Seem to have developed an NCL phobia, Escape specifically.

[AdoraBelle]

So last fall I got either noro or food poisoning on the Escape. (Not trolling--I'm sure the threads still exist from October '16, I was hardly alone.)

 

I'm a rational person, I understood illness/hygiene best practices (just got unlucky), and I know it's unlikely to happen again. But it was really awful--I was traveling solo and (sorry) violently vomiting in the infirmary for several hours. I was so sick it pushed me into a panic attack, and I was frightened I might have some more serious food poisoning that could be dangerous. (Don't want to spark a noro/food poisoning debate either, all I know is that all my illness was "upstairs" and my stomach was wrecked for the following two weeks. My NP mother in law said it sounded more like food poisoning.)

 

I generally liked the NCL product (after some breaks during their policy change whirlwind), and while I'm still mad about Flamingo Grill, the cruise bug is biting me again. I'd planned on going on another ship (or possibly another line), but Escape is the only ship doing the itinerary I want in the window of time I have.

 

The problem is that even now, when I think about that ship, I associate it strongly with the illness, and lying alone in my room wanting to die. (I also had a problem with service--I was quarantined because of my illness, but they also closed my onboard account and stopped allowing me to get free room service when quarantine ended--problem was I was still too sick to go to guest services to get my account back online. No shipboard account equals no room service. They only sent me toast and water when I broke down and cried on the phone.)

 

Ugh, I realize that this sounds inflammatory, and I also realize that the typical CC comment will be "just get over it". But I do miss cruising. And I have one more NCL credit. But I also realize there's not a lot of useful advice anyone can give me.

 

I guess I'll just leave it at this: if you've gotten violently ill on a cruise, to the point that you associate the ship (and the memories of the food you ate before getting sick) with 36 hours of sheer misery ... how long before you were ready to hop on board again?

 

If the dang GA was running westerns in June I wouldn't even have to post this. I swore I'd never go on GA again after Buffetville replaced my beloved FG, but my associations with Escape are still quite vivid.

 

Is there some other decent/newish ship running Westerns from the east coast in June?

[BirdTravels]

So the most important thing to remember is that, unlike food poisoning from poor food handling, Noro is a "gift" from one of your fellow passengers. Someone who was not aware that they were sick, or flat out lied on their health questionnaire. (Yes, I know that it could be one of the crew members, too). We would hate to see it permanently scare you away from cruising the big ships.

 

Unfortunately, June is already off-season for the Caribbean. And the Escape is the only ship on that route as the Getaway is cruising the Baltics and the Epic is back in the Med. (And the small ships move to Alaska).

[mgfiest]

And what makes you think that the other cruiselines are safe from the Nora virus. It has happen less on NCL then other cruiselines. NCL can not keep that from entering their ships if passengers are not truthful with their questionnaire They do the best they can to contain it..

[Two Wheels Only]

The ship doesn't cause illness. The illness comes from a person/people. Just about every NCL ship follows the same procedures but if a single person (guest or crew) spreads sickness, anyone on any cruise ship can get sick. The same goes for air travel.

 

Using a rough estimate, figure how many people sail Escape in a year (52 × over 4000) then figure how many guests get sick while on the ship (not counting people who were sick when they boarded) and you'll see that the chances of getting sick are slim. Sure, it sux when it happens to you but it is unlikely to happen again because of the ship.

[NLH Arizona]

No use worrying your entire cruise, I would pick another cruise line, but before you do I'd check the CDC website to make sure your new pick has never had the Norovirus.

[JPEvans]

I gotten sick like that on a Carnival Breeze Transatlantic. I

Believe mine was food poisoning. It was the second night

Of the cruise. I was fine till about two hours after dinner, and

Bam! 💥 It hit me like a rock. It only lasted one night. My

Traveling companion didn't get sick, I would assume that

Noro is highly contagious. Good thing it was a long cruise.

I was pretty wiped out for a couple days after that bout.

[Mom2B&Z]

If you really want to cruise Escape, you may need some counselling.

You've created a very strong link between a memory and en emotion. That's how our brains are wired, we remember things that could harm us, even if it isn't completely rational. That's the case here, you know your previous experience was bad luck, but the negative emotions are still there.

A few sessions of counselling/cognitive behavioural therapy/desensitization may be enough for you to overcome this issue and enjoy the cruise. People posting rational thoughts on this forum are not going to help.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ColeThornton]

Get over it, you'll be fine. Many on this forum have forty, fifty cruises under their belts and live to tell about them.

[ilovetotravel1977]

Get over it, you'll be fine. Many on this forum have forty, fifty cruises under their belts and live to tell about them.

