Hospitalized After Cruise

[Hula Hips]

my husband and i went on our first cruise for our 25th anniv. the zuiderdam ship. towards the end of the cruise 3/4 of the passengers got sick . oh and by the way the dr only worked 1-2 hrs a day so try to get to see him. upon arrival home my husband ended up in hospital very sick and i must tell you at 57 this is the first time in his life he entered a hospital. after he got released i ended up in hospital extremely sick and i won't go into details how bad it was but i was put in isolation room and i wouldn't wish this illness on anyone. it was disgusting. will we cruise again? i don't think we ever will. it just wasn't worth it. we love traveling but through the yrs always flew and never got sick. you also see a country much better on land while there for days then getting off a ship for a couple hrs. don't fool yourself and think illness starts on a plane. your only on a plane a couple hours vs a cruise for DAYS!! one or two people need to just pick up something start touching the railings, elevator buttons, etc... and bang the whole ship starts getting it. never again. we'll fly and stay well. good luck to all of you who love the experience of cruising. it just did not work out for us. sunsetgal :mad:

[kryos]

will we cruise again? i don't think we ever will. it just wasn't worth it. we love traveling but through the yrs always flew and never got sick. you also see a country much better on land while there for days then getting off a ship for a couple hrs. don't fool yourself and think illness starts on a plane.

I certainly don't blame you for deciding that you've taken your last cruise. Getting sick and winding up in the hospital is no fun.

 

However, I have to say that there are some really nasty things going around right now. I too am NEVER sick. I don't even "believe" in doctors and stay away from them as much as possible.

 

About four weeks ago, I came down with what I thought was a "normal" sinus infection. But the problem was that it got worse and worse until my nose was completely plugged up. Finally, I wound up in the doctor's office. Anti-biotics, other medications, etc., etc. ... finally he washed his hands of me and referred me to a specialist. By this time I was not only miserable, but in pain too. A CAT scan, an aspiration procedure in the office to try and relieve the pressure in my sinuses, finally minor surgery in the office after the aspiration didn't work and the sinuses filled up again.

 

The first set of cultures showed Mersa ... that staph infection that is going around and is very contagious. I was told not to go to work or school for the time being. My school was pretty pissed off because they had no idea if I had infected other students.

 

Finally, I ended up having full-blown surgery at the hospital and it is only now that I am starting to heal up. I've been out of work now for over three weeks, have lost some of my sense of taste and sense of smell (I have no idea how much will come back over time, but have been advised that it won't be like before).

 

I haven't been on a cruise since this past April. Haven't been on an airplane ... haven't been on vacation.

 

All I am saying is that you could have gotten sick anywhere. The cruise ship could actually have had very little to do with it.

 

But, I certainly understand your desire to stay away from cruising after what you've been through. I can't say I would feel differently if I were in your shoes.

 

Blue skies and get well soon!

 

--rita

[nurseblissful]

what a lousy way to end a cruise. i am so sorry for your misfortune. lauri

[Hula Hips]

rita no i'm sorry to say it was the cruise that made us sick. i know alot of folks don't want to believe it but it's true!! if 3/4 of the ship got sick that is where we got sick. and i would contribute alot of it to the fact the ship was freezing!!! so when you get off in a country and it's over 100 degrees and you get back on the ship and it's freezing (and everyone said that) that can easily start something. but again, it's not for me. being in the hospital with what i had is going to keep me very far away from a cruise at least for a very long time!! it was truly a nightmare.

[happy cruzer]

Sorry about your experience.

 

But I do differ about the "don't fool your self" comment in your post. I would say "Dont' fool yourself" that any spot where you come into contact with other people is safe. Every thing in life has risks associated with it. Some risks we just ignor or are comfortable with. We are lucky that each of us has the liberty to choose which risks we take.

 

DH got ill on the last cruise and he too is nervous about traveling in general. So it is understandable. I got the sickest I've ever been after a family Christmas party, so should I never go again??? Each of us must decide for ourselves.

[iamwiz82]

3/4 of the ship was sick and HAL managed to keep everyone off of Cruisecritic.com and Cruisejunkie.com while also paying off the CDC. :D :rolleyes:

[noblepa]

3/4 of the ship was sick and HAL managed to keep everyone off of Cruisecritic.com and Cruisejunkie.com while also paying off the CDC. :D :rolleyes:

 

This thought occured to me, as well. I don't doubt that the OP got sick and was miserable. However, in the past, when only ten percent of the passengers on a cruise ship got sick, it made CNN, MSNBC and FOX news networks.

