Has the threat of ebola caused you to reconsider your cruise plans

[bdjam]

Second nurse started symptoms while in Cleveland and chose not to report to medical personnel there, she wanted to get back home to Dallas. She is why this Ebola disease is so dangerous. People will lie to protect themselves and the heck with people that may be impacted by those actions.

 

Sounds like people on a cruise ship who won't stay quarantined after they contract norovirus. As for ebola, how many people on the flights that carried Mr. Duncan back to Texas have become infected?

 

I guess there's a remote chance of the person sitting next to you on a plane sneezing and spreading some infected spray that you would just happen to breath in through your mouth and that would lodge in your mucous membranes and infect you. But there's a chance of the plane going down too. Until there's direct evidence that the disease can be spread through normal human contact, I think worry about this is just not logical.

 

Life is too short to sit at home waiting.

[MAR45]

No, I am not considering any changes whatsoever. As long as ebola remains transmissible only through body fluid exchanges, it won't make much ground outside of places where funeral customs encourage touching the dead.

Princess is a lot more likely to cancel the cruise than I am to not go.

 

But I'm wondering why USA are frantically trying to trace the other air passengers on the same flight as the nurse who's tested positive? Do you really believe everything they tell you when they want to stop a panic.

Is A/C on cruise ships same recirculated air as on aircraft?

Also how are they testing all their crew after they've been home to infected countries when it takes 3 weeks to show symptoms?

[MAR45]

My only thought was, "maybe it's a good time to get a deal". I figure, one person's fear is another person's opportunity, so yeah, I'll do my part to fill the empty airline seats, occupy the empty hotel room, book DH's b-day cruise.

On the other hand, I would never have an issue with any of our travel plans being altered due to an abundance of caution in the interest of public health.

I'm a retired nurse so I prefer to see overreaction when it concerns Ebola.

 

 

Yes I had a wonderful WDW holiday on & off rides with no lines because the place was virtually empty. 6 weeks after 9/11. See how horrible your attitude sounds when voiced in another context by someone else :mad:

[RetiredNTraveling]

Second nurse started symptoms while in Cleveland and chose not to report to medical personnel there, she wanted to get back home to Dallas. She is why this Ebola disease is so dangerous. People will lie to protect themselves and the heck with people that may be impacted by those actions.

 

That is going to be an ongoing problem if we don't start taking this as a serious matter!

The probably will not cancel our 2015 Hawaii & Tahiti cruise, "but" we are considering changing our plans to fly thru Dallas if this isn't brought under control by then. We can always leave 3 days earlier and drive. We don't scare easily but we are cautious.

Edited October 15, 2014 by RetiredNTraveling

[bdjam]

While we are on the subject...

[karena1]

I'm booked on a cruise leaving from Houston, and I still don't have second thoughts. "A life lived in fear is a life half lived." But I'm the person that eats off of random food trucks in the Caribbean if they have a congregation of locals around them getting food. I also ALWAYS buy trip insurance!

 

I so agree with you. I refuse to live my life in a "bubble" b/c something "might" happen. Live is to short to live it in fear. We are the same as you will trying local foods, etc. I also walk barefoot pretty much everywhere - all over the ship, on the beaches, etc. Hopefully, nothing will ever happen, but things that have happened in my family where life was cut short convinced me to live every day to the fullest and never say "what if". I enjoy my life, don't take crazy risks, but also do not live in fear or what might or might not happen.

 

We have tons of cruises booked and I plan to take and enjoy each and every one of them!:p

[Mississippian]

Sounds like people on a cruise ship who won't stay quarantined after they contract norovirus. As for ebola, how many people on the flights that carried Mr. Duncan back to Texas have become infected?

At the time he took his flight Duncan had not developed symptoms and was therefore not contagious or minimally contagious.

 

Someone who has developed a fever would indeed be able to spread the disease to someone within a few feet with a cough or sneeze; again, in the early stages the disease does not seem to be as contagious, though.

[bdjam]

Someone who has developed a fever would indeed be able to spread the disease to someone within a few feet with a cough or sneeze; again, in the early stages the disease does not seem to be as contagious, though.

