Bed Bugs on the Oosterdam !

[GreenValleyDogWalker]

Returned from a wonderful, relaxing cruise (Mexican Riviera) on March 7th

 

Discovered several red bites on my back on about the the 10th of March - itchy, itchy, itchy !

 

After trying SEVERAL different lotions, creams, etc. to stop the itch, for the last week, finally went to the Dr. yesterday - and was diagnosed with bed bug bites ! Dr. thought about 10 days old.

I always sleep on my back - My husband has Sleep Apnea - DID not sleep on a bed in our stateroom on the ship, but sitting up in a chair, next to his CPAP machine. - he has NO bites ! 

Just thought everyone should be aware. 

 

I am going to send an email to the execs at HAL - 

[Paulinda]

Not saying it couldn't be the O but did you stay in a hotel/motel before or after your cruise?  We've always found the beds on HAL to be very clean and first thing we do when on board or in a hotel is check the bedding for bed bugs 

[GreenValleyDogWalker]

2 minutes ago, Paulinda said:

Not saying it couldn't be the O but did you stay in a hotel/motel before or after your cruise?  We've always found the beds on HAL to be very clean and first thing we do when on board or in a hotel is check the bedding for bed bugs 

 

Hi

No - we flew into San Diego (departure port) on the Morning that we boarded the ship - and when we disembarked - flew  home same day (Tucson) 

 

Edited March 19, 2020 by GreenValleyDogWalker
oops

[SilvertoGold]

On a tour of a HAL ship we saw in a Housekeeping Office below decks a clipboard on the wall with the title BedBugs.  There were a number of staterooms listed by number.  

 

Common to cruiseships, I would expect,  just like hotels, rental apartment buildings.

[Paulinda]

6 minutes ago, GreenValleyDogWalker said:

 

Hi

No - we flew into San Diego (departure port) on the Morning that we boarded the ship - and when we disembarked - flew  home same day (Tucson) 

 

 

Ick!  Hope you didn't bring any new pets home.  Don't want to panic you but I would now check the mattresses at home and also your luggage.  Don't know if bed bugs or hair lice on grand kids is worse.  

[SLC1954]

What cabin were you in?  I have a cruise scheduled on her in June.

[RuthC]

Since the bed bugs didn't manifest until a few days after you returned home, could they have transferred to your suitcase from another on the flight(s) home? 

[Nymich]

43 minutes ago, SLC1954 said:

What cabin were you in?  I have a cruise scheduled on her in June.

LMAO

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sorry to hear this.

 

Hope your doctor gave you some medication to clear up the bites.

[lindaler]

Maybe from the airplane seat?

[tonyd285]

Some folks obviously didn't read the post.  From the timeline described it is obvious that the bugs were in the stateroom.  Hope HAL does a deep clean of the ship.

[GreenValleyDogWalker]

19 minutes ago, Nymich said:

LMAO

 

We were in Neptune Suite #7052

[GreenValleyDogWalker]

42 minutes ago, RuthC said:

Since the bed bugs didn't manifest until a few days after you returned home, could they have transferred to your suitcase from another on the flight(s) home? 

 

Doubt it, since my Hubby did not get any bites !

And Dr. said that it is "quite common" to have bed bugs on a cruise ship  (who knew ?) 

 

[colbe]

Just now, tonyd285 said:

Some folks obviously didn't read the post.  From the timeline described it is obvious that the bugs were in the stateroom.  Hope HAL does a deep clean of the ship.

Pardon?

[JeffElizabeth]

6 minutes ago, tonyd285 said:

Some folks obviously didn't read the post.  From the timeline described it is obvious that the bugs were in the stateroom.  Hope HAL does a deep clean of the ship.

I would think all the bedding would be getting thoroughly cleaned in the next few weeks. 

[ElkGroveCruiser]

Wife and I were on the same cruise and came home bite free.  Just an FYI.  We did NOT have a suite...just a verandah cabin.  Maybe the bed bugs only like the suites?  😀

[RuthC]

59 minutes ago, tonyd285 said:

Some folks obviously didn't read the post.  From the timeline described it is obvious that the bugs were in the stateroom.

??? 
Disembark 3/7. 
Bug bites appear @ 3/10. 
Doctor visit 3/18. Bites found to be 10 days old. 
Bites @ 3/8. After disembarkation. 

How do you figure it's 'obvious' that the bugs were in the stateroom??? 

[Roz]

Deep cleaning will do nothing for bedbugs.  Specific chemicals need to be used.  

[USN59-79]

I agree with Ruth.  However, it is possible to have them on a HAL ship.  We were on a long cruise a few years on another HAL ship and my DW started getting bites on her shoulder.  The ship tried to clean and then fumigate the room for about a week and then finally moved us to another room.  At that point she stopped being bitten nightly.  The ship's doctor gave her some cream to put on them and it helped.  I believe if you are bitten by a bed bug you will feel it the next morning, not three days later.

[AncientWanderer]

I will name no names, name no ship and name no dates, but...we have had a similar situation.  No flying involved, family transportation to and from ship, and no bites while on the ship, but did occur after arriving home -- and were not fun to get rid of.

Our guess was that the critters were picked up on our luggage either under the bed or during luggage collection.

 

We've spent around two years total at sea over the years and this happened only one time.  I know it can happen anywhere, but always follow the rule now of not bringing suitcases inside after a trip.

 

[Homosassa]

3 hours ago, GreenValleyDogWalker said:

Returned from a wonderful, relaxing cruise (Mexican Riviera) on March 7th

 

Discovered several red bites on my back on about the the 10th of March - itchy, itchy, itchy !

 

After trying SEVERAL different lotions, creams, etc. to stop the itch, for the last week, finally went to the Dr. yesterday - and was diagnosed with bed bug bites ! Dr. thought about 10 days old.

3 hours ago, GreenValleyDogWalker said:

 

Hi

No - we flew into San Diego (departure port) on the Morning that we boarded the ship - and when we disembarked - flew  home same day (Tucson) 

 

 

Like Ruth and USN, I also can not make the dates work for bed bug bites on the cruise.

 

While it can take several days for the weals to developed, this still puts the date of the bites, based on the date of the doctor's visit and estimate of the age of the bites, at perhaps the very last night of the cruise if not later.

 

Why would the bites only occur at the very end of the cruise and not sooner if there was an infestation?

 

Also, bed bugs bite on exposed skin. If one is sleeping on  one's back (and with night clothes on?), the back is not going to be exposed.

[GreenValleyDogWalker]

Whatever - 🙄

 

Dr. diagnosed as bed bug bites - said that they often don't appear right away....

 

I was just trying to "share" my experience and what I have been told 

[bozemanman]

From my EcoLab Tech. .most common place for bed bugs is the movie theater!

[Nachosdelux]

At least it wasn't Coronavirus!

[FlaMariner]

IMO, Not good to accuse without evidence.....Not what HAL needs right now either.