Bed bugs on Oasis

[mdwcruises]

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 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.

 

I agree! The possibility that Oasis may have bugs won't deter me from sailing the ship. The "don't care" attitude would. I hope they are doing something about it.

[BecciBoo]

I think it is probably "no-see ums". You can SEE sand fleas, and I think you would notice if they were actually biting you, they aren't that small.

 

This is a photo of my incredibly swollen feet, with no see um bites:

 

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z78/plhunt2/005.jpg

 

And they continue to show up in great profusion for several days after you are bitten. And no see ums are incredibly prevalent near the water, in damp places, and on the beach. They aren't sand fleas. They are biting midges and they are about the size of a period at the end of a sentence....

 

:rolleyes:

 

We have no see ums here in Texas, what we got in St. Thomas were not no see ums. In fact we didn't even notice the bites until the next day and we had been rolling around in the sand at the surfs edge, so I am sure our bites were sand fleas. I have been bitten by the white flies or no see ums many times, they sting when they bite but have never left welts nor raised bites with them. In fact my no see um bites have never looked like your picture, . Unless you are really paying attention you cannot see the fleas in the sand and you can't feel them bite you. You just start itching and then the welts appear and keep on appearing for days.]

Edited December 8, 2013 by BecciBoo

[rucruisn2]

Same here. I always check for bedbugs in hotels and cruise ship staterooms. I also spray my room down with Lysol disinfectant spray.

 

I am also paranoid of bed bugs. I made my husband check out of a hotel and drive home (3 1/2 hours) because when I inspected to bed before getting into it I saw tons of dust and god knows what else between the mattress and head board.

Were going on the Oasis in Jan. Need to know if this is true or not!

[LucasLounger1]

Is there a photo of the bug? Bed bugs look like apple seeds, but are not to be confused with chinch bugs which are very similar in appearance. They also cannot fly, or jump. So if you see something flying or jumping, it is not a bed bug. I work in a public library and certain staff are trained to identify by sight bed bugs - surely a cruise ship/hotel has similar training?

 

I also thought bed bugs didn't release anything during the bite that causes reaction.

[jonbgd]

What? I'm a government biologist, bedbugs are a resurging problem. I know SF has held several all day conferences on the problem. I attended one in the East Bay. There was one this year in November in Alameda.

 

Just like any other training with speakers, PowerPoint presentations, jars of bed bugs, detection, control, public housing and hotels and specimens.

 

Sign up for the email list or check out events from vector control or the health dept. :D

 

And I was surprised...all the slides don't actually prepare you for how fast they are. They look sort of like ticks, and I just sort of "assumed :rolleyes:" that they would move slowly like ticks. When they get warmed up in the jar and excited, they scurry. Oh yeah, and the speaker showed us the photo of the bites. He feeds them on his arm. Eeeww.

I figured it had something to do with your job. Was trying to figure out if you were on the Tx side or the prevention side.

Never heard of the conference before now thou. Not sure I would want to see those things up close:eek:

 

As much as I travel for work now, and stay in hotels, I check the mattress every time

[SherriZ366]

We have no see ums here in Texas, what we got in St. Thomas were not no see ums. In fact we didn't even notice the bites until the next day and we had been rolling around in the sand at the surfs edge, so I am sure our bites were sand fleas. I have been bitten by the white flies or no see ums many times, they sting when they bite but have never left welts nor raised bites with them. In fact my no see um bites have never looked like your picture, . Unless you are really paying attention you cannot see the fleas in the sand and you can't feel them bite you. You just start itching and then the welts appear and keep on appearing for days.]

I get welts from no see ums and chigger bites. DH can get bitten but does not get welts. I am more allergic than he is.

[Sherlock43031]

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.

 

I doubt RCI doctors are conspiring with RCI captains and executive staff to hide a bed bug problem. Once it gets out of hand and hits the larger news sites their cancellation lines would light up. I'm guessing there is someone on that ship right now reading these post. I think they could run up to that room and ask the occupants if there is indeed a problem. Catch the room steward in the hallway, etc.

