Cholera on Haiti

[jo anne]

just wondering will RCI pull out of Haiti now its been confirmed about the Cholera outbreak?

[nosmothj]

Originally Posted by jo anne

just wondering will RCI pull out of Haiti now its been confirmed about the Cholera outbreak?

Not likely. Labadee is far from any health issues and is well isolated.

[BND]

Cholera is spread only through drinking contaminated water as far as I know and no on one Labadee should be drinking the water from sources other than what is provided for cruise passengers. The news reports I've seen also say that the cholera outbreak is in rural areas which probably means from open streams and contaminated wells. So,no, they won't pull out.

ETA, it is also caused by contaminated food, but the food provided on Labadee is no more likely to be contaminated than the food on the ship is since that's where it comes from.

[GTO-Girl]

According to CNN they have had 138 confirmed deaths in a 48hr period. If I was going to the area I would be VERY concerned......

[cb at sea]

Isn't most of the sickness on the opposite coast, where Port au Prince is? (and, the damage from the earthquake?)
Since you will not be "mingling" with the general population, I wouldn't worry.

[Ashland]

This will devestate this already suffering country even more...what are your concerns about going to labadee now ?

[Jumbiecruiser]

None.

[thorsdad]

RC should feed us info on this so those of going there in the near furture will know more.Simply staying on board perhaps..Should RC consider not going until this is over with. All in all God bless Haiti and its people send what u can 2 the agency of your choice.

[UandMe4Ever]

Originally Posted by Ashland

This will devestate this already suffering country even more...what are your concerns about going to labadee now ?

They have so many problems, it is so sad. The only good thing about going into Labadee is that RCI brings so many necessary items to be transported to the other side of the Island in its efforts to help the recovery there!

We'll be on RCI at Labadee on Wednesday, November 10th! If we don't hear some positives, we will stay on the ship. We're just concerned with the folks that come over to pick up the stuff delivered, they could be "carriers"...Time will tell.

Keep Haiti in your prayers!

[louallard]

I believe that RCCL should perhaps change the itineraries going to Labadee

This is a HIGH risk situation.

Even though some people would be disappointed, I being one as I am to sail to Labadee in 4 weeks, but why take the chance of somebody contacting this disease and chancing
getting other passengers and crew members sick, especially the elderly.

I do not think that I am over reacting as I sail during hurricane season, bed bug speculation, threats of political unrest, etc.

This being said, RCCL should at the very least give passengers the chance to cancel or
reschedule without penalty

Just my opinion

Lou

[negc]

We will be visiting Labadee during our November 12th cruise on Liberty of the Seas. A group called Cruise4Haiti will be onboard to raise funds and deliver supplies to the island. I fully expect that RCI is well aware of the situation on the island and will continue to monitor it. They will only stop there if they determine that is no health risk for its passengers and crew. Reports of cholera outbreaks seem confined to specific areas of the island and should have no impact on Labadee. Perhaps before panicking, people should become more familiar with the particulars of the disease and the conditions which can give rise to it. We will have our grandchildren with us and I would certainly not put them at risk, but I believe that in this instance the likelihood of any risk to passengers is minimal or non-existent.

[steamboats]

Well said, negc!!

steamboats

[The Flying Pirate]

I am sure they are keeping a close eye on it, the effected area is quite a ways from Labadee.

[sjcruiser]

As always CC keeps me up to date on issues concerning cruising. I have not read the paper or listened to the news in a few days. I'll be sure to tune to CNN or CNN.com to get the full story.

I'll be visiting Labadee in early January, so thanks for the info.

[negc]

Originally Posted by GTO-Girl

According to CNN they have had 138 confirmed deaths in a 48hr period. If I was going to the area I would be VERY concerned......

I am going to Labadee in just a few weeks and don't intend to drink contaminated water or eat raw and unwashed fruits or vegetables. Since those are the primary ways that cholera is spread and not by person to person contact, I am not concerned. I also believe that RCI would not knowingly put its passengers and crew at risk and were there any reasonable fear that visiting Labadee would do so, they would cancel their stop. I don't expect that to happen and don't think that encouraging panic through less than fully informed postings is something that should be done.

[Mickeylee]

Originally Posted by louallard

but why take the chance of somebody contacting this disease and chancing
getting other passengers and crew members sick, especially the elderly.

Lou

It is a waterborne disease, it is not spread by person-to-person contact.

[sjcruiser]

Just checked on CNN.com. Outbreak is really bad, and spreading quickly, but in areas closest to, and surrounding Port-au-Prince, and the countryside. It seems that the efforts to install the water filtering systems are not going as quickly as possible, and the water is being further polluted by human waste.

I thought there were "systems" out there that could be installed quickly to avoid this from happening?

[negc]

Originally Posted by Mickeylee

It is a waterborne disease, it is not spread by person-to-person contact.

Exactly. Lack of accurate information is the sort of thing that contributes to panicky responses such as some that are already being seen here. Cholera is a serious problem but is avoidable if common sense hygienic procedures are followed.

[GTO-Girl]

Originally Posted by negc

I am going to Labadee in just a few weeks and don't intend to drink contaminated water or eat raw and unwashed fruits or vegetables. Since those are the primary ways that cholera is spread and not by person to person contact, I am not concerned. I also believe that RCI would not knowingly put its passengers and crew at risk and were there any reasonable fear that visiting Labadee would do so, they would cancel their stop. I don't expect that to happen and don't think that encouraging panic through less than fully informed postings is something that should be done.

No one is encouraging panic......but people should be kept informed when there is an outbreak of a terrible disease that is highly contagious and spreading quickly.

I'm glad while you are there that you will have the vision to know everything you touch and drink will be 100% disease free.

[BND]

Originally Posted by GTO-Girl

No one is encouraging panic......but people should be kept informed when there is an outbreak of a terrible disease that is highly contagious and spreading quickly.

I'm glad while you are there that you will have the vision to know everything you touch and drink will be 100% disease free.

Your risk at Labadee will be no higher than it is in the states or on the ship. Cholera is not "Contagious" or is it something that most people need to concern themselves with when traveling. It tends to be in third world countries and places where there is poor sanitation. Labadee does not fit that description. The food and water used in Labadee for consumption comes from the ship. Also, if you read up on Cholera, people who are healthy or treated quickly with rehydration recover completely. It's also something you normally need to be exposed to more than from one drink of water. It takes millions of the bacteria to cause illness as a majority of them don't survive the trek through the digestive system.

BTW, nothing you eat in the states is 100% disease free either, so how do you handle that? I got food poisoning from a restaurant chain 3 miles from my home just 3 months ago.