Are cruise lines required to report illness aboard their ships?

[sunrise@sea]

I just returned from a panama canal cruise aboard Celebrity Millenium where it seemed like a third of the passengers (including me) disembarked with some kind of cold or illness.

 

Whatever big cruise companies are doing to prevent illnesses is just not enough. They seem to put the blame on hand washing but I saw several crew members coughing or sneezing into their sleeves.

 

Are cruise lines required to report illness they are aware of aboard their ship? Isn't it a bit like the on-time reporting required by airlines? If not, should they be?

[spirit rev]

Cruise lines are required to report certain illness to the CDC, specifically the noro virus when it reaches a certain perceentage of the number on board. Not sure about what else they have to report.

 

As far as sneezing into one's sleeve - that is what I have learned is the preferred place to sneeze and cough into if one must - it helps to prevent contamination since you don't touch other things with your sleeve. If you cough/sneeze into your hands - you can help to spread disease.

 

Yes, from a public health stand point - hand washing is the best way to help stop disease spread. We'll hear it a lot as the flu season starts to ramp up.

[lisiamc]

Cruise lines are required to report some diseases, like Noro, if they affect over a certain percentage of passengers.

 

But how would you expect them to report the common cold? A daily Sneezewatch Bulletin? "Fifteen passengers and three crew members were seen sneezing in public today. We suspect either allergies or a cold virus!" :)

 

I think you're expecting too much from the cruise lines.

[sunrise@sea]

Sneezing and coughing into one's sleeve is the recommended method, but not by servers in the buffet line. Why do some servers wear gloves and other not? Are these young people from all over the world encouraged to avoid food when they don't feel well?

 

How about cleaning the tables and chair arms in the restaurants. They seem to always be sticky and nasty. Ever see how the waiters wipe down the tables after passengers leave, especially on a busy sea day?

 

Hand washing, covering your mouth and avoiding hand shaking is good practice for sure. But if an industry is going to make it's livelihood by confining large groups of people in confined spaces then it needs to take extreme measures to keep them healthy.

 

And it should be public knowledge how well the hospitality provider performs so it can make good decision who to travel with.

[Keith1010]

When a certain threshold of illnesses are met, yes, they are required to report them.

 

Keith

[cruiseco]

MythBusters did an episode on the best way to sneeze without spreading germs. The "sneeze on your sleeve really was the better way to go. I changed my sneezing procedure after watching that.

[xxoocruiser]

When a certain threshold of illnesses are met, yes, they are required to report them.

 

Keith

 

That's only if the passenger actually went to the ship's on board medical center for treatment and the cruise ship has an official record of the illiness. Many passengers self treat in fear of being quarentined so the illiness remains unreported and therefore the cruise line techinically cannot report it.

[LHT28]

I agree..... the cruise lines should stop passengers that are coughing or sneezing from getting on the ship in the 1st place

Let's face even on the questionnaire before boarding people lie about being sick

 

If you are coming down with something just stay home

Most people will not cover their faces when they sneeze or cough so the germs are in the air ... do you know how far the germs go when you sneeze :eek:

They are in the air for the person behind you to catch as they walk though the germ field

Use your sleeve, tissue or your hands if required but COVER you face & wash your hands before you tough other surfaces

 

JMO

[sherryf]

I agree..... the cruise lines should stop passengers that are coughing or sneezing from getting on the ship in the 1st place

 

You can't keep everyone who sneezes or coughs during boarding off the ship. People cough and sneeze for other reasons than being sick. I have allergies and if I walk past someone wearing strong perfume, I'm likely to sneeze. I'd be really pissed if I was denied boarding because someone overdid their perfume that day!

[diverjen]

You can't keep everyone who sneezes or coughs during boarding off the ship. People cough and sneeze for other reasons than being sick. I have allergies and if I walk past someone wearing strong perfume, I'm likely to sneeze. I'd be really pissed if I was denied boarding because someone overdid their perfume that day!

 

I was thinking the same thing. I sneeze everyday and unfortunately I never sneeze just once 10 times in a row is not unusual for me. Coughing and sneezing is not an indicator of illness.

[Swayde]

You can't keep everyone who sneezes or coughs during boarding off the ship. People cough and sneeze for other reasons than being sick. I have allergies and if I walk past someone wearing strong perfume, I'm likely to sneeze. I'd be really pissed if I was denied boarding because someone overdid their perfume that day!

 

Boy ain't that the truth!

 

I think that it wouldn't be such a big deal if we weren't a society full of germophobes who sanitize the crap out of everything and pop antibiotics for every little slight illness instead of letting our bodies work naturally and build up immunities and stronger natural defenses.

 

Really you can't avoid germs and sickness. People can be ill and have no symptoms for days and have no clue when they board. There is absolutely no way to prevent illness from coming aboard a ship. I'd say if being sick is that big a threat to you or that big a problem then just stay home and avoid any high density populations of people.

[sunrise@sea]

The fact is that this industry continues to grow as does the sizes of the ships, the amount of passengers and crew that occupy small spaces. It becomes easier for a fewer number of sick individuals to make a larger number of people sick.

 

When I began cruising the ships were 1/2 to 1/3 the size they are today and medical treatment aboard ship was free. Because of economics and the fact that some passengers took advantage, that is no longer the case. Passengers will visit the ship's doctor as a last resort.

 

Maybe the industry should take the initiative on this issue. Perhaps they can think of a more effective way to find out who is sick and not penalize them.

 

Restaurants in many cities post letter grades awarded by a health inspector so a patron can decide if they want to eat there. Maybe the cruise industry can voluntarily police itself and demonstrate to it's customers the level of commitment to keeping passengers from getting sick on a cruise.

[LHT28]

You can't keep everyone who sneezes or coughs during boarding off the ship.

Exactly!!!

I was being facetious :rolleyes:

[LHT28]

Maybe the cruise industry can voluntarily police itself and demonstrate to it's customers the level of commitment to keeping passengers from getting sick on a cruise.

Then you would have outbreaks

You can get a good idea from the list of outbreaks who is keeping the passengers health a priority

Ships that are listed more often are not doing a good job in my opinion

 

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/gilist.htm

[sunrise@sea]

Then you would have outbreaks

You can get a good idea from the list of outbreaks who is keeping the passengers health a priority

Ships that are listed more often are not doing a good job in my opinion

 

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/gilist.htm

 

Well according to this government publication the ship I sailed on this month (Celebrity Millenium) reported 1% of it's crew and 5% of it's passengers fell ill in the month of May. That sure doesn't sound like much.

 

My guess is that the cruise I was on ended with at least three times that.

 

Oh well, I give up. Guess it's like "swade" says, if you aren't willing to get sick then avoid crowded situations and stay home.

[headhunterke]

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Erm, no it's not. That should be the same things that airlines should report any sick passenger going onboard. I really don't see how you connect these 2 things. As told before, there are very specific rules for reporting such cases. Also, guests who think they have noro are REQUIRED to present themselves with the doctor, so they can report it. Anything common like the cold etc. is simply impossible to track down on a ship. Or they should have a small hospital down stairs to check every guest before breakfast every morning.

[Donray]

I just returned from a panama canal cruise aboard Celebrity Millenium where it seemed like a third of the passengers (including me) disembarked with some kind of cold or illness.

 

Whatever big cruise companies are doing to prevent illnesses is just not enough. They seem to put the blame on hand washing but I saw several crew members coughing or sneezing into their sleeves.

 

Are cruise lines required to report illness they are aware of aboard their ship? Isn't it a bit like the on-time reporting required by airlines? If not, should they be?

 

So, did you report to the doctor on board and quarantine yourself when you thought you might be getting a cold? OR, did you spread your cold to others?

[BruceMuzz]

Erm, no it's not. That should be the same things that airlines should report any sick passenger going onboard. I really don't see how you connect these 2 things. As told before, there are very specific rules for reporting such cases. Also, guests who think they have noro are REQUIRED to present themselves with the doctor, so they can report it. Anything common like the cold etc. is simply impossible to track down on a ship. Or they should have a small hospital down stairs to check every guest before breakfast every morning.

 

The CDC reports that 40% of people on any flight come down with some sort of virus withing 48 hours of flying. I don't recall any airlines publicising that fact.

 

The CDC reports that between 10% and 15% of Americans have Norwalk Virus (NOT on a cruise) EVERY year. Norwalk Virus outbreaks are much higher in the USA than any other country. Remember that Norwalk Virus is named after the place it developed and was discovered - Norwalk, Ohio. I don't remember the US Government warning potential visitors about those facts.

 

The CDC reports that 25% of people staying in a hotel in America contract some sort of virus within 48 hours. I don't remember seeing that in the advertisements for Holiday Inn, or Hyatt, or any other hotel chain.

[pdmlynek]

Are cruise lines required to report illness they are aware of aboard their ship? ...

 

Report it to who? To the newspapers? To CDC? To the governments of the people who were sick?

[lisiamc]

So, did you report to the doctor on board and quarantine yourself when you thought you might be getting a cold? OR, did you spread your cold to others?

 

A few times I've flown home with a cold I caught on a cruise, and felt mildly guilty because I'm sure I gave it to a few people, despite trying hard not to do that. But what am I going to do, cancel my flight and hole up in a hotel for a few days? Somehow I don't think our trip insurance or our bosses would enjoy hearing that we've had to extend our trip by a week because I had to treat my cold to a few days in a nice hotel. :p

[Krazy Kruizers]

Cruise lines are not required to report all the common colds that people get on a ship.

 

Now the Noro Virus -- yes -- after they hit a certain percentage which I think is 2 or 3 % -- I am not certain of the % - to the CDC.

 

Airlines -- I have never heard of the airlines having to report anything to anyone.

[Karysa]

Can you imagine the amount of revenue that would be lost if cruiselines refused passage or quarantined those with the sniffles or a common cold? If a family of 5 traveling together with two cabins was refused boarding because one person had a cold this board would light up.

 

People need to remember that eating properly and getting enough sleep is still important once they reach the ship and not just in the weeks leading up to their cruise.

[lady_cruiser]

Exactly!!!

I was being facetious :rolleyes:

Am I the only one who thought your original statement was a joke!

[LHT28]

Am I the only one who thought your original statement was a joke!

I guess you were :D