Getting Sick on a Cruise

[Colonel Retire]

My wife and I are both senior citizens and went on our first cruise in 40 years on NCL to celebrate our retirement. They put us in a room where the air conditioning was blowing on our face while we were there in the room and sleeping. We mentioned it to get services and they chose to ignore it at least not do anything about it and by the second day, my wife and I were both sick to the point that we didn’t want to do anything except for lay in bed, we did complain several times to the guest services, but they did not do anything after about 45 days that we decided to go to the ship medical services and they provide some type of services but it didn’t seem to help any. We continue to be sick for the rest of the trip and actually had to , cancel our flight back at the end because we did feel comfortable flying back in a crowded plane. We were hacking and just sick as you could be. My wife basically stayed inside most of the time we went out with her to see if getting some fresh air, whatever would do well, but after a couple hours of being out, we decided that you know fresh wasn’t doing us any good and we went back to the ship and again spent the rest of the time in our  Room we didn’t enjoy the food and we didn’t mingle because we felt we might make somebody else sick and it was basically poor example of cruise for us. We complain to Norwegian Cruise Lines when we return home and did not hear anything back from them so apparently once they’ve secured their payment, the health or the  of the cruise by the customer is not a consideration that they would do something three people maybe someone else was sick but you don’t do to ensure that we did get some enjoyment you would expect them to compensate us for the canceled plane which we then have to pay for ourselves and at least provide us with some type of  Compensation to go on a second cruise I wouldn’t go on a cruise and pay $6000 again with the option that you know we’re going to get sick again but they could do something for us and again they’ve basically ignored us 

[yakcruiser]

If NCL gave money back to everyone who says they got sick onboard they would be out of business shortly.

[zqvol]

5 hours ago, Colonel Retire said:

My wife and I are both senior citizens and went on our first cruise in 40 years on NCL to celebrate our retirement. They put us in a room where the air conditioning was blowing on our face while we were there in the room and sleeping. We mentioned it to get services and they chose to ignore it at least not do anything about it and by the second day, my wife and I were both sick to the point that we didn’t want to do anything except for lay in bed, we did complain several times to the guest services, but they did not do anything after about 45 days that we decided to go to the ship medical services and they provide some type of services but it didn’t seem to help any. We continue to be sick for the rest of the trip and actually had to , cancel our flight back at the end because we did feel comfortable flying back in a crowded plane. We were hacking and just sick as you could be. My wife basically stayed inside most of the time we went out with her to see if getting some fresh air, whatever would do well, but after a couple hours of being out, we decided that you know fresh wasn’t doing us any good and we went back to the ship and again spent the rest of the time in our  Room we didn’t enjoy the food and we didn’t mingle because we felt we might make somebody else sick and it was basically poor example of cruise for us. We complain to Norwegian Cruise Lines when we return home and did not hear anything back from them so apparently once they’ve secured their payment, the health or the  of the cruise by the customer is not a consideration that they would do something three people maybe someone else was sick but you don’t do to ensure that we did get some enjoyment you would expect them to compensate us for the canceled plane which we then have to pay for ourselves and at least provide us with some type of  Compensation to go on a second cruise I wouldn’t go on a cruise and pay $6000 again with the option that you know we’re going to get sick again but they could do something for us and again they’ve basically ignored us 

You don’t get sick from air conditioning, that’s and old wives tale.

[julig22]

51 minutes ago, zqvol said:

You don’t get sick from air conditioning, that’s and old wives tale.

True. And not that I've ever had the AC blowing on my face on a cruiseship... But if it was bothering me I'd just change directions and sleep with the AC blowing on my feet.

[graphicguy]

In all frankness, the thermostat is simple to operate.  It’s up or down.  Up for warm, down for cool.  Too late now, but just info you might find useful.

 

You really don’t need a service tech to operate it.

 

I don’t know what more a cruise tech could do that would make it any easier to operate!

