Sick on Infinity/Sick of Celebrity

[calprimo]

I don't know if my recent experience on the April 17 Mexican Riviera cruise on Celebrity's Infinity is unusual or not, but it has really soured me on them. Five members of my family became very sick with the Norwalk Virus, one so badly he needed to be admitted to the ship's hospital with extreme dehydration and high fever. Celebrity charged us almost $700 for the medical treatment and has refused to waive or reimburse us for it even though on the last day of the cruise they offered anyone who was sick free evaluation and treatment. As a result of the sickness we were unable to go ashore to three of our four Mexican ports and were unable to enjoy much of what the ship had to offer. The staff couldn't have seemed more unconcerned about our plight and did not offer any service or accomodation to ease our suffering. They also seemed to try to keep quiet any mention of illness on the ship. Our dealing with them post-cruise has been frustrating to say the least. We spent almost $10,000 for this cruise and it was so disappointing I think I would have rather spent the time at work! Has anyone else had any luck with trying to get reimbursement from Celebrity? Please let me know who you spoke with. Cheers, Mike

[Ma Bell]

Are you suggesting it was their fault you got sick?

[bububr]

Very Few people were affected by a norwalk virus on your sailing. Actually below that average amount that can occur.

 

You say that five in your group were sick. What hotel or restaurant did you stay at before you embarked? what place in Mexico did you all visit or eat at together?

 

I was on the March 17th cruise.....so I have some knowledge of this type of problem...but it seems that so few were affected that you possibly were exposed BEFORE you got on the ship. Or as a group at one of the stops on the ship.

 

"one so badly he needed to be admitted to the ship's hospital with extreme dehydration and high fever"

 

extreme deyhdration and high fever occur when this illness is not being treated. If this person was this ill...they MAY have carried it on and not let on that they were sick untill it spread to the rest of your family.

 

I'm not blaming you I'm just trying to make sense of your plight.

 

Those of us who were on the March 17th cruise are in the process of trying to recieve the same compensation for LACK OF SERVICES and CANCELLATION OF EVENTS that occured during our break out. Not because of the break out itself.

 

It does sound as if you were exposed prior to , or within your family.

 

Sorry for your experience, but I doubt the ship made you sick.

 

Dave:eek:

[cgopher]

:rolleyes: I became sick on a Princess cruise in APRIL and was told to make a claim against my trip interuption insurance. The claim has been in process so no results have been forwarded to me I am hoping for the best Princess did refund all the shore excursions I mist. It may be worth a try good luck.:confused:

[Karynanne]

I can well understand that it's not much fun getting sick on a cruise. In Jan. I developed bronchitis while on Summit. I too, missed a port, and needed inhalation therapy treatments twice a day. The medical charges were $676.00. Not once did I feel this was in any way the fault of Celebrity. I probably would have been sick at home!

 

BTW, my medical insurance did reimburse me for those charges. Have you submitted your expenses to yours? Also, if you had travel insurance, it too would pick up any medical expense that your personal medical insurance did not cover.

 

I never for one moment thought of asking Celebrity to reimburse me for days lost, because I was sick...I knew in advance, that things occur beyond your control, and unforturnately, one of those just happened to occur when I was on vacation...

 

Karyn

[cgopher]

:rolleyes: I became sick on a Princess cruise in APRIL and was told to make a claim against my trip interuption insurance. The claim has been in process so no results have been forwarded to me I am hoping for the best Princess did refund all the shore excursions I missed. It may be worth a try good luck.:confused:

[dcc617]

Calprmo - I was also on that cruise but fortunately neither one of us got ill. There was mention of a small outbreak and they up-ed their 'wash your hands' notifications both on the TV, announcements and flyers left on our bed every day. One of the CCers we met got sick as well. However, she was convinced that her bout was due to bad shrimp at a restaurant on shore. (her husband was fine) I know she never got a bill from the medical facility. She was refunded shore excusions for days missed.

[calprimo]

In response to a couple of replys, the first of our party contracted Norwalk on the fifth day of our sail, and we all caught it over the next few days. The child who had to be admitted to the hospital was seen and released the previous day and was admitted 24 hours later and much sicker. We had been on the ship for five days and had come directly from our home so yes, I do think the ship made us sick! We didn't eat a bite of food in Mexico so I'm sure it wasn't that.

[DeltaOne]

We had been on the ship for five days and had come directly from our home so yes, I do think the ship made us sick!

Sorry your party had trouble with norovirus, but the ship didn't make you sick, another passenger made you sick.

And this isn't a Celebrity problem, it's a problem on any cruise line, in hospitals, schools...anywhere large groups of people are confined.

[teedee]

I'm so sorry you & your family got sick. I do think you'll have a better chance of getting reimbursed from your travel insurance (if you have it) rather than the cruiseline. I hope it all works out to your satisfaction, I hate to see what should have been such a wonderful vacation turn into something not so wonderful.

