Solstice Health Issue

I am on the ship right now. There is a terrible cough spreading all over the ship. The people in the cabin next to us cough day and night and have been quarantined. You hear it in every venue and it seems to be getting worse daily. There seems to be no way to avoid it and it's very troubling. If you are planning to join the ship soon, I suggest you disinfect everything and bring something to cover your nose and mouth.

This think happens on any cruise ship/line and for that matter at hotels, airlines, etc.

Keith

Solstice is heading into dry dock at the end of its current cruise (which I believe is tomorrow) so I'm sure by the time new passengers embark there will be no problem. Anyway, as Keith said, this is a common issue no matter what mode of transport or accommodation you choose.

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The "cruise cough" is common. Disappears after the cruise. I travel with Vicks and cough drops.

I caught the "cruise cough" on the Summit last Fall. Those throat lozenges worked as well as cough syrup I purchased in a Canadian pharmacy.

We had "cruise cough" all the way from Vancouver to Shanghai last month aboard Millie....

I always get a cough when on a ship, caused by the air conditioning every where. Always goes as soon as I get home.

We were on the Solstice in Feb & March. Everyone was coughing and many got it so bad they were out of action for 2-5 days.

It was well beyond normal cruise cough. 5 of the Blu staff caught it so Blu had to borrow wait staff from Silk Harvest. Molecular Bar both bartenders got sick in the course of 10 days, cabin stewards on our deck were short staffed because of the cough.

DH was in bed with it for 2 days and missed snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef:mad:

The good news it wasn't Noro.

Cruisers' cough

Flyers' cough

Let's just call it what it is - that time of year where coughs, colds and the flu spread like lightning. Pack Tylenol Cold, cough drops, asthma medication, cough syrup, whatever it is that works for you just in case you get it. IME, if you go prepared to deal with it, you rarely get it. :cool:

How curious. First time poster, just joined and had no idea the ship was going into dry dock. Lets hope they heeded their own warning and covered their mouth.

Unfortunately I've been *that* cougher. Got bronchitis on a 14 day Caribbean cruise a couple years ago. Fortunately it was the second to last day. I kept myself in the cabin a whole day just to not bother people. We were in a corner aft cabin so those are a bit more secluded, so hopefully I didn't bother people (just my husband!!! :roll eyes:). I know that when I was in the public spaces I attracted attention to myself with the deep loud coughs, so I quit going out for probably 36 hours. Our butler was so sweet to me, brought me soup and tea and even came in with the cleaning crew to fluff my pillow and bring me some fresh flowers.

Went to the medical and got equivalent of Robitussen which does nothing for bronchitis I have. Cough drops were useless. The first thing I did at the airport was call my dr. and get him to give me an Rx for that afternoon and get an appointment the next morning to confirm what I already knew. Before we even got to the house I was taking my meds. And I did have bronchitis and an infected throat and a bonus double ear infection. Sucky way to end a cruise but I know it happens. And I'm so careful about germs. Just never know.

Now I always travel with my bottle of prescription codeine and a fresh Z-pack (I have a decades-long history of sinus infections). Those, in addition to over-the-counters.

I am on the ship right now. There is a terrible cough spreading all over the ship. The people in the cabin next to us cough day and night and have been quarantined. You hear it in every venue and it seems to be getting worse daily. There seems to be no way to avoid it and it's very troubling. If you are planning to join the ship soon, I suggest you disinfect everything and bring something to cover your nose and mouth.

Sorry to hear that. And, while I have been on a long cruise that was hit with a bad respiratory bug, I've never heard of anyone being quarantined for anything other than Norovirus. Also unclear on your warning to anyone joining the ship soon. Passengers don't normally join a cruise in progress. :confused:

Sorry to hear that. And, while I have been on a long cruise that was hit with a bad respiratory bug, I've never heard of anyone being quarantined for anything other than Norovirus. Also unclear on your warning to anyone joining the ship soon. Passengers don't normally join a cruise in progress. :confused:

Our friend was quarantined for 24 hours with a bad cough when he went to see the Doc. We were on the cruise with him, so you can consider this accurate information, not a "somebody mentioned something about somebody" thing you hear on board.

It does happen.

Our friend was quarantined for 24 hours with a bad cough when he went to see the Doc. We were on the cruise with him, so you can consider this accurate information, not a "somebody mentioned something about somebody" thing you hear on board.

 

It does happen.

Thanks for the update. Just curious, was this on a Celebrity ship? My experience with the respiratory "creeping crud" was on a r/t Century cruise to Hawaii, several years ago. The very first night, I heard someone with a bad cough, in the MDR. By the time we returned to San Diego (14 days later) the whole ship sounded like a TB ward! My well-planned cabin crawl was decimated -- half of the folks who signed up had come down with it, and had to cancel. I even heard (on our r/c thread) that one gentleman was hospitalized, upon returning home. So, there were definitely some onboard who 'self-quarantined'. However, many people went to the ship's medical facility, with no subsequent restrictions on their activities, or movement. I'm wondering if the quarantine policy varies from ship to ship -- or is something that has been recently implemented.

Unfortunately I've been *that* cougher.

 

Now I always travel with my bottle of prescription codeine and a fresh Z-pack (I have a decades-long history of sinus infections). Those, in addition to over-the-counters.

