Princess health advisory

[caribill]

When going to the personalizer for an upcoming Caribbean cruise I now first see this message:

 

Certain regions of your voyage have reported heightened activity of mosquitos that can spread diseases, such as Chikungunya and Dengue Fever. You can reduce your risk of mosquito bites by applying insect repellent containing DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), or IR3535. Repellent can also prevent biting by insects that do not spread disease, such as sand fleas commonly found on Caribbean beaches. Further information on avoiding mosquito bites is available online at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/watch/chikungunya- caribbean.

 

 

By clicking Continue you acknowledge you have received the above notification.

[beg3yrs]

Saw that as well. Repellent is always on our warm weather cruising pack list.

[BananaAnna]

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/watch/chikungunya-caribbean

 

Your link is coming up broken. This is the link I received.

[Lerin]

As someone who can't tolerate the scent of must bug spray, on our last cruise to that area we packed Skin-So-Soft from Avon as well as those mosquito bracelets. WOW, worked like a charm. Heard those buggers all over, but not 1 single bite unlike some of our fellow passengers.

[MrsFops&FopsC5]

Please Please take this seriously. I had Dengue last year when I cam home from Mexico. It is NOTHING to take lightly. 103 degree fever, pancreatitis, and every other issue that when you google Dengue fever I had. ended up in the emergency room getting all kinds of drugs and fluids. There are 4 levels and I had the worst which over 1 million people around the world die from.. I now use all kinds of repellent, wear light weight long sleeve and pants when I go out in the evenings and early morning when Mosquitos are prevalent.

 

Please don't get what I had, I would t wish it on my worst enemy. If you do start to get any symptoms, go to your doctor immediately, because it will hit you so quickly you won't even know it is coming on...

[caribill]

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/watch/chikungunya-caribbean

 

Your link is coming up broken. This is the link I received.

 

Seems it left the -caribbean part out of the link itself when I posted

Edited October 11, 2014 by caribill

[Carolyn R]

Please people, take this seriously and use a repellant with DEET for absolute protection. A very small amount is required to protect yourself.

[sawtooth]

I'm afraid to tell my husband about this. He is a mosquito magnet so we will be sure to bring along a boatload of product.

We are on the 1/18 Royal sailing and had booked a couple of excursions. We were notified that the Rainforest Zipline Tour had been cancelled, maybe this is Princess being proactive about mosquito exposure?

[OCruisers]

Hopefully, people will that this seriously enough to apply a bug repellent!

LuLu

[Astro Flyer]

The CDC recommends using repellent first & then sunscreen which may be less effective at preventing sunburn:

 

"Repellents that are applied according to label instructions may be used with sunscreen with no reduction in repellent activity; however, limited data show a one-third decrease in the sun protection factor (SPF) of sunscreens when DEET-containing insect repellents are used after a sunscreen is applied".

[VibeGuy]

I, too, have had dengue. It is nothing to mess around with.

 

Repellents with Picaridin/Icaridin/Baypel work really well for me, don't stink, aren't greasy and don't melt plastic like DEET. I highly suggest using them. They're even available at Walmart in the camping supplies section.

[Husky61]

Please people, take this seriously and use a repellant with DEET for absolute protection. A very small amount is required to protect yourself.

 

Is Deet what most doctors recommend?

[Thrak]

As someone who can't tolerate the scent of must bug spray, on our last cruise to that area we packed Skin-So-Soft from Avon as well as those mosquito bracelets. WOW, worked like a charm. Heard those buggers all over, but not 1 single bite unlike some of our fellow passengers.

 

Skin-So-Soft is worthless. I used to go to an annual barbeque. Every year my wife and I arrived with spray containing DEET and the people at the gathering would gasp with dismay at my "poison" and go on and on about how they were using Skin-So-Soft and how much better and safer and such it was. The party was always at a house out in the country and there are vast acres of rice fields in the area. Lots of mosquitoes. Every year after an hour or two people would start coming over to me asking where I had put my DEET spray as they were tired of being eaten alive by mosquitoes.

[bhopal21]

Is Deet what most doctors recommend?

 

Yes, sprays containing high concentrations of DEET are the most effective in repelling mosquitos.

 

Mike:)

[Astro Flyer]

Yes, sprays containing high concentrations of DEET are the most effective in repelling mosquitos.

 

Mike:)

Mosquitoes love my blood so I got a repellent from my health plan's pharmacy that they recommended. It's Ultrathon cream containing 34.34% DEET & suppose to be splash & sweat resistant for up to 12 hours. It's prevented any mosquito bites for me and I'll definitely use it during our upcoming cruise to the Caribbean after receiving the Princess notification about mosquito borne diseases.

Edited October 11, 2014 by Astro Flyer

[Husky61]

Yes, sprays containing high concentrations of DEET are the most effective in repelling mosquitos.

