Upper respiratory infection after cruising?

[Skipper's Mom]

Came home on Thursday with a juicy upper respiratory condition. Can't say when I picked it up, but don't think it was on the Prinsendam, because we spent 4 days in London thereafter. I think I'm winning at this point but will see how the weekend goes and perhaps see my DR on Monday.

 

I've experienced these conditions after a few cruises, especially when you hear folks hacking away with disregard for their fellow passengers. :eek:

[kazanddave]

Just got home from 24 days on Nieuw Amsterdam. There was a really bad URI going around the ship from when we boarded in Barcelona. managed to pick it up on my last few days. This is the HAL doctors diagnosis not mine. You could hear the hacking coughs all over the ship. I knew it was inevitable to catch it as there was just too many people that were sick.

[Markanddonna]

I am in Seattle right now with a sick DH who picked it up on our Alaskan cruise. I was surprised that HAL doesn't station a crew member at the entrances to restaurants like other cruiselines do. That may contribute to the sharing of germs in the Lido.

[kazanddave]

The hacking coughing was so bad in the Lido and the showroom. I couldn't believe that we were still able to help ourselves. I commented on this a few times. I would have thought this should be treated like Norovirus. There was a lot of very sick people on the Nieuw Amsterdam. It was so bad you couldn't hear the talks.

[mor mor]

We also were on the NA for the first part- got off in Barcelona feeling fine and didn't notice any coughing on board that leg. Two days after getting home I had a bad cold and am still coughing my lungs out. I think I got it on the plane. I guess we never learn because next week we are flying to Seattle for a cruise to Alaska.:eek:

[sail7seas]

I am in Seattle right now with a sick DH who picked it up on our Alaskan cruise. I was surprised that HAL doesn't station a crew member at the entrances to restaurants like other cruiselines do. That may contribute to the sharing of germs in the Lido.

 

 

HAL does have stewards at the entrance to MDR dispensing hand cleanser. What else is that steward supposed to do? Is he to take temperatures, decide who is too sick to enter for dinner? What would be his measure? Send anyone with a 'red' nose to the nurse? I don't know what HAL can do about someone who has a cold. Noro....? Yes. They can require reporting to Infirmary but not for URI. That takes personal responsibility. Gee, there's a concept. :rolleyes:

 

We can hear the mantra..... "I paid for my vacation and I'm not going to sit in my cabin just because someone else might catch my cold. Darn but I caught it from someone so all I'm doing is what someone did to me". Sound likely? Sigh .....

 

[swl781]

I always blame the cough on the salty sea air causing my balky sinuses to drain.

 

 

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[CI66774]

Viruses - the anonymous "gift" that keeps on giving!

[Markanddonna]

HAL does have stewards at the entrance to MDR dispensing hand cleanser. What else is that steward supposed to do? Is he to take temperatures, decide who is too sick to enter for dinner? What would be his measure?

 

 

I just got off the Westerdam and can tell you that there was NEVER a steward or any staff member reminding passengers to use the hand cleanser. Not in the MDR or LIDO. Royal Caribbean and NCL have someone there all the time. Maybe that is a new HAL cutback?

[sail7seas]

Odd,,,,,,

 

For years, all our cruises on all the HAL ships we sail, there is always a steward dispensing hand sanitizer. Were you on upper or lower level, not that it should matter as should have been a steward at both levels.

 

[Markanddonna]

I was on the upper level (assigned seating). My casual observation was that maybe 50% of the folks used the dispenser before entering the MDR and it was outside the dining room. I imagine less than 20% used it entering the LIDO. So, the majority of the passengers do NOT use it unless forced to by the staff.

[sail7seas]

I was on the upper level (assigned seating). My casual observation was that maybe 50% of the folks used the dispenser before entering the MDR and it was outside the dining room. I imagine less than 20% used it entering the LIDO. So, the majority of the passengers do NOT use it unless forced to by the staff.

 

 

Many of us have learned the hand gel sanitizers do not protect against Noro virus. Those who have bypassed the dispensers may well have cleaner, freshly washed hands (which does help prevent spread of Noro) than those who use that gel which does not prevent spread of Noro. Seeing most colds are contagious by droplets/spray from coughs and sneezes, I wonder how much help the gels are in protecting against spread of colds?

 

[arewethereyet]

Many of us have learned the hand gel sanitizers do not protect against Noro virus. Those who have bypassed the dispensers may well have cleaner, freshly washed hands (which does help prevent spread of Noro) than those who use that gel which does not prevent spread of Noro. Seeing most colds are contagious by droplets/spray from coughs and sneezes, I wonder how much help the gels are in protecting against spread of colds?

