Turned Away at Boarding

[Tampa Girl]

I thought that I had posted this question yesterday but can't find it, so I apologize if I have just missed it and am repeating myself. Someone mentioned taking Airborne shortly before flying. What is "Airborne"

[sail7seas]

Airborne is literally a dietary supplement that some claim protect them from contracting colds/flus while traveling particularly in airplanes and the closed environment of ships. Many don't think it does any good at all.

 

No one I know of contends that it provides any protection against noro type viruses. It's use is more for protection against respitory illness.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

It was invented by a teacher who had a lot of students who constantly had colds - URI.

 

We fly a lot - have never taken it.

[bUU]

If it were up to me, and it certainly isn't, I'd offer a full refund including all travel expenses to anyone who was willing to fill out the health questionaire honestly.

How can you tell they're being honest? Generosity here could readily be abused into, basically, free travel insurance, especially if it isn't a big deal to get to the port (such as if you live in the city of the port of embarkation).

 

In the end, this really pushes for a shared responsibility between cruise line and passenger. The cruise line denies passage and refunds the cruise fare minus some expenses perhaps, and the passenger covers the rest of the expenses/losses.

[ortrud]

I have one friend who just takes one tablet every morning while traveling. I have no idea whether that is safe or effective.

 

MERCEDMIKE, I HAVE IBS SYNDROM, SO WHEN I AM TRAVELING I ALSO TAKE AN IMMODEUM EVERYDAY, MY DR. TOLD ME IT IS PERFECTLY SAFE AND I GET NO SURPRISES.

[arzz]

It is good that HAL medical personnel will provide a letter stating that the passenger was denied boarding by them. That may, however, not be enough for some insurance carriers -- assuming that the carrier will provide coverage for this circumstance in the first place.

 

I recently had to cancel a cruise 24 hours before we were to travel and a letter from the doctor would not have been enough -- the instructions from my insurer required that the doctor fill out and sign the insurance company's own claim form -- in fact they specifically stated that a letter would not be accepted. A completed claim form, I imagine, would be hard to get from HAL as their doctors are either at sea or only travel for short periods. I am not sure that you could catch up with one of them after the fact to get the paper work certified.

[jtl513]

I thought that I had posted this question yesterday but can't find it, so I apologize if I have just missed it and am repeating myself. Someone mentioned taking Airborne shortly before flying. What is "Airborne"

See AIRBORNE. My DW bought some. She took it a few times before a cruise. I didn't like the taste, and only tried it once. Neither of us got a cold. Nothing proven by us!

[gooselace]

May be a dumb question, but is there no accurate test for the Norvo Virus? Don't like to think about it, but would a fecal swab test distinguish a virus from IBS, for example.

 

My DH is diabetic and an excess of sugar alcohols in some sugarfree treats can cause diarrhea for which he carries Immodium. He never cruises with me, but if he did, would he have to disclose a recent episode this on the health form, even though he has not been "sick" as usually defined?

[RuthC]

May be a dumb question, but is there no accurate test for the Norvo Virus? Don't like to think about it, but would a fecal swab test distinguish a virus from IBS, for example.

I believe there is such a test, but it's not like testing sugar levels with a test strip. By the time you'd get the results back from the lab you are all better.

[sail7seas]

.....and the ship has sailed. ;)

 

[gooselace]

.....and the ship has sailed. ;)

 

 

But would it sail without my DH if he admitted to having a case of presumably manitol-induced diarrhea the night before embarkation?

[sail7seas]

I wish I could answser Gooselace but I simply don't know.

 

What would it take to convince the medical personnel it isn't Noro?

I certainly understand the position the honest one among us would be in and I absolutely understand the cruise ship's perspective.

 

[RuthC]

But would it sail without my DH if he admitted to having a case of presumably manitol-induced diarrhea the night before embarkation?

Take no chances! Don't let DH anywhere near any sugar-free candy for a few days before sailing.

I would bet that if he were to eat too much of that candy, and told the nurse what he had done---telling the number of pieces---he would be let on. But why risk it.

[sail7seas]

:) Sounds like good advice to me.

[gooselace]

Take no chances! Don't let DH anywhere near any sugar-free candy for a few days before sailing.

 

I would bet that if he were to eat too much of that candy, and told the nurse what he had done---telling the number of pieces---he would be let on. But why risk it.

 

Good advice - but hard to enforce. Like taking away your chocolate:D

Of course, at this point it's hypothetical. Guess I was just worried that I'd finally get him to agree to go on a cruise and have him be denied boarding. So far, my cruisin' buddy and I haven't had any problems.

