Sickness before boarding - need suggest ASAP

[DaveOKC]

A friend is ready to get on-board a ship in Alaska and he is running a high fever (102) - the questions are:

1. Will they let him on.

2. If he goes to the doctor while on-board with this fever, what will the doctor likely do - will they quaranteen him, let him go about his business or fly him off?

3. Suggestions are welcome, but he needs to know ASAP.

DAveOKC

[PRINSENDAM]

A friend is ready to get on-board a ship in Alaska and he is running a high fever (102) - the questions are:

1. Will they let him on.

2. If he goes to the doctor while on-board with this fever, what will the doctor likely do - will they quaranteen him, let him go about his business or fly him off?

3. Suggestions are welcome, but he needs to know ASAP.

DAveOKC

 

 

 

GET TO A DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY!

 

DON'T TAKE ANY RISKS... THERE MIGHT BE 1500 PASSENGERS and 800 CREW AFFECTED AND THEY WILL BE NONE TO HAPPY TO CATCH SOMETHING.

 

IF IT IS SOMETHING LIKE A COMMON COLD THE DOCTOR MIGHT ALLOW HIM TO SAIL BUT IT MIGHT BE A NORWALK VIRUS IN WHICH CASE HE AND MANU OF HIS FELLOW PASSENGERS MIGHT WELL END UP CONFINED TO THEIR CABINS.... THE SHIP CAN BE SERIOUSLY DELAYD... ON THIS CRUISE AND THE NEXT.

 

PLEASE... PLEASE ADVISE YOUR FRIEND TO GET CHECKED OUT BEFORE GOING ANYWHERE NEAR THE SHIP.

[DaveOKC]

He is going to the hospital this morning, first thing. Of course if they say it is serious he will not board, but I guess what he needs to know is what the policy is on the ship (assuming he gets on).

DaveOKC

[gwilli]

If he plans on seeing the ships doctor, he better have travel insurance!

[sail7seas]

I am sure your friend knows his health is far more important than any cruise will ever be.

 

 

Seeing as he is going to be seen by a doctor today, the answer lies with what the doctor tells him.

 

His doctor should be the one to decide if he will travel; if he is contagious; if should be permitted to fly or to board a ship. His doctor will be the one to decide if he will endanger his own health of that of others' if he travels.

 

Hope he feels better and that what he has is not contagious and still permits him to travel and enjoy.

[Krazy Kruizers]

On our Ryndam Alaskan cruise in Aug/Sept 2003, a few people came down with the Norvo virus. And they were put off the ship in the next port to keep the illness from spreading. HAL took care of their hotels and air arrangements.

Don't know if HAL is stilldoing this in Alaska or not.

[jhannah]

My belief is that if he doesn't board the ship he will not receive any compensation from HAL. This is what insurance is for, IMO.

 

Let's just hope this is a mild case of food poisoning or something like that which will soon pass and allow him to cruise.

[kryos]

He is going to the hospital this morning, first thing. Of course if they say it is serious he will not board, but I guess what he needs to know is what the policy is on the ship (assuming he gets on).

DaveOKC

If he has insurance, and proper documentation from the doctor, he should be able to recoup his cruise fare if he is advised not to board the ship. What I would do if I were in his shoes, and the doctor advised against taking the cruise, would be to go to embarkation and present the doctor's note to the people at the desk. Let them refuse to let him board, and he can then file a claim with the travel insurance company.

 

But, no ... he shouldn't put a boat full of passengers and crew at risk for getting sick ... no matter how badly he wants to take the cruise.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[sail7seas]

If he has insurance, and proper documentation from the doctor, he should be able to recoup his cruise fare if he is advised not to board the ship. What I would do if I were in his shoes, and the doctor advised against taking the cruise, would be to go to embarkation and present the doctor's note to the people at the desk. Let them refuse to let him board, and he can then file a claim with the travel insurance company.

 

But, no ... he shouldn't put a boat full of passengers and crew at risk for getting sick ... no matter how badly he wants to take the cruise.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

 

(I supplied the underline)

 

 

I'm confused about your suggesting he go to embarkation. The doctor advised against travel, but he would fly? Would he risk his own health by doing so? Risk the health of others on the plane, in the airport etc?

 

The OP seems to be from Oklahoma and I may have made an error ASSUMING his friend is also.....if he lives in FLL (or the port where the ship embarks) that would be different IMO (:) The ship surely will not be embarking in OKC. :)

[jhannah]

I don't believe he needs to go to the port. A letter from the doctor would take care of it, wouldn't it?

[Esme]

Last year, twice we had someone come on the ship with the norovirus and subsequently put the rest of us in jeopardy.

