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Norovirus Tips - How To Prevent And Cure Norovirus On A Cruise
1K views
Jan 29, 2025
Discover all you need to know about norovirus on a cruise ship, and how to avoid catching it. In this video I talk about what norovirus is and where it can occur and why. Exploring if you are more likely to get it on a cruise ship than on land. I look at how to avoid a norovirus cruise, what norovirus symptoms are, what to do if you are unfortunate enough to catch it and how it is treated. Looking for a cruise? Get great cruise deals by searching here: http://www.tipsfortravellers.com/cruisedirect Please leave a thumbs up and subscribe to the channel now: http://bit.ly/TFT_YouTube2 FOLLOW TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS ON: - YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/tipsfortravellers - Website: http://www.tipsfortravellers.com - Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tipsfortravellers - Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/garybembridge - Instagram: http://instagram.com/tipsfortravellers - Monthly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/AUTIX
View Video Transcript
0:00
in this video you're gonna learn about
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the nasty stomach bug that is norovirus
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what it is how to avoid getting it and
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what to do if you get it
0:08
hi I'm Gary beverage of tips of
0:10
travelers also the author of some cruise
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books like the cruise travelers handbook
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and essential cruise tips in this video
0:16
I want to be talking about that horrible
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thing that is norovirus particularly in
0:20
relation to cruising I've been on about
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50 cruises at the time making this video
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I've been on ships when it's had an
0:26
outbreak of norovirus and I haven't
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caught it so I'm going to share tips and
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advice on how you too can make sure that
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you avoid norovirus the important thing
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to know about norovirus is it's not
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specifically related to cruising the
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Center for Disease Control and
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Prevention in the United States
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estimates that probably less than 1% of
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all outbreaks of norovirus actually
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happen on a cruise ship up to 20 million
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people a year in the United States can
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suffer from norovirus but 1 million in
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the UK so it's a big problem so first of
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all what is norovirus norovirus is a
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gastrointestinal illness and cause
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vomiting and diarrhea you can also have
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headaches fever and stomach cramps as I
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mentioned it's not unique to ships it
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breaks out a lot on land but what's very
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important about norovirus because it is
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so contagious you tends to break out
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when there are concentrated groups of
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people so things like hospitals care
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homes and of course cruise ships where
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you have a lot of people in a contained
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space norovirus is very contagious and
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basically it spreads through touch so it
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you can pick it up by doing things like
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shaking hands touching doorknobs
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basically touching anything that has the
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virus on it so it's really really
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contagious and it spreads very easily so
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it requires a lot of discipline to make
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sure that you do not get it so how can
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you avoid getting norovirus well
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actually it's surprisingly simple the
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single most important way of stopping
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getting norovirus is by washing your
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hands with soap and water very
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frequently if you keep doing that this
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is going to really minimize your chance
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of getting norovirus when you wash your
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hands with soap and water you should
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wash them for at least 20 seconds very
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thoroughly and one of the little tips
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that I was given by a captain on board
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ship is sink while e to yourself happy
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birthday that's going to be about as
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long as it takes to make sure that your
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hands are washed properly wash your
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hands very frequently and avoid touching
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surfaces that people touch a lot so try
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and avoid things on a cruise ship like
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the handrails pushing buttons on the
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elevator if you use one of the public
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restrooms when you leave either you use
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a tissue or you put on your sleeve or
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something and open the door to leave the
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bathroom try and avoid physical contact
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with other people so you'll find on a
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lot of cruise ships
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the captain's and the officers when they
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have the captain's parties will not
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shake your hand
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they might other just nod or they'll
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bump elbows now alcohol gel is obviously
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helpful and it it's important on a
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cruise ship you'll find that everywhere
3:00
but it's no substitute to washing the
3:02
hands with soap and water another
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important tip and this happens a lot
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particularly when there's an outbreak of
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norovirus is if you need to use the
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bathroom try and go to your own cabin so
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don't use the public restrooms around
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the ship because that could be an area
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where people aren't being as diligent in
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terms of washing their hands and the
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virus could be spread to other very
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important things about norovirus is if
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you board the ship and you've either had
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diarrhea or you've had vomiting when you
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fill out that questionnaire that
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everybody has to fill out before you
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board the ship be honest because one of
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the biggest problems with norovirus is
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people bring it onto the ship so the
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ships spend a lot of time cleansing
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surfaces trying to keep everything clean
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but if someone boards a ship who's
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suffering from diarrhea or vomiting or
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has the virus they can spread it very
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easily and once it's a mother ship it's
