If You Had A Cold

[NoNoNanette]

Thanks again, Mama- I just put your stuff on my shopping list! :)

[Grumpy1]

I haven't personally used Airborne, but my daughter-in-law swears by it... won't fly without taking it. I'll definitely try it myself.

 

As to answering the question, I think it is more a matter of prudence on the part of the cruiselines. When someone gets sick after boarding, then tries to sue for a refund, the cruiseline can show that they did everything possible, short of administering physicals, to keep sick people off of the ship.

 

I got a little insight into this type of thinking at one of the ports on our world cruise. Because of SARS worries, the government in that port was denying permission to leave the ship to anyone running a fever. Everyone had to report to the lounge to have their temperature taken and recorded. I had made some sort of comment to the ship's doctor and he said something to the effect that they wanted to make sure that no one had a fever... and no one would! hmmmm....

[trubey]

Melmarine, if I understood everything in your post, I have to disagree with you.

 

I, personally, cannot condone your not reporting a stomach upset to the medical facilities, immediately. On board, we are one floating community where each of us must consider the the health of each and every other individual onboard—the crew, staff, and other guests. What one has paid for a vacation is irrelevant, when it comes to the health of other people.

 

A common cold is one thing, but a stomach upset could be something else entirely.

 

Maybe HAL should specifically request that all illnesses are to be reported to the medical offices.

 

susana.

[HeatherInFlorida]

They asked us this question the last time we cruised in October ... luckily we hadn't had a cold, but I wondered what would happen if we had? What would they do?

 

As to Airbourne, I take it. I took it before and during our last cruise. But recently on "Today" or "GMA" (can't remember which) they had an medical report that the whole thing was completely worthless in guarding against or curing anything. As someone here posted, it's just a bunch of vitamins. The teacher who "invented" it says it builds your immune system and therefore guards against illness.

 

In fact Airbourne has been asked to remove the wording stating that it guards against getting viruses, etc. The new containers say nothing about it. So it's interesting that so many of us have been swearing by something that has no effect whatsoever according to the research.

 

It just proves to me once again that if you believe something may cure you, it probably will.

 

You're right, RuthC, they certainly don't ask if you have a cold to guard against Bird Flu. That would be bit of a stretch!:D

 

I agree with Sail ... makes more sense to ask if you've had a flu, respiratory ailment, something like that. But a cold?

[kryos]

Next cruise I will be a walking drug store and prepared to handle any illness my self. Only broken bones or stitches will get me into the medical facility again. Sorry I'm such a bad person but $7500 vacations are hard to come by.

Same here. If I'm sick, I keep it to myself and take medication that I bring along. Short of death's door, I won't see the medical department unless it is for something (like once I had vertigo) that has nothing to do with infections. Can you imagine spending a bundle on vacation and then being asked to leave the ship, or being confined to your cabin for four days? And even worse, if there are others sharing your cabin and now they are stuck there too. Yeah, you're gonna be pretty popular, that's for sure.

 

Nope ... sorry. I'll try to stay away from others as much as possible, and I'll certainly be anal about washing my hands and using the hand sanitizers, but I won't admit to having a stomach upset. My feeling is that catching someone's stomach infection, or them catching mine, is a cost of cruising. It's a cost of life. Just think. How many people who are sick as a dog still insist on coming into work ... won't even consider calling out sick? I encounter this all the time. And, in my job, we don't have assigned desks ... we all work at a computer console "command center" ... using the same keyboards, the same phones, etc. All we can do is wipe them down with these prepackaged disinfectant wipes the company provides us with, and hope for the best. It's the same when you take a cruise or travel on a train or a plane. Some people are gonna be sick and you just have to protect yourself as best you can. And, if you get sick too ... consider it just a part of life.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

I, personally, cannot condone your not reporting a stomach upset to the medical facilities, immediately. On board, we are one floating community where each of us must consider the the health of each and every other individual onboard—the crew, staff, and other guests. What one has paid for a vacation is irrelevant, when it comes to the health of other people.

We're not talking about someone passing around the AIDS virus here ... it's a lousy upset stomach. And, people can take great strides in protecting themselves from catching it by just washing their hands regularly.

 

What do you do if a co-worker comes into work sick? Do you badger them and say that they should have stayed home? On my job, the boss would come right to their defense and you'd be the "bad guy" ... not them. The boss wants them there and respects that they are willing to work while sick.