 

Also in 2003 on our Alaska cruise, we met the couple next door. They had been travelling with friends who had been put off the ship before we left Vancouver. The lady was sick when she got to Vancouver, staff called the nurse & doctor. After checking her over, they decided to let her board, but said if she was still throwing up, they would have to remove her from the ship before we left port. Well, I guess this couple thought they could hide her illness once she was on board, but before leaving the nurse came to check on the lady and found her in the bathroom still throwing up & with a high fever, so they were removed. Our neighbours were upset, but did agree that the nurse did the right thing.

 

 

The crew took 2 days disinfecting that cabin. :(

[sail7seas]

DaveOKC....

 

Have you heard from your friend since he saw his doctor?

Please tell us the 'latest' when you are able.

[peaches from georgia]

If he has insurance he certainly has no need to go to the port at all. The whole issue is between him and the insurance company; HAL is not involved at all. He fills out the insurance claim form for the cost of the trip and provides a letter from his doctor stating what his medical condition was and that the doc had advised him he could not take the cruise. He will have no problem being reimbursed in full.

 

When we cancelled a cruise after we were already in FLL we got a phone call that a family member was very ill, we left FLL immediately and with a letter from my Dad's doc stating his illness we were reimbursed within a couple of weeks.

 

If he has no insurance and is too ill to travel he is in financial trouble to say the least.

[DaveOKC]

I talked to my friend - the doctor said it was a viral infection and not serious. He is out of reach now so I do not know what he decided to do. I passed on all of your comments via email to him.

We both appreciate all the help. I will let you know when I hear from him.

DaveOKC

[AirGorilla]

Besides the 102 fever, what are his/her other symptoms?

[1cruiselvr]

HELLO - a virus and not serious?!?!?! Isn't norovirus a virus? I think the cruise industry takes that virus VERY SERIOUSLY. :( I think the dr. meant not life threatening but I don't think he meant for him to board and ship and contaminate thousands. Why don't folks use common sense???

[Iggipolka]

I talked to my friend - the doctor said it was a viral infection and not serious.

 

Viral infections spread very quickly and easily. The virus may not be life threatening, but it will certainly impact other people on the cruise. If I were in his situation, I woudln't have gone on the cruise. That's why there is travel insurance.

[sail7seas]

HELLO - a virus and not serious?!?!?! Isn't norovirus a virus? I think the cruise industry takes that virus VERY SERIOUSLY. :( I think the dr. meant not life threatening but I don't think he meant for him to board and ship and contaminate thousands. Why don't folks use common sense???

 

 

I reread this thread and probably have missed it, but......

Where in this thread did the OP say that his friend has NoroVirus? A lot of this thread deals with NLV (and I agree it is highly contagious and I agree if he has it he should not travel), but I'm still trying to figure out how we all have diagnosed OP's friend with being ill with NLV. :confused:

We all know that there are a host of other virus' that are totally unconnected to Noro.

 

[jhannah]

I don't believe 1cruiselvr was saying he had NLV ... just that NLV is a virus, thus to point out that viruses can be serious. AIDS, cold sores, herpes, chicken pox, measles, and flu are among diseases classed as viral infections. Some are more contagious and serious than others. I'm no doctor, but it would seem that any of these serious enough to cause a fever should preclude getting on a cruise ship. JMO.

[peaches from georgia]

I don't think anyone was saying this is a case of NLV, either, and it may just be a common virus and not be serious for any one individual.

 

But exposing over 1000 pax to 2-4 days of their cruise w/ fever and feeling lousy is in my opinion pretty serious. Viruses have to run their course, so there isn't much any pax catching it could do except feel rotten. :(

[sail7seas]

Reading this thread, the casual observer would surmise there are some who are supposing it 'possible' the virus in question COULD be NLV. I have read a clear indication there is discussion which could easily be assigned to sound much like some think NLV is an issue in this conversation.

 

The term "NLV" and Noro" was inserted into the conversation at least three + times.

If I am the only one who 'got that implication', that's okay. It is just what I am 'hearing' while reading this thread.

[CDRMark]

No virus was ever specified. Because this is a cruise board, 'assuming' NLV before Ebola is a natural (but faulty) leap. Could be one of several. With a temp of 102 let's hope the individual in question is OK.

 

Cheers

MarkB

[mariner]

I'm not sure this is the place to ask the question or expect a knowledgable answer.

 

See what the doctor says.

 

If there's any chance it could spread, out of respect for others, cancel.

 

I vividly remember this year aboard Maasdam when a group was handing out awards and mentioned Mr. and Mrs. X were quarantined.

 

We had the displeasure of meeting their son, who was in the same cabin, and who said, ``They can't keep me locked up.''

 

Had we gotten sick, he would have been swimming home.

[sail7seas]

CDRMark,

Yes, I agree; let's hope he's okay! :) and fit to safely travel.

[sail7seas]

Ohhhh Mariner.....How I HEAR you.