The upcoming year & H1N1 virus

[grandmato4]

Absolutely nothing I have read indicates to me that we should be more concerned with swine flu than any other strain of flu at this point. Special caution is always rightfully advised for those with existing health issues and a healthy dose of common sense for those without special health issues.

 

We were on the Coral Princess this past Feb when a major Noro Virus outbreak took place. We felt bad for many of the passengers that did contract the virus but neither did it cause us panic or major concern as we followed the basics of hygene that all should always follow on a cruise and in their everyday life and hoped for the best along with knowing that the crew was doing their best to contain the virus.

 

With that said we have no hesitation to travel in the coming year BUT I do wonder what the fallout will be if panic rises again and restrictions are put into place as that could be extremely disruptive to the travel industry. Guess we'll have to wait and see what happens. If nothing else it certainly will lead to a lot of "interesting" thread on cc's!;)

[Colo Cruiser]

Absolutely nothing I have read indicates to me that we should be more concerned with swine flu than any other strain of flu at this point. Special caution is always rightfully advised for those with existing health issues and a healthy dose of common sense for those without special health issues.

 

We were on the Coral Princess this past Feb when a major Noro Virus outbreak took place. We felt bad for many of the passengers that did contract the virus but neither did it cause us panic or major concern as we followed the basics of hygene that all should always follow on a cruise and in their everyday life and hoped for the best along with knowing that the crew was doing their best to contain the virus.

 

With that said we have no hesitation to travel in the coming year BUT I do wonder what the fallout will be if panic rises again and restrictions are put into place as that could be extremely disruptive to the travel industry. Guess we'll have to wait and see what happens. If nothing else it certainly will lead to a lot of "interesting" thread on cc's!;)

 

 

Its everywhere, cruise ships are more scrutinized.

[cruzendude]

Completely agreed. However, the two pose vastly different health risks, and governments around the world are only bracing for one of them. Our own national health authorities are now expressing concern that this "flu season" just isn't stopping, and is spreading into the summer months. (35 deaths in Canada so far) The good news is, those over the age of 50 just don't seem to be as susceptible.

 

LL

 

When did Canada start having summers??? :confused: :eek: :p

[houch]

I have 2 cruises booked and I plan on doing both of them. You can get sick anywhere, anytime.

[chipmaster]

Given the fact that WHO is basically predicting a pandemic in the upcoming year, I wonder how many people will not be travelling in the upcoming year?

 

The facts are simple, a vaccine is still in the development stages but it looks like 2 vaccine shots will be necessary. Also just because you have had your immunizations for the H1N1, you still could be a carrier by being exposed to persons who might be carrying the virus.

 

The big facts are your ship might not be allowed into some ports. You might end up in quarantine, regardless of whether you are immunized.

 

How much risk are you willing to take:confused:

 

Yawn, how many other communicable disease are technically also pandemic? The only new thign is H1N1 has no track record and thus people really aren't sure if it will continue to mutate into something more deadly or more mild. To date the mortality hasn't been much worst then other forms of flu.

 

I have made no changes in my plans. If I had more vacation and time i would have gone to mexico during May, but alas no vacation. The only thing we have to put up with is likely some goverments will over react and excessively react to people with fever or symptons that look like the flue. That is the bummer if you get caught with that. The solution avoid those countries.

[TracieABD]

I have nine cruises booked and plan to take all of them.

Pia-

You rock!!!!

I want to be you when I grow up!!

Live to travel!

TL:)

[travelntreats]

I am not concerned about the flu. It won't stop me from Cruising.

 

 

It could certainly screw up my plans if we are not allowed into one or more ports.

Ports of call can be cancelled on any given sailing due to weather, mechanical ship issues, medical emergency of a passenger or crew member, etc....It could happen regardless.

[warringtonian]

Yes, but what if the port is your final port and you are due to fly home from it?

[kooljamming]

Yes, but what if the port is your final port and you are due to fly home from it?

 

Travel insurance and this would be covered under trip interruption.

[PescadoAmarillo]

I've The sky isn't falling' date=' Nostradamus didn't know what he was talking about, neither did the Mayans. [/quote']

Actually, I'm more and more convinced that they DID know what they were talking about, and since time is getting short, I'm going to travel, H1N1 and terrorism be damned. :eek:

 

The funny thing is that we in the US are considered to be the "at risk carriers" at this point when we travel internationally, and I don't worry about it at all at home. Isn't it funny that we worry about things happening to us when we're "somewhere else" and other people worry about things happening when they're in the US?