 

I think that if it truly had been 75 percent of the passengers, the ship would have been pulled from service and the following cruise cancelled or shortened, in order to give the ship a thorough cleaning. It has happened before with serious outbreaks.

 

OTOH, a couple of hundred sick passengers can seem like 75 percent.

[RevNeal]

Oh, my word Rita! I'm so very sorry! This sounds just awful!

Know that you're in my prayers.

[Krazy Kruizers]

So sorry that your ended with both of you being in the hospital.

 

Wish you well on your future vacations.

[RevNeal]

sunsetgal,

 

I'm so sorry you had such a horrible cruise. What you describe doesn't often happen, but sometimes people do get terribly ill when placed together, with other people, on ship or airplane. I pray everything turns out for you and yours and that your future vacations are a greater joy for you.

[Wanna Cruise Again]

my husband and i went on our first cruise for our 25th anniv. the zuiderdam ship. towards the end of the cruise 3/4 of the passengers got sick . oh and by the way the dr only worked 1-2 hrs a day so try to get to see him. upon arrival home my husband ended up in hospital very sick and i must tell you at 57 this is the first time in his life he entered a hospital. after he got released i ended up in hospital extremely sick and i won't go into details how bad it was but i was put in isolation room and i wouldn't wish this illness on anyone. it was disgusting. will we cruise again? i don't think we ever will. it just wasn't worth it. we love traveling but through the yrs always flew and never got sick. you also see a country much better on land while there for days then getting off a ship for a couple hrs. don't fool yourself and think illness starts on a plane. your only on a plane a couple hours vs a cruise for DAYS!! one or two people need to just pick up something start touching the railings, elevator buttons, etc... and bang the whole ship starts getting it. never again. we'll fly and stay well. good luck to all of you who love the experience of cruising. it just did not work out for us. sunsetgal :mad:

 

Good grief, are you talking about the October Panama Canal cruise? It sounds like it! My mother, 74, is still trying to get over what she caught on the ship. She's using a steroid puffer for bacteria on the cells of her lungs (according to her GP, it's similar to the way Legionaires disease works), a prescription nasal spray to take care of the sinuses, and a strong antibiotic for the rest.

 

While we LOVED our first cruise, I have to agree (again, assuming it's the same cruise we were on) with the OP that 3/4 of the ship's passengers were suffering respiratory problems. Our cabin was situated over top of Tender 12, which was deployed to take one elderly gentleman to the hospital at midnight one night.

 

I watched a young female employee walk through the Lido with her nose tucked into the neck of her t-shirt and wondered what on earth she was doing. As she passed, I heard her say to one of the staff behind the counter: "there are too many sick people on board, I don't want to catch anything".

 

The people on both sides of our room spent weeks coughing and hacking and I felt so sorry for them as we seemed to have missed picking up the bug. I never did get anything, but I was anal about using the hand sanitizer going into and coming out of the restaurants. I used my elbow to press the elevator buttons. I carried my own sanitizer to use after touching the serving utensils at the buffet. I was very happy I did that after seeing a fellow approach the Lido with his finger buried in one nostril. He didn't use the provided sanitizer and that was proof positive that 'anal' was the way to go on this ship.

 

The line up to get off this ship in FLL was loud! Coughing, hacking, you name it. A lot of people made comments. The bus to the airport was the same. Once we hit the airport and the people were separated and going their own ways, it quieted down - - until the flight home to Vancouver. Quite a few cruisers were on our flight and the horrible coughing and hacking continued for the entire 5 hour flight.

 

Now, this all being said, I'm already searching for another cruise! This type of contagion lurks in schools, office buildings, etc. I'm going to be as careful as I was on the Zuiderdam.

 

Stuff happens. I usually get sick after flying...so that isn't my favorite way to travel.

[sail7seas]

I'm so sorry you and your DH were so ill and hope you are now feeling better.

 

I'm confused as to the nature of the illness. It would be helpful to those of us who cruise often to know what it is that got so many people on one ship ill.

 

Was it Noro like Virus.......gastrointestinal?

Was it respiritory?

 

I'm going to go look to see about the CDC Report that surely would have to have been filed if 3/4 of the guests on a cruise ship were so seriously ill. I'm shocked we are just now hearing about it. I'm interested to see when the report was filed and what it says.

 

Feel better soon.

 

 

Rita........very sorry to hear the story of all you have been through. I know hou made reference last week to having had surgery but you really have had a nasty experience. Hope you feel better and that you are still smoke free. Wouldn't that be a wonderful side benefit of having suffered all this.....at least there would be a golden prize!