[luv2cruiserccl]

Any any more recent news from op today?

 

 

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[UNV-IT!!!]

I am also paranoid of bed bugs. I made my husband check out of a hotel and drive home (3 1/2 hours) because when I inspected to bed before getting into it I saw tons of dust and god knows what else between the mattress and head board.

Were going on the Oasis in Jan. Need to know if this is true or not!

 

Glad your not my wife. Dramatic much? Dust doesn't automatically mean bed bugs. You would have been driving yourself home.

[At Sea 4Ever]

Is the OP the only report that we know of of bed bugs on this sailing?

[UNV-IT!!!]

Is the OP the only report that we know of of bed bugs on this sailing?

 

Yes. I was on this sailing and had a lot of friends and people I met on board. Not a single person mentioned bed bugs nor were there any whispers around the ship. Seems more like a rccl hater with magically low post

[At Sea 4Ever]

Yes. I was on this sailing and had a lot of friends and people I met on board. Not a single person mentioned bed bugs nor were there any whispers around the ship. Seems more like a rccl hater with magically low post

 

Lol

[time4u2go]

Is the OP the only report that we know of of bed bugs on this sailing?

 

Yes, but that's hardly surprising. There's several reasons why. First, it's but a small percentage of cruisers that read this forum. And an even smaller percentage that post anything to it. Also, it's possible that only one room was affected. (When there's a bedbug infestation, it has to start somewhere.) It's also possible that other people were affected but either didn't realize it was bedbugs, or chose not to "advertise" it. So, bottom line, a LOT of things would have had to have happened for us to know about it, and the absence of any other reporting of bedbugs on this cruise really doesn't indicate much of anything.

Edited December 8, 2013 by time4u2go

[MonaCK]

I'm on the oasis right now, in 9543, down the hall from where the OP was. I can report that there are no signs of bedbugs here.

 

 

Sent from my iThing using Tapatalk HD

[luv2cruiserccl]

I'm on the oasis right now, in 9543, down the hall from where the OP was. I can report that there are no signs of bedbugs here.

 

 

Sent from my iThing using Tapatalk HD

 

Anyway to talk to room Seward gor room or people currently in stateroom that would put a end to it I would think.

 

 

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[Coralc]

Anyway to talk to room Seward gor room or people currently in stateroom that would put a end to it I would think.

 

 

Sent from my phone using Tapatalk 2- Please excuse any errors.

 

I sincerely doubt if they would share that information with a passenger.

 

They do have pest control onboard, and when the ship docks at the home port on turnaround day, they also bring in contracted outside pest control companies for treatment.

 

In San Pedro, CA there were usually about 10 pest control service vehicles in the parking lot on "our" boarding days.

 

Even if the OP didn't feel the doctor made the association, you can pretty much bet that there was follow up inspection and/or treatment in that stateroom and others in the vicinity.

 

Do a routine check anyplace you are going to be sleeping, but I really wouldn't worry about any lingering problems.:)

[pcur]

I think it is probably "no-see ums". You can SEE sand fleas, and I think you would notice if they were actually biting you, they aren't that small.

 

This is a photo of my incredibly swollen feet, with no see um bites:

 

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z78/plhunt2/005.jpg

 

And they continue to show up in great profusion for several days after you are bitten. And no see ums are incredibly prevalent near the water, in damp places, and on the beach. They aren't sand fleas. They are biting midges and they are about the size of a period at the end of a sentence....

 

:rolleyes:

 

Patti, this picture is almost identical to the bites I got in Ann Arbor last August. I had to fly when the bites were new, and when I got off the plane several of them had blisters the diameter of a half dollar and raised about an inch! They got infected on the sides of my feet at the soles, and it's December and I still have dark spots where they were!!