[okgirl]

I'm not too worried about it.......I have 2 cruises booked yet this year and 1 booked and 3 more planned for 2010........I'll take the necessary personal precautions and deal with any itinerary changes/cancellations as they occur.

[Valeen]

A couple of weeks a go I read in a newspaper that a vaccine is expected to be available for Swine Flu by NOV. I advise that all travelers check with their nearest major medical/ health care facility. Until there is enough for everyone, the first available will likely be given out on a "Priority" basis - to health care workers, and to the most at risk persons. I'm not greatly worried about this. At this point it is not causing us to cancel our travel plans. If the vacine comes available, we'll try to get it before our trip. Many medical centers have an INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL MED dept. which is the best place to go for advice.

[RetireeWannabee]

I'm going to continue to live my life. I will not let the swine win! :D

 

Only difference is that if I feel fluish, I will go to the doctor instead of riding it out.

[Pia1913]

A couple of weeks a go I read in a newspaper that a vaccine is expected to be available for Swine Flu by NOV. I advise that all travelers check with their nearest major medical/ health care facility. Until there is enough for everyone, the first available will likely be given out on a "Priority" basis - to health care workers, and to the most at risk persons. I'm not greatly worried about this. At this point it is not causing us to cancel our travel plans. If the vacine comes available, we'll try to get it before our trip. Many medical centers have an INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL MED dept. which is the best place to go for advice.

 

If the vaccine becomes available, I will do with it as I do with the current flu shot. Not take it! Have you ever seen people who get reactions from taking "preventatives?" I have.

[Ethel5]

If the vaccine becomes available, I will do with it as I do with the current flu shot. Not take it! Have you ever seen people who get reactions from taking "preventatives?" I have.

 

Ditto:D

[realcindylouwho]

For those who say "you only live once", or "come what may", or "its just a flu virus", or "are you never leaving your house come this fall/winter?" please remember...KATRINA. For the people who were warned to leave, who either couldn't, didn't or wouldn't, they experienced a scene most never would have imagined. Heading to a "shelter" that was hardly that. Remember the sanitation, the violence, even death? THIS happened IN the United States. What might be experienced in another country? Actually contacting the virus is not causing me alarm. Most people who contact this virus survive. Some people will not. My fear is being on foreign soil/ship when the s*#& hits the fan. If anyone expects the government to swoop to our rescue and make certain conditions are good during a foreign quarantine, then I've got a male enhancement aide to sell to you!* ( *please insert any type of rediculous infomercial/internet ad to fit your specific need.) BTW, I am cruising in late November and will be prepared for the unexpected. If my cruise should become disrupted and you are my fellow cruiser, please do not open your mouth to complain that nobody told me..., where is my..., why can't we...,why don't they...,my rights are...Do your research, make your plans for the unexpected and vacation if you feel comfortable. I am ashamed of the fellow CCers that choose to "heckle" those that are asking questions and seeking information. Let the flames begin.....

p.s. I am not an English major, no flames about my word choice, spelling or punctuation please. I know how some are.

[Pia1913]

Who or what suddenly wound you up? :confused:

[read52]

In the US, we have gotten rid of so many diseases by vaccines that many people have not experienced certain diseases. My kids are in their late 20's and they had chicken pox (my oldest had such a severe case he missed the last 2 weeks of school). Now we get a shot so that we get a mild case or not at all. When I was a kid (I am in my late 50's) the school I attended had whooping cough. The whole school got it. I was out of school for 6 weeks. Our house (as well as many in the neighborhood) had a yellow quarantine sign on it for a couple of months. All of my 7 brothers and sisters got it. I was the one who brought it home. The girl I sat next to in class got it from her mother who was a nurse. My husband got viral encephelitis from shingles about 5 years ago. Of course, you have to be 60 to get the shingles vaccine. So I will still travel but I will take precautions like washing hands and getting the shot. I am a teacher so I am sure they will want teachers to get the vaccine.

