Quarantine/Isolation on ship

[cruisenfever]

Here's a very good example of why you should always take the necessary preventive and corrective medications with you while on a cruise.

 

On our Splendour TA cruise in 2008, we met a lovely couple from Ireland. The gentleman was a beer drinker and was very anxious to try the different beers being offered on the ship. Well, one of them did not agree with him and he developed.....well, I won't go into detail, but he spent a lot of time in the bathroom on the throne. He knew exactly what the problem was because this had happened to him even at home when trying a new beer.

 

His wife went down to the shops on board and asked if they had any Imodium and the fella at the register politely said, no, but you can get some from the medical center.She went down to the medical center unaware of what was about to happen.

 

They asked her what the problem was and she tried to explain that her husband had consumed a beer that did not agree with him so gave her the Imodium and both of them were quarantined for 48 hours. She felt fine and decided that if she had to stay in their cabin for 2 days........she'd go down to the shops and purchase a book to read. She gave her SeaPass card and was immediately chastised for leaving her cabin when she was quarantined.

 

All of us, at some point, will eat/drink something on the ship that doesn't necessarily agree with us. It does not mean you have to run to the medical center.

 

If you are really sick, can not keep food/liquids down, then to avoid becoming dehydrated, a visit to the medical center would be in order.

[Kellie Poodle]

Have you ever noticed that the ship's store does not sell anti-diarrhea medication. They want you to ask for it and then they will quarantine you. Since we are older folks and not used to institutional food, a bit of digestive distress is not uncommon. I always carry a big supply of Immodium.

 

On a Med cruise on Voyager last November, my DH got very sick. He needed a hospital and was taken to one. At the hotel I met a fellow whose wife had a slight upper respiratory infection. She had gone to the ship's doc and he was giving her some breathing treatments and antibiotics. She was resting in her cabin and feeling better.

 

On the 3rd day of her illness, she reported for her last breathing treatment and the female doctor was on duty. This doctor told the woman she was very sick and she needed to be off the ship. She took some X-rays after ordering the woman off.

 

When she got to the local hospital, which is where the VOS doctor sent her, they found nothing wrong with her X-rays. It took 3 days to get her sprung from the hospital, however, because of protocols. This was in Palermo, Sicily a place you definitely do not want to be if you are sick. A missionary tent inthe African Jungle would be a better medical facility than the hospital there. When the woman's ward mates learned she was an American, some of their visitors stood at the foot of her bed and spat. She was badly treated by the staff and spent 3 days crying. The visiting hours are very limited, so she was quite alone. All this for nothing. She was not sick! She had no communicable diseases. She was able to get around fine on her own power. After the port where she was put off, we had a sea day then the cruise would be over.

 

I have heard a few other anecdotes about this woman physician on VOS. I would have to be half-dead to ever go to their medical office after meeting this woman on our cruise.

 

My DH saw the male physician and got good care. His illness was caused in a large part by the tour guide from hell in Florence who lost us twice and insisted we had to keep up with his frenetic pace. Even when we asked to be sent back to the ship, the guide refused and insisted we had to keep up with the goup. I wrote to RCI about it, just to let them know to inform their contractor about this guide and the walk-on guide, who, in my opinion, should not be in the business. RCI gave us very generous future cruise credits.

 

Bottom line of my rambling rant is that unless you are critically ill, stay away from the ships medical facility.

[acc82]

I agree with beachchick. It isn't right to infect a whole cruise ship. BUT, if you are simply sick from a rocking boat, eating too much, drinking too much, eating something that didn't agree, etc.........; there would be no reason to be quarantined, however, if you visit the sick bay immediately for these things, they will assume the worst (the contagious stomach flu or otherwise). Those I know who have been quarantined did visit the infirmary; otherwise, they have no way of knowing you're sick (unless a room steward reports you).

 

This is something of a divided topic for me. I don't want anyone spreading a virus to me on my vacation; however, i have encountered times where I was very sick on enchantment from all the rocking. I had to stay in all night and it wasn't fun at all. however, i was afraid that someone would 'report' me at dinner when my husband metioned i was sick the night before. I quickly clarified that I experienced motion sickness as I oftentimes do and that shouldn't happen again. Nobody made a big deal out of it, and that was great. But, you certainly don't want to be quarantined for something that's not infectious.