 

Terri

[hdawson]

I had a bad case of bronchitis on a Celebrity ship last year. Everyone showed their concern and the medical staff was excellent. Their charges are in line with US Social Security Medicare accepted fees. Kudos to Celebrity and their staffs. I missed half of a 10 day cruise but never thought of asking for compensation. As for Noro, it's the second most common virus in the US, second only to the common cold. I think almost always it is brought onboard by a guest. The incidence of Noro is reported to the CDC when warranted by the CDC standards.

[Casshew]

It's bad enough being sick, but horrible when it ruins a vacation.

 

calprimo, I am sorry to hear of what happened to your family, but you have to be fair - you could have picked up this virus anywhere. Did you have medical insurance?

[HELENROSE]

My husband was sick on a cruise once, and went to the Doctor. The next day when the tour desk opened, he received a refund for the tour he was missing on that day and for any other tour he wanted to cancel. He just had to show his receipt that he had been to the Doctor. The Doctor bill was also covered by the travel insurance we purchased. Our regular insurance from home did not cover it. That is why it is so important to get the insurance for travel. Sorry you had to be sick on your vacation,and I agree with another poster, it is not the cruise lines fault. Another passenger brought it on board, or when you were on a tour, on a bus or what ever, everything you touch could have given you the virus. You have to wash hands often. This can happen on any ship, any cruise line. Sorry again you couldn't enjoy your trip.

[dcc617]

Just to show how people can contribute to a problem - passengers down the hall from us had a room full of babys. They left they dirty diapers in a plastic bag in the hallway. It was disgusting. This was after the notices were sent out about a virus warning. It's true that washing hands can prevent alot. Now- having said that, it's not always the passengers fault. I reported a few employees who I saw in the washroom and didn't wash their hands after doing their business. I know this sounds a bit over the top, but I use a towel to turn the handle. You'll notice that there's usually a trash can by the door. If there isn't and it's not within tossing distance, dropping it by the door usually turns the trick. This is not disgusting. Medical /hygenists will tell you the same thing. Airplanes, restaurants, any public place - it's sad to see the number of people who use the restroom and then don't wash up afterwards.

 

WASH YOUR HANDS!!!!!

[lysolqn]

Getting sick is no fun...getting sick while on vacation is worse...five people in one family getting sick while on vacation is a nightmare, but hardly the fault of the cruiseline. Admittedly, your family was the victim of bad timing and bad luck but that just doesn't equate to reimbursement or compensation for a ruined vacation. If instead of being on a cruise, you had taken a land-based trip and your family fell ill, I doubt you'd expect to be compensated by a hotel or resort. And if on a land-based vacation a family member needed medical attention, I doubt you would expect it to be free. That's what travel insurance is for. For what it's worth, I'm sorry your cruise was a bust but IMHO, your expectation of reimbursement from Celebrity for all or part of your cruise and/or medical treatment that was rendered during your cruise is unreasonable.

[caviargal]

Very Few people were affected by a norwalk virus on your sailing. Actually below that average amount that can occur.

 

You say that five in your group were sick. What hotel or restaurant did you stay at before you embarked? what place in Mexico did you all visit or eat at together?

 

I was on the March 17th cruise.....so I have some knowledge of this type of problem...but it seems that so few were affected that you possibly were exposed BEFORE you got on the ship. Or as a group at one of the stops on the ship.

 

"one so badly he needed to be admitted to the ship's hospital with extreme dehydration and high fever"

 

extreme deyhdration and high fever occur when this illness is not being treated. If this person was this ill...they MAY have carried it on and not let on that they were sick untill it spread to the rest of your family.

 

I'm not blaming you I'm just trying to make sense of your plight.

 

Those of us who were on the March 17th cruise are in the process of trying to recieve the same compensation for LACK OF SERVICES and CANCELLATION OF EVENTS that occured during our break out. Not because of the break out itself.

 

It does sound as if you were exposed prior to , or within your family.

 

Sorry for your experience, but I doubt the ship made you sick.

 

Dave:eek:

 

I have had this virus and got infected while on an NCL ship about 4 years ago. I went on perfectly healthy and within 5 days was hallucinating in my cabin, dehydrated and sicker than I can ever remember. There were over 200 people affected. My fever was 104.

 

I received medical treatment and a $200 shipboard credit as did the others affected.

 

IMO, if there was any outbreak at all on this ship then the medical care should have been covered.

[chessbriar]

If the OP had been on these boards before their cruise, they would have been more than aware of the possibility of Norwalk. It can happen in any enclosed living environment. It's a problem in dorms hospitals, and things of the like. It's a fact of life in the industry and has happened with every cruiseline.

 

Unless the virus was present from the previous cruise, I don't see how it can be X's fault. Another passenger brought it on board and spread it around.

 

This is one reason, I reccomend travel insurance.

 

SEA PRINCESS Returns To Port

May 31: Princess Cruises SEA PRINCESS cut short its cruise, returning early to Southampton. Emergency medical staff boarded the ship today after an outbreak thought to be the Norovirus struck down more than 200 passengers. The last leg of the seven-day cruise around France and the Iberian peninsula, was shelved and SEA PRINCESS is returning her 2,250 passengers back to Southampton. A Princess spokesman said the ship was being brought back early for emergency decontamination. (While the symptoms are unpleasant, they are not considered life threatening).

