Fox 5 NYC - Dawn Bedbug Story is Coming Up

[Ncolea]

Just got off the Dawn on Sunday and specifically checked my room for bed bugs the first day. Found nothing!

[pat7638]

The Fox 5 news issued a Shame on You Notice to the Norwegian Dawn. They interviewed several people who were bitten by bed bugs while on the ship. One was a Dr. who was bitten extensively. We are going on the 23rd of June. I wonder what NCL will do to alleviate this problem.

 

I am extremely concerned because it does not seem like an isolated incident. Any thoughts?

[Don Haynes]

I am very fond of blackberrries. They grow wild in bushes out in the countryside alongside creeks and country road. Usually ypu have to walk awhile in grass up to two feet high, and the bushes can grow several feet high.

 

When I was a child we used to go on blackberry picking trips to the countryside on my uncles farm. We would pick enough blackberries in July to fill the trunk of our car with baskets of blackberries. My aunts would work together to make blackberry jam for everyone. The best tasting jam I have ever eaten. You know, homemade. YUM, my mouth is filling with water as I write this.

 

But there was a catch. Chiggers. These blood sucking insects struck at the tight spaces, especially in the sock and underware locations. We had to use fingernail polish to deprive them of air, to kill them. Literally a week of agony.

 

But when we were eating blackberry jam at Christmas, the price of the chigger bites was worth it. This was not a one time blackberry picking trip. Despite the chigggers, we did this every year.

[vowsatsea]

Already being discussed over here...http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=517107

 

Come join the discussion!

[kimdave68]

I am very fond of blackberrries.

 

When people here "blackberry" today they think of something a little different:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXM1SF0xriQ

 

 

 

Sad thing is people really do get addicted to these things and get very upset when they don't work on ships! I find it hilarious. :D

[Don Haynes]

Fresh picked blackberries in a bowl of milk with a small pound cake, sprinkle some sugar on them, add some whipped cream........... What a treat!

 

Bug bites are a part of life. Are people going to start sueing for bee stings? Fire ant bites?

[kimdave68]

Fresh picked blackberries in a bowl of milk with a small pound cake, sprinkle some sugar on them, add some whipped cream........... What a treat!

 

Bug bites are a part of life. Are people going to start sueing for bee stings? Fire ant bites?

 

It's normal to assume risk when venturing outdoors. Sleeping quarters, OTOH, should NEVER be assumed a risk but apparently this is something that needs to be on the checklist.

 

No news to me! I patrol everything with a UV light and red goggles...

[electricron]

It's normal to assume risk when venturing outdoors. Sleeping quarters, OTOH, should NEVER be assumed a risk but apparently this is something that needs to be on the checklist.

No news to me! I patrol everything with a UV light and red goggles...

 

Whereas I agree sleeping areas should be bug free, how do you plan to eliminate any and all possibilities?

How do the bugs get aboard? Passengers and crew returning from shore bring them aboard. They can also come aboard with bags, supplies, etc.

I hope you aren't suggesting that NCL forces all returning passengers and crew to take a shower on the pier, have their clothes laundreid, and de-liced before reboarding the ship. As that is the only way to completely eliminate bugs coming aboard.

Sometimes the cure is worse than the ailment.

[mbisson]

As that is the only way to completely eliminate bugs coming aboard.

Sometimes the cure is worse than the ailment.

 

 

I'm with you Ron (especially since "never" was in all caps). Maybe fumigating the ship between every cruise would help also. :eek:

[Cosmopolitan]

Anyone wonder why these people went to Fox 5 with their story five months AFTER their cruise??

 

Did NCL NOT give them the compensation they wanted???

Did they want a FREE cruise on the Dawn?

 

Why was their cabin the only one infested:confused:

 

I did see the report.

[cruizinwithkids]

Anyone wonder why these people went to Fox 5 with their story five months AFTER their cruise??

 

Did NCL NOT give them the compensation they wanted???

Did they want a FREE cruise on the Dawn?

 

Why was their cabin the only one infested:confused:

 

I did see the report.

 

Was the Fox story the same as the Cape Cod story someone had posted? I wonder because what I found most interesting in the Cape Cod story was that after booking a room and expecting amenities to which he was not entitled the author then went into "Oh, and by the way we had bed bugs too."

 

I was accused of being smug in my response but while I do not think the bedbugs would necessarily be NCL's fault if they were in my room I probably wouldn't sail NCL again. It would perhaps not be a rational decision but I certainly wouldn't be looking for a free cruise as compensation.

[212cruiser]

The Cape Cod story involved a passenger who happened to be a local politician. You're not suggesting that a politician, who didn't receive free perks he wasn't entitled to and to whom NCL didn't bow to, would suddenly be vindictive are you?

[angeljt]

The Cape Cod story involved a passenger who happened to be a local politician. You're not suggesting that a politician, who didn't receive free perks he wasn't entitled to and to whom the NCL didn't bow to, would suddenly be vindictive are you?

 

It looks like he didn't do his homework when he booked the mini suite. His wife had a college paper to write that was based on a dvd she planned on viewing on board. Wouldn't most people make sure the room had a dvd player or bring their own?

He complains about everything through the whole article, even though this was their 4th cruise on NCL. He complains that they paid $4000 for the mini suite, but says they were in suites with 'a real bath, dvd player and spacious balcony' before this cruise. I would think they would have paid more than $4000 for a 12 day cruise in the higher suites.

I would be upset about the bed bugs too, but that doesn't seem to be big on his list of problems.

Yes, the man sure is a politician!