 

Not every infection is a major disaster. We live amongst most of them every day. Simple common sense will protect your fellow cruisers from catching anything you may have, and vice versa.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[sail7seas]

We're not talking about someone passing around the AIDS virus here ... it's a lousy upset stomach. And, people can take great strides in protecting themselves from catching it by just washing their hands regularly.

 

What do you do if a co-worker comes into work sick? Do you badger them and say that they should have stayed home? On my job, the boss would come right to their defense and you'd be the "bad guy" ... not them. The boss wants them there and respects that they are willing to work while sick.

 

Not every infection is a major disaster. We live amongst most of them every day. Simple common sense will protect your fellow cruisers from catching anything you may have, and vice versa.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

 

I'm sure the cruiselines reading this will be thrilled to bits. Just what they need!! A major outbreak all over CNN/Fox News. The bad publicity and the huge amount of work and expense to sanitize the ship. Amsterdam had to be taken out of service several years ago to clean/sanitize a bad outbreak. They cancelled definitely one and maybe (?) two cruises. I'm sure those folks who missed their cruises were delighted!

On the evening news tonight, we saw a clip of passengers disembarking VOS and they spoke of an outbreak that effected something like 10% of the passengers.

 

[AAAAmerican]

No having a sick day in my life and taking an X ship cruise where it did not even make the news as I guess nobody called it in...

 

I did get something as the Bus Boy, Waiter and adjoining tables and many more did as well.. they did not make it back to the formal dining room for the whole cruise except to get the tips.. I felt awful and reported it to the Onboard MD but they really did not care... it may me feel as when I reported dead crows to a local police department ... and they said they get many reports of that and did not even send them to the Disease Center in Atlanta as they are supposed to too..

 

So in life it is not just what your supposed to do it is what they are to do too.

 

By the way thats the only time I have ever been under the weather !

 

On board ships is wonderful but lacking traing in the basic sanitary skills is a gross injustice in my opinion..

 

I have seen and of Cruise staff ReFilling things.. even Catsup without wearing sanitary throwaway gloves etc...

 

Training is vital of all the staff. Carnival Cruise Lines was the start of the cleaner operations being done and owning Holland America has carried there methods foward to this and all there lines.. I have to commend them for this .

 

 

 

With Holland America now trying to increase quality more it is the leader now in this area.

 

A clean ship is a happy ship...

[AAAAmerican]

Thank goodness it is getting better with more awareness now.

 

A clean ship is a happy ship...

[kryos]

I'm sure the cruiselines reading this will be thrilled to bits. Just what they need!! A major outbreak all over CNN/Fox News. The bad publicity and the huge amount of work and expense to sanitize the ship. Amsterdam had to be taken out of service several years ago to clean/sanitize a bad outbreak. They cancelled definitely one and maybe (?) two cruises. I'm sure those folks who missed their cruises were delighted!

On the evening news tonight, we saw a clip of passengers disembarking VOS and they spoke of an outbreak that effected something like 10% of the passengers.

 

Most of the reported outbreaks occur while the ship is at sea, Sail ... and they spread because many people are too dimwitted to bother using those hand sanitizers that are all over the ship. If someone came aboard with an upset stomach, chances are it is not a virus, and even if it was ... if they are experiencing symptoms, they are probably mostly over the contagious phase of it.

 

Let's look at this realistically. People are exposed to all sorts of germs in everyday life. Your husband is a doctor, right? Can you imagine what he is exposed to just making rounds at the hospital? Not just the patients, but the employees can be sick and contagious at any time. A hospital is a "closed" environment, just like a ship. But I'll bet the people in the hospital have enough sense to wash and sanitize their hands frequently. That's why you rarely hear of serious outbreaks of Noro in that sort of an environment.

 

You can have a dozen people get on the ship with a stomach virus, and I'll bet if all passengers just exercised normal good personal hygiene habits, that virus wouldn't spread one iota.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[melmarine]

My original post was misleading about the hand sanitizers. I made note of them being out in the middle because I suspect that there had been an outbreak on the week before us. By the 2nd night the sanitizers were back along the door frames instead of in the middle of the floor leading me to believe that the problem has been solved or so they thought. Anyways my son is now an avid user of hand sanitizers and carries a bottle in his coat pocket most of the time. It was his grandma's suggestion and although at the time I thought she was just being grandma, by the sounds of the posts on this thread you all agree with her. I'll go to the store and buy a few more small bottles for our cruise on the 19th and make sure the whole family carries them. Thanks all for your comments and suggestions. My husband says I'm addicted to you guys (he refers to you all as my "Cruise friends") because I'm on here all the time but I think you give great advice and it makes me feel close to the cruise experience every time I log on.