[woodofpine]

I would submit your on board med bills to your regular med insurer. Even out of "country" or "out of plan" some level of reimbursement (or at least consumption of deductible) should occur.

 

I broke my ankle skiing in Jackson Hole WY on a ski club trip in February. I never thought of holding the ski club or hotel monetarily responsible for the expenses... or the medical providers there in the resort...

[Goldryder]

Anybody in a confined area such as a ship, hotel, hospital...ANYWHERE is at risk of picking up a bug of some sort or another. There is very very little that can be done apart from common sense personal hygene and acting in a responsible manner should you be unfortunate enough to fall ill. Passengers who are on a ship, guests who are in a hotel, patients in a hospital are quarantined. However, short of handcuffing to the bed, locking the room/cabin and taking the keys away etc there is no viable way of ensuring that those who are ill stay in their rooms/cabins. Those who are ill are responsible for keeping themselves away from the others, anyone who flouts that are selfish, end of story.

 

The cruise line, hotel management, hospital authority etc cannot be held responsible for people who are selfishly spreading themselves and their bugs around everywhere.

 

Sadly there are people around who don't give a darn about those around them, they are the ones who should be targetted for lawsuits etc, not the companies/authorities who try their very best to stem these outbreaks.

 

Its all down to taking responsibility for yourself again...whether it be drinking so much that you fall overboard or washing your hands and using disinfectant before meals or staying in your cabin when told to do so should you fall ill.

 

Anyone would think that apparently cruise passengers are relieved of all personal responsibility once they board a cruise ship, well they are not, never have been and never will be.

[cusyl]

Insurance ---- don't leave home without it!

It's dreadful that people are getting sick on the ships, it's because we are all confined in one space. Just take all the precautions, wash hands, use the alcohol wipes provided before you eat, try not to touch the railings, keep hands away from mouth, eyes and nose. I try to remember to carry around a travel size of the purell and use it. We are flying to the ship this time, and I have some alcohol wipes I am going to use on the plane to clean my area. How awful to have your cruise ruined by getting sick. :(

(I wouldn't blame it on the cruiseline)

[SandyMc]

Dave is right - we also were on the March 17 "bleach cruise". It never occured to us to expect compensation for the illness on the ship - that could happen anywhere. Our problem with Celebrity is the total indifference they have shown to an entire shipload of passengers who endured ridiculous cleaning procedures and the loss of many amenities Celebrity says they offer.

 

That being said, I have found interesting passages in letters Celebrity has sent passengers on our cruise alluding to the fact that people who did not get sick will receive nothing while those who got sick will receive some sort of compensation.

 

I realize your situation is somewhat different since you did not board a ship that had 200 passengers sick on the previous cruise but - it seems to me - Celebrity is so inconsistent in their handling of complaints that you could eventually get something. Still - the suggestion to file with your own health insurance or travel insurance is probably the most logical way!

[HELENROSE]

I just remembered a year ago, while filling out the paper for Princess before boarding, stating I was not now or just been sick with the flu etc. when I heard someone behind me saying,"I am not telling them I am sick, they won't let me on the ship and I am not missing my cruise vacation" I couldn't see who said it or else I might have said something to someone from the line. People only care about themselves and no one else.

 

WASH HANDS use SANITIZER where ever the ship has it, and carry it with you everywhere. That is a rule for every day living too. Schools, Churches, Library, Hospitals, Movie Theaters, Bus, Taxi, I could go on and on.

 

But PLEASE, don't blame it all on the cruise lines. You see the crews cleaning all the time. They can only do so much. We have to do the rest.

[Goldryder]

Following the detention of the Van Gogh for norovirus infection last weekend in Harwich and the subsequent cancellation of this week's cruise to Norway, Travelscope, who operate the ship, have sent out letters to all passengers who are due to board her this weekend that they need medical proof that they have not suffered any for of gasto or flu illness withing 72 hours of their boarding time. Failure to comply or proof of illness will automatically have them removed from the sailing.

 

Tough, but seeing as people seem to insist on putting others at risk, then as far as I am concerned, well done Travelscope. Its a shame the other lines do not take such a tough stance.

[BB5953]

Following the detention of the Van Gogh for norovirus infection last weekend in Harwich and the subsequent cancellation of this week's cruise to Norway, Travelscope, who operate the ship, have sent out letters to all passengers who are due to board her this weekend that they need medical proof that they have not suffered any for of gasto or flu illness withing 72 hours of their boarding time. Failure to comply or proof of illness will automatically have them removed from the sailing.

 

Tough, but seeing as people seem to insist on putting others at risk, then as far as I am concerned, well done Travelscope. Its a shame the other lines do not take such a tough stance.

 

How does one go about getting medical proof that they were not sick in the past 72 hours????

[Goldryder]

How does one go about getting medical proof that they were not sick in the past 72 hours????

 

You go see your doctor and explain that you are going on a cruise and require a fitness to travel check-up and note. Quite common practice in the UK, usually with elderly passengers but can be done by anyone.