Bedbugs

[farkell]

I am going on the Gem in May and read a review about Bedbugs on the same cruise ship from January 2019.   https://*****/ship/norwegian-gem/review/494389 

I couldn't sleep last night, not sure how to relieve my anxiety. What kind of precautions do you take?

[myjillian]

with about 70 cruises under my belt I never delt with bed bugs.  When I enter any room...hotel etc I pull back the linens and look for anything.  Never found anything...but I'm sure there are a few bed bug hunters with great hunting stories that will answer you🤗

[don't-use-real-name]

Well if you do find dem critters - alert Housekeeping (cabin steward) and get the problem resolved

before it gets to be a bigger problem for you and NCL. Your cabin neighbors will certainly appreciate it !

If not taken care of you may be transporting hitchhiking guests to a new (your) home - think about it !

 

[Homosassa]

Given that it can take several days (up to 14 days), for any bites to turn itchy, and that it seems the itching started on day 2 or 3 (day three is marked as  itchy under ports), there is a good possibility that the bites occurred before boarding the ship and that the bugs were carried on board in the luggage. 

 

 

 

[newmexicoNita]

many people think they got bitten by bedbugs when it can be something totally different. Also, remember they can be anywhere, hotel rooms for starters. If you do suspect you have been bitten, like mentioned tell house keeping. They will strip you room , stray, do whatever to clear the problem before it gets out of control. Also be sure to visit the ship doctor asap. They can identify a real bedbug bite when most of us can not. I will add, with all the days of cruising we have been lucky, never had a bite. We have had problems with sand fleas and similar creatures that resemble bed bug bites only can be much worse. 

[ToAdam12]

9 minutes ago, newmexicoNita said:

many people think they got bitten by bedbugs when it can be something totally different. Also, remember they can be anywhere, hotel rooms for starters. If you do suspect you have been bitten, like mentioned tell house keeping. They will strip you room , stray, do whatever to clear the problem before it gets out of control. Also be sure to visit the ship doctor asap. They can identify a real bedbug bite when most of us can not. I will add, with all the days of cruising we have been lucky, never had a bite. We have had problems with sand fleas and similar creatures that resemble bed bug bites only can be much worse. 

Sand Fleas are the WORST!!! I have gotten bitten from them b4 I live in FLA and we have had them a few times around here not fun

[lupaglupa]

The review is from a trip taken last October. Most hotels/cruise lines are very quick to treat a room once they have been notified. I can't imagine they did not respond to this complaint by now. 

[newmexicoNita]

4 hours ago, ToAdam12 said:

Sand Fleas are the WORST!!! I have gotten bitten from them b4 I live in FLA and we have had them a few times around here not fun

Hubby gets eaten alive by them so he uses OFF or whatever if we are going anywhere near the sand. I think Roatan is the worst. As a teen i had problems, but back then even the doctor couldn't identify what was wrong. He is gave me something to stop the itching. 

[newmexicoNita]

21 minutes ago, lupaglupa said:

The review is from a trip taken last October. Most hotels/cruise lines are very quick to treat a room once they have been notified. I can't imagine they did not respond to this complaint by now. 

I am sure they have or would think so. I will add, this is one reason I take reviews with a grain of salt, especially negative comments. The only way the reviewer could be sure it was bedbugs would be if she or he did see the doctor on ship immediately. As I mentioned this morning a lot of things can cause the same reaction as bedbugs. 

[thetaro]

I had a beg bug issue with an AirB&B in Santorini ($250/nt room.) I and my wife both were bitten and immediately showed big sores with itchiness.  

I found a couple live one and took pictures to report to AirB&B. 

 

Couldn't sleep at all and have to move at 3 am. Tried washing and drying all the clothes, but still manage to have a couple got into our house. Took me a month to eventually kill all of them with Diatomaceous Earth.

 

Now I avoid putting or opening suitcase on the carpet of the hotel floor.

[DKcruiser10]

 

Thanks for this feedback… Diatomaceous earth, will keep this in mind. I believe it dries out insects. How did you apply at? Or where did you apply at?

 

By the way, I’ve been on many many cruises over the years and I’ve never run into any bedbug problems not on the crew ships or in any hotels. But I know the problem exists and I certainly want to know how to deal with that should I run into it. Thanks again.

Edited March 14, 2019 by DKcruiser10

[Shorty6095]

On 3/13/2019 at 6:41 AM, myjillian said:

When I enter any room...hotel etc I pull back the linens and look for anything. 

 

This is good advice, and I'll add onto this.  The first thing I do when I walk into my room is leave my luggage in the hallway and immediately check the linens.  I also pull up the fitted sheet and look in the crevices/seams on the side of the mattress.  If there's no signs of bugs, THEN I'll bring my luggage in.

