Last cruise for us?

[philv]

A cruise is what you make of it. On my third cruise I broke my leg mountain biking in St. Lucia midway through trip. My biggest fear was that they couldn't treat me on the boat and would put me off. To my great relief they put me in a moon boot and gave me some meds for pain. I missed some excursions and man was it hard to get around ship but I wasn't mad or anything. I was just delighted to be on the ship. I still don't look at that cruise as a disaster, just another adventure I walked away from with some good stories. Cruise on! ;)

[trojangirl90066]

It would be considerate to say the least if people with flu/colds would wear masks during flights. Why infect many of the people around you.

My commiserations for a lousy final(?) cruise. Half the ship had head colds by the end of our last cruise, as it spreads like wildfire in confined spaces.

 

Ha, my husband insists I wear a mask if I go shopping when I have a cold. He is right, it is uncomfortable but considerate to not expose others.

[Sunviking]

Left port on Wednesday, and first port day in HI was Monday. Saturday morning I awoke with a drip in the back of my throat and a ticklish cough. It was then that my wife informed me that the woman sitting behind me during the leg from DFW to LAX was coughing all the way. I never heard it, since I was using my noise cancelling headphones.

 

So, I figured a cold wasn't going to set me back from having a good time. I have had them before. Monday morning arrived and I wasn't getting any better, but we had purchased an excursion that included a Helo ride over the Volcano on the Big Island. I suffered through it, but it was nice.

 

Not trying to be nasty, but when you went on your tour in the helo were there other people and did you wear a mask? Evidently you caught your cold from someone who was ill on a plane. Did you take precautions to not do the same? Sometimes we are catching something and don't know we are. The flu for example can be contagious for a couple of days before symptoms really manifest. If you already have symptoms of cold or flu, perhaps it would be good to wear a mask or refrain from being in a small space as in a helicopter.

[cruzincat50]

I'm so sorry you got ill on your trip! Having ended up spending 3 days in bed on our land trip to Italy last year, I can feel your pain. One thing I can very highly recommend if you are flying is Airborne. It really does help to boost your immune system so that if a germy person is nearby you are at least minimally protected - we take it for two days before we enter the germ can (airplane). And my daughter swears by sucking on zinc lozenges during flights (apparently that's a singer thing).

 

Anything designed to boost the immune system won't ward off a virus. It will only help you ward off a subsequent bacterial infection toward the end of the illness. I always have taken vitamins to boost my immune system, but this time it didn't work. On the way back to LA I got and ear infection and an eye infection resulting in another trip to the medical center. My wife also got a sinus infection about the same time. My ear is still not 100% better and I still don't have my voice back. Been a terrible month!

[pris993]

Once we were on the Pacific Princess, returning to San Francisco from Alaska and went thru some stormy weather. In the middle of the night the seal on our balcony door broke and the door began whistling signficantly. My DH is a cabinmaker, so he rigid something for the night to keep the door closed, next morning we reported it and it was fixed in a couple of hours by Princess. They came in and completely changed the weather stripping around the door frame.

 

Likewise, on another cruise, not sure which one, we felt like we were in a sauna, could not cool the cabin down, even with the temperature set at the lowest setting. Reported this as well. When staff came to check it out, it seems whoever had our cabin on an earlier cruise did not like the air conditioning and the cruise line actually put two filters in the air conditioning unit to block the air conditioning completely. After they removed the second filter our cabin was comfortable again.

 

So good to report these problems. Sometimes they can be fixed.

[SkystheLimit]

Anything designed to boost the immune system won't ward off a virus. It will only help you ward off a subsequent bacterial infection toward the end of the illness. I always have taken vitamins to boost my immune system, but this time it didn't work. On the way back to LA I got and ear infection and an eye infection resulting in another trip to the medical center. My wife also got a sinus infection about the same time. My ear is still not 100% better and I still don't have my voice back. Been a terrible month!

 

We have been sick for almost a month with this respiratory illness and we have not been on a cruise or an airplane. It is miserable and seems to be going around and around.

 

I was a flight attendant for 25 years and never dealt with anything like this. So sorry that anyone had to deal this with on vacation.

[jrzebird]

Most everyone seems to be under the impression that OP had a cold. He did say he and his wife were diagnosed with the flu. I just got over it and, much to my surprise, it started out differently than any I've ever had. Like OP, I had a sore throat at first and thought it was a cold or allergies. I even felt better for a day and then got hit hard with the flu. I always thought that the flu hit fast and involved tummy issues. Apparently not. At least not this strain. But, thinking it was a cold, I went out at first and probably infected a lot of people. I can't fault anyone for going about their business when they just feel kind of sick. If I stayed home everytime I felt a bit under the weather, including sore throats, I'd be home 80% of my life. Oh, and I'd had the flu shot about 2 months before I got it.

 

Sorry you had a miserable cruise. And, as for the specialty restaurants, they've been around for quite some time and aren't new at all. Personally, I enjoy the MDR and pretty much eat there.

 

Maureen

[jrzebird]

We have been sick for almost a month with this respiratory illness and we have not been on a cruise or an airplane. It is miserable and seems to be going around and around.

 

I was a flight attendant for 25 years and never dealt with anything like this. So sorry that anyone had to deal this with on vacation.

 

Like you Sky and you Cruz, it took me well over a month to feel better. Every time I thought I was out of the woods, it hit me again. I sing and this Sunday will be the first time since Christmas Eve I'm going to try to sing again. The cough has been so constant and violent that it ruined my vocal chords. And all I did was sleep, one time for 3 days. Very nasty germ, and now they say that there's a new strain of Norovirus. Oh goody. :mad:

[4cats4me]

Like you Sky and you Cruz, it took me well over a month to feel better. Every time I thought I was out of the woods, it hit me again. I sing and this Sunday will be the first time since Christmas Eve I'm going to try to sing again. The cough has been so constant and violent that it ruined my vocal chords. And all I did was sleep, one time for 3 days. Very nasty germ, and now they say that there's a new strain of Norovirus. Oh goody. :mad:

 

Yep, another one here who has been sick for over a month. Not flu but cold. Went to doc week three, said it's sinus infection, as well as nearly everyone I know. I feel so bad for th OP who had the misfortune of traveling during one of the worst cold/ flu outbreaks in recent memory:eek: my family laughs at me when packing my medical kit for cruises. I bring at least two bags of meds which I don't feel that I will be able to get on board, I.e., extra amounts of cough drops, Robitussen, sinus Tylenol meds, allergy meds, Neosporin, dental repair kits for temporary fixes in case a filling falls out falls out, stomach ailment remedies, Vicks v'apor rub, et cet. Never used to travel like this but have learned thru personal experience when you have an incessant tickle in throAt and no cough drops are available at sea because they ran out:eek:

 

Hope you are on the mend, OP. thanks for the review.

[SoBaycruiser]

I want to add my endorsement of bringing along an assortment of medical supplies. Even if you are in port frequently, you may not be able to get what you need. Once during a land portion of a trip in Italy, my husband's back went out. This happens about once a year and he knows he has to hit it with megadoses of ibuprofen for a few days and walk. Well it turned out you can't get more than 12 Ibuprofen without a prescription. 12! Heck I can go to Costco here and get 250. Another time when I was on the river cruise mentioned above, I found that the people in the small towns in Bulgaria along the Danube do not speak English. Trying to buy sudafed or equivalent was almost impossible. Now we always travel with plenty of Sudafed, Immodium, sleep aids, lozenges, and Ibuprofen...as well as normal meds.

[cruzincat50]

Not trying to be nasty, but when you went on your tour in the helo were there other people and did you wear a mask? Evidently you caught your cold from someone who was ill on a plane. Did you take precautions to not do the same? Sometimes we are catching something and don't know we are. The flu for example can be contagious for a couple of days before symptoms really manifest. If you already have symptoms of cold or flu, perhaps it would be good to wear a mask or refrain from being in a small space as in a helicopter.

 

One other couple was in the helo, but at that time I thought it was only a cold, and I had paid dearly for that excursion. If I had a mask I would have worn it, but I didn't have one and to tell you the truth that is something else I never saw for sale on board. By the way, this brings up a problem I had with Princess' web site for excursions. The registration process had a check box if you are over the weight limit, but it never stated what the weight limit was and what the consequences are. I went to several web pages for local helo outfits and saw their limits and charges ($50), but I had no idea who Princess uses. Once I got on board I found out at the excursion desk that it was going to cost me $179 extra. The deadline for cancelling the tour was before I started getting sick. I was under the assumption that I was going to be out about $900 if I cancel due to a cold, and at the time, I didn't know I could get reimbursed if the ship's Dr isolated us in the cabin. We had no clue it was worse than a cold on my part until the next morning.

 

I already felt guilty about that. Thanks for bringing out my guilt again.

[pcsunlover]

I'm sorry that your trip was so disappointing. I hope you give it another try, maybe on a shorter cruise (7days?), before you say that cruising isn't for you. On our very first cruise in 2006 my husband and I both contracted Norovirus in spite of frequent hand washing, disinfecting the room, etc. We missed 2 out of 3 port days and were stuck sick as can be in an inside cabin with one toilet for 3 days. But, we made the best of it and tried to enjoy the remainder of the cruise when we were "set free". We realized that this could just as easily have happened at home. It took a couple of years, but we tried another cruise and it was fantastic! In March we're going on our 6th cruise. After being so sick, we both said never again to inside rooms and now only sail in balcony cabins to keep that fresh air flowing. Unless you absolutely hated everything about cruising (not just because you were ill), you may want to give it another chance. You may be pleasantly surprised!

[Pmorton3360]

I get teased for my emergency packing too. We have all kinds of stuff, including some antibiotics and major pain pills. He is always happy I have just what he needs. And I always say "See" it is worth it to have. I seem to get colds near the end of a trip and after home. I'm going to try some of the things mentioned. Although do Airbourne and lots of hand sanitizer. I read on one board that only "clean hands" work on the Noro. And hand washing.

[lamchops]

Hi There

 

Fully understand the flying thing, can not recall the last time we flew

 

and one of us did not catch something, lucky for us it has been on return

 

flights the past few cruises, but not always,

 

being ill in an inside is not nice,

 

yours Shogun

 

After catching an illness that lasted 3 days on a return trip from a European cruise, we wear surgical masks on our way to our destinations. No masks for the return trips but I can't risk my investment in the vacation.

[Amuse Bouche]

One other couple was in the helo, but at that time I thought it was only a cold, and I had paid dearly for that excursion. If I had a mask I would have worn it, but I didn't have one and to tell you the truth that is something else I never saw for sale on board. By the way, this brings up a problem I had with Princess' web site for excursions. The registration process had a check box if you are over the weight limit, but it never stated what the weight limit was and what the consequences are. I went to several web pages for local helo outfits and saw their limits and charges ($50), but I had no idea who Princess uses. Once I got on board I found out at the excursion desk that it was going to cost me $179 extra. The deadline for cancelling the tour was before I started getting sick. I was under the assumption that I was going to be out about $900 if I cancel due to a cold, and at the time, I didn't know I could get reimbursed if the ship's Dr isolated us in the cabin. We had no clue it was worse than a cold on my part until the next morning.

 

I already felt guilty about that. Thanks for bringing out my guilt again.

 

Don't beat yourself up. 99% of the people you see walking around with a mask are well, and protecting themselves.

One of the downfalls of traveling is when you start feeling a little "off", you don't know if you need to aclimate to a new environment, have an allergy to something, or caught something. And there are lots of times when you run across someone who is definitely ill, like the person on your flight, and you never catch it.

I'm sure there are a LOT, more than would want to admit after the fact, who would have done the same thing.

People who try to walk in another's shoes rarely criticize.

And, I don't think the person who mentioned the mask was calling you out, I'm sure they were just exploring the lessons learned.

[reck]

So sorry you got sick on your cruise. We've had a similar experience in the past so now we coat the inside of our noses with Neosporin prior to planes, trains, buses and ships. It's worked for the past 10 years! YEAH!!!

[Posaune]

Exactly one year ago we were on Ruby Princess and I came down with Noro the second night of the cruise. I was confined to the inside cabin for four days. The medical care was top notch even though the medical staff was overwhelmed. I do know how it feels to be stuck in an inside cabin for an extended period. We did jump right back in and take another cruise in August to make up for the miserable winter cruise.

[remydiva]

I've been lucky enough to avoid needing to seek medical care while on board and I understand the OP has insurance to reimburse his costs but I'm curious....what does Princess charge for a dr visit ?patient ? cabin , the tests to determine H1N1 and the Tamiflu meds.

 

Wondered how it compared to 'back home' costs...

[caribill]

I've been lucky enough to avoid needing to seek medical care while on board and I understand the OP has insurance to reimburse his costs but I'm curious....what does Princess charge for a dr visit ?patient ? cabin , the tests to determine H1N1 and the Tamiflu meds.

 

Wondered how it compared to 'back home' costs...

 

Below is a list from 18 months ago. I suspect overall it is less than on land in the USA.

 

[Pam in CA]

Below is a list from 18 months ago. I suspect overall it is less than on land in the USA.

Note that cruise line and most independent insurances will pay for any medical expenses. If you're on Medicare, nothing on the ship or outside the US is covered. Princess insurance is secondary insurance which means you need to submit the bills first to your medical insurance. Whatever they don't pay (either in whole or in part), the Princess Berkley Care insurance will pay within a couple of weeks of submitting the form.

[cruzincat50]

So sorry you got sick on your cruise. We've had a similar experience in the past so now we coat the inside of our noses with Neosporin prior to planes, trains, buses and ships. It's worked for the past 10 years! YEAH!!!

 

Like I said prior, the Neosporin only protected you from bacterial infections. Had you been exposed to the virus for flu or a cold you would have still contracted it, unless the virus was weak or you had already had the same virus. I think the longer you go without catching a virus, the more likely you are to get one, since you are not building up any immunities. I also use "triple antibiotic ointment" in my nose. Didn't help.

[cruzincat50]

One further note: I do remember feeling a little irritable the day before the physical symptoms arrived. I remember thinking, "Is this trip going to end up with us getting a divorce?" Everything my wife said or did that day was getting on my nerves! I will have to remember that in the future and give her a little slack for 24 hours!

[gelo7]

Thanks for sharing.

[LuvinDisCruiser]

So sorry you got sick on your cruise. We've had a similar experience in the past so now we coat the inside of our noses with Neosporin prior to planes, trains, buses and ships. It's worked for the past 10 years! YEAH!!!

 

Good idea, will try that next time we fly !

[remydiva]

We have been sick for almost a month with this respiratory illness and we have not been on a cruise or an airplane. It is miserable and seems to be going around and around.

 

I was a flight attendant for 25 years and never dealt with anything like this. So sorry that anyone had to deal this with on vacation.

 

We just came back from a 8 day Danube river cruise Dec 29-Jan 5 with 3 other couples. All 8 of us came down with this horrid dreaded 'cold' which starts in the head and travels down and takes up permanent residence in your chest so you cough and cough and cough until you swear you've coughed up half a lung.:eek:

 

We are on Day 23 and just now have managed to sleep through the night cough free. Like other posters, I too travel with a mini medical kit as even OTC drugs back home, aren't always available over seas.

 

The others in our group didn't pack as completely and so were forced to wander through back streets of Bratislava, Slovakia on New Years Day looking for someone who spoke English to help them pick out cold medicine! Luckily the staff on board could translate once they got back on board so they knew how much to take.

 

And now I find out, thanks to Cruise Critic posts on the River Cruising forums, that this bug was on our ship the trip before and never reported nor dealt with.

 

Way to put a damper on our trip (and all the others on board who also got it) as well as the 3 wks since we've been back home. Oh the joys of winter travelling!