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quite hard to contain so if you do have
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any of those symptoms when you fill out
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the questionnaire be honest about it if
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everyone was honest about it it would
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probably stop the spread on board cruise
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ships the downside of filling it out is
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you're probably going to be quarantined
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in your cabin for at least 48 hours
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until they can make sure that it's clear
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so you might find the first day of your
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cruise is you're not allowed to actually
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get out and about on the ship however if
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you are bringing the virus on board
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that's the best way of stopping it is
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being honest when you fill out the
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questionnaire the other thing that I
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tend to do when I board a ship to avoid
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getting that the norovirus is in the
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first couple of
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the first 48 hours first two or three
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days I don't use the buffer restaurant
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because that's often where people are
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our attention also the different
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implements and it's basically you know a
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place where lots of people are going so
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I tend to avoid the buffer restaurant
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for the first couple of days of a cruise
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until the cruise is underway and it's
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very clear that there's no cases of
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norovirus on the ship so that's another
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good way of avoiding it the thing with
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the norovirus is it can take up to 48
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hours before it actually manifests
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itself and unfortunately there's no cure
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for it you basically have to ride it out
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so the key thing is making yourself
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comfortable
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the minute you start having symptoms
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report it what ships ask you to do is
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not go to the medical center go straight
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to your cabin pick up the phone and
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phone than medical center now ships
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generally do not charge you if you
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report any sort of gastro problems so if
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you have vomiting or diarrhea you may
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also have headaches stomach cramps or
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fevers porter's the medical center
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they're unlikely to charge you for any
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services that they may provide what will
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likely happen is a nurse or doctor will
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come and see you they'll document your
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various symptoms and they will probably
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give you some anti diarrheal products so
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for example some of the brands or
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products you might have heard of are
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things like imodium or darlie's and also
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what you will be encouraged to do is to
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make sure that you stay rehydrated so
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you're asked to drink lots of liquid or
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you'll be given some of the kind of
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product which helps reabsorb lots of
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vitamins and minerals any products they
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give you and any consultations you're
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unlikely to be charged for because
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norovirus is such a big issue and ships
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do not want to you know discourage
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people from reporting it the other way
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that is treated is because the symptoms
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can again also last for up to 48 hours
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you will be quarantined in your cabin
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and you will be asked not to leave your
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cabin they will also come and probably
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wash your bedding quite frequently
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they'll make sure that you brought meals
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to your rooms particular targeting to
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make sure that you are rehydrating and
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getting you know minerals and things
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back so you will be asked to stay in
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your cabin and very important if you do
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have the symptoms to stay in your cabin
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and now you're gonna lose some days on
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your vacation but it's better than it's
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spreading right throughout the ship
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so there's no specific treatment to it's
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really just letting it work through your
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system and using products to make your
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life a little bit more comfortable don't
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let the fear of norovirus put you off
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going on a cruise
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although norovirus breakouts on a ship
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get a lot of publicity bear in mind that
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norovirus is very prevalent all over the
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place they do tend to happen when people
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congregate so things like hospitals care
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homes and of course on a ship so final
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thought about the norovirus it's really
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about taking care washing your hands
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incredibly frequently avoiding touching
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surfaces avoiding contact with people
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shaking hands etc if you do have any
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symptoms it's really important go to
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your cabin let the medical center know
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and unfortunately if you do get
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norovirus you just have to ride it out
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and take those various products that are
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going to make your life more comfortable
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hope you found that helpful if you have
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any other thoughts or tips on your
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experiences of norovirus please leave
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them in the comments it would also be
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great if you gave a like to the video
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and subscribe to the tips of travelers
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channel here on YouTube and get more
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travel inspiration advice and tips
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[Music]
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[Applause]
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