Is Soujourn a Sick Ship?

[notjaded]

Just off a nice cruise on the Sojourn, but half the people on it were coughing up a storm. We wondered whether this has been the experience of other recent cruisers with the Sojourn, or perhaps our itinerary had something to do with the health issues on board.

Edited May 28, 2016 by notjaded

[adoctor]

Yes, I felt pretty sick when I had to get off!

[Tony & Trevor]

Virus,

 

Nothing you can really do!

[Techno123]

If a passenger comes onboard with an airborne virus, there is little the staff can do to prevent it spreading apart from incarcerating that person in their suite! With coughs and colds you can see a variety of different approaches

* cough and sneeze over everything and everyone

* cough/ sneeze into your hands then place the mucous and virus on everything you touch

* cough/sneeze into a tissue which you stick up your sleeve - same as above

 

The infected passenger/s must take responsibility for the control and the best way to deal with any type of upper respiratory infection which limits the spread of a virus to others is to move away from others and from food; cough/ sneeze into the crook of your arm; refrain from touching your nose and mouth; throw away tissues every time you use one and wash your hands thouroughly with soap and water afterwards and at regular intervals throughout the day.

[Nigella]

Yes, I felt pretty sick when I had to get off!

 

Me too!

 

Sojourn is my favourite of the big sisters. Proportionally we've done many more cruises on Sojourn than on Quest or Odyssey. Our best SB cruises have been on Sojourn so I'm very fond of her.

Haven't noticed a particularly 'sick ship'.

 

There was a bronchial type virus on one our cruises, possibly HKG-SIN in 2014 (?) but as others have said, not much can be done if a guest brings a virus on board.

Techno123 is spot on.

[rols]

Depends where they were when they were coughing up a storm, if it was in the observation lounge or on their verandahs it was probably because of the second hand smoke from the smokers.

[lincslady]

We have been lucky enough never so far to catch one of these bugs, though sometimes certainly there are cough and cold germs about on the ships.

 

I think more often than not people pick up bugs on their flights over, and go down with them after a couple of days on board. We have often arrived home from a flight, to go down with something 2 or 3 days later, IMO almost certainly picked up on the plane, where the aircon is notoriously inefficient.

[Les Picantins]

I purchased a package of paper face masks last winter before a trans atlantic flight. I keep them in my carry on for whenever we are in a crowded airport lounge. I find it amusing how the seat next to me always remains vacant. :D

[RustyRollock]

People with this kind of highly contagious respiratory infection often show little or no consideration for their fellow pax by taking few, if any, basic precautions to avoid spreading it. Unfortunately it's not restricted to one ship, or to Seabourn for that matter.

[Joc123]

We were on Sojourn in March - Hong Kong - Hong Kong. I would say over half the passengers developed a nasty cough (including DH). I do wish people would isolate themselves until the worst is over. We had 2 days in the cabin and really it was no hardship. DH was not feeling like the life of the party anyway.

[2SailingNomads]

I purchased a package of paper face masks last winter before a trans atlantic flight. I keep them in my carry on for whenever we are in a crowded airport lounge. I find it amusing how the seat next to me always remains vacant. :D

 

I love it

[SKP946]

I purchased a package of paper face masks last winter before a trans atlantic flight. I keep them in my carry on for whenever we are in a crowded airport lounge. I find it amusing how the seat next to me always remains vacant. :D

I love this, must try it.

We were also on the Sojourn in March and while I didn't notice fellow pax coughing any more than usual, I did ask a few of the shop assistants in Japan why they wore masks.

Most said to prevent themselves spreading germs if they were unwell, a few said to stop them getting hay fever (it was Spring)

[SKP946]

 

I think more often than not people pick up bugs on their flights over, and go down with them after a couple of days on board. We have often arrived home from a flight, to go down with something 2 or 3 days later, IMO almost certainly picked up on the plane, where the aircon is notoriously inefficient.

 

Definitely agree with this, usually we are 20 to 28 hours in the air on the way to and from the ship. I use a saline nasal spray (Frequent Flyer) every hour or so when flying, works wonders:)

[tv24]

IMHO the possibility of catching a virus on board a ship is a little too great. I have been sick on several lines/ships (Seabourn, Crystal, and Cunard) and can't really blame the cruise line. One needs to wash one's hands frequently and use the Purell. But still it feels as though one is living in a petrie dish. As long as the line encourages staff and PAX to wash up, I can place no blame. It's a hazard of the life style. And I also agree that the virus originates on the air planes which are incredibly unhealthy environments.

[ab21au]

Definitely agree with this, usually we are 20 to 28 hours in the air on the way to and from the ship.

 

Agree. I envy those in the US and EU when it comes to travel. A couple of hours to start the holiday rather then a day for us + time to get over the jet lag. The body is compromised when we get there and then more likely to pick up a bug.

[Catlover54]

Agree. I envy those in the US and EU when it comes to travel. A couple of hours to start the holiday rather then a day for us + time to get over the jet lag. The body is compromised when we get there and then more likely to pick up a bug.

 

I can assure you that it is typically NOT "a couple of hours" for us to start our typical holiday when we fly from San Francisco to Europe, or South America, or New Zealand last year, or ( the worst) was to South Africa at Christmas , 25 hours enroute on the latter and even with business class (packed with families with many sniffling children on Lufthansa) we were wasted and I worried about getting sick from being rundown as my immune system is not normal, but all was fine. It is the Europeans I envy most for cruising, as they are right there, just a short cheap hop ( well, not counting the recent anti-terrorist securitt enhancements ) to whatever port they want to embark at in Europe, with so much to see.

 

So far DH and I have avoided Asia cruising because 1) it can get very hot and humid, which I do not tolerate, and 2) When DH would travel to various Asian countries on business, Purell or not, he would typically return sick with some severe viral respiratory illness that would knock him out for a couple weeks (but he does not get sick when travels to Europe, is likely more resistant). But now colleagues and customers who travel to/from Asia and are run down and overworked are arriving home sick, going, to work, and sharing their germs with people here instead of staying home.

 

On cruise ships if in an early and infectious stage, people really need to stay away from public areas, to avoid passing on problems.

[stamfordian]

It is the Europeans I envy most for cruising, as they are right there, just a short cheap hop ( well, not counting the recent anti-terrorist securitt enhancements ) to whatever port they want to embark at in Europe, with so much to see.

 

And we don't have Trump!

[markham]

Can you picture the following should the unimaginable occur?

 

That would be at Buckingham Palace with you know who being presented to Queen Elizabeth II.

 

I cannot.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[Winner]

God, indeed, will have to save the Queen!!!