 

OK - but I would again refer back to the World Health Organization's statement. Doesn't seem to be that easy to catch. If it was, I think even with the long incubation period, we'd already have an epidemic. Until we get to that point, I will use the same cautions that I use anytime I travel to avoid illness. Everyone has to decide what's an appropriate risk for them. I travel a highly congested freeway to and from work everyday and my chances of getting in a car accident are much more than my chances of getting ebola on a plane or cruise ship.

Edited October 15, 2014 by bdjam

[hawkeyetlse]

At the time he took his flight Duncan had not developed symptoms and was therefore not contagious or minimally contagious.

But just imagine if he had taken that flight, and then boarded a cruise ship, still not showing any symptoms. Four days later, he gets sick on board, and a nightmare begins for the cruise line and the thousands of others on that ship. Getting sick and dying are not the only risks to take into consideration here. Even if everyone on that ship turns out to be fine 21 days later, the cost will have been mind-boggling, and the disruption to everyone's lives, and the tying up of medical resources that in hindsight could have been better used elsewhere…

 

And I don't see how this scenario can be avoided. They won't deny boarding to someone who shows no symptoms, just based on their recent travel history. And how would they get accurate information about everyone's recent travel history, anyway?

[ibfern]

We are taking the Ocean from Capetown to Dover in April/May/june and I started out waitlisted at #184 for early dining because I signed up very late for this cruise, several months ago. Today I noted that I am now at #25, so that is how Ebola has influenced my cruise so far, and I hope it also causes the prices to drop as I will surely benefit from that too!

 

It doesn't make sense to think about changing our cruise plans until it comes close to final payment, and we always buy insurance no matter what is going on.

 

I have thought about back-up plans in case the cruise gets canceled but I truly doubt that would ever happen. At this point I am more concerned with the fact that the Ocean is up for sale than Ebola.

Edited October 15, 2014 by ibfern

[CZEE]

There is some controversy as to whether or not the hospital was following the correct procedures to keep those taking care of the patient safe. I'm not sure she was fully protected...again...media is saying she was and STILL got it...everybody panic!

 

The World Health Organization is not the government.

 

News today said nurses and other healthcare professionals were not fully covered. They were complaining that their necks were exposed.

[lovevacadays]

No. My next cruise is only a 3 day cruise. However, if I had plans for just about anywhere else I would not reconsider. Actually, I'd love to plan a Caribbean cruise for this spring and wouldn't hesitate.

[lovevacadays]

Why would anyone be concerned about catching Ebola on a cruise? It's not airborne, you'd have to have direct contact with the fluids from someone exhibiting symptoms, Princess (or any other line) wouldn't fly crew (if there were any which I don't think there are) directly from West Africa to the ship, and cruise ships are no longer stopping in West Africa.

 

You are thousands of times more likely to get a cold or the flu.

 

It's interesting that all of reported cases in the US of someone "exhibiting symptoms" have all been negative. The only real cases have been someone returning from West Africa or was in direct physical contact with someone with Ebola.

 

There's far more hysteria than fact or reality. FYI, I'm going back to Africa for another safari next year and I'm astonished at the number of people concerned about my doing so. I'll be no where near West Africa nor do I plan on being in close physical contact to the point of exchanging bodily fluids.

 

If there were a like button......:):):)

[LoriPhil]

Lots of vicious killers out there, from bad bugs to bullets to your own treacherous biology. That's life, so we enjoy building memories and living it fully. That includes great vacations and lots of vigorous washing of hands. :rolleyes:

[bbolt]

We are booked on Regal Princess for Caribbean cruise on November. 6th. I worry more about an infected crew member possibly working in kitchen. Trying not to get too worried, but it is hard not to.....

 

I wonder what precautions cruise line has for staff members who travel in from other countries.....

[icat2000]

Yeap. Can't go to the USA its an Ebola infected country :p

[PescadoAmarillo]

Second nurse started symptoms while in Cleveland and chose not to report to medical personnel there, she wanted to get back home to Dallas. She is why this Ebola disease is so dangerous. People will lie to protect themselves and the heck with people that may be impacted by those actions.

 

I simply can't let this go uncorrected because your assumption or a faulty news source led you to this conclusion. The second nurse, Amber Vinson, contacted the CDC multiple times before she flew home to check that she was safe to fly. They thought her fever of 99.5 did not make her symptomatic. She did not lie to get home. The CDC themselves admit this.

 

I just feel that a nurse who followed procedure every step of the way and had the courage to treat an ebola patient deserves better than to be publicly maligned.

