BED BUGS

[Heimey]

Hello everyone.

 

I just watched a video from 5 days ago stating there were bed bug issues on the Carnival Horizon. Has anyone heard the same?  We are cruising on her, next year mind you, and find this worrisome. 

 

Thanks a lot

 

Heimey

 

[LTCruzer]

I haven’t seen anything on this, but would not be surprised. With thousands of people, with one or more pieces of luggage, getting on and off a ship each week, it would be more surprising that any ship doesn’t have bed bugs from time to time. Bed bugs can get picked up in luggage at a hotel, on a plane, at the airport, in the trunk of a rental car, etc. and transported to the ship.

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles/are-there-bed-bugs-on-your-cruise-ship

Edited July 9, 2023 by LTCruzer

[ObstructedView2]

1 hour ago, Heimey said:

I just watched a video from 5 days ago stating there were bed bug issues on the Carnival Horizon. Has anyone heard the same?  We are cruising on her, next year mind you, and find this worrisome. 

 

Hi @Heimey🙂

 

I saw the video as well. This issue occurred to one family on Horizon. For better context, I'll put the video below. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

🍹

[sfaaa]

To ease your concern, check the bedding and underside of the mattress once you are in your cabin.

[mz-s]

I have not heard of any widespread infestations. I'm sure every few cruises somebody brings bed bugs onboard a Carnival ship. They're equipped to deal with it as it comes up.

[mar214]

Bedbugs can be anywhere. Horror stories everywhere about them in hotels. Used furniture for sale?? Investigate for bedbugs before buying!! Can't imagine cruise ships being any worse when you are sleeping outside your home. 

[Elaine5715]

Bed bugs are always brought in by guests and potentially by the complaining guests

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Perhaps they need to train the dogs to sniff out people "smuggling" those onboard... lol

 

Tom

[gotscrapz]

I would freak out. LEGIT. 

 

I do check every hotel, cabin, etc we stay in. My daughter knows- she waits until I "do my checks" to bring anything into the cabin/room and then she also knows we don't put bags directly on the carpet etc. The whole family knows when we return from a trip anywhere - nothing comes inside until it has been cleaned and temperature treated.

 

We change in the garage and then proceed... is this overkill?

Maybe.

 

 But we have a friend that ended up with bed bugs and it cost about $3k to treat her home (including the follow-up treatment) and then buying all new beds and pillows etc and having to toss so much stuff and then one child had horrific bites and a reaction. They had to stay with family for the 1st week of the treatment and disrupt morning bus/work travel. It was a lot.

 

My fear is that one day I will find some on a cruise and freak out because they may not have another cabin to move us to? 

 

So I will continue with my "routine" and just hope for the best! I do really feel for anyone who has to deal with this, truly. I do realize even with my "system" it's still possible but I try.

[staceyglow]

IMO, life is too short to worry about stuff that is very, very, unlikely to happen to me.  I could also get killed in a car accident on the way to the port, but I don't worry about it.

 

I would rather take my chances and not live my life in a constant state of anxiety.

[Chief93]

My consuegro (fun Spanish word for your child's father in law) is an exterminator.  I have learned a lot about bed bugs from him, and the advice about not putting your luggage on the floor of a hotel is spot on.  He suggests putting your luggage in the shower/bath tub.

[eas2225]

13 hours ago, gotscrapz said:

I would freak out. LEGIT. 

 

I do check every hotel, cabin, etc we stay in. My daughter knows- she waits until I "do my checks" to bring anything into the cabin/room and then she also knows we don't put bags directly on the carpet etc. The whole family knows when we return from a trip anywhere - nothing comes inside until it has been cleaned and temperature treated.

 

We change in the garage and then proceed... is this overkill?

Maybe.

 

 But we have a friend that ended up with bed bugs and it cost about $3k to treat her home (including the follow-up treatment) and then buying all new beds and pillows etc and having to toss so much stuff and then one child had horrific bites and a reaction. They had to stay with family for the 1st week of the treatment and disrupt morning bus/work travel. It was a lot.

 

My fear is that one day I will find some on a cruise and freak out because they may not have another cabin to move us to? 

 

So I will continue with my "routine" and just hope for the best! I do really feel for anyone who has to deal with this, truly. I do realize even with my "system" it's still possible but I try.

Same!  We brought home the disgusting critters after a cruise on the Miracle  back in 2007.  It was an expensive, uncomfortable, inconvenient experience that I hope never to repeat.

One thing we NEVER do on a cruise or hotel stay is store our luggage under the bed!  I cringe every time I see people recommend this practice.

Is it overkill? For us its just a normal practice that takes a few minutes each cruise. 