 

and, a future cruise credit is a great deal if you do happen to get sick while on board. i'd go take it and go again. we always book promenade staterooms, so, i'd get a kick out of people watching when the movies got old :-)

[Captain Jake]

Bottom Line is that unless you know you have the flu it's best to stay away from the cruise doctors

[unklez]

Bottom Line is that unless you know you have the flu it's best to stay away from the cruise doctors

 

Bottom line is that unless you are sick for more than 2 days best to stay away from any doctor.

[Tucker in Texas]

If anyone looked in my suitcase when I cruise, they would think I was a pill pusher or doper for all the OTC stuff (plus antibiotics and pain pills) that I carry. The one thing I didn't have last cruise was a rubber thingee to flush out my ears that got stopped up and ear drops and q-tips could not cure. Result--$279 to get them flushed out. They didn't even do a good job because I had to have it done again a week after I got home. The amount of wax that came out could not have accumulated in that short time span. I think my mistake was that I went down at 10:30 a.m., saw the doctor at 11:30 a.m. and their lunch break was noon because they locked the door behind me (lol).

 

Tucker in Texas (who is going through the exercise to get insurance to reimburse her)

[sg1phileshipper]

 

Bottom line of my rambling rant is that unless you are critically ill, stay away from the ships medical facility.

 

 

Awful story. If you are sick, wouldn't it just be better to visit a doctor on land, while in port? Don't know if I will trust the onboard doc after what I've just read :eek:. interesting stories

 

Cindy

[unklez]

Awful story. If you are sick, wouldn't it just be better to visit a doctor on land, while in port? Don't know if I will trust the onboard doc after what I've just read :eek:. interesting stories

 

Cindy

 

Well there also you are risking the unknown.

[publicpersona]

Hmm .. I'll post a counter-example. On our Northern Europe trip, my wife caught some virus and she was too sick to do any shore excursion. The best part of the cruise - Norway was coming up, so she went to the ship doctor. She explained that she really wanted to feel well enough the next day to do the shore excursions, and they said they'd try to do that. I think she had to go down there three times about 8 hours apart and do a Cipro IV. They absolutely took her from horribly sick to just fine in one day.

 

Note - this wasn't cheap .. about $800 if memory serves. But it was better than missing out on the destinations. Her regular insurance paid much of it. Oddly, it was the only cruise where we've had cruise insurance (benefit from the TA). After trying to get them to pay the balance, we gave up after two years.

[Tucker in Texas]

 

Note - this wasn't cheap .. about $800 if memory serves. But it was better than missing out on the destinations. Her regular insurance paid much of it. Oddly, it was the only cruise where we've had cruise insurance (benefit from the TA). After trying to get them to pay the balance, we gave up after two years.

 

This is why you get 3rd party insurance even if it does cost a more. I figure cruise insurance is "the fox watching the chickens."

 

Tucker in Texas

[unklez]

Hmm .. I'll post a counter-example. On our Northern Europe trip, my wife caught some virus and she was too sick to do any shore excursion. The best part of the cruise - Norway was coming up, so she went to the ship doctor. She explained that she really wanted to feel well enough the next day to do the shore excursions, and they said they'd try to do that. I think she had to go down there three times about 8 hours apart and do a Cipro IV. They absolutely took her from horribly sick to just fine in one day.

 

Note - this wasn't cheap .. about $800 if memory serves. But it was better than missing out on the destinations. Her regular insurance paid much of it. Oddly, it was the only cruise where we've had cruise insurance (benefit from the TA). After trying to get them to pay the balance, we gave up after two years.

 

Your regular medical insurance covered it?

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I've had Norovirus and was quarantined for three days not two because I did not get better. I've also have had really rough seasickness. There is a BIG difference. With Noro you have a fever. You also have an urgent need to run to the bathroom both to vomit and all the rest...you know what I mean. You feel weak and want to rest. You don't want to go on tours. You want to be as close as possible to the bathroom.