 

To the OP: best of luck to you, and I hope you recover faster than I did from whatever bit you!

[nanwel]

Checked into a hotel in Paris a few yrs ago, and was told they had a bedbug infestation!

I slept in the bed, but on top, and used the clean towels as blankets - washed everything I could from my suitcase when I got home, but just the thought makes one itch!

Hope your rash goes away without too much time or medication! Guess it is hard to determine the actual critter!

But, because you and your roommate both had the same, sounds like it was something in the room.

I imagine the staff sprayed your room after you left,but do not pass along that info, they would not want to create an issue.

It would be impossible not to get them from some of the travelers, they could have them at home, or from a flight, or a hotel on the way for their cruise!

Hope you both recover quickly!

[jktheangel]

I have been it the pest control industry for well over 20 years and have experience with bed bugs. Are they a problem, yes big time. They are very hard to control and eliminate. I often wondered how the cruise ship industry would handle a problem with bed bugs. The process is not a 10 minute fix, it takes hours or even days. In hotels if bed bugs are found in 1 room we treat that room and also treat the rooms on either side and the rooms above and below. Very time consuming and expensive. Most hotels can shut down these rooms for a few days or a week so the treatment can be done. A cruise ship does not have that luxury. I know that Royal does have professional pests control technicians on board. I would think that housekeeping has been trained to detect any signs of bed bugs. The cruise industry cannot afford to to let the problem get out of control. Bed bugs are transported by people. With many guests staying at many different hotels and coming from many different countries , I see no way of keeping them off the ship. As of right now there is no preventive pest control measures to keep them out. Many hotels, dorms, cruise ship etc. are using bed bug proof encasement covers for the beds, this keeps them off of the mattress and box springs.

All this being said there are a few things we can do to help protect ourselves and not spread them. Yes check bed, dressers, desks etc. for any signs before we unpack. Hang your clothes don't put into dressers, if you do use zip-lock bags, (have you noticed socks, underwear etc. are being sold with a ziplock), big garbage bags ( they also sell bed bug proof luggage covers) to cover your luggage, don't put your shoes under the bed under the sink in the bathroom is better or on the shelves in the closet, dirty laundry in plastic sealed bags. When you get home put your clothes in the dryer first (heat kills bed bugs & their eggs) then wash, check your luggage.

If you do find bed bugs try and catch it and report it immediately to the proper people. Most Front desk clerks at hotels don't make a lot of money and don't really care, ask nicely for a manager. Don't make a big scene that is not helping anything. I have had so many calls to check for bed bugs because someone complained about them and found no signs of any. The spider used to get blamed for a lot for biting people now it is the bed bug, when in reality it could be another insect or a skin problem. Not all bites are bed bugs. Don't call out hotels, cruise ships, etc. on the internet unless you are 100% positive that is what they are. When you do most will call their pest control company to check to see if there is a problem. Most of the time I don't find a problem. Of coarse Most of your higher end hotel chains will pay and take care of the problem quickly. Some of the lower end chains not so much, they do not want to spend the money and try doing themselves. Many of the lower end franchise owners will not spend the money until it is out of control. The higher end ones have very strict polices for the franchise owners.

Just take some care and precaution and you will be fine. It only takes a couple of minutes to check your room.

As a matter of fact I have not been working for the last few weeks because I tore my rotator cuff and had surgery. I was moving some furniture while treating a place for bed bugs. I guess they can hurt you!

 

Very informative. Thank you. I work at a resort and every time someone suffers a rash or bite they automatically say bed bugs. Not true in the majority of the cases. We have had them and we treat the room and all surrounding rooms We have the pest company come back for 3 weeks to make sure they are gone before we release the room and in some cases we throw out the mattress to be safe. It's very expensive but we will pay it so our future guest are not affected. Sadly bbs are becoming more common than ever even though not every time someone has a bite or rash.

 

 

Jamie