Coughing

[hutch1994]

Noticed that coughing has begun big time in the explorer's lounge and the dining room.  Need to be viligant and keep  a low profile.  Still have 6 days before our flight.  Caught major bronchitis on our river cruise from those coughers.

[CDNPolar]

Our last cruise was Treasures of the Rhine and that was in December / January.

 

Boarded the full River ship with 1 or 2 that were coughing.

 

By mid way through the 12 day itinerary, 1/3 of the ship was coughing.

 

On the 8th day I had fever and stayed home from the excursions.  My fever broke that night.

 

Coughing, but wearing a mask, I participated the next day.  More than 1/3 of the ship was coughing.  Maybe 10 people, my husband and I included, were wearing masks.

 

Many were coughing openly without covering their mouths with elbow or hand.  We apparently learned nothing from Covid.

 

A few couples that we kept in touch with were sick after disembarking.

 

I did not have Covid, at least from Covid test kits that I had.  Maybe they did not detect the strain, or I had something else.  In any case, this ran through the ship very quickly.

 

Interestingly my husband did not catch it whatever it was.

 

We still travel with masks.

 

Remember that masks are more of a preventative when YOU are sick, meaning you are less likely to transmit whatever you have if you are wearing a mask.  Wearing a mask is about respect for your fellow humans.

[hutch1994]

3 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

Our last cruise was Treasures of the Rhine and that was in December / January.

 

Boarded the full River ship with 1 or 2 that were coughing.

 

By mid way through the 12 day itinerary, 1/3 of the ship was coughing.

 

On the 8th day I had fever and stayed home from the excursions.  My fever broke that night.

 

Coughing, but wearing a mask, I participated the next day.  More than 1/3 of the ship was coughing.  Maybe 10 people, my husband and I included, were wearing masks.

 

Many were coughing openly without covering their mouths with elbow or hand.  We apparently learned nothing from Covid.

 

A few couples that we kept in touch with were sick after disembarking.

 

I did not have Covid, at least from Covid test kits that I had.  Maybe they did not detect the strain, or I had something else.  In any case, this ran through the ship very quickly.

 

Interestingly my husband did not catch it whatever it was.

 

We still travel with masks.

 

Remember that masks are more of a preventative when YOU are sick, meaning you are less likely to transmit whatever you have if you are wearing a mask.  Wearing a mask is about respect for your fellow humans.

Brought our masks for the long bus rides.  That's were we caught it on our river cruise.

[CDNPolar]

The one guy that we chatted with throughout the cruise, and once the coughing was all around us said that he sat in front of two people on one of the busses and he felt like he had "lung" all over the back of his head and neck when he got off the bus.  Pretty gross.

[Gourmet Gal]

6 hours ago, hutch1994 said:

Noticed that coughing has begun big time in the explorer's lounge and the dining room.  Need to be viligant and keep  a low profile.  Still have 6 days before our flight.  Caught major bronchitis on our river cruise from those coughers.

Wow, I didn’t know bronchitis was contagious. But will say, the river ships are especially like petri dishes when it comes to airborne infections.  Sorry to say, the smart thing to do is to wear a mask in close quarters especially if those who are sick don’t think to. 

Edited March 28 by Gourmet Gal

[Sunflower & The Scientist]

1 hour ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Wow, I didn’t know bronchitis was contagious. But will say, the river ships are especially like petri dishes when it comes to airborne infections.  Sorry to say, the smart thing to do is to wear a mask in close quarters especially if those who are sick don’t think to. 

We are doing our first river, and I was wondering about that. We have gotten up and moved in the World Cafe when people have been coughing (no covering of their mouth of course) at a table next to us. On river cruises we will kind of be stuck I'm guessing. On our last cruise I could not believe how rude people were coughing with uncovered mouths right next to people. On one excursion at each stop people moved to either the front or back of the bus to get away from one woman who was coughing up a lung the whole time. By the end she was sitting with all vacant seats around her. 

[philw1776]

Pre COVID was on Silversea pre-cruise Denali. No matter what we did a couple constantly nose blowing somehow sat behind or in front of us every day. No room to move. Another woman destroyed the bus bathroom every day. Had to make pit stops so driver & guide could clean the bus bathroom. On the train trip to the ship she destroyed the train bathroom.  

