Bed Bugs

[lindaler]

This morning I was reading Chris Elliot's blog and he has a story about a couple in room 11112 on the Jewel and how they got bed bug bites so bad she has scars.

 

Does anyone else pull up the corners of the bed when they move into a cabin to check? Here is the story so you can read for yourself.

 

http://elliott.org/is-this-enough-compensation/eaten-bedbugs-mexico-cruise-enough-compensation/

[Sissaaaaaa]

This morning I was reading Chris Elliot's blog and he has a story about a couple in room 11112 on the Jewel and how they got bed bug bites so bad she has scars.

 

Does anyone else pull up the corners of the bed when they move into a cabin to check? Here is the story so you can read for yourself.

 

http://elliott.org/is-this-enough-compensation/eaten-bedbugs-mexico-cruise-enough-compensation/

 

I always check ... whether on a cruise or in a hotel.

[kcwingwalker]

Bed bugs always makes for an interesting thread.

[TheDougOut]

One of my all time favs... the thread where the guy's room was infested by "bed bug" (yes, singular) - and he turned to social media because NCL's response of completely gutting his room was insufficient.

[sfaaa]

Wiping down the place and checking for bed bugs are the first two things I do in my cabin. I always travel with a mini flashlight and disinfecting wipes.

[Love.II.Cruise]

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

[travelingoldman]

So let me understand. Someone will be in that room on the next cruise. All of their clothes and luggage was moved to the new rooms, so does that mean some bugs moved with them?

[Turtles06]

I always check ... whether on a cruise or in a hotel.

 

I do too, but given that clean sheets will have just been put on that morning, not sure how much one would see... I imagine it's important to pull the sheet away from the corner of the mattress and expose the mattress, yes?

[Barb Nahoumi]

We always check the bed and surrounding areas of every hotel room or cruise ship cabin.

 

When possible do not let luggage touch the bed or floor before you check around. Use the luggage rack if one is provided. Bed bugs can crawl into suitcases and come home with you.

 

Fortunately, we never had a bed bug problem.

 

When I was on the Dawn Repo cruise, there was an expo of the different departments to which guests were invited. The houskeeping dept., displayed specialized cleaning solutions they use for bed bugs. I guess ships get them sometimes.

[Barb Nahoumi]

I do too, but given that clean sheets will have just been put on that morning, not sure how much one would see... I imagine it's important to pull the sheet away from the corner of the mattress and expose the mattress, yes?

 

Check between the mattress and box spring for brown spots, that the critters leave behind.

[Sissaaaaaa]

I do too, but given that clean sheets will have just been put on that morning, not sure how much one would see... I imagine it's important to pull the sheet away from the corner of the mattress and expose the mattress, yes?

 

Correct. You dont check the sheets - you check the mattress itself. Specifically the corners and the seams on the side. I always lift it and check just under as well. It takes all of 30 seconds!

[NLH Arizona]

I always put my luggage in the bathroom and then pull out the luggage rack, if available, and inspect it. If it seems clean, I'll put my luggage on there. I then go to the bed and pretty much strip it and look for any evidence in, under and round the mattress and box spring. If there is a headboard, I inspect that as well. I go over to the love seat/sofa and pull it out, as if I was going to make it into a bed and inspect it from top to bottom. After all of this, I just hope that I've checked every place and the little critters are not there.

[tedyb]

So let me understand. Someone will be in that room on the next cruise. All of their clothes and luggage was moved to the new rooms, so does that mean some bugs moved with them?

We were in a group at a hotel. My buddy, ironically a professional exterminator, checked and detected bed bugs in his room the morning of check out. The hotel immediately quarantined his room and washed every bit of their clothing before they left. I'm sure that a cruise line has such a policy as well.

[sfaaa]

So let me understand. Someone will be in that room on the next cruise. All of their clothes and luggage was moved to the new rooms, so does that mean some bugs moved with them?

 

Bedbug can just lay eggs on your possessions and the unborn would follow you home or wherever you go next. Nice huh?

[zqvol]

I don't believe a word that was in the linked article

[Trellaine]

Yikes :( as a first time cruiser I sure wish I didn't open/read this thread :(

 

I have traveled alot over the years, been in many hotels and don't think ive come across bed bugs.

 

And hoping this isn't my first experience with bed bugs. Yikes :mad:

[mypleasure]

Yikes :( as a first time cruiser I sure wish I didn't open/read this thread :(

 

I have traveled alot over the years, been in many hotels and don't think ive come across bed bugs.

 

And hoping this isn't my first experience with bed bugs. Yikes :mad:

 

I have been on over 20 cruises with NCL and have never been bitten even by an insect on shore whilst on a cruise. That article makes it seem like ALL ships are ridden with bed bugs but reality is that they are very, very rare. I daresay it can happen but we aren't seeing folks on here week in week out complaining about it so stop worrying.

[wdsted]

I guess there is no limit to the potential disasters available for speculation on CC. I've never even heard of a bed bug incident on a cruise ship. And as for bed inspections, all I can say is "seriously?"

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[newmexicoNita]

Bed bugs always makes for an interesting thread.

 

and often an over exaggerated or untrue tread.

 

zqvow: I agree with you full heartedly. Most people who get bit by whatever, by the time they get home, if the see a doctor he/she will tell you it is very hard to identify what actually nibbled on them. The whole story sounds subject, but when I read the comment about NCL knew they were there, I pretty much realized the story was, at best, only partially true.

Edited September 23, 2016 by newmexicoNita

[Lazz]

An ounce of prevention will prevent a ton of hurt. Some one we know carried bed bugs back from a top notch hotel. This person had to throw out just about everything owned in their apartment (clothes, furniture and even electronics). Anything that wanted to be kept was sealed in bags or containers for 2 years just to be sure that their was no recurrence. When we travel, we seal everything in large, zip lock bags, keep them in our suitcases, and then enclose the luggage in garbage bags while in the hotel room. I have learned that placing the luggage in the bathtub is the safest place to store them. When check the room, also check chairs, couches, the carpet next to the walls (they love to hide in the baseboards), and any electronics and paper products. If you find any evidence, leave the room immediately and try to find a new hotel if you can. If you can't move hotels, demand a room at least three floors away and at the opposite end. Bed bugs crawl through the walls very easily. If one room has them, chances are that the surrounding rooms have them as well.

 

I know this sounds extreme and somewhat paranoid, but the misery that someone we know went through convinced us to be diligent.

[bookbabe]

According to Cornell University, it usually takes three weeks to get rid of bed bugs, not two years...

 

https://nysipm.cornell.edu/whats-bugging-you/bed-bugs/bed-bug-faqs#17

[hawkeyetlse]

It can take just a few hours to get rid of bed bugs, with chemical or heat treatment. But that doesn't work for everything, and not everything can go in the freezer for a couple of weeks. If you decide that some items can only be treated through isolation, then you do need to seal them for well over a year to starve the bugs to death. :(

 

I can definitely believe that the people in this story got bitten by bed bugs. It happens, and it sucks. But unless they can demonstrate that it was the ship's fault (for example, they ignored several weeks of complaints about this cabin and just kept putting guests in there without taking any measures), it's bad luck and not a "full refund and then some" situation.

Edited September 23, 2016 by hawkeyetlse

[NLH Arizona]

and often an over exaggerated or untrue tread.

 

zqvow: I agree with you full heartedly. Most people who get bit by whatever, by the time they get home, if the see a doctor he/she will tell you it is very hard to identify what actually nibbled on them. The whole story sounds subject, but when I read the comment about NCL knew they were there, I pretty much realized the story was, at best, only partially true.

I wonder how many bed bugs there had to have been to have bites over 75% of her body that they reported?

[Lazz]

According to Cornell University, it usually takes three weeks to get rid of bed bugs, not two years...

 

https://nysipm.cornell.edu/whats-bugging-you/bed-bugs/bed-bug-faqs#17

 

Better to be safe than sorry. 18 months has been consistently mentioned as a maximum life spam. Two years of isolation is just to be on the safe side

 

http://www.bedbugcentral.com/blog/how-long-can-bed-bugs-live-without-food

 

Too many factors can influence how long they can survive and unless you can survive without an item for 12-18 months or more I would recommend finding a way a way to treat the item.

 

[hawkeyetlse]

I wonder how many bed bugs there had to have been to have bites over 75% of her body that they reported?

That number is designed to sound shockingly horrible, but it would be more useful to disclose how many bites they suffered. Similarly, claiming that the doctor said it was the worst case of bed bug bites that they'd ever seen is great fodder for a blog post, but really provides no useful information for a compensation claim.

 

As I said earlier, I have no doubt that these passengers were bitten and that they feel that this ruined their cruise, but they have a long way to go before I agree that NCL is at fault and should pay out more compensation.