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Vision 1/16/05 Anyone else ill?


Kevbear

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We are still under house arrest by our land Doctor after getting off the Vision Of The Seas over a week ago. He felt we would stay contagious until 1/31/05 after our return. The fever, nausia, diareha, are mostly past now but what was so bad was the attitude of the medical staff on board...

We sailed on Sunday, by Tuesday night I was down for the count, Wednesday I contacted the ships meds to be told that contrary to the "we are doing everything possible to prevent disease onboard" and please call the ships meds with any of the following symptoms... the policy was they would decide if we were sick and we would be charged $105 each for the "complimentary" visit.. I said thanks but we can do better on our own and promptly went back to the suite and found my sweetie infected . Cabin steward stayed away, can't say as I blame him. Our waitress (Editha) was great making sure we were eating! But out of our 7 day cruise we were down 5 days with what our land Doctor has said is a fast moving highly infectous virus and the medical staff had little or no concern that we had all the symptoms of the Norwalk? virus. I'll be filing a second complait to RCI now that we are home but I would like to know if anyone else onboard was ill and treated accordingly.

Kevin

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I see you were in Mexico. Out of curiosity and not trying to pass the buck on this one, did you eat or drink anything off the ship?

 

My wife visited Mexico several years ago. They went to great lengths to avoid drinking the water but, in one very nice restaurant, her and her brother ordered a hamburger. They became deathly ill soon afterwards. Later, in recounting the trip to their doctor, it was determined that the lettuce on the hamburger was likely washed with non-bottled or properly boiled water. It was the only thing different that my wife and her bother ate from everyone else.

 

It is possible that you picked up a parasitic infection in Mexico rather than norovirus on the ship. Of course, it's just about as likely that you picked up norovirus on the ship as a parasitic infection in Mexico too. It's just a thought.

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Uh oh...

I'm not surprised at the lack of compassion and medical care you got on board. We're supposed to sail on Visions 2/20... I say "supposed to" since we sailed on Brilliance this past Xmas/New Years and 3 out of 4 in our family were stricken.. are the worst part was the nurse refused to summon the MD when my daughter, who is 8 1/2 and was being treated with high doses of antibiotics for pneumonia which was somewhat resistant to the orig. antibiotics fell ill... right at the entrance of the diningroom while leaving after feeling ill (so I've heard since I left the dinner table about 45 mins earlier feeling ill myself and later praying to the porcelain "god" before they arrived back). After explaining my problem she (nurse) told me to go to guest relations and get the seasickness tablet and give it to her. I was appauled (sp). Well, after having horrible treatment 2 years earlier on Summit w/Norwalk like symptoms (they denied it,though CDC confirmed they couldn't do diagnosis w/lack of equipment) from foreign (both trained and nationality) doctor (who I thought was the nurse lol). After 5 hrs in the infirmary I was let go to recouperate.. they never called to check and it was the worst experience ever onboard... this year was almost as bad (cause I knew what to expect once the symptoms started). Should we go on Visions in 3 weeks? Should we leave CT to fly to CA if my daughter isn't feeling 100%, I don't know since she's still not 100% from everything. I just wonder if things go alittle awry before and we do cancel that we don't have a problem with insurance.

Carolyn

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Sorry to hear about your illness. We were on the 1/23 sailing and had no problems.

 

However, in 2001 we sailed on the Viking Serenade and my wife got very sick on the (only) formal night. The ship's doctor actually left the captain's presentation to come treat her and spent quite a lot o time making sure everything was taken care of. He even called each of the next 2 days to check on us.

 

Sure, the visit cost us some money, but not more than it would have on land. And it was some of the best medical care we've ever recieved, and from a wonderful doctor. Since we have insurance, we were able to submit a claim when we retunred, and it was reimbursed by our insurance.

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I'd like to re-iterate the potential of contracting food-bourne illnesses in Mexico. My DH and I were on a land-based trip there in Oct. We followed all the standard precautions, but I became very ill on one day while we were there. I felt better for the last couple of days, but then had a recurrance of the same symptoms, which knocked me out for more than a week once we got home.

 

I gave culture (not a pleasant process), turns out I had E-coli! We can't for the life of us figure out where exactly I got it. But there it was. It's made me leery of any travel in Mexico.

 

So keep in mind, on cruises to Mexico (and any third-world country) your illness may not have come from the ship. And also, if you really read up on norovirus, you will learn that it is a common virus world-wide, and not unique to cruise ships, they are simply the only venue on the planet that has to report it.

 

LeeAnne

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Am I the only one who caught the OP asking if anyone else on this sailing was sick? I don't think he stated he caught something on board....rather was wondering if he had a bug many people had, or if he maybe ate something. When I had the major Montezumas revenge this summer after coming home from Mexico---I did not have a fever------had the hershey squirts for over 3 weeks, but no puking or fever. Ended up in ER after 2 days from dehydration. I'd be curious as to if more people were sick on the ship. We leave Friday for our sailing on the Jewel on Saturday. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

To the OP-----that really sucks.....you plan on this vacation for so long. My heart goes out to you.

