Need help/advice - 11 year old has chicken pox, cruise leaves tomorrow.

[da1425]

Sorry if I'm being dramatic, but we are scheduled to board tomorrow.  My 11 year old son has come down with chicken pox - bumps started yesterday.

 

We're going to the doctor today to confirm it is chicken pox and not hives or swimmers itch, but I'm pretty sure it's chicken pox.  He has been vaccinated but I guess there are breakthrough infections.

 

What do I do?  Who do I contact?  Am I going to lose my cruise fare cancelling the day before the cruise departs?  Our whole family is broken up about this as we now need to find a hotel to stay at for a week and hopefully the little guy can fly home next Saturday.

 

Any advice would be appreciated.  If someone has a number to contact NCL that would be great.

 

Thanks.

Edited October 14, 2022 by da1425

[www3traveler]

The Customer Care Number is:  1-866-234-7350

 

How did you book?  Travel agency-?  Try that too.

[MotownVoice]

26 minutes ago, da1425 said:

Sorry if I'm being dramatic, but we are scheduled to board tomorrow.  My 11 year old son has come down with chicken pox - bumps started yesterday.

 

We're going to the doctor today to confirm it is chicken pox and not hives or swimmers itch, but I'm pretty sure it's chicken pox.  He has been vaccinated but I guess there are breakthrough infections.

 

What do I do?  Who do I contact?  Am I going to lose my cruise fare cancelling the day before the cruise departs?  Our whole family is broken up about this as we now need to find a hotel to stay at for a week and hopefully the little guy can fly home next Saturday.

 

Any advice would be appreciated.  If someone has a number to contact NCL that would be great.

 

Thanks.

If you've never had chicken pox, if it were me making the decision, your cruise would be cancelled.

 

[GeezerCouple]

If you got travel insurance, this should qualify for full coverage, so it won't be a financial loss.  But it can still be a huge disappointment for everyone.

 

I can't imagine the ship would be eager to have others come aboard if they had possibly recently been exposed.

 

IF it's chickenpox, I hope it's a mild case!

 

GC

[Homosassa]

1 hour ago, da1425 said:

 

 

What do I do?  Who do I contact?  Am I going to lose my cruise fare cancelling the day before the cruise departs?  Our whole family is broken up about this as we now need to find a hotel to stay at for a week and hopefully the little guy can fly home next Saturday.

 

 

If it is chicken pox, your cruise is cancelled.

 

No way will NCL let your family board.

 

Chicken pox is highly contagious and almost anyone who is susceptible will be infected by your son.

 

If you find a hotel willing to book a room to a family with a family member with active chicken pox, make sure he is quarantined and does not leave the room to spread the virus.

 

He will be contagious until all the lesions have scabbed over or, as he is vaccinated and the lesions may not scab, for 24 hours after the last lesion.

 

It seems that you flew to the port. If it is chicken pox, your airline must be notified as he would have been contagious for forty eight hours below the first lesion appeared. Again, almost everyone who was susceptible on that flight needs to be warned.

[GreenFamily]

Are the bumps spread out over his whole body, which could be a viral infection like chicken pox? Or, are they localized and close together like an allergic reaction? I wouldn’t panic just yet. The allergic reaction can be cleared up with Benadryl. We always travel with Benadryl anti- itch gel.

[MotownVoice]

10 minutes ago, GreenFamily said:

Are the bumps spread out over his whole body, which could be a viral infection like chicken pox? Or, are they localized and close together like an allergic reaction? I wouldn’t panic just yet. The allergic reaction can be cleared up with Benadryl. We always travel with Benadryl anti- itch gel.

Maybe we should leave the second opinion diagnoses to their family doctor.

 

[graphicguy]

So sorry to read this.

 

I'm afraid you can't board the ship.  I would communicate this with NCL immediately at the number given above by @www3traveler.

 

The next phone call would be to your insurance provider.  This should be covered, and you should get your fare refunded.  Depending on your coverage, not sure about your stay in the hotel (let them know what's happening, too), meals and incidentals.  

 

Since you're going to the Dr, as what precautions the family should take and what the protocol is for quarantining.

 

Again, sorry.  

[GreenFamily]

1 hour ago, MotownVoice said:

Maybe we should leave the second opinion diagnoses to their family doctor.

 

90% of children who receive both doses of the vaccine are protected from catching chicken pox, according to the CDC. 

[MoCruiseFan]

26 minutes ago, GreenFamily said:

90% of children who receive both doses of the vaccine are protected from catching chicken pox, according to the CDC. 

 

78.4% of people quoting statistics are making them up off the top of their herds.

[mscdivina2016]

Sorry to hear that.

 

You would be putting many people at risk if you boarded. 

 

This is a covered event for insurance.