 

Hope you, too, are feeling better.

 

 

[dobiemom]

rita no i'm sorry to say it was the cruise that made us sick. i know alot of folks don't want to believe it but it's true!! if 3/4 of the ship got sick that is where we got sick. and i would contribute alot of it to the fact the ship was freezing!!! so when you get off in a country and it's over 100 degrees and you get back on the ship and it's freezing (and everyone said that) that can easily start something. but again, it's not for me. being in the hospital with what i had is going to keep me very far away from a cruise at least for a very long time!! it was truly a nightmare.

 

I understand what you are saying about the temperature difference. Every time I go on a business conference, I get sick. Those conference rooms are SO COLD. The rest of the facility is fine usually. And the hotel room air conditioning is on constantly. It’s not the temperature in the room that bothers me but the dryness. And I usually have to fly so I’m in a small, crowded space with lots of potential germ-carriers (and yes, I know I could be one, too).

 

So I always get sick on a business trip. Do I not go? No, I love traveling, even if it is for work. I have two cruises scheduled in the next 6 months. I know the “risks” but there are risks of getting sick anytime you are with a group of people.

 

I’m sorry your first cruise ended up so bad for you. I hope you enjoy your future vacations.

 

I got the sickest I've ever been after a family Christmas party, so should I never go again??? Each of us must decide for ourselves.

 

Please, can I get sick at a family gathering so I don't have to go anymore? Just kidding (sort of).;) :rolleyes:

[happy cruzer]

Dobiemom, There is indeed good and bad in most things!

 

Also there is another review that mentions the Zuiderdam bug

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=33937

 

I wonder what was going on?

[hammybee]

3/4 of the ship was sick and HAL managed to keep everyone off of Cruisecritic.com and Cruisejunkie.com while also paying off the CDC. :D :rolleyes:

 

3/4= about 1500 passengers.

 

If I chatted with this many fellow passengers to asertain their health, chances are, I would eventually become sick too.

 

I am sincerely sorry that the OP's husband became quite sick, following the cruise.

[KAYEF]

Beware the land tours as well.

Last year we took a Land Tour to Copper Canyon....all bottled water, they provided it on the bus, the train, in our hotel rooms, etc. I'm bright enough to know to use it for brushing teeth, etc. btw.

I ended up violently ill as well.................all I could figure was I'm not much of a meat eater and one night (AT the canyon) we were served steak. This was a family style dinner. I but a narrow piece (about three bites) off a steak but ate mostly the yummy guacamole...........wonder if I'll ever eat THAT again.:confused:

Maybe they didn't wash the avocado skins before cutting them in half so bacteria got into the finished product..........wouldn't wish the result on anyone.

 

On a Land Tour in Europe we stayed pretty well..............always take Airborne or that new product in the envelopes to boost our immune systems along and use them.

 

Just one ill person can pass the illness fast.............I have hand sanitizer in everything I carry..............backpack, handbag, etc. and we USE it.;)

[hammybee]

Dobiemom, There is indeed good and bad in most things!

 

Also there is another review that mentions the Zuiderdam bug

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=33937

 

I wonder what was going on?

 

I love the "Zuiderdam Bug" routine.

 

I wonder if the CDC would be very interested in knowing that somehow, passengers on cruise ships were exempt from all colds/flu/URI and instead, acquired the dreaded Zuiderdam Bug.

 

BTW, October is the official kick-off of the cold/flu URI season. Contact your local MD or pharmecy for a flu shot.

[robertmnch]

I certainly don't blame you for deciding that you've taken your last cruise. Getting sick and winding up in the hospital is no fun.

 

However, I have to say that there are some really nasty things going around right now. I too am NEVER sick. I don't even "believe" in doctors and stay away from them as much as possible.

 

About four weeks ago, I came down with what I thought was a "normal" sinus infection. But the problem was that it got worse and worse until my nose was completely plugged up. Finally, I wound up in the doctor's office. Anti-biotics, other medications, etc., etc. ... finally he washed his hands of me and referred me to a specialist. By this time I was not only miserable, but in pain too. A CAT scan, an aspiration procedure in the office to try and relieve the pressure in my sinuses, finally minor surgery in the office after the aspiration didn't work and the sinuses filled up again.

 

The first set of cultures showed Mersa ... that staph infection that is going around and is very contagious. I was told not to go to work or school for the time being. My school was pretty pissed off because they had no idea if I had infected other students.

-----------------------------------------------:( ----------------------------------

:confused: I was on VIA Rails "Canadian" last May from Toronto to Vancouver and they had an outbreak of the Norwalk Virus. VIA Rail quarantined that passenger car, and gave out printed notices to "all" passengers asking us to pratice a higher level of cleanliness. That car was the only one that had the Norwalk Virus once VIA Rail quarantined it. It didn't spread throughout the entire 30 cars and sleepers! I took that same trip again in October, and there were "no" outbreak's of any kind! It is strange how these illnesses proliferate like rabbits! It can really ruin a long, expensive, and well-planned vacation!

robertmnch

[Charliesmom]

Rita, I am really sorry that have had such a bad time with Mersa. It is a nasty bug. I hope you are mending well and soon will get back to being 100%.

 

As for the cold on the ship. I have recently had two surgeries and the preop area is so cold that the nurses all go around in sweaters and warmup vests. They bring heated blankets to the patients. I asked why was it so cold and was told that the cold "keeps the germs down". So they use the cold to AVOID Mersa.

 

Roberta

[diveoz]

Beware the land tours as well.

Last year we took a Land Tour to Copper Canyon....all bottled water...

 

When I was a few years younger I spent a summer working in Mexico. A close friend of mine had worked in a water botteling plant. When he saw I was drinking only bottled water he warned me to drink only water with names I know from the US.

 

Reason: The plant he had worked at had a tendancy to fill bottles with tap water with machinery was down.:mad:

[hammybee]

Cruise ships quarantine passengers who display noro-like symptoms for all the obvious reasons, to contain it. The quarantines are usually imposed on all passengers in the entire cabins, regardless of symptoms, or lack thereof.

 

The CC message boards are chock full of stories whereby passengers disregard the quarantine, one the symptoms pass, as well as the cabin mates who did not become ill.

 

I have read posts whereby the card keys of quarantined passengers are sometimes deactivated so they cannot leave the ship, make an onboard purchase or return to cabin, undetected.

 

And yet, despite the incredible precautionary measures employed onboard cruise ships, there is always an active thread, somewhere on these boards, about the XYZ ship bug.

[kryos]

Rita........very sorry to hear the story of all you have been through. I know hou made reference last week to having had surgery but you really have had a nasty experience. Hope you feel better and that you are still smoke free. Wouldn't that be a wonderful side benefit of having suffered all this.....at least there would be a golden prize!

 

Hope you, too, are feeling better.

Thanks for the good wishes, Sail.

 

Yes, so far I am remaining smoke free ... however, to be totally honest, that could be in large part due to the fact that I cannot taste or smell too well right now ... so I don't miss it.

 

But, I'm gonna do my best to stick with this ... if for no other reason than the money I will save. Think of all the extra cruises that will add up to! :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

As for the cold on the ship. I have recently had two surgeries and the preop area is so cold that the nurses all go around in sweaters and warmup vests. They bring heated blankets to the patients. I asked why was it so cold and was told that the cold "keeps the germs down". So they use the cold to AVOID Mersa.

So that's why the operating room was so cold! I couldn't understand that. But, yes ... those heated blankets were heavenly ... even though I didn't get to enjoy them for too long before I was out like a light! :)

 

Thanks for the info. That was something I was wondering about. If I recall, I was running a slight fever the day of my surgery ... yet, I was still freezing. I couldn't understand for the life of me why that room would be kept so cold ... unless it was due to the heat generated by the operating lights (which were off when I entered the room).

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Sprocket]

To the OP...

 

After my cruise on the Zuiderdam in 2003, I also spent a week in the hospital and almost 3 months off work, so I can certainly sympathize with how you feel right now. While I contracted the illness on the cruise, it was not from being on the ship. I have since cruised 3 more times with absolutely no problems at all. So maybe when everything settles down you may reconsider another cruise.

[sail7seas]

I'm sure I missed it and someone spelled it out but could someone please say it straight out.........

 

WHAT WERE YOU ALL SICK WITH?

 

Was it upper respiritory?

Was it Noro like Virus?

WHAT WERE YOU ALL SUFFERING WITH?

 

Were you all on Zuiderdam?

Is that the only ship claiming 75% of the passengers ill? Quite remarkable statistic for none of us to have heard about it until now. Was there a Roll Call Group from CC?

Did anyone post a review?

I have to do some research.....this is blowing me away that 75% of guests were sick enough to be in hospitals for week or more and no one ever heard a word about it until now.