[Cruiseman38]

I saw an article about this video.  Someone proved that the cabin shown was not a Carnival ship as the bedding and decor do not match Horizon or any other Carnival ship.

[hard_eight]

9 minutes ago, Cruiseman38 said:

I saw an article about this video.  Someone proved that the cabin shown was not a Carnival ship as the bedding and decor do not match Horizon or any other Carnival ship.

Got a link for that...got a nutty SIL that could stand to see it...

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, eas2225 said:

Same!  We brought home the disgusting critters after a cruise on the Miracle  back in 2007.  It was an expensive, uncomfortable, inconvenient experience that I hope never to repeat.

One thing we NEVER do on a cruise or hotel stay is store our luggage under the bed!  I cringe every time I see people recommend this practice.

Is it overkill? For us its just a normal practice that takes a few minutes each cruise. 

Any place luggage is stored together is a point of contact.  

[hard_eight]

We always store luggage under the bed on a cruise...now I guess that's over! My Wife takes this HUGE suitcase with us that barely fits. Will have to get creative with that one.

[mz-s]

28 minutes ago, hard_eight said:

We always store luggage under the bed on a cruise...now I guess that's over! My Wife takes this HUGE suitcase with us that barely fits. Will have to get creative with that one.

 

If there are bed bugs in the room where you store your luggage isn't going to make a huge difference.

[crewsweeper]

1 hour ago, Cruiseman38 said:

I saw an article about this video.  Someone proved that the cabin shown was not a Carnival ship as the bedding and decor do not match Horizon or any other Carnival ship.

The cabin shown in the video isn't the cabin or ship where the bed bugs were found. The guy is just giving everyone a warning and explaining the situation.  I have empathy for the passengers affected by the bed bugs. You would have thought Carnival would have fumigated the room or ditched the offending mattress, or gave the folks a different cabin. 

Nevertheless, always good to be cautious when traveling but all the obsessive worry and fretting over what's a relatively rare occurrence is a bit overboard.

[pe4all]

We put our luggage under the beds, but in giant black contractor garbage bags and seal them.

[hard_eight]

28 minutes ago, pe4all said:

We put our luggage under the beds, but in giant black contractor garbage bags and seal them.

This sounds like a reasonable alternative. Thanks.

[Haljo1935]

36 minutes ago, pe4all said:

We put our luggage under the beds, but in giant black contractor garbage bags and seal them.

Just want to understand  - you bring the plastic bags w/you just for storing your luggage during the cruise? Do you toss them before leaving the ship? Do you also put your luggage in bags once home before you store them?

Saw someone say they change clothes in garage before going inside when they get home.

I've certainly heard of bed bugs and the horrible experiences about them, but this is a new relatimg it to cruising, so I'm trying to figure all this out.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I guess we've been lucky, hundreds of times. ! ! !

 

I'll just stick with what's worked in the past  (LUCK - LOL)

 

Tom

[Pyxie]

17 hours ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

Perhaps they need to train the dogs to sniff out people "smuggling" those onboard... lol

 

Tom

 

I know this is kind of a joke, but it is actually a good idea. Bed bug sniffing dogs are a real thing.

[Pyxie]

58 minutes ago, crewsweeper said:

The cabin shown in the video isn't the cabin or ship where the bed bugs were found. The guy is just giving everyone a warning and explaining the situation.  I have empathy for the passengers affected by the bed bugs. You would have thought Carnival would have fumigated the room or ditched the offending mattress, or gave the folks a different cabin. 

Nevertheless, always good to be cautious when traveling but all the obsessive worry and fretting over what's a relatively rare occurrence is a bit overboard.

 

The sad thing is that fumigating the room does nothing. Most bed bugs are resistant to pesticides. Extreme heat (over 120 degrees for an extended period of time) is the only thing that consistently kills them. Even getting rid of the mattress may not help because they can be anywhere in the room.

 

I do agree with giving them a different room, but if it is a fully booked cruise that may not be possible.

[pe4all]

16 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Just want to understand  - you bring the plastic bags w/you just for storing your luggage during the cruise? Do you toss them before leaving the ship? Do you also put your luggage in bags once home before you store them?

Saw someone say they change clothes in garage before going inside when they get home.

I've certainly heard of bed bugs and the horrible experiences about them, but this is a new relatimg it to cruising, so I'm trying to figure all this out.

Yes - I pack the bags in my luggage.  They take up literally no room.  And yes - once I put my clothes back in the luggage for debark I throw the bags out.  I do not do anything special besides that - no garage, or putting clothes in hot dryer, etc.  In over 40 cruises we have never (knock on wood) had an issue with creepy crawlies.