[sail7seas]

Most of the reported outbreaks occur while the ship is at sea, Sail ... and they spread because many people are too dimwitted to bother using those hand sanitizers that are all over the ship. If someone came aboard with an upset stomach, chances are it is not a virus, and even if it was ... if they are experiencing symptoms, they are probably mostly over the contagious phase of it.

 

Let's look at this realistically. People are exposed to all sorts of germs in everyday life. Your husband is a doctor, right? Can you imagine what he is exposed to just making rounds at the hospital? Not just the patients, but the employees can be sick and contagious at any time. A hospital is a "closed" environment, just like a ship. But I'll bet the people in the hospital have enough sense to wash and sanitize their hands frequently. That's why you rarely hear of serious outbreaks of Noro in that sort of an environment.

 

You can have a dozen people get on the ship with a stomach virus, and I'll bet if all passengers just exercised normal good personal hygiene habits, that virus wouldn't spread one iota.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

No.....my husand is NOT a doctor. He does not make hospital rounds.

 

No....I do not think I am dimwitted. I most assuredly am very careful about washing my hands well and often ....as part of regular hygiene in my normal life; not only on ships. I never enter the dining room without using the sanitizer....same for Lido. I carry Purell in my purse and we use it often and I got Noro Virus last year on Veendam. It was a 12 day cruise with about 9 port days. Not many sea days. If I caught, believe me......anyone can. No one is more aware or more careful than me.

 

It is highly contagious.

[Krazy Kruizers]

And I remember when we returned from our cruise last January and read that sail had gotten the virus. I couldn't believe it! Even though I have never met her personally, just from reading her posts before when this subject came up several times, I knew she was very consciencious about caring Purell and always washing her hands.

 

You just never know when and whom it will hit. We have been fortunate not to get it on a ship, but who knows, our luck may run out some day. And we always wash our hands frequently and use those sanitizers.

[jhannah]

Frequent hand washing is the best line of defense. Use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers is good, too, although they are anti-bacterial and not anti-viral. But even with your best efforts, you can still catch a virus from others. The most common way, other than direct contact, is through airborne particles. It's always amazing to me how many people will sneeze without covering their mouth and nose with a tissue, handkerchief, or even their hand. Not to be gross, but these particles can remain airborne for a long time. Naturally, you can't see them. If you walk through the "cloud" and inhale, you become infected. Bottom line is to practice good hygiene and do what you can to strengthen your immune system so any nasty bugs you get hold of will hopefully be fought off.

[kryos]

No.....my husand is NOT a doctor. He does not make hospital rounds.

I'm sorry ... I guess I misunderstood. I thought I read a post somewhere where you said your husband was a physician ... my misunderstanding. I apologize.

 

Secondly, I did NOT say you were dimwitted. That would be the last word I would use to describe you. You are an experienced cruiser, and I have no doubt you use the hand sanitizers and follow general health precautions while onboard. However, what I did say was that I have seen several dimwitted passengers ... far more than I care to mention ... and I have relatively little cruising experience when compared to someone like yourself. These idiots will cough into their hands, and then start picking over the selections in the Lido. They will walk right past the hand sanitizers when entering the Lido or the dining room. Another thing I love too is when they select something from the buffet, handle it, and then put it back. How disgusting! I've seen the same thing in the dining room. Someone will reach for the bread basket and then pick through it selecting the specific roll they want. I've seen this same sort of behavior with children ... especially in the Lido ... and mom will be standing there not saying a word of correction.

 

Those are the passengers who will spread infections on the ship ... not the ones who maybe had the sniffles or a slight stomach upset the week before their cruise ... probably because their resistance was down as a result of working ungodly hours in preparation for their couple of weeks off. It is the passengers I describe above ... hardly a category you would fall into ... who you can thank when an outbreak of Noro occurs on your sailing.

 

Just my humble opinion ...

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[babytraveler]

So if you say you have a cold, do they turn you away? Quarantine you? Are they just asking to take a poll to keep notes re: contagion levels and spread rate? Why are they asking? What do they plan to do about it?

 

I'd be surprised if a cruise ship could take germ prevention to such a degree that they would deny boarding to someone with a cold?

 

Still, anything is possible...

 

Of course for big stuff like SARS absolutely take every precausion.

 

Re: Quarantine.