[Laszlo]

16 hours ago, Colonel Retire said:

My wife and I are both senior citizens and went on our first cruise in 40 years on NCL to celebrate our retirement. They put us in a room where the air conditioning was blowing on our face while we were there in the room and sleeping. We mentioned it to get services and they chose to ignore it at least not do anything about it and by the second day, my wife and I were both sick to the point that we didn’t want to do anything except for lay in bed, we did complain several times to the guest services, but they did not do anything after about 45 days that we decided to go to the ship medical services and they provide some type of services but it didn’t seem to help any. We continue to be sick for the rest of the trip and actually had to , cancel our flight back at the end because we did feel comfortable flying back in a crowded plane. We were hacking and just sick as you could be. My wife basically stayed inside most of the time we went out with her to see if getting some fresh air, whatever would do well, but after a couple hours of being out, we decided that you know fresh wasn’t doing us any good and we went back to the ship and again spent the rest of the time in our  Room we didn’t enjoy the food and we didn’t mingle because we felt we might make somebody else sick and it was basically poor example of cruise for us. We complain to Norwegian Cruise Lines when we return home and did not hear anything back from them so apparently once they’ve secured their payment, the health or the  of the cruise by the customer is not a consideration that they would do something three people maybe someone else was sick but you don’t do to ensure that we did get some enjoyment you would expect them to compensate us for the canceled plane which we then have to pay for ourselves and at least provide us with some type of  Compensation to go on a second cruise I wouldn’t go on a cruise and pay $6000 again with the option that you know we’re going to get sick again but they could do something for us and again they’ve basically ignored us 

You were sick....... suck it up neither NCL or any other cruise line or for that matter any other resort is going to give you any compensation for having a cold. It sucks getting sick while on vacation but it is what it is.

[ggTexasGal]

It seems that some self-responsibility was sadly lacking during OP's cruise.

1) Did OP and spouse fly to cruise embarkation location, and stay at a hotel/hostel, etc., where they might have actually picked-up whatever ailed them?

2) OP and spouse could have asked to have bed(s) made-up so fan was NOT blowing on their faces.

3) Why not turn-off the A/C so the air was not blowing on their faces all night?

 

[bluesea777]

Which ship and what cruise(s) and when?

 

I don’t we’ll ever find out unless the OP returns.

 

 

[Markanddonna]

I can sympathize with the OP. My DH has had his share of illnesses picked up onboard the ship. What they didn't mention was trip/health insurance. Now that we are older and wiser, this is essential. 

 

That said, we carry a "little pharmacy" with us and self-medicate and isolate until our better judgment tells us it is time to go visit the medical center. Our doctor also prescribes the protocol to start when my DH has a bronchial infection (he has COPD.) We have used the doctors onobard twice, one time extensively, and they always responded with kindness and an accurate diagnosis and treatment.  

 

We have learned that the possibility of getting sick on a cruise is quite high for us. However, in the past ten years, the ONLY times we have been ill was in the mid- to later days of a cruise. Picked up COVID twice (the only time we had COVID) by the end of a long cruise. However, we also realize that we would rather "risk" getting ill to staying home and not traveling. On the other hand, we are now leaning more toward just flying to a European destination and taking public transportation to where we want to go. We seem to stay healthy on those sorts of trips, despite flying across the Atlantic. 

 

Trip insurance, while used only once, was really important for a TA cruise a few years ago. My husband had to have the European equivalent of Paxlovid and became quite ill. The travel insurance company paid for all the medical care and the airline supplement (the difference between the current fare and the one we paid for) to fly home early, which was on a European doctor's advice. 

 

[RocketMan275]

24 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

I can sympathize with the OP. My DH has had his share of illnesses picked up onboard the ship. What they didn't mention was trip/health insurance. Now that we are older and wiser, this is essential. 

 

 

OP lists his name as Colonel Retire.  If in fact, OP is a retired Colonel, he should have Tricare for Life with World Wide Coverage.  Many military retirees live overseas so TFL provides world wide coverage.  Note: I know medicare doesn't but TFL is not medicare.

[BirdTravels]

If you are sick on the 2nd day of the cruise, you likely came onboard with the illness (and likely knew that you were not feeling well when you boarded).

 

I will assume that they went to the Medical Center on Day 4 (or 5) not day 45. The OP commented that the Medical Center did not "help". I am old and end up in a cruise ship medical center about once a year for some reason or another and cruise ship doctors are very risk adverse (both for the patients and the protection of the rest of the ship). If the OP had anything more than the sniffles, we would have had a rant about the cost of the medical services. And the fact that they were quarantined to their room. None of that in the discussion.