Nicauguara - Check with your TA!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Our TA called us yesterday to check to make certain that we have proof of yellow fever shots for our cruise on the Ryndam in November. It seems that the CDC has issued a traveler's advisory notice for this nation. Check with your TA if you are going to be on any cruise, including repositioning cruises if you ship is scheduled to stop there.

From what we understand this is new and yellow fever shots are now required for this port.

[sail7seas]

This is the kind of post that makes these boards so valuable.

Some TA's are not as efficient as your's, KK, or as interested in 'taking care of their clients'.

I can definitely imagine there are some people who will not be told of this change.

Thanks for sharing.

[lorekauf]

Our TA called us yesterday to check to make certain that we have proof of yellow fever shots for our cruise on the Ryndam in November. It seems that the CDC has issued a traveler's advisory notice for this nation. Check with your TA if you are going to be on any cruise, including repositioning cruises if you ship is scheduled to stop there.

From what we understand this is new and yellow fever shots are now required for this port.

Actually I also had to get a yellow fever shot when I visited this port in April of 2006 so I don't think it's all that new. FYI, I had the shot on my lunch break and by the end of the day I felt like I had yellow fever. By the next day however I felt fine. Just wanted to give posters the heads up.

[serendipity1499]

KKK...I'm not sure you are interpreting this correctly...The CDC issued a warning against Dengue Fever for Nicaragua, not yellow fever on Aug. 7, 2007...There is no no vaccine available for Dengue..But travelers are cautioned to protect themselves from mosquito bites: See the CDC WEB site:

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationNicaragua.aspx

Not all passengers who visit Nicaragua, need a Yellow Fever vaccination..If passengers are coming from a country that is endemic for yellow fever, then Nicaragua requires you to present proof of yellow fever vaccination.. If you are not coming from a country in the endemic area, then you do not need the vaccination..When we went to the Amazon we had to get the vaccination since we were coming from an endemic area & stopping in several countries that required the vaccination..
This is a quote from the CDC WEB site:

" Although yellow fever is not a disease risk in Nicaragua, the government requires travelers arriving from countries where yellow fever is present (http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh4-YellowFever.aspx#667) to present proof of yellow fever vaccination. If you will be traveling to one of these countries where yellow fever is present before arriving in Nicaragua, this requirement must be taken into consideration."

The question is: Are you going to be in any countries/regions where yellow fever is present?

:) Betty

[Krazy Kruizers]

I was just reporting what I our TA got through a fax from HAL.

My doctor has informed me that I will no longer be able to get a yellow fever shot as I had a very bed reaction when I got a Typhoid shot this past June.

[O2cruise]

Funny, for our cruise I was told that unless we were taking a tour into the interior no shots of any kind were necessary (although hepititis were highly recommended) - and if we weren't getting off the ship at all - no problem.

[serendipity1499]

I was just reporting what I our TA got through a fax from HAL.

My doctor has informed me that I will no longer be able to get a yellow fever shot as I had a very bed reaction when I got a Typhoid shot this past June.

Sorry to hear that...I take it you were going through an endemic area prior to your stop in Nicaragua..Is there any way you could secure an exception to the shot? An perhaps guarantee, as others have said, not to disembark in Nicaragua..It would be such a shame for you to miss the Prinsendam..When we went through the Canal we did not need yellow fever shots as we never traveled into an area where yellow fever was present.. Hope you are able to come up with something..

Betty

[sail7seas]

Is the purpose of the vaccanation to protect KK from spreading the disease as well as protect her from the possibility of contracting it? Perhaps she would be at risk of becoming ill from yellow fever to be there without having had the vaccination?

If it were only to assure she wasn't spreading the disease, that would be different. But isn't a person at risk of contracting it without the vaccine?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Ecudor is on our itineray.

We don't have any problems with our Ryndam cruise.

It is just our future cruises coming up.

Others may need to check to see if they have any stops in certain areas.

[hammybee]

Is the purpose of the vaccanation to protect KK from spreading the disease as well as protect her from the possibility of contracting it? Perhaps she would be at risk of becoming ill from yellow fever to be there without having had the vaccination?

If it were only to assure she wasn't spreading the disease, that would be different. But isn't a person at risk of contracting it without the vaccine?

The shot prevents one from acquiring yellow fever, if bitten by a female mosquito, which previously bit someone with yellow fever.

[sail7seas]

That's my point. If someone were to get an 'exemption' and not be required to have the vaccine, they put themselves at risk of getting the disease.

If I could not have the shot, I would not be going to a location where yellow fever is possibly present.