I would be VERY careful about admitting on CC that you travel with a Z-pack. Last year I was practically lynched for saying that I do the same. They blamed me that people are becoming resistant to antibiotics and called my Dr a quack for allowing this. :eek:

I also take my prescription cough syrup. I once got an infection on day 7 of a 14 day cruise - and would cough so violently, suddenly and without being able to breath - then it would go away till the next fit. I have chronic medical issues - but they tarred and feathered me anyway. It took months after that cruise for the cough to totally go away. Now I travel with meds and I have no problem heading to the ship's Dr.

Thanks for the update. Just curious, was this on a Celebrity ship? My experience with the respiratory "creeping crud" was on a r/t Century cruise to Hawaii, several years ago. The very first night, I heard someone with a bad cough, in the MDR. By the time we returned to San Diego (14 days later) the whole ship sounded like a TB ward! My well-planned cabin crawl was decimated -- half of the folks who signed up had come down with it, and had to cancel. I even heard (on our r/c thread) that one gentleman was hospitalized, upon returning home. So, there were definitely some onboard who 'self-quarantined'. However, many people went to the ship's medical facility, with no subsequent restrictions on their activities, or movement. I'm wondering if the quarantine policy varies from ship to ship -- or is something that has been recently implemented.

This was on the Equinox in the Caribbean in January of 2015.

I got it for the first time on my last silhouette trip, completely lost my voice too. The Martin bar guys banned me from ice drinks and we're giving me tea with lemon and honey. It started with 2 nights to go and I needed antibiotics and steroids to clear it when I got home. All caused by the air conditioning, we tried to find a way to switch it off with no good result.

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i think people who travel by plane to catch a cruise are open to anything that can be caught in that small capsule where all sorts of nasty germs are flying around......my wife normally always comes down with a cough when boarding the ship and sometimes headaches..:p

I would be VERY careful about admitting on CC that you travel with a Z-pack. Last year I was practically lynched for saying that I do the same. They blamed me that people are becoming resistant to antibiotics and called my Dr a quack for allowing this. :eek:

 

 

 

I also take my prescription cough syrup. I once got an infection on day 7 of a 14 day cruise - and would cough so violently, suddenly and without being able to breath - then it would go away till the next fit. I have chronic medical issues - but they tarred and feathered me anyway. It took months after that cruise for the cough to totally go away. Now I travel with meds and I have no problem heading to the ship's Dr.

 

 

 

I have an MDVIIP Dr. He is fantastic and always gives me one just in case; so far so good. It is what works when I get a sinus infection. That is the only type of infection that works right away for me with this antibiotic. Thank goodness I pay for something I don't need...never get head colds or sore throats either. If you don't use antibiotics very often, they are beneficial, along with the S1 corner aft cabins. Though I have never been ill in a cruise, just tired and happy!

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We had a ship full of coughers on our Equinox in 2014. We weren't among the coughers, but it was affectionately termed "the coughing cruise" by those of us on CC upon our return. I always travel with Robitussen, ET cet, whenever taking a cruise.

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We always bring cough syrup and lozenges on a cruise just to be sure. We also request the cabin steward to disinfect the room if the cough persists for long.

Left the Solstice in Sydney on 10/8 with a slight cough, escalated while in Sudney and had to forgo snorkeling the Greay Barrier Reef later in the week. Disappinted that one of my one time only bucket list items had to be passed over. Also, very expensive side trip for nothing. We travel with antibiotics and a fully stocked bag of over the counter meds, but it would be better to not be exposed in the first place. People with coughs and sneezes must learn to use basic care and consideration of other guests. COVER YOUR MOUTH!!!

Just disembarked from the Solstice Nov. 27. There was a terrible Cruise Cough going around starting about 4 days into the cruise. One or two people I met had someone hanging out in the cabin for the day. By the end of the cruise, nobody felt embarrassed. I am pleased that I saw everyone using the hand sanitizers, tissues, etc.

We carry Sudafed, Contac, throat lozenges, and Cepacol. Next time, I'll double that amount!

I didn't have a cold, just a cough that would come up from time to time. Luckily, we were able to go on all our excursions, properly medicated.

Cause? Our group had any number of possible causes:

Allergies (it's spring in New Zealand & Australia) and there are a wide variety of plants that aren't around in other parts of the world.

Air Conditioning

Dirty air filters The ship just came out of dry dock, so I'm thinking the filters might have all been cleaned.

There was one "cure" mentioned. A lady told us to "leave our cabin doors ajar" so that we'd get better quality air. Huh? :confused:

:Sorry to hear about your cruise cough. I understand that it happens a lot more than people think. Luckily, I had a nebulizer with me and used it as needed. I have become extraordinarily cautious about hand washing and sanitizing. Good to know that others followed suit on your cruise. Hope you had a great time nonetheless.

The flu & colds are are primarily air borne illnesses. Someone coughs in an elevator, everyone is sunk. I came down with the cruise cough in Asis and made the worst mistake by trying to self medicate. Nothing worked and I was sick and cabin bound for days. After suffering for days I finally went to the Med Centre where they were I ended up with chest xrays to rule out pneumonia. On this recent Med cruise my DH came down with a cold with rapidly ended up in hes chest. I went to the Med office and they gave me an over the counter "special concoction" which worked miracles. I now take Tylenol and such but from now on, if we get sick we head right to the doctor for proper treatment.