 

Point being we finally arrive at ship, late. In a line checking in. Of course we are verbally asked and required to sign a form saying we don't have a cold, diarrhea,, etc. and of course we're across from these folks who said "No problems."  Thankfully the ship was big enough 630 passengers to avoid them and we did not catch anything. 

Not blaming folks for being sick but apparently few of us are going to admit they're sick boarding a cruise ship.

[benjaminnicholas]

This topic reminds me of how many **** there are when traveling.

 

If you're sick, stay home or in your cabin.

[CDNPolar]

5 hours ago, benjaminnicholas said:

This topic reminds me of how many **** there are when traveling.

 

If you're sick, stay home or in your cabin.

 

I agree.

 

All you have to be is considerate of others.  Again, we learned nothing during Covid.

 

We are definitely going to need a lot of help when the next Pandemic hits and I believe that it will happen in the near future.

 

One of the most ridiculous things I saw as Covid was winding down the worst part was a woman on a bus that was wearing a mask, but would pull the mask down to cough into her hand and then put the mask back.

[hutch1994]

1 hour ago, CDNPolar said:

 

I agree.

 

All you have to be is considerate of others.  Again, we learned nothing during Covid.

 

We are definitely going to need a lot of help when the next Pandemic hits and I believe that it will happen in the near future.

 

One of the most ridiculous things I saw as Covid was winding down the worst part was a woman on a bus that was wearing a mask, but would pull the mask down to cough into her hand and then put the mask back.

Or the mask wearers that wore their masks resting on their chins.

[Murt22]

While sitting on our balcony while sailing to see a glacier, overheard our neighbors bragging about how they were glad to be in Florida during Covid because they didn't have all the rules, etc.  One of them was hacking and hacking. The next day, we came out of our room to see  the whole medical team standing in front of their door - and there was a do not disturb on their door- and suddenly our cabin steward was wearing a mask...hmmmm. 

[Gourmet Gal]

Just keep arming yourself with masks and boosters.  We can’t change the behavior of other people.  At least masks are still readily available.  I’m planning to get another booster before my next cruise as per the latest guidelines.

[bookbabe]

People can look like they’re sick but not be ill.  Allergies can make you look like you have a cold or worse.  Your perfume/aftershave/cologne/shampoo is generally what’s causing my coughing and sneezing.  Your backing away in horror at my coughing will likely solve the issue for both of us.

I’ve noticed a few other people coughing, but I’m kind enough to assume allergies or that it’s caused by the dry air on the ship.  Besides, a little bit of coughing is nothing compared to a couple of the incidents so far.

 

Earlier this cruise, we had a gentleman have an accident (code brown) on the excursion bus shortly after setting out for the day, and at the first photo stop we had to sit on the stinky bus for a extra 15 min while he dealt with things in the shrubs beside the road.  And the bus (and the gentleman) continued to smell for the full day excursion.  I’m guessing he wasn’t ill, though, since he was on excursions again in the following days with no incidents.

 

And today at lunch some woman threw up in the World Cafe.  And only half the buffet was open because it’s a port day, so we had nowhere to relocate to.  The cleanup process is pretty thorough, though, and kind of interesting to see.  Not sure whether she was ill or lunch didn’t agree with her, but we’re in port so likely not seasickness.

 

[Mike07]

On 3/28/2024 at 12:05 PM, philw1776 said:

Pre COVID was on Silversea pre-cruise Denali. No matter what we did a couple constantly nose blowing somehow sat behind or in front of us every day. No room to move. Another woman destroyed the bus bathroom every day. Had to make pit stops so driver & guide could clean the bus bathroom. On the train trip to the ship she destroyed the train bathroom.  

 

Point being we finally arrive at ship, late. In a line checking in. Of course we are verbally asked and required to sign a form saying we don't have a cold, diarrhea,, etc. and of course we're across from these folks who said "No problems."  Thankfully the ship was big enough 630 passengers to avoid them and we did not catch anything. 

Not blaming folks for being sick but apparently few of us are going to admit they're sick boarding a cruise ship.

 

 

POTD

 

(Post of the Day)

[Mike07]

On my one, and only, Viking River Cruise.... Middle of the summer..... A viral illness swept the ship and at least 75% of us had it. Fortunately, my table mates had extra DayQuil, and now I always travel with it.

[philw1776]

My thoughts.
Sometimes I have a dry cough. I should do the cough into elbow thing and do so but were I to have a senior moment and forget, I suggest that a concerned passenger catch my eye and mime coughing into elbow with a smile. I should return the gesture with a smile and thumbs up.

