Mysterious Rash

[Rallo]

Hi Everyone, I haven't been around for some time but just thought I'd ask you all about something that has been troubling me for awhile. I went on the Pacific Star Week Fantastique Cruise on 23 September to the 30 September with a group - 26 of us in all. Anyway after the cruise at least five people in our group got some sort of an itchy rash in varying degrees of severity. I, it seems, was the worst affected with the rash covering my whole body and lasting for over a month. The skin specialists (I saw two different ones) told me it was a symptom of a virus I had picked up. It seems a bit too much of a coincidence to us that it wasn't in some way related to the cruise. Anyway just wondering if any other cruisers have experienced anything similar following their cruises? I know you can pick up viruses anywhere and anytime but I have never experienced a symptom like this before in my life and hope I never do again.

[kaseyoz]

could it have been some sort of sea lice you picked up when swimming in the ocean.

Maybe allergic to the water on board.

allergic to sun screen used. I am sure you have already checked out all of those things

Not sure why you all may have contracted it but hope you are all feeling a little less itchy now

[sue2539]

I think it may have been sea lice as well. When we went to Divine Island we were all bitten (you could feel them biting while in the water). Most of us got a red welty rash from varying degrees. My friend had it covering her whole body and it lasted for a quite a while.

[Rallo]

Definitely wasn't sea lice. I live on the Gold Coast and swim in the ocean all the time. I know what sea lice is like and have never gotten a rash from it, besides I didn't break out until a month after the cruise. May not have been anything to do with the cruise but I just thought I'd throw the question out there in case others had any strange virus symptoms following a tropical holiday.

[Star-Man]

Not a rash, but certainly something interesting. On my last one there were about 12 of us from the teen club that got really sick on the second last day and we then all ended up with flu like symptoms on the monday after we got back.

 

The interesting thing to me was the flu like stuff. Especially because we all live in different states.

[Skyrules]

Not a rash, but certainly something interesting. On my last one there were about 12 of us from the teen club that got really sick on the second last day and we then all ended up with flu like symptoms on the monday after we got back.

 

The interesting thing to me was the flu like stuff. Especially because we all live in different states.

 

That's common on a cruise ship. Probably a very mild case of Noro virus.

[Star-Man]

That's common on a cruise ship. Probably a very mild case of Noro virus.

 

Thats kind of what i thought it was. I had people telling me it was just sea sickness, but i dont get sea sick. well not any more

[Tropicalshowers]

Hi Rallo!

 

Sounds awful....none of my brood came down with anything upon our return...(touch of depression perhaps:p )

 

As it affected some in your group, was the chicken pox virus mentioned by anyone? Shingles begins in a similar fashion I think, but it is also very painful apparently.

 

Hope your 100% by now! Any more cruises on the horizon for you?

Cheers

[denbot2112]

I recently returned home from The Bahamas. I too now have a strange rash. I noticed it after a day in the sun but I only left the boat to tour around town in Freeport. We only walked around for 45 minutes in the straw market area.

The rash I had was a few raised red bumps on my right shin. I have been home since the 29th of July. I now have this rash across my chest, under both arms in the armpit region, and around the elbows and the bends in my arms. It doesn't itch I just don't like all the tiny red bumps. I am using gold bond anti itch cream and taking a non prescription benadryl. I will let you know how long I have this rash for, If I have it over a week I am going to the doctors. I can say I used a new sunscreen that is in a spray can. SPF 30.

I was also taking the following non prescription vitamins: Fenugreek, CoQ-10, and a Multi Vitamin. I did some research and one of the side effects of taking CoQ-10 is a skin Rash. I am no longer going to take it and see if it is the cause. The only prescription med I am currently taking is A Simvastatin which lowers cholesterol. I need to do some research on that medication too.

So for those of you who got this rash what did you do to get rid of it?

The Carnival Pride was my very first 7 day cruise.