 

I could see keeping you in cabin or sick bay for 3 days or so for stomach flu. I can't see quarntining for a cold. But short of something like SARS I fight it a little frightening that they might put us ashore in the middle of nowhere or forbid the whole family from leaving the cabin. I could see quarantining a person with stomach flu for 3 days (not the whole cruise), but not the nonsick family members, too? That seems punishing. We don't always all catch what one of us have. It's luck of the draw...

 

I'd think the quarantine thing would backfire. I'd be happy to report illness and stay in cabin for duration of the worst of it. But if HAL threatens to put ashore, or won't let husband and children out of the cabin, then there's temptation NOT to report.

 

That would be great to require hand sanitizer of everyone who enters an eating area.

[sail7seas]

I understaned what you are saying, Rita.....and for the most part agree with you.

 

I also have seen those people who pick up a muffin or roll with their fingers and then place it back on the tray. I want to screech at them.

 

I've also seen many people glide by the hand sanitizer dispensers at the Dining Room or Lido and I want to screech at them, as well.

 

Those people held the menu at first seating. Now in comes second seating and the same menu has passed back to the steward and now to another passenger. If that passenger had 'dirty hands'......someone just was exposed to their germs.

 

Someone like me had used the sanitizer as I entered the dining room. It won't do me any good if a 'dirty menu' is handed to me. No way for the steward to know. No way for anyone to know the germ has been spread....as simply as that.

 

 

[Himself]

I think the ship is a very confined area and if anyone's resistance is low, they could easily pick up a cold. I take a lot of vitamin "C" and do not get many colds. I have noticed much more empahsis the last few years on cleaning hand with disinfectants when boarding ships, when entering the dining room and at the start of the various lines in the Lido.

 

Unfortunately, colds and flu can strike on land and no one thinks anything of it. If it speads through a school, factory or office...no big deal. Let it get a few people on a cruise ship and it is on the network news for several days. I think this is the reason they ask. I remember a few years ago they had the "hong-Kong" flu and everyone was getting questioned as to whether they had it or had contact with anyone who had it.

[kryos]

Those people held the menu at first seating. Now in comes second seating and the same menu has passed back to the steward and now to another passenger. If that passenger had 'dirty hands'......someone just was exposed to their germs.

Interesting observation. I never thought of that.

 

I wonder why they don't just print the menus on a high-quality paper stock and hand them out to diners? This way, one could keep their menu from each evening, and if they were inclined, save them with their dailies as a momento of their voyage.

 

This way, there would be no "recycling" of menus between seatings.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[sail7seas]

The used to do exactly that until about 2 -3 years ago. :)

 

[HeatherInFlorida]

I remember that, Sail. I loved it because I brought them all home:) !

[serendipity1499]

We were on board the Maasdam in 2003 round trip FLL to Cozumel, with two other couples..One of the Ladies became very ill with a flu the next day...Their Room Steward reported her illness & she was called down to see the Doctor..He quarantined both she & her DH for two days & then they were removed from the ship immediately upon arrival in Grand Cayman.. HAL put them up in a hotel overnight, paid for their flight to Miami the next day & a Cab fare back to their car in FLL...HAL also gave them a full refund in addition to very large discount for another cruise, which they used the following year..

 

I understand the reasoning behind the quarantining of the entire cabin, & can attest to the fact that HAL does treat passengers who they had to remove from their ship due to illness very fairly..

[kaseyoz]

an hour after boarding i was struck by a severe and fast onset migraine.I get them a lot and i think this one was due to the release of the stress of actually being on the ship(our first cruise).

anyway i was throwing up in the bathroom, If i had been sick an hour earlier while in the queue to board i would have been horrified to miss sailing.

One hour later i was up on deck enjoying sailaway as if nothing had happened(thanks goodness for imigran)

[babytraveler]

So they transfer obviously sick people into a hotel? Seems kind of the same difference... Does the hotel know the reason for the booking? Wouldn't want to stay in that room right after either.

 

I do always wonder about blankets. Don't even have to wonder about the coverlet. Wonder if it would be neurotic to ask steward for freshly washed blankets. Might just wash them myself...

 

If these people are sick enough to be removed from ship, are they well enough to travel about to a hotel? Seems if you are okay to travel, then you aren't that sick to be contagious... Unless you're talking about a hospital...

[RuthC]

I haven't had a cold in well over six years. This thread starts and all of a sudden I have a stuffy head and runny nose.

This thread couldn't have caused it, could it? :eek: