Wearing surgical masks when others start coughing on tours

[compozer]

30 cruises and we have never become sick until this year. On our transatlantic this spring, everyone seemed to be coughing. I caught something on day 6 and I was miserable for a week, stayed on the ship in the first port and skipped my prepaid tour. I stayed in our cabin for days and had room service for meals because I did not want to pass it to others. Why can't other people!!!! It lasted for six weeks.

 

We just returned from our Baltic cruise last weekend and would like to ring the neck of the man sitting in front of us for the three hour ride on the ship's shuttle bus to the airport. He constantly coughed the entire ride. We were traveling with two friends and all four of us have it now. This constant coughing makes your head hurt so bad. I imagine the poor bus driver is also sick because the man was in the first seat behind he driver.

 

I have traveled with a pack of surgical masks for years. Never used them. I think it is time to start. Not sure if it would prevent getting sick but I am so tired of being in a van or bus with people hacking.

 

I would like to suggest that tour companies, start requiring sick people who still feel they need to do the tour, to wear masks. Hospitals and clinics requine you to wear them if you are sick.

 

Do you think that would ever fly?

[casofilia]

Yes, please. But I cannot see it happening. Who will police it? The cruise lines are only "agents" for the provider.

[pris993]

bring your own mask, your question just reminded me to pack a couple for airplane flight ... not a bad idea. we usually avoid shuttle buses or group tours... take private taxis, stay to ourselves on ships too, do not use public restrooms any more than neessary... wash our hands constantly.... all help to avoid catching something...

[PatriciaMay]

Hi, Compozer. I had a double lung transplant a year ago, which means I have quite a suppressed immune system. My husband and I sailed with Princess last spring. I wore a mask on all excursions and tenders. I'm very alert regarding sick people, and there were TONS of very unwell people on our British Isles trip. Observationally, I also noted that a lot of people who maybe weren't accustomed to the activity level seemed to get sick faster than others.

 

I picked up a stomach bug on an Irish excursion (which I assume I was especially susceptible to, because no one else became ill), and I quarantined myself until tests came back saying I had nothing contagious. And yet, whenever I wore my mask, I earned stares that seemed to say, "Oh, it's Typhoid Mary!" So maybe that perception will prevent even a mild response from Princess.

 

Personally, I assume the worst in people, which means I also assume the health risks of a cruise. Perhaps the ships could give unwell passengers masks if they don't.

[dforeigner]

Surgical masks are only good for droplets. You will need an N95 mask to be effective against airborne particles. Proper fitting of an N95 mask is a must in order to be effective.

[geoherb]

I came back from our British isles cruise last month with a tickle in my throat. Two days later it was the flu. I see from my roll call that several people were diagnosed with flu on the ship. There was a lot of coughing and hacking on the transfer from the ship to Heathrow.

[txwriter]

Although I understand your concern, I would just like to say not everyone with a hacking cough is contagious. Some have lung problems. Or others have allergies. My mom used to have a cough for years that turned out to be a combination of allergies and a side effect from medicine. We'd go out to eat, and she'd start coughing (often sounded like she was choking she'd cough so hard), and people would stare at me like why wasn't I helping her. But I was so used to it, that I ignored it most of the time.

 

I know there are times when people are coughing because they are sick, but there are also times when they are not.

 

That said, I definitely think being proactive in our own health is a good idea. Masks might be one way, avoiding crowds, antibacterial lotions, washing hands, anything that helps a person stay well. It is an individual decision though.

[compozer]

Pris993, we don't book large tours. Like you, we do 4 person tours or get a taxi to take us around. We stayed in Berlin 4 days pre cruise because of the distance from port - we really wanted to see as much as we could. To get to the ship, we took a taxi to the train station, the train and then another taxi to the ship. It was a nightmare. We booked our train tickets months ahead. All the trains were full when it arrived, everyone had luggage or bikes. We arrived early and waited by the tracks. When the train arrived, all of a sudden there was a mob of people pushing and shoving their way on. It was a three hour ride and we had to stand the first hour. There was no way we wanted to repeat that going to the airport so we booked the Princess shuttle. We always are washing our hands and use Germstar instant hand sanitizer before eating anything.

 

PatriciaMay, we may have been on the same BI cruise. Yes, everyone seemed to have some ailment. And so many don't cover their mouths when they cough. We are really lucky we haven't gotten sick before this. Hope you are doing well with your transplant.

 

Geoherb, ours also started with a tickle in our throats.

 

Dforeigner, I was wondering that. I just looked and my husband has a box of the N95 masks in his shop. I will order more.

 

Not sure who would police a policy of wearing masks. But I have started to speak up when people tick me off. I probably told people the elevator was full more than a dozen times this trip. " we can get two more on" " no we can't". My husband almost got in a fight with a guy who just pushed his way into the elevator.

 

I guess we all need to start speaking up. It is our health and it is no fun to be sick during a cruise or when you get home because someone càme abroad sick. Yes, I know we all plan cruises up to two years before and people don't want to cancel at the last minute. We are getting to be a ME ME society and I am getting sick of it!

[Funkat]

Unfortunately, we had the same experience on our Alaska cruisetour in May. We had a lady in our group that had a horrible cough and infected most of us. Whatever bug she infected us with not only went the course of our trip but also had us sick the first week after our return home. After a costly trip to the dr, we finally shook it. Infuriating to say the least.

[Alaskanb]

Although I understand your concern, I would just like to say not everyone with a hacking cough is contagious. Some have lung problems. Or others have allergies. My mom used to have a cough for years that turned out to be a combination of allergies and a side effect from medicine. We'd go out to eat, and she'd start coughing (often sounded like she was choking she'd cough so hard), and people would stare at me like why wasn't I helping her. But I was so used to it, that I ignored it most of the time.

 

I know there are times when people are coughing because they are sick, but there are also times when they are not.

 

That said, I definitely think being proactive in our own health is a good idea. Masks might be one way, avoiding crowds, antibacterial lotions, washing hands, anything that helps a person stay well. It is an individual decision though.

I am just like your mother -- I always let people around me know I am not infectious but I get awful looks.......:o

[graceswan]

Has anyone had any luck reporting someone to the cruise? I know they ask before we board are we sick. Maybe if we report someone they can make them get a visit with the ship doctor and quarantine them for everyone's safety.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Probably at least 50% of the time when I cruise I end up getting sick shortly afterwards, usually respiratory or very bad cold. I try to stay off the elevators as much as possible as I think they are huge culprits of germ spread. I cringe when people cough or sneeze in them. However with larger ships it is nearly impossible to stay off elevators, walking up stairs for 3 flights or so for me is doable but not ten!

 

 

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[cb at sea]

Can't STAND breathing hot air thru a mask!!!

[Nebr.cruiser]

I'm one of those who often has a dry hacking cough due to allergies--my Dr. assures me that I am not contagious, but I do feel bad for others because I know what they are thinking--heck, I sometimes feel the same way when around coughers.

 

I try my best to control with meds and cough drops, besides doing allergy shots and have tried practically every alternative remedy known to man--thanks Google! but sometimes it still sets in. I do let people know, but it is very tough to control at times.

 

It's terrible right now, probably thanks to ragweed.

[Cruiserkenn]

Wow, Compozer, thanks for your thoughts. I thought I was the only one who doesn't like it when sick coughers come to the theater or come on bus tours.

 

Thanks again.

[compozer]

Has anyone had any luck reporting someone to the cruise? I know they ask before we board are we sick. Maybe if we report someone they can make them get a visit with the ship doctor and quarantine them for everyone's safety.

 

Never thought of that but you would need to follow them to their cabin to the number.

 

Last year we were in the Med and had a wrap around corner aft balcony. The lady in the cabin forward of us constantly coughed while she was on the balcony. She was out there all the time. With the wind blowing her germs back on our balcony, I was very concerned about catching whatever she had. We spend so much time out there and we were getting tired of it. Half the time she stòod at the railing. Two weeks in, I saw hazmat guys enter her cabin. I asked the steward and he said she had been quarantined since she got on board. Great!!!!!

We were kind of ticked that no one told us of her condition although that is probably part of the privacy act and they can't tell anyone. The other question is, are you allowed on your balcony while under quarantine? After finding out about her, we would go inside as soon as she came out.

[DMRick]

Even an allergy cough means when you cough and don't cover, you are coughing out germs. We all carry germs.

 

 

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[sprint180]

If you are worried about getting sick then you need to wear the mask. Others don't care if you get sick. You need to protect you.

[Kinkacruiser]

When you report to the Medical centre with a head cold or flu, the doctor has been known to "scold" you for mingling with fellow passengers and spreading the virus. This is difficult, even impossible to police. Perhaps an alarm or quarantine alert upon disembarking the ship, prior to shore excursions, would have helped with the OP's situation.

[beg3yrs]

Has anyone had any luck reporting someone to the cruise? I know they ask before we board are we sick. Maybe if we report someone they can make them get a visit with the ship doctor and quarantine them for everyone's safety.

 

Now that's opening a can of worms. Yes! Passengers can now be medical informants. However well-intentioned, IMHO there is just too much wrong with this idea.

[neverbeenhere]

How about a piece of paper that must be filled out before going on an excursion? Can anyone guess what the two questions might be on the piece of paper? :evilsmile:

[sprint180]

now that's opening a can of worms. Yes! Passengers can now be medical informants. However well-intentioned, imho there is just too much wrong with this idea.

 

.+1

[Thrak]

I am just like your mother -- I always let people around me know I am not infectious but I get awful looks.......:o

 

My wife suffers from explosive sneezes. She's not sick - she just sneezes. People tend to glare...

 

On the other hand, when I retired last year (YAY!!!) we took a connoisseur cruise tour to Alaska. We were fine and healthy until we boarded the ship for the southbound cruise. The first day there were some folks coughing. By the second day I had it (and stayed in the cabin for all of the third day). By the end of the 7 day cruise I'd guess that 60% or more of the passengers were coughing up a storm. Someone obviously brought it aboard and it spread like wildfire. If only that person had just stayed in their cabin...

[kdowneymd]

I would suggest that if you are concerned about exposure to sick individuals, try to take private transportation rather than ship transports or trains and large group tours. Will it cost you more, perhaps. But you will dramatically reduce your risk of exposure and not miss tours you may have booked.

We have never gotten sick on any of our 12 plus cruises. We always take private transportation and private tours. We don't wear masks, nor excessively use wipes. We do wash our hands frequently. But truly, I believe it is because we do not pose ourselves to large group transport or tours. We only cough on each other. We are two physicians

[GoHuskies!]

I think masks are a good idea, and I am getting a box (20) of them to take on our upcoming cruise. I'm really not paranoid about this, but we are very careful about washing hands--coming home from almost anything where the public is, the supermarket (and the cart handles), restaurants, places where you touch handles, etc. I often find myself in a room where another person is coughing. Last week it was in a dentist's waiting room and a young girl coughed often. So I expect to carry a mask in my pocket and whip it out whenever I am confronted by a cougher, in a line of people, in a bus, in a buffet line, etc. It may not be foolproof but might help.