 

 

OP - and there is your "get over it" comment LOL

[ColeThornton]

OP - and there is your "get over it" comment LOL

 

 

She asked for it. :D

[ilovetotravel1977]

She asked for it. :D

 

 

Touche

[SuiteTraveler]

I once got food poisoning when I was on a business trip and my hotel room was purple - even the bathroom had lavender wallpaper and for several years afterwards, I didn't like to be around anything purple, so I understand why you feel the way you do. The good news is that there are several good choices for the Western Caribbean in June:

 

MSC Divina (built 2012)

Carnival Vista (built 2016)

RCCL Harmony of the Seas (built 2016)

 

All 3 of the above are really great ships. Divina is the most elegant and the shows are among the best at sea but there is less to do onboard (no waterpark or ropes course, etc.) Vista has Havana suites and lots to do onboard as does Harmony and both of these are more similar to Escape, but won't have the unfortunate association with sickness for you. Take your pick and stay off of Escape - you've done that ship already anyway.

[AliceIn]

 

Is there some other decent/newish ship running Westerns from the east coast in June?

 

 

Disney has Western routes in June.

 

 

I'm sorry you felt so ill on your cruise.

[justhappy]

You can get Norovirus just by staying at home. My mother picked it up on a plane one Christmas on a trip to visit us and gave it to everyone in my family. Not just vomiting but massive diarrhea so bad we were all wearing depends to deal with it.

The best way to get over your fears to to get right back up on that horse, so to speak.

[sprint180]

You can get sick on a ship or on dry land. If you want to cruise, cruise. If you don't stay home.

[LrgPizza]

Based on your post, it sounds like you are fully aware that you are being irrational. Other than recommending a good therapist, I'm not sure anyone here can help you.

[sabres431]

I got sick a few years back on our first time on the Breakaway. I felt a little "off" as we were waiting to board and attributed it to sitting in traffic in NYC for 2 hours due to a marathon. I pretty much ran to the bathroom as soon as we were on. I then passed it on to my wife the next day. We pretty much quarantined ourselves until we were well enough to do anything. Our solution was to go on the Breakaway the next year and have a great time to make up for the previous bad time. We are going on the Breakaway again this April. To the person who said you've already done the Escape, there is no way she's "done that ship" if she was sick the whole time. Hop back on the horse and make better memories.

[triptolemus]

She asked for it. :D

 

Actually she didn't.

[ColinIllinois]

Actually she didn't.

 

Oh yea, when you type in your post "Ugh, I realize that this sounds inflammatory, and I also realize that the typical CC comment will be "just get over it"."...there has to be the obligatory typical CC comment.

[sjbdtz]

My partner had noro on our very first cruise.

 

Now we have 25+ cruises down.

 

 

Just because a horse threw you, doesn't mean all horses will always throw you.

 

 

 

Stephen

 

.

[cruisebie]

So sorry to hear about what happened to you on the Escape. With such a bad association with the Escape, I think I would look for another ship if the Western itinerary In June is the most important factor for your cruise. I think I would let more time pass before trying the Escape again. If you want to stay with NCL to use the credit, you could look at Bermuda on the Breakaway or Dawn.

[Two Wheels Only]

Just because a horse threw you, doesn't mean all horses will always throw you.

 

Are you insinuating that Cagney's serves horse?:eek:

[triptolemus]

Are you insinuating that Cagney's serves horse?:eek:

 

 

What a shame... I was hoping for a funny joke. :(

[LakeWobegon]

I had such an association in college once after I got very sick on vodka and orange juice. I wouldn't drink either for a long time. And I still have no love for the first. It was the only time I ever got that sick and so I associate it with that drink. Perhaps if you can give it a second try, you will be cured. I drank a rebellious fish last March and that was sort of like that and lived to tell. I do know that we bring a couple of travel packs of sanitizer wipes and the first thing I do is wipe down the surfaces and handles in the cabin thoroughly. And we wash hour hands and use hand sanitizer any time we visit the buffett. I make the kids wash their hands after they've secured their food and placed it on the table. Now a quick visit over to the handwashing station before you start grabbing food with your fingers. Psychologically, it makes me feel better at least!

[bluesea777]

Myself, DH and DS have travelled widely and cruised widely, and of course we each have had experiences with either food poisoning or noro. But that didn't stop us from travelling on land and cruising again and again ...

 

When I think back to each of our sickness while on cruises I've come to think they were caused by food poisoning after eating meal while on land, NOT on ship.

 

One unforgettable experience of food poisoning that DH and I had when we had the same special dinner at a Buenos Aires hotel before going to airport for the long overnight flight to Miami. We had spent money for an upgrade to Business class and the only thing that benefitted us was the slightly larger toilets, and nothing else. We spent the whole flight going to and fro the toilets. During our long layover in Miami we made sure to park ourselves close to the restrooms in the business class lounge. Oh, jeez!

 

We still travel and cruise ......