good2go

I feel sorry for this traveler and her roommate. I'd be curious to find out who was in the room earlier and whether or not they had issues...I bet they did. Considering the doctor mentioned bed bugs, makes me think that Royal Caribbean must know that they may have a problem and I think it is very bad form that they are not doing more to 1.) find out if bed bugs are the issue and 2.) take precautions to protect the next passengers. Who knows who the next passengers will be? Would you want to be the next passenger in that room? If anything is "fishy", it is the fact that Royal Caribbean doctors didn't ask more questions and try to find out the issue. Could it be sand fleas? Well, by the comments I think the doctor already knew it wasn't since it was mentioned that the symptoms started after a full day at sea, with no beaches available. What else could it be? A bacterial infection? Maybe. But, in this industry, shouldn't the cruise lines be MORE than vigilant to be on the look out for bed bugs if they are even a POSSIBILITY??? I would certainly hope so. How much time would it take to send a maintenance person to their room to check for bugs??? It seems to me just the opposite has happened by the run around that these passengers seem to have gotten. I feel sorry for both you and your roommate and I hope that you are both able to eradicate any infestation your clothes and luggage may have. I also hope that Royal Caribbean takes whatever measures necessary to find out if they have a bed bug problem and protect their current and future passengers.

You have perfectly stated my complaint.....thank you! I just got finished stripping and showering and bagging up my luggage that will stay outside all night until I can deal with it in the morning. I've ordered a heat box that I can put my suitcase and other non-washable items in to kill any eggs, larvae,or adult bed bugs. I hope to find another dead 'bug' in my suitcase after I treat everything since that will be the only way to know it was a bed bug issue. I wish I could have got at least a photo of that bug, but they are very fast and to be honest, I had no idea what a bed bug looked like or was at the time. I still have not heard back from RCI. I really hope they didn't put anyone in that room.

As for no-see-umps, chiggers, sand fleas, and the rest, I don't want to rule them out, but I've been bitten by chiggers, no-see-umps, and sand fleas in my lifetime with no issues before. I've also traveled quite a bit and am very active and camp all the time, so I'm not new to bugs, except bed bugs that us.... :). I will be more informed for the future for sure!

I'm not 'back' yet. I just got off the boat this morning. I've called RCI as soon as I saw what a bed bug looks like and recognized that I saw it in my room that day right after I got out of customs because they wouldn't let me use my phone in customs. They were supposed to call me back. I've yet to receive a call. I will be headed to the walki-in clinic when it opens in the morning.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I reported everything as soon as it happened. Not sure what you're talking about. RCI wasn't interested in doing anything proactive.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have about 15 min before my next flight so here goes....I hope none of you have to experience what I did on this trip. I'm not blaming RCI for bed bugs, but I am unhappy at their lack of a proactive approach to protect me, my room mate and future passengers in that state room by not making an assumption that bed bugs could be the culprit and having someone knowledgeable about them to check the room. Until my internet search this morning I knew nothing about them and my roommate thought you couldn't see them with the naked eye so when we saw the bug the first time we did not immediately think bed bugs. I hope for the sake of the next passengers that they weren't the cause, because right now I'm headed home to 20 degree weather and will have to strip down to nothing in my friends garage, bagging everything up and then head to the shower and hope that no eggs are on my person that could infect her house. Unfortunately, my formal dresses and some other clothing would never survive a hot water wash and dry. I'm still looking into how to deal with that.

I wish you all the best!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Cabin 9243

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi everyone....I'm 43 with a medical technology background. I consider it bad medical advice when a doctor doesn't ask any history before telling me she wants to give me an IV steroid. When I told her I have a congenital heart condition and have concerns about the IV meds, she got very defensive and kept trying to hurry me into the next room for the IV. I said I'd like to know what I was being treated for since she didn't tell me what she suspected. She said an allergy. I told her that I don't have allergies and never had allergies and can she help me understand the cause of the welts too. She said there was no way to know. When I asked her about the red welts that both me and my roommate had she said they were bug bites. Keep in mind that I spent no time on a beach and noticed symptoms after our first full sea day which I spent in the pool and jacuzzi. I thought I had a bacterial infection which the doc said no way. I moved to the IV room and was very nervous because my heart can go into afib very easily. I asked about oral steroids so it wouldn't shock my system and be higher risk and she said no. I asked for a cream and she said there wasn't any. The doctor said the steroid was completely safe and said she would show me her medical book to prove it. She returned with the book, sat down and read the side effects. Then she stopped and said she has decided not to do the IV since there is a risk of rAising my blood pressure which could cause a rapid heart rate. I then asked for a new doc. The new doc was great. She listened to my symptoms and med history along with seeing my roommate too. She was the first to mention bed bugs but quickly dismissed it saying we both had a bacterial infection and I had some sort of contact dermatitis that caused the swelling on my face and neck. She prescribed an oral steroid, antibiotic, and steroid cream. The first doctor even made incorrect statements in front of the second doctor that the second doctor corrected her in front of me. Let's just say the first doctor was very rude and inappropriate when I asked any questions. With a heart condition I don't take things lightly. I want to make an informed decision which I felt the first doctor wouldn't allow me to do. It was her way or no way. My disappointment is the fact that the docs would not even entertain the idea that the infection and issue could be ship related. I had no idea if it was at the time either but wanted to find the cause so it wouldn't get worse. I didn't even entertain the bed bug diagnosis until seeing the bug on the internet search once I was through customs. My friend and I avoided the pools and jacuzzis until we had over 24 hrs of antibiotics so not to infect anyone with a bacterial infection which is what we were told we had. No doc told us to stay away from the pools which I thought was odd but in good conscious didn't want to infect anyone.....getting on a plane. Look forward to your replies....

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi lazeye....from my webmd searches and other searches on the web, you can have both clusters of welts, which both me and my roommate had as well as hives and swelling from an allergic reaction to the bites. It depends on how allergic you are to bed bugs. Also, as soon as I even considered it to be a bed bug I reported it to an RCI employee at the port. All he did was take down my room number and say it's reported. I'm worried about the next poor soul getting my stateroom. I will say that me and my friend had 2 visits to medical and a phone call from a doctor during the trip. My allergic reaction was bad enough that they initially wanted to give me IV steroids. I now know the bug I saw was an adult bed bug, but had no idea at the time and just did an internet search at port because the doctor made mention of be bugs in an offhand comment during a medical visit and then just quickly dismissed it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Need help....just got off the Oasis this morning. On Tuesday me and my friend noticed red welt looking marks on our backs and buttocks as well as hives all over my face and neck. My face and neck were so swollen by Thursday morning that we went to medical. The supposed doctor was awful and just said I had an allergic reaction even though my friend had the same thing. In any case, to shorten this post, we saw a bug Friday night and Saturday morning in the drawer with my clothes. Neither one of us knew what a bed bug was, symptoms or what to look for. Once in the port this morning I did a search on bed bugs and the rash, hives, welts, and the bug we saw matched our symptoms. I wish I had time to give more details of the poor medical treatment we received at RCI, but I'm looking for any advice on who to contact to follow up on this and also concerned on how to 'clean' my clothes. Please help!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

does anyone know if the Champagne bar would be included in the drink packages, and if so, what is the price of a glass of champagne? Trying to determine what package may work for me.