Jackie

[Baitman19]

What seems really amusing is that we don't see anybody complaining about bed bugs on CC. There was thread a long time about maybe on the Spirit, but nothing about the Dawn.

 

If there really was problem, it would be all over this board or on cruisejunkie.

 

Remember, Fox5NY is owned by the "Fair & Balanced" cable news network.:p

Enough said!

 

Happy Sailing,

Monty

[angeljt]

What seems really amusing is that we don't see anybody complaining about bed bugs on CC. There was thread a long time about maybe on the Spirit, but nothing about the Dawn.

 

If there really was problem, it would be all over this board or on cruisejunkie.

 

Remember, Fox5NY is owned by the "Fair & Balanced" cable news network.:p

Enough said!

 

Happy Sailing,

Monty

Hey Monty,

We're so mean, we'd bit them back!!!:D

We were on the Dawn in November also, just across the hall from the room they stayed in. Glad we didn't see any!

Jackie

[kimdave68]

Whereas I agree sleeping areas should be bug free, how do you plan to eliminate any and all possibilities?

How do the bugs get aboard? Passengers and crew returning from shore bring them aboard. They can also come aboard with bags, supplies, etc.

I hope you aren't suggesting that NCL forces all returning passengers and crew to take a shower on the pier, have their clothes laundreid, and de-liced before reboarding the ship. As that is the only way to completely eliminate bugs coming aboard.

Sometimes the cure is worse than the ailment.

 

Common sense? Seems to gone out the window of late.

 

Of course one cannot eliminate short of sealing off corridors and filling with CO2, Vikane, etc. :eek:

 

However when there is a report of infestation, necessary abatement procedures should be executed without delay. It's all in the ELM. ;)

[Don Haynes]

From MSNBC:

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11916682/

 

With DDT banned in the United States, it going to be difficult to get rid of bed bugs as we have done before.

Hotels are throwing away good furniture and month old mattresses and sheets to contain the problem.

[Mary_Jo]

It's normal to assume risk when venturing outdoors. Sleeping quarters, OTOH, should NEVER be assumed a risk but apparently this is something that needs to be on the checklist.

 

No news to me! I patrol everything with a UV light and red goggles...

 

Tell me about the UV light and red goggles! Thanks, MJ.

[SHINEMAN]

Maybe they could rename the ship to match the insect. But that might not fit in with all the glamourous ads.

[Cosmopolitan]

Was the Fox story the same as the Cape Cod story someone had posted? I wonder because what I found most interesting in the Cape Cod story was that after booking a room and expecting amenities to which he was not entitled the author then went into "Oh, and by the way we had bed bugs too."

 

I was accused of being smug in my response but while I do not think the bedbugs would necessarily be NCL's fault if they were in my room I probably wouldn't sail NCL again. It would perhaps not be a rational decision but I certainly wouldn't be looking for a free cruise as compensation.

 

 

If i remember correctly, the Cape Cod story was the Spirit.

No free cruise from NCL so they "added" to the Dawn Fox 5 news report.

 

Dawn story..I never recall reading on NCL...CC Though why would they go to Fox 5 - "shame on you"...if they did not want something??

 

So glad that NCL responded to that!

I have received several emails about this...!

 

I, too, would not be looking for a free cruise on a ship that I assumed had bed bugs:confused: I'd be "outta there" in a heartbeat!

[tekmom]

I'm assuming NCL addressed the bed bug problem? They have the cabin #, so, at this point, you would think they either got rid of the bedbugs or they're not booking the cabin. I always check for bedbugs when I check in to a hotel. The problem with a cruise ship, as opposed to a hotel room, is that, in a hotel, you can move to another room or another hotel. On a cruise, what if there are no more rooms? You can't leave, so what happens? I believe the family about the bed bugs and I'm glad it made the news. Maybe if it is brought to light, NCL will take the steps to alleviate the problem. I would certainly be more than a little upset if I booked the same room, got bitten by bedbugs and later found out NCL knew and did nothing to get rid of them.

[tekmom]

If i remember correctly, the Cape Cod story was the Spirit.

No free cruise from NCL so they "added" to the Dawn Fox 5 news report.

 

Dawn story..I never recall reading on NCL...CC Though why would they go to Fox 5 - "shame on you"...if they did not want something??

 

So glad that NCL responded to that!

I have received several emails about this...!

 

I, too, would not be looking for a free cruise on a ship that I assumed had bed bugs:confused: I'd be "outta there" in a heartbeat!

 

The Cape Cod story was in fact, the Dawn.

[shoreguy]

I still think they were sand flea bites from GSC. That is what the people on the story thought until the Dr said bed bugs. I wonder how many bed bug bites he has seen.

 

If The Dawn was infested with begbugs we would get reports every week from passengers. The fact Fox could only find 2 sets of passengers from the last 6 months that are making the claim says alot.

 

None of them claimed to have seen a single bedbug or the droppings unlike the RCI story when the found the bugs nested behind the head board.

[GiandJoe]

Last week my wife and I saw a news report that aired on a New york News station, Fox 5 News at 10. They interviewed people that had just returned from a cruise on the Norwegian Dawn. They were treated by a doctor for Bed Bug bites all over their bodies. They also said there were other people who complained of the same problem. We are cruising on the Dawn on 4/23/07 and are concerned about this. Has anyone else heard about this?

[nyamminz]

These people from Cape Cod didn't wait 5 months after the bed bug incident to tell anyone. Someone saw that man's blog and the news contacted THEM. And what does it matter that he's a politician? If any of this happened to me, I'd be pissed off too. They were promised certain things when they booked the cruise, and not only did they not get them, they got bed bugs too! You guys are seriously missing the point here.