 

Exactly. I wash my hands thoroughly before entering the MDR or Lido. If I haven't had the opportunity to wash them properly, then I will use the Purell. Otherwise, I avoid the Purell if possible.

[dan1618]

The reality is that, just like TSA procedures, hand sanitizer is as much for show as it is for actual prevention. When you enter the MDR, how much are you actually touching things that other passengers are going to touch without those items being washed first? You are walking straight to your table, your steward is likely pulling out your chair for you, you are sitting at a table with a tablecloth, silverware, plates, etc, that will all be washed before the next person uses them. There are minimal things in the MDR that you are going to transmit anything to with your hands.

 

What about the hand sanitizer protecting you from getting sick? Hand sanitizers offer protection to the person using them for two minutes.

 

Hand sanitizer in the MDR is for show. However, in the Lido, it makes a bigger difference because there, you are touching things that others will touch (and vice versa) -- but if you really want protection, better do it more than once.

[sail7seas]

The reality is that, just like TSA procedures, hand sanitizer is as much for show as it is for actual prevention. When you enter the MDR, how much are you actually touching things that other passengers are going to touch without those items being washed first? You are walking straight to your table, your steward is likely pulling out your chair for you, you are sitting at a table with a tablecloth, silverware, plates, etc, that will all be washed before the next person uses them. There are minimal things in the MDR that you are going to transmit anything to with your hands.

 

What about the hand sanitizer protecting you from getting sick? Hand sanitizers offer protection to the person using them for two minutes.

 

Hand sanitizer in the MDR is for show. However, in the Lido, it makes a bigger difference because there, you are touching things that others will touch (and vice versa) -- but if you really want protection, better do it more than once.

 

 

Menus, chair arms, salt and pepper shakers, bread basket are the biggest 'risks' at the dining table.

 

[RuthC]

I just got off the Westerdam and can tell you that there was NEVER a steward or any staff member reminding passengers to use the hand cleanser. Not in the MDR or LIDO. Royal Caribbean and NCL have someone there all the time. Maybe that is a new HAL cutback?

Perhaps that was particular to the Westerdam, for whatever reason, and not another cutback?

I was on the Maasdam last week. There was someone with a Purell bottle stationed at the entrance to the Lido area from each elevator bank every time I went by. Someone was at the entrance to the dining room on my level every night I ate there; there was a Purell dispenser outside the Pinnacle when I dined there.

There were also Purell dispensers everywhere I looked.

Since Purell has no effect on viruses, it appeared to be overkill to me.

[Skorpora]

I came down with pneumonia after being on the Westerdam in March. Definitely picked up something on the ship, as I was coughing before we got on the plane. I think these things can happen anywhere though, I just happened to be on a cruise ship. These bacteria/viruses are everywhere.

 

 

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[ignatz]

Let me start by saying that I've had pneumonia a few times since catching it in the 3rd grade, so am more susceptible than average to developing problems after an upper respiratory infection.

 

I've discovered that I will pick up an infection about day seven of a cruise, regardless of how often I wash my hands, refuse to shake hands, not touch the handrails, push the elevator buttons with my knuckle, not touch the pencils used in trivia games, etc. Having cruised about 15 times since 2005, I get a runny nose and sore throat that rapidly drops to my chest on almost every cruise.

 

Fortunately a doctor in London gave me the insight that my personal physician had not. After listening to my chest she frightened me by saying Legionnaire's Disease, which is a type of pneumonia. Although not Legionnaire's Disease, we determined that this was something probably caught through the ship's air conditioning system.

 

I now travel with nasal spray, other medications, ibuprofen, a thermometer and antibiotics to prevent an emergency doctor visit. Reviewing my history I will not travel on the Carnival Miracle, HAL Ryndam, Maasdam or any other ship I've become sick on. Typically we've cruised for longer than a week, so there is no possibility that the return air transport was to blame. Staying outside will not trump sleeping overnight with the air conditioning running. I tried that on our last cruise and am still recovering 8 days later.

 

Hope this is of some help to others. Track your health on the voyages lasting over 7 days and observe when the symptoms start.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

It's happened to us several times. But who is to say whether it was the plane or the ship? It has even happened to us after a few land (bus) tours, both foreign and domestic, and after taking a plane to another destination to visit friends/relatives.