[BrandiGreg]

News today said nurses and other healthcare professionals were not fully covered. They were complaining that their necks were exposed.

Ordinary protocol does not require all of the body to be covered, just the more likely places (like hands) or mucus membranes (eyes, mouth) in case fluid was splashed or spewed in your direction. Just because some fluid from the patient lands on your intact skin, like neck, does not mean it will go into your body. Even if it lands on your hands, you just wash it off. It does not travel through intact skin, nor does it float in the air.

[Northender]

I simply can't let this go uncorrected because your assumption or a faulty news source led you to this conclusion. The second nurse, Amber Vinson, contacted the CDC multiple times before she flew home to check that she was safe to fly. They thought her fever of 99.5 did not make her symptomatic. She did not lie to get home. The CDC themselves admit this.

 

I just feel that a nurse who followed procedure every step of the way and had the courage to treat an ebola patient deserves better than to be publicly maligned.

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you.:)

[rpcv77]

I simply can't let this go uncorrected because your assumption or a faulty news source led you to this conclusion. The second nurse, Amber Vinson, contacted the CDC multiple times before she flew home to check that she was safe to fly. They thought her fever of 99.5 did not make her symptomatic. She did not lie to get home. The CDC themselves admit this.

 

I just feel that a nurse who followed procedure every step of the way and had the courage to treat an ebola patient deserves better than to be publicly maligned.

 

I thank you as well. Misinformation becomes epidemic as well in times like this.

[RDC1]

Was just talking with Princess about a different subject. The customer service rep said that atleast it wasn't another Ebola scare cancellation. They must be getting a lot of calls.

[PenguinLife]

I have a cruise scheduled to leave out of Houston in 3 weeks and I am not at all concerned about catching Ebola on the cruise. Infectious viruses such as ebola spread in certain mathematically predictable manners, there are factors the effect this spread, such a if it is airborne, how long it can stay active in the open, etc. These factors are not precisely known for this current strain of Ebola, but it may be more easily spread than previous strains. However even taking the worst reasonable case numbers and we are likely looking at under 100 people known to be infected in the US, perhaps with a slightly higher concentration in Texas in my 3 -4 week time window for this cruise, the big potential for problems is trying to look out more than 2 or 3 months, where that 100 would become thousands, then a few months later potentially millions. Again this is worst case scenario assuming it does not mutate and become airborne in which case all bets are off, and I am glad I own a HazMat suit with an N95 certified PAPR.

 

So to sum it up, Ebola is not effecting my upcoming cruise plans, but at the same time I will not be booking a cruise 12-18 months out due to potential ebola concerns either, but since I have never booked a cruise much more than 3 months out, I can still say that at this time the Ebola scare is not effecting any of my future cruise plans.

[marvholly]

I think you need to cancel ALL trips you have planned anywhere in the world whether by train, plane or cruise ship.

 

You also need to stop going to work, to school, the grocery store, church – anywhere people congregate.

 

Then go home, lock ALL doors, crawl into bed and pull the covers over your head.

 

NOTE: this is sarcasm. These posts all over the internet whether travel or other sites is driving me CRAZY. But hey, if enough people cancel all plans I might get a real CHEAP trip this winter.

[jammen]

Just wondering.

We have never bought cruise insurance before but for our upcoming January Caribbean cruise we decided to purchase it. I'm not so concerned right now but my husband is so it buys some peace of mind. This and the Chikungunya are making him nervous.

 

Some what it does.

[pompeii]

I simply can't let this go uncorrected because your assumption or a faulty news source led you to this conclusion. The second nurse, Amber Vinson, contacted the CDC multiple times before she flew home to check that she was safe to fly. They thought her fever of 99.5 did not make her symptomatic. She did not lie to get home. The CDC themselves admit this.

 

I just feel that a nurse who followed procedure every step of the way and had the courage to treat an ebola patient deserves better than to be publicly maligned.

 

I have to respectfully disagree. She is a health care professional who knew that she had been in contact with a active case of Ebola and was now showing a fever within the incubation monitoring period, there is no way she should have traveled on a commercial aircraft. That is common sense and showing regard for her own welfare and that of the public at large. You just don't take that chance.

 

If she did contact the CDC saying "I have been in contact with Ebola and now have a fever" and they said go ahead and fly, then shame on the CDC as well. But you can't absolve her of all the responsibility.