[shotei]

Here’s my story. Nothing hypothetical; it really happened.

 

10 of us, my parents, my brother and his family, me and my family were booked on the Zaandam June 20 for a 7 day Alaska cruise. I was struggling for about a month with a cut on my toe which had gotten infected and was resisting antibiotics. The date of the cruise was getting close, so I went to the doctor the third time and got my third antibiotic along with (finally) a culture of the infection. We got to Vancouver a couple of days early, and I got some cramping and diarrhea from the third antibiotic. That resulted in a fourth doctor visit in Vancouver on Tuesday morning, the day before the cruise. The Vancouver doc immediately took me off of the third antibiotic and after reviewing the culture report, prescribed the fourth (and finally the correct) antibiotic. The diarrhea and cramping stopped, and everything was cool, so I thought.

 

The questionnaire asked if I had experienced diarrhea and/or cramping in the last 48 hours. It had been about 30 hours, and I answered honestly. We got pulled aside to another area of the terminal and then were visited by the crew doctor. I explained my situation, showed her all 4 bottles of antibiotic pills and a copy of the faxed culture report. It was all very clearly spelled out. Unfortunately, the doctor felt it was more important to cover her butt that day. I was denied boarding. Even though I had a documented explanation, she told me that we couldn’t prove that I didn’t have the norovirus. She said that if she allowed me to board, she could lose her job.

 

The person in charge of the Vancouver terminal operations came and we had a talk. She explained that it was out of her hands. They could refund my cruise expenses or I could, at my own expense, go to Juneau and re-join the cruise. Since there were 9 others in our group, that’s what I decided to do.

 

The Vancouver terminal people were very apologetic, and then proceeded to go way out of their way to take care of me. I think that everyone knew that this was bullsh*t. Even though, according to HAL’s policies, they weren’t obligated to do so, they paid for everything, including:

- my taxi to the airport

- my flight to Seattle and then to Juneau

- ground transfer from the airport in Juneau to the Baranoff hotel

- 2 nights at the hotel

- $170.00 of on board credit to cover any out of pocket expenses

- A bottle of champagne in our stateroom when I rejoined the cruise

They did their best to take care of me, and I appreciate that. However, I’m still upset about it, because I missed 2 days of a family reunion and it shouldn’t have happened.

 

To me, the inflexibility shown by the doctor was unacceptable. In the face of such inflexibility, the only reasonable thing for a person in my position to do is to lie. The doctor was more concerned about covering her butt than about anything else.

 

I found it truly ironic that when I boarded in Juneau, along with about 12 others, no one was asked to fill out the health issues questionnaire. Could it be that the procedures only call for that to be done in Vancouver? If HAL is concerned about the norovirus, how can they justify that omission?

 

Through my work, I’m used to dealing with corporate idiocy. I know how that works. I also know that when faced with such nonsense, the only rational thing to do about it is to figure out a way around it. A few people on board the Zaandam, when hearing my story, thanked me for being honest. But the GREAT MAJORITY of people told me that I should have lied. The next time I will, and so will lots of other people. The burden of that unfortunate circumstance is, in my opinion, completely the blame of HAL’s corporate idiocy.

 

Marc

[Krazy Kruizers]

shotei

 

What an experience. Sorry that you had to miss 2 days of your 7 day Alaskan cruise because you were honest.

 

Thanks for telling us your story.

[sail7seas]

Groan...... I am so sorry that happened to you. Certainly hope the time you had with your family was wonderful and made the unpleasant part worth it.

 

Thank you for sharing about your experience.

 

Hope the toe is completely healed. :)

 

[happy cruzer]

Marc, thank you for sharing. I too agree about the Corporate idiocy. the part I find idiotic - It was ok for you to fly and stay at hotels at HAL's expense and possiblity give Noro (I mean that's why they don't want you on the ship) to other travelers all over the place. I would think it could be proven that you did have Noro and gave it to folks on the flights then HAL would be held responsible. duhhhh. I think they could have possibly inflicted much more damage on the public and themselves with the decision to make you board in Juneau. Just goes to show how mindless following of policies can result in strange things....

 

again thanks for sharing. fyi DH had a kidney stone on his last cruise with no diarrhea or fever but we were afraid to go see the doc to get pain meds, he used some non prescription ones and muddled though somehow so yea I understand trying to workaround the "policies" can be painful.