 

I think it can happen anywhere there are a bunch of people in close quarters....ships, trains, buses, planes, etc.

[Randyk47]

It's happened to us several times. But who is to say whether it was the plane or the ship? It has even happened to us after a few land (bus) tours, both foreign and domestic, and after taking a plane to another destination to visit friends/relatives.

 

I think it can happen anywhere there are a bunch of people in close quarters....ships, trains, buses, planes, etc.

 

While I don't particularly have a history of catching the flu or a cold or much of anything from travel I agree that it is a matter of exposure and when you're out and about that increases exponentially. Add that you're in basically confined areas with probably a lot more people around you than your typical day-to-day life it probably isn't surprising you're going to get ill more frequently than at home.

 

An interesting fact, and good thing to know, is that the incidence of Legionnaire's Disease on cruise ships is actually extremely rare. The number of cases is so low that there is virtually little or no conclusive evidence that the disease was contracted on the ship as the patients had traveled to the ports on various modes of transportation and had stayed at land based hotels or eaten in land based restaurants that it was almost impossible to pin point the source. That's not to say they've never found the Legionella bacteria on a cruise ship but surprisingly it was more often found in and around the spas than in the HVAC system as cruise ships use a different type of system than land based hotels, office buildings, etc.

[CruiseGal60]

On our last cruise, which was a 14 day collectors, I developed a really bad cough about 4 days from the end, I could hardly breathe. I went to ship doc but all he gave me was an inhaler which did not do any good. It took 6 weeks and 2 trips to my own doc to get it cleared. Don't know how I caught it since no one seemed to be coughing around me.

 

I was surprised I was not quarantined to cabin but I felt so bad all I wanted to do was lie in bed anyway.

[Wakepatrol]

Let me start by saying that I've had pneumonia a few times since catching it in the 3rd grade, so am more susceptible than average to developing problems after an upper respiratory infection.

 

I've discovered that I will pick up an infection about day seven of a cruise, regardless of how often I wash my hands, refuse to shake hands, not touch the handrails, push the elevator buttons with my knuckle, not touch the pencils used in trivia games, etc. Having cruised about 15 times since 2005, I get a runny nose and sore throat that rapidly drops to my chest on almost every cruise.

 

Fortunately a doctor in London gave me the insight that my personal physician had not. After listening to my chest she frightened me by saying Legionnaire's Disease, which is a type of pneumonia. Although not Legionnaire's Disease, we determined that this was something probably caught through the ship's air conditioning system.

 

I now travel with nasal spray, other medications, ibuprofen, a thermometer and antibiotics to prevent an emergency doctor visit. Reviewing my history I will not travel on the Carnival Miracle, HAL Ryndam, Maasdam or any other ship I've become sick on. Typically we've cruised for longer than a week, so there is no possibility that the return air transport was to blame. Staying outside will not trump sleeping overnight with the air conditioning running. I tried that on our last cruise and am still recovering 8 days later.

 

Hope this is of some help to others. Track your health on the voyages lasting over 7 days and observe when the symptoms start.

 

I've always thought about bringing some antibiotics with me. Which ones do you

bring with you. I was sick from some sinus upper respiratory thing from Dec till May a few years back after a cruise.

[pris993]

What is "the lowest level of heat"?

 

The lowest level of heat, did not see this question before, is generally the point on the thermostat where the heat kicks in vs cold air. Most cruise ships have a gage that moves up and down from heat to cold.

[PatsyAnne]

I've always thought about bringing some antibiotics with me. Which ones do you

 

bring with you. I was sick from some sinus upper respiratory thing from Dec till May a few years back after a cruise.

 

The only way I would bring antibiotics with me would be if my doctor thought I was susceptible to a bacterial infection, and knew when to take them. Most of the time I just get colds - viruses - and have had problems with too many antibiotics in the far distant past, but I do have a relative whose colds often turn into bacterial infections so I understand.

 

Anyway, your PCP would be most likely to know what you may run into and the appropriate meds to carry with you just in case.

 

 

 

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[Shmoo here]

On our most recent cruise, one of our tablemates showed up to dinner 2 nights before the end of the cruise announcing he has "the worst cold he's ever had". Yep, guess what? By the time we disembarked and got back home my head was streaming. Plugged ears, runny nose, coughing, the whole thing. It took close to a month before I was "normal" again.

 

Thanks, buddy! :(

 

Other than that, the only time I've gotten sick on a cruise was our fist one. I walked off that one with a head cold.

Edited February 6, 2014 by Shmoo here