 

Depending on where you live you could drive home if possible and insurance would cover the cost.

[1025cruise]

I believe the OP has already determined that if their child indeed has chicken pox that they won't be cruising. At this point, you need to check with your travel insurance policy (you did buy one, right?) for next steps. They should cover the cruise refund, and possibly the additional hotel time you now need.

[Babr]

https://www.ncl.com/about/cancellation-fee-schedule

 

Here is the NCL cancellation policy in case you have not had time to look.

 

It is a covered event with travel insurance including the hotel and meals under the Trip Delay provision up to the policy maximum. Keep documentation and diagnosis confirmation from the doctor to submit with your claim.

 

Contact your insurance carrier as soon as possible after you cancel.

 

Without insurance, NCL likely will not refund the cruise fare, but you’ll get taxes and port fees.

[PATRLR]

@da1425 If you didn't purchase insurance for this trip, check your credit card to see if that offers any trip insurance coverage.  Their coverages tend to be minimal, but, even a little something is better than nothing.

[julig22]

1 hour ago, mscdivina2016 said:

Sorry to hear that.

 

You would be putting many people at risk if you boarded. 

 

This is a covered event for insurance.

 

Depending on where you live you could drive home if possible and insurance would cover the cost.

Think they are in Hawaii.....

[cruiseinfoseeker]

8 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

@da1425 If you didn't purchase insurance for this trip, check your credit card to see if that offers any trip insurance coverage.  Their coverages tend to be minimal, but, even a little something is better than nothing.

I second this. Check the card(s) you used. 

 

The tone of OPs post makes me think they don't have insurance because if they did the mention of losing the cruise fare probably wouldn't have been asked. Although maybe they have the NCL insurance added to the trip and they don't recall. 

 

I hope your son recovers quickly.

 

[mscdivina2016]

Just now, cruiseinfoseeker said:

I second this. Check the card(s) you used. 

 

The tone of OPs post makes me think they don't have insurance because if they did the mention of losing the cruise fare probably wouldn't have been asked. Although maybe they have the NCL insurance added to the trip and they don't recall. 

 

 

 

OP has the Penthouse suite it seems.

That is not cheap. I know my Amex has insurance built in as well as my other higher cards.

 

[Babr]

23 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

OP has the Penthouse suite it seems.

That is not cheap. I know my Amex has insurance built in as well as my other higher cards.

 

Most fee-based cards have some travel benefits. Cancellation for an acute illness such as this will be covered up to the policy limits; however, trip delay may be only for things like weather or strike - not illness. In that case, there will be no coverage for expenses until the family can return home.

[RD64]

How is this even an issue? No cruise! And if you did not think that it was prudent to purchase travel insurance, well then it all falls back to you. Sorry no sympathy here.

[happytotravel]

4 hours ago, Chaz212 said:

Somehow i think they did not buy the insurance.  We usually don’t either.  Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

I would prefer to win.  It's very foolish not to purchase travel insurance.  Anything can happen while traveling...hospital stay, and even death and then the problem of getting the body home.  All this could cost a bundle.

happytotravel

[MotownVoice]

7 minutes ago, happytotravel said:

I would prefer to win.  It's very foolish not to purchase travel insurance.  Anything can happen while traveling...hospital stay, and even death and then the problem of getting the body home.  All this could cost a bundle.

happytotravel

 

Ugch.  
 

“The body”

 

(shiver)

 

 

[PATRLR]

8 hours ago, RD64 said:

How is this even an issue? No cruise! And if you did not think that it was prudent to purchase travel insurance, well then it all falls back to you. Sorry no sympathy here.

OP wasn't asking for yours or anyone else's sympathy.  They were asking for advice. 

6 hours ago, happytotravel said:

I would prefer to win.  It's very foolish not to purchase travel insurance.  

Some people have the wherewithal to self-insure.  That does not make them fools.  (not to mention personal attacks, and saying @Chaz212 is foolish is a personal attack, are not allowed on these boards)

[surfclam2003]

13 hours ago, RD64 said:

How is this even an issue? No cruise! And if you did not think that it was prudent to purchase travel insurance, well then it all falls back to you. Sorry no sympathy here.

Aren't you a little ray of sunshine. Kick some more when they are down.

[PTC DAWG]

11 hours ago, happytotravel said:

I would prefer to win.  It's very foolish not to purchase travel insurance.  Anything can happen while traveling...hospital stay, and even death and then the problem of getting the body home.  All this could cost a bundle.

happytotravel

Just throw me overboard…

[MotownVoice]

14 hours ago, RD64 said:

How is this even an issue? No cruise! And if you did not think that it was prudent to purchase travel insurance, well then it all falls back to you. Sorry no sympathy here.