[Krazy Kruizers]

And mosquitos love me!! It would just be my luck to be bitten by one that had bitten a person who had yellow fever.

[catl331]

the Veendam repositions in April from Ft. Lauderdale through Panama Canal. It stops in Colombia before it goes to Nicaragua. That is a yellow fever country even though you just might just visit the port on the Caribbean. Therefore, according to the announcements , one needs a shot to get off in Nicaragua? Can one stay on the ship? Why stop there at all if most of the cruisers would be advised not to get the shot? Sure is confusing like all government announcements.:confused:

[Krazy Kruizers]

Not all cruisers can't get the shots. If I had not had the bad reaction with the Typhoid shot in June and ended having a minor stroke, we would be getting the shots without any question. Each person reacts differently to the shots. Younger people seem to have very few problems with the shots. As some of us get older, we react to things differently than when we were younger.

[bh2359]

People, if you don't know, please don't guess and post and give people false hope and advice.

If you are going to a country which requires a yellow fever shot (whether yellow fever is endemic to that area or not), you need the shot or the waiver in the yellow folder - period.

Whether you get off the ship in that port makes no difference, you need the yellow folder - period.

Whether you decide not to go into the jungle areas of that country makes no difference, you need the yellow folder - period.

IF you go to the HAL website and look up this cruise, you'll notice that you need to provide the yellow folder BEFORE boarding - period.

If you do not have this yellow folder, you will not be allowed to board the ship - period.

It has nothing to do with what excursions you are planning, or whether you get off the ship or not, or where you go at that port. It has nothing to do whether yellow fever is prevelant in that country or not, it has to do whether that country REQUIRES you to have your proof (yellow folder) if you are COMING from a country with yellow fever prevalent.

I'd hate to see a couple pay for this cruise and airfare to get to San Diego, then not be allowed to board because they do not have their yelow fever folder.

By the way, please don't forget about malaria pills also.

[cp556]

IF you go to the HAL website and look up this cruise, you'll notice that you need to provide the yellow folder BEFORE boarding - period.

If you do not have this yellow folder, you will not be allowed to board the ship - period.

.


Please help me find WHERE on the HAL site you can find this "yellow folder" info for a cruise ...
Thanks so much

[Krazy Kruizers]

bh2359

I am assuming that you are referring to the Yellow Folder that we get at our clinics when we get the various shots.

Many people don't even know about this.

You really should explain this furthur to them.

We have ours and also carry copies of them - just in case.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I should also say that our Yellow Folder also shows proof of all of our shots: Diptheria, Tetnus, Hep A, Hep B, Yellow Fever and Typhoid and the dates when we had them.

[bh2359]

If you go to the HAL website and search for the November 20th cruise on the Ryndam, then click on itinerary, you'll notice a "1" after San Diego. Go to the notes at the bottom and you'll find that note #1 states "vaccination required".

I then wrote to Hal about this and received the following reply:


Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding required vaccinations for the November 20, 2007 sailing on board the ms Ryndam.

When a country requires YELLOW FEVER it is MANDATORY that all guests and crew be vaccinated. Guests must bring proof of Yellow Fever Immunization within the last 10 years in order to board the ship, regardless of whether they intend to get off the ship. If they have an allergy to the immunization, they must attach a note from their physician inside the Yellow “International Certificate of Vaccination” booklet, available wherever travel immunizations are given. Please understand that these are requirements of the countries you will be visiting, and NOT Holland America Line’s requirements.

Since World Health Organization requirements can change on short notice, we suggest you seek updated information 3-4 weeks prior to sailing, from any local travel medicine clinic or Centers for Disease Control, http://www.cdc.gov (http://www.cdc.gov/).

Please feel free to contact us again if we may be of further assistance.


Please notice the sentence that states "in order to board the ship" etc. As I stated in my first post, I'd really hate to see someone pay for their cruise, and air, arrive in San Diego and not be allowed to board because they were told if they stayed onboard they didn't need the shots etc.

[Krazy Kruizers]

When we booked the Nov 20th cruise in Aug 2006, there wasn't any such notice. I wonder when HAL added it?

[mw8811]

We booked 6th August 2006 and it was on our confirmation in very tiny writing that vaccinations were necessary. When I called HAL they were very helpful and as soon as I said Ryndam she said Yellow Fever before I even gave the date! My husband had his yellow fever shot a couple of weeks ago and 5 days afterward had a fever for about 12 hrs and then was fine I have an appointment on 6th Sept for mine.

Mary