[realcindylouwho]

I will soon (can't come early enough)be a first time cruiser who has spent hours on these boards gathering knowledge from the pros here at CC. The info and tips are fantastic! Thanks to those who respond to all of the questions we first-timers have. However, there are some MEAN people here. Some have posted many, many times. I am not referring just to responders of swine flu posts, but to topics from A-Z. In addition to foul answers to innocent questions, some posters will tear down the spelling, etc. When it comes to swine flu posts in specific, do a search with the words: swine, flu, cancel and one can see that there are some negative comments directed at those who are concerned about the potential effects of this virus. As a bumper sticker once said "Yes, sometimes the sky falls." said the chicken to the wolf.

[TerriSea]

I will not be getting the swine flu vaccination because in late May/early June I came down with swine flu! :eek:

Funny thing is, there was no one that I knew of that had the flu, so I have absolutely no idea how I contracted it. It could have been any number of situations where I was in a public place such as the grocery store. The symptoms came on very rapidly. I worked a full day with no symptoms other than feeling a bit more tired than usual, and by 5 pm I had a sore throat. By 9 pm I had a fever and chills, so I knew it was some type of flu.

Luckily, I did not spread it to co-workers or to my husband.

I was home from work recuperating for 3 days, then rested moderately over the weekend. I returned to work on Monday with no lasting ill effects.

 

I had not had the any type of flu for more than 13 years. Overall, it was a mild flu, nothing to write home about!

(note: your mileage may vary!;))

[Putterdude]

We are certainly aware of the situation and will continue to monitor reports in the meantime its cruising as usual.:)

[DaDead]

:D

I will not be getting the swine flu vaccination because in late May/early June I came down with swine flu! :eek:

Funny thing is, there was no one that I knew of that had the flu, so I have absolutely no idea how I contracted it. It could have been any number of situations where I was in a public place such as the grocery store. The symptoms came on very rapidly. I worked a full day with no symptoms other than feeling a bit more tired than usual, and by 5 pm I had a sore throat. By 9 pm I had a fever and chills, so I knew it was some type of flu.

Luckily, I did not spread it to co-workers or to my husband.

I was home from work recuperating for 3 days, then rested moderately over the weekend. I returned to work on Monday with no lasting ill effects.

 

I had not had the any type of flu for more than 13 years. Overall, it was a mild flu, nothing to write home about!

(note: your mileage may vary!;))

 

OMG, it's like you were writing my story - Only I just got over it, and milked for all it was worth;) Hubby made dinner every night (he never cooks and I am glad I had no appetite :D) I really enjoyed the being taken care of part - the sick part I could do without!:D

[Karysa]

I think right now that it is easy to say that we would continue on with our travel plans should H1N1 or another type of pandemic hit the cruise industry but that will most likely not be the case. Look at the travel decline to Mexico last spring. If it was going around cruise ships come this fall I would bet that most people that could cancel with no penalty or a minimal penalty would alter there plans for the time being and that new bookings would be down significantly.

 

Karysa

[nessz79]

We plan on cruising as planned in December. However, we also plan on getting the vaccine along with our 2 children as soon as it is available. Since we are only going to Nassau (3 day cruise w/ 1 day at sea), I'm not too worried about some sort of foreign quarantine. If I weren't feeling well, I wouldn't get off the ship.

 

I'm more concerned with the Norovirus, since there is no vaccine. I plan on frequent hand washing, trying not to touch railings, etc., and some prayer. ;)

[tamsam07]

I JUST got over swine flu. Some people are seriously overreacting to this strain of flu. Do you know how many strains of flu are floating around every year? New ones popping up constantly. The CDC claims there is an average of 36,000 deaths per year due to flu. And this was before H1N1. Any flu can become deadly for a person with underlying health conditions, not just H1N1. Honestly, you have a better chance of dying in an automobile accident than of H1N1. I think some people have become too paranoid. I'm not going to lock myself in my house and not live my life. No one has absolute immunity from death. You could lock yourself in your house to prevent catching a disease, yet still be killed by a plane crashing into your house. I choose to live life to the fullest and see the world. If I die then I die, but I will die having lived my life to the fullest.

 

I live in Europe and recently went back to the States and that is where I got it. And let me tell you, for it being a pandemic they are not doing a very good job of keeping track of it. I can't imagine how many people have it and don't even know it. Just like with ANY flu it affects each person differently. I wasn't even prescribed anything for mine. I just took Nyquil and Tylenol cold. I will say this though, it was different from any flu I have had before. And I didn't even grow a snout! I'm thinking of having a t-shirt made........I had swine flu and SURVIVED (with a picture of a big pig underneath). ;)