone to some starting-problems. But why not just keep cool and realize, that such simply happens, not just with cruiseships but make such a nuisance out of it, which is actually typical for the British press.

As well, the virus, we have it here in the company in Switzerland as well, many people in a huge building and together every day, and more than usual on sick-leave, as well news talk about same in schools and such, so as described above, semi-closed areas, a cruisship is prone too, but WHY THE HELL make such a big fuzz about it, or even blaming a person for this ? Incubation time for that is 15-50 hours as far as I read, and the poor ones who ever brought it onboard, might not have been aware and had imagined the cruise to start in a better way.

"shakes head" - as this is all what I can do, about what the news make of this incident.

Offline ChasB46

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Re: Queen Victoria - a 'Cursed' Ship?
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2008, 01:51:45 PM »
By coincidence, the local newspaper "Southern Evening Echo" has a two page spread today titled "The Curse of the Cruise Ships". Listing recent outbreaks of Norovirus ..QE2 Jan 2007 276 passenger + 28 crew ..Aurora Jan 2006 100 passengers ...Sea Princess May 2006 250 passenger+18 crew.
Passengers now embarking must sign a declaration that they are free from this notifiable disease HOWEVER what chance have the cruise ships got in preventing the disease when a crew member offering cleansing gel to a passenger was rebuked with "How dare you suggest my hands are dirty". I guess the same visitor response to gels etc. in hospitals.Chas

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Re: Queen Victoria - a 'Cursed' Ship?
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2008, 02:01:09 PM »
Quote

chasbetts wrote:
By coincidence, the local newspaper "Southern Evening Echo" has a two page spread today titled "The Curse of the Cruise Ships". Listing recent outbreaks of Norovirus ..QE2 Jan 2007 276 passenger + 28 crew ..Aurora Jan 2006 100 passengers ...Sea Princess May 2006 250 passenger+18 crew.
Passengers now embarking must sign a declaration that they are free from this notifiable disease HOWEVER what chance have the cruise ships got in preventing the disease when a crew member offering cleansing gel to a passenger was rebuked with "How dare you suggest my hands are dirty". I guess the same visitor response to gels etc. in hospitals.Chas


Hi Chas

What chance of anyone actually signing away their holiday - it goes against 'human nature'. We had to sign such a declaration at Manchester Airport, never did see anyone say they did have an upset stomach!
Yes the 'gel situation' makes me sick - the one's who refuse should be confined to a set aside part of the ship akin to a leper colony. I've seen folk accept the gel only to wipe it immediately off with a napkin - sheesh!

Regards

Steve Ellwood

Offline Bruce Sutherland

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Re: Queen Victoria - a 'Cursed' Ship?
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2008, 11:19:57 PM »
Things always happen for a reason may it be a member of staff or a Passenger .. and seeing the number of pasengers to staff statistically it would more often than not be a ppasenger. Staff as they have come in contact with so many viri in the course of thier duty are more likely to have sutable defenses against most common bugs.

As for the gel situation - The genral public are thier own worst enemy.

Offline David Ford

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Re: Queen Victoria - a 'Cursed' Ship?
« Reply #9 on: January 02, 2008, 09:16:30 AM »
Here in New Zealand there is an International Scout Jamboree in progress, at which [surprise, surprise] there has been a similar outbreak.
Luckily, the jamboree doctor recognised the symptoms after a very small number of people had come down with it, and contacted the local health authority. They, in turn, sent more medical assistance, and the NZ Army sent a field medical team to assist.
By setting up wash stations all over the place, and forcing everyone to wash their hands before touching any food and when moving between sectors of the jamboree site, the total number affected was restricted to about 50. Some people were washing their hands 20 times or so a day as a result.
But - just try to get cruise passengers to follow a similar regime in order to restrict the spread of the bug :<) You would hear the complaints from miles away!!
And at sea, of course, getting outside help quickly is rather more difficult.

David Ford

Offline Glenn Towler

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Re: Queen Victoria - a 'Cursed' Ship?
« Reply #10 on: January 02, 2008, 10:01:37 AM »
The Queen Victoria Cursed?

Well to start with lets have a look at who the ships Godmother is: Camilla

Is their truth in rumours that when she steped onboard the fire alarms went off?

That will teach Cunard to break away from Tradition, I just hope that the Queen is still around and call upon the Queen to cristen the Queen Elizabeth.

And then there is the "Lets blame a passenger" with the growing increase in the cased of this virus occuring it will get to the stage shortly where you will be placed in Quarantine before you cruise.

2 years ago 4 cruis ships arrived in Hobart flying the Yellow Flag, the Funchal, Europa, Diamond and Pacific Princesses the Funcha and Pacific Princess had passengers pass away from the Virus on this visit with one from the Europa flown to a specialst medical ward in Melbourne.
...

Offline Ship's Cat

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Re: Queen Victoria - a 'Cursed' Ship?
« Reply #11 on: January 02, 2008, 02:55:21 PM »
Quote
Well to start with lets have a look at who the ships Godmother is: Camilla

Is their truth in rumours that when she steped onboard the fire alarms went off?


Maybe the QV doesn't like Camilla any more than anyone else! :-D

It's laughable how the moment anything happens the media are hunting for a supernatural 'explanation'. It's all cobblers. Someone was harbouring a bug and went aboard a ship, these things happen, unfortunate as it is. It could be that some dirty so-and-so answered nature's call and didn't bother washing their hands afterwards.

Our local hospital - St Mary's at Newport, IW - has cancelled operations and restricted visiting times because of an outbreak of the bug there. It's everywhere on land and hardly gets a mention yet an outbreak on a ship is national headlines.

Offline Ship's Cat

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Re: Queen Victoria - a 'Cursed' Ship?
« Reply #12 on: January 03, 2008, 01:54:51 PM »
On the BBC today: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7169347.stm

This illness is sweeping the country with 100,000 people getting sick each week. So let that lay any b.s. stories about 'cursed' ships to rest.

 

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