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On our honeymoon six years ago, I got as sick as a dog in Grand Cayman--I made the mistake of drinking the water. Twenty minutes later, the nausea and dizziness were so bad that I threw up in port, and had to go to the ship's doctor (this was the Majesty of the Seas). The facility was clean, and the doctor was very kind. He gave me a shot, and told me I was going to feel terrible for the rest of the day. He checked on me later that evening (I was too sick to do much of any thing but lay in my cabin) and I was fine the next day.

 

Nope that was my fault--and we had been warned.

 

I have a sensitive stomach. On our last cruise, in Cozumel, even though we were assured by the tour guide at Passion Island that the water was fine--I didn't drink it, and ate only cooked food.

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Thanks for the concerns and yes we did stop in Cabo and have lunch, a party of 6... I first developed my cough that night, then the fever hit and hard. The rest of the party was fine at that point (and for days later) and we all shared food, drank the same marguerittas. I was nausious, the first 2 days and I suspect the high fever and cough were the worst symptoms we all had, no actual vomiting as if we had ingested tainted food. The diarrea came days layer, not at the onset with the fever & cough. It might have been a bug we picked up on the flight down to LA... but after out tests our doctor had told us it was a fast moving virus attacking within 24 hours of exposure. So my question remains, was anyone else sick onboard?

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You certainly sound like you have been through the wars of Noro Virus. I sailed on the Vision the week before you. I came down with "Food Poison" or something. I cannot blame it on Mexico as I never got off in Cabo. Actually in Cabo I never left the cabin. I was fine the night before arriving in Cabo but when I woke up I knew I was in for something. It lasted two days for me. Vomiting Diharrea, cramps and extreme tiredness. My wife was fine and never got sick at all. The following night I made it back to the Dining Room and was fine for the rest of the cruise. How the ships staff never found out about me I don't know. I never called the medical staff as I did not want to be confined to the cabin (I already was) and I was scared that they would put us ashore. So I just did the right thing and stayed safe. I was surprised that our cabin attendent did not tell her superiours about me, as we kept telling her I just was tired and hung over. (I don't drink, but she did not know that).

 

On our next cruise in November I will stay out of the Windjammer and ALL buffet food. Only the dining room for us, from now on. It's the only way that I can alleviate the possibility that few people will handle the food, before me. It's funny though, I thought that I took all precautions, I always washed my hands each time I returned to the cabin. I always used the Purell at the entrance to the Windjammer, and I'm the one who gets sick. The only thing that I ate different from my wife the evening before Cabo, was when I went to the Solarium for a slice of Pizza. Warm, dried up Pizza.

If I get sick in November, then that's it for cruising for me.

 

P.s

Two years ago I sailed on the Grand Princess in a family group. Yes I got sick then too. But that time was exactly as you discribed your situation. It wasn't pretty. This time was much milder but still for 48 hours I did not get my money's worth of a cruise.

Cheers

Keelhaul

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We are still under house arrest by our land Doctor after getting off the Vision Of The Seas over a week ago. He felt we would stay contagious until 1/31/05 after our return. The fever, nausia, diareha, are mostly past now but what was so bad was the attitude of the medical staff on board...

We sailed on Sunday, by Tuesday night I was down for the count, Wednesday I contacted the ships meds to be told that contrary to the "we are doing everything possible to prevent disease onboard" and please call the ships meds with any of the following symptoms... the policy was they would decide if we were sick and we would be charged $105 each for the "complimentary" visit.. I said thanks but we can do better on our own and promptly went back to the suite and found my sweetie infected . Cabin steward stayed away, can't say as I blame him. Our waitress (Editha) was great making sure we were eating! But out of our 7 day cruise we were down 5 days with what our land Doctor has said is a fast moving highly infectous virus and the medical staff had little or no concern that we had all the symptoms of the Norwalk? virus. I'll be filing a second complait to RCI now that we are home but I would like to know if anyone else onboard was ill and treated accordingly.

Kevin

You didn't have all the symptoms of Norwalk. High fever, cough and no vomiting for two days after the onset are not general symptoms of Norovirus.

 

Regardless, if too many people got sick - whatever the cause- it will be listed on the CDC's website you could check that.

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Just a quick FYI, in case anyone is interested - Norovirus symptoms begin 24 to 48 hours after ingestion of the virus. The symptoms generally last for two days. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramping. Secondary symptoms can also include low-grade fever, chills, headache, and extreme tiredness.

 

Keelhaul - It sounds like you probably had it. Kevbear - I hope you're feeling better. I hope the ship AND all of the ports are cleaned before I get there in March;). I'll definitely be bringing my hand sanitizer and some Lysol (although Keelhaul did that and still got sick). I can't imagine anything worse than being sick on a cruise. We all wait so long for these vacations (or at least my family does at one trip per year) -- What a bummer when something like that happens.

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