[myjillian]

Meanwhile the bugs are running amuck in the halls

[Sauer-kraut]

3 hours ago, Shorty6095 said:

 

This is good advice, and I'll add onto this.  The first thing I do when I walk into my room is leave my luggage in the hallway and immediately check the linens.  I also pull up the fitted sheet and look in the crevices/seams on the side of the mattress.  If there's no signs of bugs, THEN I'll bring my luggage in.

 

Best to bring the luggage into the bathroom and set into bathtub.

Edited March 15, 2019 by Sauer-kraut

[CILCIANRQTS]

Bedbug claims are the way disgruntled travelers get back at hotels, etc when they feel they’ve been treated poorly.

They know people react to bedbugs more than “ they weren’t nice to me” claims.

I discount/ignore any non- confirmed ( single) bedbug claims. As others have said, hotels and cruise lines jump all over any bedbug claims.

[IronRobi]

As someone who works in the pest control industry and deals with bed bugs on an everyday basis, it always surprises me that we don't read of more issues on cruise ships. As with any hotel, a cruise ship is just as high risk for a bed bug infestation. I always perform a thorough inspection before bringing my luggage into the rooms.

 

Contrary to what's been posted earlier in this thread, a doctor can NOT diagnose a bed bug bite. They will be able to confirm that it is an insect bite, and possibly speculate that insect may be a bed bug, but they will not be able to tell you with all certainty. If they do, you need to find a new doctor.

 

Bed bugs can be tough to find, you're more likely to find signs of them through droppings or skin casings.

[Diver2014]

Put several dryer sheets under your mattress at different points.  It doesn't really work but you'll sleep a lot better knowing you tried and your mattress smells great. I learned this on Cruise Critic.

[fshagan]

On 3/15/2019 at 10:11 AM, IronRobi said:

As someone who works in the pest control industry and deals with bed bugs on an everyday basis, it always surprises me that we don't read of more issues on cruise ships. As with any hotel, a cruise ship is just as high risk for a bed bug infestation. I always perform a thorough inspection before bringing my luggage into the rooms.

 

There was a post here some months ago where the passenger was upset that they "tossed their room" when they reported a bed bug they had "captured" in their room. I wish I could find it now because there was a picture of said "bed bug" they captured and some said it was not a bed bug but some other critter. But, the thing that impressed me was the way NCL "tossed the room" trying to find any evidence of an infestation. Maybe someone with better search skills than I can find it so you can comment on it.

[Turtles06]

If you do a Google search, you’ll find information on the best way to inspect your hotel room or cruise ship cabin for bedbugs when you arrive. As others have said, put your luggage in the bathroom or keep it outside while you do this.  

[namaste1223]

On the first day of an Alaskan cruise a couple of years ago, as my husband was pulling the bedding apart checking for "critters," the cabin steward stopped in. I asked him if he'd ever heard reports of bedbugs anywhere on the ship. He told me that the cabin stewards are trained to look for signs while cleaning the rooms, both during and between cruises and to report any findings so the situation can be addressed immediately. He went so far as to say that if a passenger reported bedbugs in their cabin, he would be severely reprimanded and possibly even fired because it was his job to find and deal with any occurrence before passengers were affected. He also went on to say that he'd never had any sightings.

[farkell]

I want to thank everyone for responding to my question.  I will be checking the mattress, etc prior to unpacking. Thank you namaste1223, your reply is the most reassuring.

[IronRobi]

23 hours ago, fshagan said:

 

There was a post here some months ago where the passenger was upset that they "tossed their room" when they reported a bed bug they had "captured" in their room. I wish I could find it now because there was a picture of said "bed bug" they captured and some said it was not a bed bug but some other critter. But, the thing that impressed me was the way NCL "tossed the room" trying to find any evidence of an infestation. Maybe someone with better search skills than I can find it so you can comment on it.

"tossing the room" is a good way to explain it. Mattress and box spring need to come up, the bed frame needs to be inspected, headboards, end tables, paintings, electrical sockets, closets, drawers, etc.. etc.. all need to be checked. They're a crack and crevice bug, so they won't hide out in the open. They're going to be in tight dark hard to see areas. Even a thorough visual inspection may not find an active infestation depending on where they're hiding. We often use k9 scent detection units or dna testing, but that's likely not available while at sea. 

 

It's really a shame to hear that a cabin steward could be reprimanded for missing bed bugs. Even a highly trained pest control technician can miss them with only a visual inspection.

[don't-use-real-name]

When I read about the term "tossed the room" - if that is what is necessary to evict the bug(s) -

This gives me the impression that the cabin was not restored back to its original order which I am sure it was.

 

In the case of land based dwellings it is possible to seal the home in a cocoon and pressurized fumigate it

the same could be done at sea but the guest occupants would be inconvenienced for the period of time it

takes for the complete process and then any lingering after chemical effects. Then too having to do with a

section of the ship several cabins in the proximity of the host bug cabin - what a mess !