Do people board the ship sick???

[dje27]

Hi I am just curious, do people board the ship with a cold, etc.  In all honesty?  I had to cancel my upcoming cruise the day before due to pneumonia.  But come to find out the ship I was on there were so MANY sick people.  Kind of upsetting to know that I respected fellow passengers and yet a lot of people were actually sick.  I waited 2 years for this cruise for our 40th wedding anniversary.  What is everyones opinion on this.  Where do you draw the line on illnesses.  Sore throats, etc.  I cant imagine everyone is well when they board a cruise ship.  I really don't think people would cancel with a sore throat??  What happens if the cruise line finds out you are sick before you board?  Do they not let you board?  What happens to the reservation?  Do they credit the passenger?  I know I made the RIGHT decision for me, for I was very ill.  But I could of actually gone since on medications.  Would of not been fun for me though!!!

[phoenix_dream]

The answer is yes, they do.  But it really depends on what you have.  IMHO if everyone who had a cold in the winter cancelled his/her cruise half the ship would be empty!  (ok, that is a bit of an exaggeration, but it could be a large percentage)  I don't think people should be cancelling because of a cold, although if they are considerate they will do their best to cover their mouths, staying away from others, avoiding the buffet, etc..  If they have a fever or something else that suggests it is the flu rather than a cold, then they should either cancel or advise the ship before boarding and have a visit with the medical staff onboard for evaluation.

 

Other illnesses are another story.  Serious illnesses like pneumonia should require cancelling.  If someone has norovirus or something similar, they should self-disclose and then they will be allowed to board but will be quarantined for a number of days.  Unfortunately not everyone is honest about this stuff.

[DevilinaBluDress]

My son self-disclosed that his stomach was upset. We almost were denied boarding but ultimately we were able to board after a direct visit with the doctor on board. He was isolated for 24 hours in our cabin. Turns out it was likely due to anxiety. We are on day 4 in St. Thomas and he feels great!

 

Molly

[boscobeans]

I imagine some do. I imagine that many don't even know they are sick and have or feel no symptoms of something they have brewing and will blossom once the ship has sailed. Follow all the sanitary recommendations and hope for the best..

 

[Bo1953]

I always board very ill from not having sailed in 12 months or so, yet once I have that first (1st) Welcome Aboard cocktail I Am suddenly healed and very alive and cannot wait for sail away!

 

Then I fall ill again upon dis-embarkation... I somehow get this viral infection, which many others get too, causes melancholy and other panic dis-orders at having to leave the ship..

 

Oh well, guess that is the cycle...

 

bon voyage

[Silkroad]

Keep in mind that we’re all exposed to countless bacteria and viruses simply traveling to the port. Both have an incubation period, during which people don’t yet know they’re sick. Whenever I’ve come down with a cold while traveling, it’s been three days after a flight. Had I been traveling to a cruise port, I would have boarded the ship feeling fine, and begun feeling cold symptoms after the ship was underway. Sure, some people know they’re sick, and don’t care about the impact they’ll have on others, but I’d bet most people don’t realize they’ve already caught something when they board.

[Fogfog]

I hear you @dje27

 

We have never boarded sick..and wonder about it

 

I can say we had a few people sit behind us on an overseas flight that were hacking up a lung all the way across. THEY should not have been allowed on that plane. I just prayed we'd not get whatever bug they had. It was disgusting...

Edited March 19, 2019 by Fogfog

[Mike981]

I can guarantee you people travel when they should be home sick.

 

My wife does daycare and it is a known tactic for parents to medicate their kids and then drop them off hoping that SHE will deal with it so they don't have to.

It's called, 'drug and drop'. Very unfair to the child and anyone else who gets infected.

[elaineb]

As in school and day cares, if the person has a fever, they should stay home.  If you have a head cold, that is par for the course at this time of the year.  However, a deep, hacking cough could turn to pneumonia.  I certainly wouldn't get on a ship in that condition.  We leave in 4 days.  I am Purel-ing like crazy and trying to avoid the public as much as possible!  I have read the tray table on the airplane harbors the most germs.  Going to wipe that down as soon as we get on the plane.

[Gia2cats]

17 minutes ago, elaineb said:

As in school and day cares, if the person has a fever, they should stay home.  If you have a head cold, that is par for the course at this time of the year.  However, a deep, hacking cough could turn to pneumonia.  I certainly wouldn't get on a ship in that condition.  We leave in 4 days.  I am Purel-ing like crazy and trying to avoid the public as much as possible!  I have read the tray table on the airplane harbors the most germs.  Going to wipe that down as soon as we get on the plane.

I have been given the strangest looks on the plane when I get out my Lysol wipes and wipe down the tray table, etc. Will also wipe down surfaces in the cabin. Leaving on the 22nd.

[justcrusn]

Theres what people SHOULD do, vs. what they actually do.

Most people, faced with not going on a cruise, are not going to be truthful. Theres too much at stake. A 24 hour bug is one thing. Stay in your cabin for 24 hours. More than that stay home, and yet the urge to go on the cruise is overwhelming.

Yes, people sail who are sick.

[Dall]

I’ve always wondered if you make it to port but are denied to board because of sickness if you get your money back.

[Luvcrusn]

11 minutes ago, Dall said:

I’ve always wondered if you make it to port but are denied to board because of sickness if you get your money back.

I sincerely hope that you never find the answer to that question! I also hope I don't either!! Seriously, people do constantly. On a recent cruise we boarded ship and headed to have lunch at the buffet. We gathered our food and found a table only to immediately seek out another when we realized the 8 people sitting nearest to us were having some sort of coughing competition and it was clear that it was going to be an 8 way tie.

[Muushka]

Then there are people like myself who have allergies that cause a cough. 

It sounds like I am sick, but I am not.  I am just allergic.

[Luvcrusn]

9 minutes ago, Muushka said:

Then there are people like myself who have allergies that cause a cough. 

It sounds like I am sick, but I am not.  I am just allergic.

I fully understand. We often travel with a friend who suffers from severe asthma. Coughing spells are triggered by all sorts of things from perfume or cooking smells, to wind, to humidity, to temperature changes. Our friend often suffers from dirty looks, snide comments about staying home when sick, and additionally is constantly being offered cough remedies and drinks. We, as the apparently uncaring travel companions are looked at like we are monsters for ignoring the distress. All that being said however, the group I spoke about above were also blowing their noses, wiping their noses and leaving the soiled tissues and sometimes the cloth napkins they used in lieu of handkerchiefs or tissues on the table while they ate, coughed, sniffed and blew.

[DevilinaBluDress]

41 minutes ago, Dall said:

I’ve always wondered if you make it to port but are denied to board because of sickness if you get your money back.

In our case, I was looking up the terms of our trip insurance while we were waiting in the lounge.

 

Molly

[justcrusn]

Coughing is not usually going to get you kicked off the boat. As someone said, maybe its an allergy etc. but that’s usually sneezing.

 A stomach issue can. Vomiting or Diahrhea that looks like noro is the thing nobody wants to spread on a closed environment like a cruise ship.

And I don’t know for sure, but i think the answer to getting your money back is NO. better have trip insurance.

[MJSailors]

I appreciate your post, Luvcrusn !👍.

I also deal with asthma which is presented as having coughing spells triggered by many factors, some of which are included in your post.

As to people giving looks or making comments when we travel and I have a coughing spell,I jokingly say to my DH that perhaps  I should pin a tag on my clothing with a saying  to assure others that I am not sick, but am an asthmatic.

 To the  OP - . We have not gone on a cruise knowing we were sick.

Once my DH had a sinus infection two weeks before a cruise. Our family Dr gave him a course of antibiotics and he recovered. We went on the cruise,but a few days into the cruise,his symptoms reappeared,no fever though. Wether he did not totally get over his initial infection or he picked up another bug pre -cruise,it was difficult to determine.

He was given another antibiotic and put himself into isolation for a few days while the antibiotic kicked in. It wasn’t until  the last day of the cruise that he went out of our cabin.

Also, I have had pneumonia and double pneumonia. If the OP felt as sick as I did with these bouts of pneumonia, of course she / he did the correct thing in cancelling the cruise.

I do hope that the OP had travel insurance and that the costs of the cruise were reimbursed to them.

I also hope they can or did book another cruise when she/he was feeling up to travel.

[hurwitz5]

If you have the norovirus, you shouldn’t be allowed on the ship.  I came down with it while on a cruise and was quarantined for a few days.  On a 14 night Caribbean cruise in 2018, I came down with the flu (despite having had a flu shot) on day 9.  I was quarantined to our cabin for 3 days.  Both times I was treated very well by the ship’s medical team.  We have sailed on 40+ cruises, so getting sick twice wasn’t too bad.  When we see people coughing or sneezing, we try to avoid them - and use Purel as much as possible.  I also take Airborne every day and wipe down the cabin with Clorox wipes.

[Covepointcruiser]

Whenever you cough or sneeze without covering you mouth and nose you are spreading germs(viruses or bacteria).   While they may not be currently making you sick they can cause illness in other passengers.   If you have an attack it would be polite to leVethe public area and tend to your needs in private.    Remember that quite of few of your fellow passengers are elderly or have compromised immune systems.   Hopefully your doctor has given you medication to control your symptoms.

[Lastdance]

I always have everything to whipe down things when I travel, and meds just in case.  Usually, I do not need to use any meds, but sitting in the back of a van with two other people(it was so cold)made me sick as a dog.  We were on a tour from Lake Bled, and the weather wasn't the best.  I knew that a sinus infection was on its way, so I had exactly what I needed to zap it.  In about 24 hours I felt so much better, but did get a lot of rest for a few days, as my DH and I were also were staying in Italy for another week.  Furthermore, I have helped others out when needed too, but only with over the counter stuff that I have enough of to share!  

 

Yes, there are germs everywhere, but keeping one's immune system in good shaper really does the trick.  Before any cruise, my DH and I eat super healthy, along with going to the gym(tons of germs there)and getting lots of sleep.

Edited March 19, 2019 by Lastdance

[Katyoparty]

I've never gone on a ship sick but got a bad respiratory illness a few days before the end of a TP last year and had to go to medical with 102.3 fever. Received antibiotic and cough suppressant and stayed in our cabin for about 24-hours.  Finished meds and felt great for about 5 days post-cruise and then night before 14-hour flight I could tell it was back. Got on plane with cough drops, etc. and kept my face covered (mask from ship dr) but I know I sounded just awful and felt even worse.  Didn't have much choice but hope I never have to do that again.  By the time I got home and to my doctor it was pneumonia. My doctor said the ship doctor prescribed me just enough antibiotic to get me off the ship but wasn't enough to really kick the respiratory infection.  The experience made me realize I shouldn't judge the coughers and hackers quite so harshly next time. Still don't want to sit by one on a plane though. 😉

[Germancruiser]

why in gods good name shall one not board with a cold- NOT a FEVER - mind- but a cold- I agree- half the ships would sail empthy if everybody with a running nose would cancel.

@Bo1953- i agree- feel the same- after the first cocktail I am as good as new- ah the withdrawel after a year or even half year without setting foot on board a ship..!

If everybody would be honest in those questionares - same- ship would sail half empthy! They don´t let you board - when you cross the " YES " once to often! At the same point- would I board when am about to mess up my pants- NO certainly not!

[dje27]

I agree, the ship would be running empty if everyone with a runny nose, sore throat, cough didn't board.  I know and expect when there are a lot of people in a small area that the germs are a plenty.!!!  I was on a cruise when noro-virus was on the cruise before us and I swear people complained when they had to sanitize their hands going into the dining room.  People complained when they were being served at the buffet instead of serving themselves.  What happened to me was very unfortunate.  I did the right thing for me and out of respect for my fellow passengers. And I did not have a temp either.  So I could of easily snuck on sick and no one would of noticed at the time.  Just wasn't sure about like a cold, sore throat issue.  I am not lucky enough to go a cruise once a year, so this was devastating to me.  But yes to hear the awful coughs , my first thought is why on earth are you here.  

[MJSailors]

4 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Whenever you cough or sneeze without covering you mouth and nose you are spreading germs(viruses or bacteria).   While they may not be currently making you sick they can cause illness in other passengers.   If you have an attack it would be polite to leVethe public area and tend to your needs in private.    Remember that quite of few of your fellow passengers are elderly or have compromised immune systems.   Hopefully your doctor has given you medication to control your symptoms.

Covepointcruiser- I am not certain if you are directing your comments to those of us with asthma with the symptom of coughing attacks,but I will respond as such a person with the disease.

It is only common courtesy to cover a cough and to try to leave an area in a public venue until the spasm that causes the coughing ceases.

Sometimes while traveling this is not possible- ie. Sitting in the middle seat of an airplane row.

I have been known to leave public places- theaters,church services,meetings ,meals with family and friends when I have a coughing attack to  quote “tend to your needs in private “.

As to a pulmonologist giving an asthma patient medication to control symptoms, most patients are on a daily dose of maintenance inhalers and,possibly, some type of allergy medication. Patients are also given what is called a rescue inhaler to be used during spasms and coughing attacks. These can be strong medications and they can only be taken in doses that are several hours apart.Sometimes,I need to wait through an attack to take the next dose of the medication at the prescribed time. I always carry a rescue inhaler in my purse and while traveling,Ikeep all my medication in my travel tote.

i would be in serious trouble if I did not take asthma medication daily and if I was not alert to symptoms of a serious asthma attack.

 Because I have had respiratory illnesses including pneumonia, I have also been prescribed Prednisone at times. It is a most powerful drug to help deal with inflammation of my lungs. The side affects of this drug are awful. As my pulmonologist once told me it is one of the worst/best drugs available.

Asthma can be a life threatening disease.

Believe me,when an asthmatic is having an attack of coughing or spasm, it can be frightening and a very uncomfortable experience.

As to being  mindful of the elderly - I am 66- is that considered elderly ? I-don’t think so, but I do recognize some limitations of being that age.

As to those with compromised immune systems,asthmatics can be considered to be in that category. They can be more prone to respiratory infection and if they have such an infection,their asthma symptoms are worsened- at least that has been my experience.

Perhps my remarks in this post have given you a better understanding of the symptoms of asthma and people who deal with it on a daily basis.