 

Mike:)

 

Thanks,

 

I found this on the CDC website.

 

Products containing DEET include, but are not limited to, Off!, Cutter, Sawyer, and Ultrathon.

 

Studies suggest that concentrations of DEET above approximately 50% do not offer a marked increase in protection time against mosquitoes; DEET efficacy tends to plateau at a concentration of approximately 50%. CDC recommends using products with ≥20% DEET on exposed skin to reduce biting by ticks that may spread disease.

Edited October 11, 2014 by Husky61
update

[bhopal21]

Mosquitoes love my blood so I got a repellent from my health plan's pharmacy that they recommended. It's Ultrathon cream containing 34.34% DEET & suppose to be splash & sweat resistant for up to 12 hours. It's prevented any mosquito bites for me and I'll definitely use it during our upcoming cruise to the Caribbean after receiving the Princess notification about mosquito borne diseases.

 

 

Deep Woods OFF is 25% DEET and REPEL is 40% DEET, both widely available.

 

I have always found Deep Woods OFF to work in the harshest environment for me and if I forget and go into the woods there will be ticks from my ankles to my ears.:eek:

 

Mike:)

[eclue]

I am reading about increased incidence of dengue fever in Cabo and also LaPaz....we leave on Oct 20th on the Grand Princess for the SEa of Cortez, yet no warning from Princess....seems a bit odd.

Many people are not on CC and have no idea of these things.....

[crochetcruise]

As someone who can't tolerate the scent of must bug spray, on our last cruise to that area we packed Skin-So-Soft from Avon as well as those mosquito bracelets. WOW, worked like a charm. Heard those buggers all over, but not 1 single bite unlike some of our fellow passengers.

 

Have already advised my Avon Lady of a future order for next year's Tester Cruise.

 

Crochetcruise :cool:

[bhopal21]

I am reading about increased incidence of dengue fever in Cabo and also LaPaz....we leave on Oct 20th on the Grand Princess for the SEa of Cortez, yet no warning from Princess....seems a bit odd.

Many people are not on CC and have no idea of these things.....

 

Well there are cases in South Florida, Alabama and Louisiana as well so the best prevention is to use an insect repellent containing 25% or more DEET.

 

Mike:)

[perfect match]

We leave next Sat to Grand Cayman and Cozumel which are both on the list. No warning has appeared for us in our Personalizer or anywhere else I could find. :confused:

 

I already had my bug spray lined up and ready to pack before reading this post, but a good warning nonetheless.

[billet]

Please Please take this seriously. I had Dengue last year when I cam home from Mexico. It is NOTHING to take lightly. 103 degree fever, pancreatitis, and every other issue that when you google Dengue fever I had. ended up in the emergency room getting all kinds of drugs and fluids. There are 4 levels and I had the worst which over 1 million people around the world die from.. I now use all kinds of repellent, wear light weight long sleeve and pants when I go out in the evenings and early morning when Mosquitos are prevalent.

 

Please don't get what I had, I would t wish it on my worst enemy. If you do start to get any symptoms, go to your doctor immediately, because it will hit you so quickly you won't even know it is coming on...

 

I got Dengue fever after visiting Samana, Dominican Republic. I would second your thoughts that it is something you do not want to get! It has taken me 18 months, including a crazy amount of hospital time and drugs, to recover from it.

[Amster12345]

When going to the personalizer for an upcoming Caribbean cruise I now first see this message:

 

Certain regions of your voyage have reported heightened activity of mosquitos that can spread diseases, such as Chikungunya and Dengue Fever. You can reduce your risk of mosquito bites by applying insect repellent containing DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), or IR3535. Repellent can also prevent biting by insects that do not spread disease, such as sand fleas commonly found on Caribbean beaches. Further information on avoiding mosquito bites is available online at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/watch/chikungunya- caribbean.

 

 

By clicking Continue you acknowledge you have received the above notification.

 

Which cruise are you going on?

[lovevacadays]

The CDC recommends using repellent first & then sunscreen which may be less effective at preventing sunburn:

 

"Repellents that are applied according to label instructions may be used with sunscreen with no reduction in repellent activity; however, limited data show a one-third decrease in the sun protection factor (SPF) of sunscreens when DEET-containing insect repellents are used after a sunscreen is applied".

 

That is good information Frank. Sounds like it would be wise for all to increase the level of their SPF and apply more frequently.

 

I am one who mosquitos seem to really like. When they bite me I get big welts. I also burn easily. I haven't been to the Caribbean since 2009. Back then, I had a deet product and SPF 50 with me. No bites and no burn.

[Astro Flyer]

Which cruise are you going on?

 

We got the same notification for our cruise sailing from NYC on the 25th to Ft Lauderdale via the Caribbean (St Thomas, Antigua & Aruba).