Bed Bugs on Azamara Journey

[alexandra cruiser]

Hello Alexandra Cruiser -

 

You mentioned that you were considering booking with Azamara and would base your decision on the outcome of this customer relation bed-bug issue. As Host Andy and others have already stated, it's not prudent for me to discuss details about an individual booking on Cruise Critic or any other message board.

 

My best advice, therefore, is for you to review our comprehensive protocol for managing the bed-bug issue and then make your decision accordingly.

 

We do hope that we have the opportunity of welcoming you onboard in the

 

Best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

______________________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

(*CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)

 

 

THanks for OP and Azamara for clearing this up.Good to see cruiselines read and respond to CC..Will now look into cruise more closely.

[azevedan]

there are no excuses for bed bugs. Hotels, cruise ships and the like should be doing anything preventable so this does not happen and if they do the necessary steps to prevent them, it does not happen.

 

I'm trying to picture what these 'necessary steps to prevent them' might be....

Mandatory spraying of passengers and luggage during boarding (oh, btw, that doesn't work unless you use the really nasty insecticides that have been banned (which is why the nasty critters are making a resurgence))?

Heating everyone and everything to 123 degrees (F) for 20 minutes (which does work, but might have certain deleterious effects)

Strip searches and luggage checks with denied boarding? (a bit time consuming)

 

Yeah, I guess I'm being facetious, but I'm struggling to understand how to prevent them. They're being spread by travelers....the hotels and cruise ships aren't to blame for them being there. All they can do is relentlessly check and eradicate when they find them.

 

I also always check when I get to a hotel (I've never found any evidence, btw), and follow the standard precautions - never put suitcase/clothes on the bed, vacuum suitcase on return, wash clothes immediately.

 

As a sign of how nasty this is getting - one of our local libraries :eek: was closed for bedbug treatment (the dogs came in, the infested stuff came out and went into the trailer for heating)....yep, books were a vector. Someone with an infestation reads in bed, or leaves the book around where the critters get in....book gets returned, sits on the shelf.....critters spread. Nasty, nasty stuff. (I should stress I don't know the actual vector....I'm positing one.)

Edited August 5, 2012 by azevedan

[3418ahl]

I'm trying to picture what these 'necessary steps to prevent them' might be....

Mandatory spraying of passengers and luggage during boarding (oh, btw, that doesn't work unless you use the really nasty insecticides that have been banned (which is why the nasty critters are making a resurgence))?

Heating everyone and everything to 123 degrees (F) for 20 minutes (which does work, but might have certain deleterious effects)

Strip searches and luggage checks with denied boarding? (a bit time consuming)

 

Yeah, I guess I'm being facetious, but I'm struggling to understand how to prevent them. They're being spread by travelers....the hotels and cruise ships aren't to blame for them being there. All they can do is relentlessly check and eradicate when they find them.

 

I also always check when I get to a hotel (I've never found any evidence, btw), and follow the standard precautions - never put suitcase/clothes on the bed, vacuum suitcase on return, wash clothes immediately.

 

As a sign of how nasty this is getting - one of our local libraries :eek: was closed for bedbug treatment (the dogs came in, the infested stuff came out and went into the trailer for heating)....yep, books were a vector. Someone with an infestation reads in bed, or leaves the book around where the critters get in....book gets returned, sits on the shelf.....critters spread. Nasty, nasty stuff. (I should stress I don't know the actual vector....I'm positing one.)

 

Well said. If they were preventable, I'm sure top hotels, ships, etc. would not have any! I have never heard of any way to prevent them!

[uktog]

Yeah, I guess I'm being facetious, but I'm struggling to understand how to prevent them. They're being spread by travelers....the hotels and cruise ships aren't to blame for them being there. All they can do is relentlessly check and eradicate when they find them.

 

I think the fact that this is the only reported incident on Journey shows how effective the cruise lines actions are

Edited August 5, 2012 by uktog

[Bill Leiber]

I think the fact that this is the only reported incident on Journey shows how effective the cruise lines actions are

 

Hello Azevedan and other readers -

 

Uktog's statement about "how effective the cruise lines actions are" with inhibiting bed bug incidents, reminds me of the adage,

"The best defense is a good offense."

 

That attitude of always being on the "offensive" explains the daily due-diligence exercised by our housekeeping staff and the Chief Housekeeper during the stateroom cleaning procedures:

§ Each stateroom is checked for the presence of bed bugs as part of the daily cleaning procedures.

§ Each stateroom attendant has been trained how to identify the presence of bedbugs.

§ We keep logs of each inspection and these are kept onboard for 7 years which enables future recurrent inspections .

 

It's understandable to "cringe" at the thought of bed bugs but for your "peace of mind" remember that the onboard mindset and procedures are designed to mitigate the risk of being "attacked."

 

Best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

______________________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

(*CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)

[Jtd724]

A big ditto...while it may have worked out well...there are no excuses for bed bugs. Hotels, cruise ships and the like should be doing anything preventable so this does not happen and if they do the necessary steps to prevent them, it does not happen. Bed bugs are one of the first things I look for when entering any hotel room....the thought makes me cringe.

 

Look up all the best hotels you can think of and add bed bugs to it. so far I looked up Waldorf, 4 Seasons, Fountain Blue. All of them have bed bug incidents. You're living in a dreamland.

Edited August 5, 2012 by Jtd724

[Phxazzcruisers]

I have just returned from a cruise on Oceania ship Riviera and wondered if anyone has had problems with 'bed bugs'.

From day 2 until disembarking the ship on day 7 I suffered bites to my arms, legs, feet, hands, back, chest and head. These only stopped once I left the ship and they are gradually getting better. Most of the bites seemed to run in lines of 5 or 6 bites.

My wife was bitten a few times but didn't seem to have any reaction other than a little itching.

My doctor gave me antihistamines and hydrocortisone on my return but was unable to tell my what had bitten me!!

Is this an isolated incident????

 

You should post this on the Oceania site, it is really a question for them, not Azamara

[Andy]

You should post this on the Oceania site, it is really a question for them, not Azamara

 

Hi Phxazzcruisers,

 

I've moved the member's post to the Oceania forum, as it did not belong here. Additionally, I'm locking this thread, as the previous discussion is from 2012.

 

When noticing anything which requires my attention, please use the alert triangle , so I can take care of it.

 

Hope this helps !