It's also easy onboard to leave the table if you have a coughing fit, say from swallowing the wrong way, and go outside, cough up a lung and return when back to normal.

[CDNPolar]

19 hours ago, philw1776 said:

My thoughts.
Sometimes I have a dry cough. I should do the cough into elbow thing and do so but were I to have a senior moment and forget, I suggest that a concerned passenger catch my eye and mime coughing into elbow with a smile. I should return the gesture with a smile and thumbs up.

It's also easy onboard to leave the table if you have a coughing fit, say from swallowing the wrong way, and go outside, cough up a lung and return when back to normal.

 

I get you and I can often swallow the wrong way and have a bit of a coughing spell and getting "outside" when you are deep into the dining room is not always an option.  I get the cloth napkin folded and cover my face and do my best...

 

But regarding your suggesting that someone catch your eye and mime coughing into your elbow?  Nope.  I ain't gonna do that.  I have seen some pretty awful responses where folks have been "corrected" in the past by the person coughing.  

 

Thank you however for being the person that would accept that subtle suggestion.

[Redtravel]

If you have a cold or cough, avoid sharing tables.

[Mike07]

14 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

If you have a cold or cough, avoid sharing tables.

 

Not feasible on Vikings most visible marketing tool.

[Gourmet Gal]

1 hour ago, Mike07 said:

 

Not feasible on Vikings most visible marketing tool.

Just warn people at least that you have a “bad” cold and they can be the ones to take their chances.

[Insanityx4]

We were on a Viking Expedition cruise last year and when we boarded there was a man who coughed all of the time in the Explorer's Lounge and World Cafe.. Everyone kept their distance. By the end of the 18 day cruise half of the ship was coughing. Two days before getting off the ship hubby and I both tested positive for COVID. We had avoided it for three years and had all of our updated vaccines. We bought our tests on board. People wouldn't go to the doctor because it cost $140 to see the Dr. and more for the test so everyone just kept spreading things around rather than quarantining.

[CDNPolar]

17 hours ago, Insanityx4 said:

We were on a Viking Expedition cruise last year and when we boarded there was a man who coughed all of the time in the Explorer's Lounge and World Cafe.. Everyone kept their distance. By the end of the 18 day cruise half of the ship was coughing. Two days before getting off the ship hubby and I both tested positive for COVID. We had avoided it for three years and had all of our updated vaccines. We bought our tests on board. People wouldn't go to the doctor because it cost $140 to see the Dr. and more for the test so everyone just kept spreading things around rather than quarantining.

 

Not many want to hear this, but in close quarters like on these ships, this is going to continue to happen.  Covid is not gone and is not going to be gone soon.

 

We all think that it is mild now, but there are still people being admitted to hospitals and dying in ICU's from this.  It is less of a threat, but it is still a threat.

 

No one wants to wear a mask, but you should wear a mask if you are sick to limit who you are spreading to.

 

We still wear masks in close quarters and always have masks in our pocket or in the car, or close at hand.  Hand hygiene is still a big thing for us and will likely always be.  We sit down in a restaurant and read the menu, touch what we need to touch, order, and then go and wash our hands before the food arrives.

[Hobson1754]

1 hour ago, CDNPolar said:

Hand hygiene is still a big thing for us and will likely always be.  We sit down in a restaurant and read the menu, touch what we need to touch, order, and then go and wash our hands before the food arrives.

As I’ve said before on this forum - it still amazes me after COVID the amount of people who visit restrooms and walk out without washing their hands.  On our last cruise in February, I lost count of the number of times my husband would tell me, of men who either walked out without washing or gave a quick rinse under a trickle of water. No lessons learnt😠

[CDNPolar]

10 minutes ago, Hobson1754 said:

As I’ve said before on this forum - it still amazes me after COVID the amount of people who visit restrooms and walk out without washing their hands.  On our last cruise in February, I lost count of the number of times my husband would tell me, of men who either walked out without washing or gave a quick rinse under a trickle of water. No lessons learnt😠

 

This is how Norovirus spreads.  Folks think that hand sanitizer is good enough, but if you do your research you will find that hand sanitizer does not kill the Norovirus, only hand washing does.

[Peregrina651]

23 hours ago, Redtravel said:

If you have a cold or cough, avoid sharing tables.

 

Unfortunately, most of the tables for 2 are side by side with just barely enough room to get between them.