 

With seasickness, I felt dizzy. I was staggering like a drunk. I couldn't turn my head left or right because it made me dizzy. I felt nauseated, but not violently so. I never did vomit, but I had to sit looking straight ahead and not moving. I needed light. I couldn't sit in the dark. I never had a fever. I wanted to lie down, but couldn't because that made me feel worse.

 

I had the severe seasickness on Navigator. Hubby went to the infirmary and told them I was dizzy and they gave him free meds (Meclazine tabs). I was NOT quarantined. It cost nothing. With seasickness, you are neither compensated nor quarantined.

 

With Noro, Hubby got it first. I got it the next day and was much sicker than he was. I'm GLAD I went to the infirmary because we were compensated with future cruise credits for the three days I was quarantined and the one day he was. The food deliveries were not good for us. They were so overwhelmed (Liberty--second sailing), they couldn't keep up with the room service demands. They didn't clean the rooom. They left food at the door, wouldn't come in.

 

Thank heaven we had a balcony. Hubby stayed out there much of the time. I pity anyone quarantined in an inside cabin, especially the one who isn't sick, but is quarantined too.

 

I am definitely with the folks here who say if you are sick with a fever, chills, vomiting and diarreah, either self-quarantine (without benefits) or officially quarantine with the benefits (cruise credits, meal deliveries, medication.)

 

Please, please do not run around the ship passing your illness to others, passengers and crew alike. I caught this nasty virus from Hubby who caught it from someone else on the ship. Noro-virus is contageous and spreads like wild fire especially in a closed environment such as a ship.

 

I fully understand the onus of having everyone in the cabin be quarantined sick or not. Hubby was like a pacing tiger. But it just isn't fair to take the chance and pass on your virus to others just because you can't force yourself to stay in your room two days. I do know it is tough.

[cruiser87654321]

Have you ever noticed that the ship's store does not sell anti-diarrhea medication. They want you to ask for it and then they will quarantine you. Since we are older folks and not used to institutional food, a bit of digestive distress is not uncommon. I always carry a big supply of Immodium.

 

On a Med cruise on Voyager last November, my DH got very sick. He needed a hospital and was taken to one. At the hotel I met a fellow whose wife had a slight upper respiratory infection. She had gone to the ship's doc and he was giving her some breathing treatments and antibiotics. She was resting in her cabin and feeling better.

 

On the 3rd day of her illness, she reported for her last breathing treatment and the female doctor was on duty. This doctor told the woman she was very sick and she needed to be off the ship. She took some X-rays after ordering the woman off.

 

When she got to the local hospital, which is where the VOS doctor sent her, they found nothing wrong with her X-rays. It took 3 days to get her sprung from the hospital, however, because of protocols. This was in Palermo, Sicily a place you definitely do not want to be if you are sick. A missionary tent inthe African Jungle would be a better medical facility than the hospital there. When the woman's ward mates learned she was an American, some of their visitors stood at the foot of her bed and spat. She was badly treated by the staff and spent 3 days crying. The visiting hours are very limited, so she was quite alone. All this for nothing. She was not sick! She had no communicable diseases. She was able to get around fine on her own power. After the port where she was put off, we had a sea day then the cruise would be over.

 

I have heard a few other anecdotes about this woman physician on VOS. I would have to be half-dead to ever go to their medical office after meeting this woman on our cruise.

 

My DH saw the male physician and got good care. His illness was caused in a large part by the tour guide from hell in Florence who lost us twice and insisted we had to keep up with his frenetic pace. Even when we asked to be sent back to the ship, the guide refused and insisted we had to keep up with the goup. I wrote to RCI about it, just to let them know to inform their contractor about this guide and the walk-on guide, who, in my opinion, should not be in the business. RCI gave us very generous future cruise credits.

 

Bottom line of my rambling rant is that unless you are critically ill, stay away from the ships medical facility.

 

Do you remember her nationality or name? we have had an issue with a female doctor on another ship and I am wondering if it could be the same person.

[G'ma]

Since this post interests me, hope you don't mind me "bugging" in. So my take is if you don't visit the ship's doctor, you won't be quarantined? Or are you obliged to let the doc know you might have NOVO????

 

Cindy

 

If you've ever had this bug, you know what it is....and you don't feel like doing anything anyway....except perhaps die......