Skin Rashes on Labadee???

[old bag]

It has been 10 years since I've been to Labadee ... but I remember hearing people talk about picking up a rash on the ship.

 

Funny the things one remembers.

 

I don't recall it being a major problem.

[debdingdong]

yes, i went to labadee also, first. i am still scratching the bites. my bites were mostly on the stomach, arms, breasts. i had a one piece bathing suit on. i also remember having a rash the last time i came. i also swam most of the day on the ship side. i had my stateroom attendant have them check my mattress for bed bugs or other things. negative. last year instead of having what looks like red bug (chiggers) bites, i had an oblong raised beat red itchy rash. had three of them on different parts of body. took four months for them to totally go away. i swam on the other side last year.:(

[chengkp75]

We both ended up with this rash on our lower legs, dont really know from what but the ac was dripping onto our bed, or maybe detergent or shomewhere walking ouround town, who kows it didnt hurt but was a bit

wierd.

 

There was another thread about this, I think in the Aus/NZ forum. If you google "golfers vasculitis", you will probably find your symptoms there. Most dermatologists don't know about it, and it doesn't hurt or itch, and will go away in a few days. It is caused by walking a lot in hot environments.

[bmarchal]

One time when we were at Labadee we came into contact with fire coral, which grows prolifically there. It caused a sever burning rash and the medical team sprayed the affected area with balsamic vinegar. That took care of it pretty fast.

 

Also, the rash on the ankles that someone posted pictures of, looks a lot like what my husband used to get. We finally figured out that it was caused by walking too hard in extreme heat and not drinking enough water to keep hydrated. Now I just keep after him to drink a lot and we take cool down breaks and he isn't bothered by it any more.

Edited October 21, 2014 by bmarchal

[Aquahound]

My guess is upside down jellyfish. They lay on the bottom, upside down, and they look like round plants. When you swim near them, the turbulance causes them to release a mucus that effects everyone differently. My wife feels the stings right away and she breaks out all over. I don't ever feel the stings unless the mucus hits my face, but sometimes get rashes around my ankles from where I kicked them up.

 

I guess this because these jellyfish are most common near shore in warm waters, like on sea grass beds. Their stings are often confused for sea lice bites.

Edited October 21, 2014 by Aquahound

[BillOh]

I perhaps should add that she has never had this type of problem at any other time, so unless sand fleas or mites are only found there that isn't likley the cause. Of course I suppose it COULD be a certain variety they have there. I dunno.

 

We haven't been back to Labadee since 2008, but for the first time my wife had a similar situation and it started a couple of hours after our stop at Maho beach in St Martin. It was our first stop of the cruise. Calamine lotion seemed to calm it down quite a bit. 10 cruises, this was a first. There were 4 of us hanging out together all morning when it happened to her.

[FLACRUISER99]

April fools? See date on OP's post!

April 1, 2009

Edited October 21, 2014 by FLACRUISER99

[cruzinlady1947]

Why am I itching all of a sudden.......:eek: And I am no where near the ocean.:p;)

 

 

Gwen :)

[AlanFromFL]

Noseeums?

[purescottish]

yep I have had this rash on 4 of my cruises, hubby and daughter have been fine but I only get it on my arms, when the blisters burst they leave little white scars which look weird with a suntan, doc said it was sand mites last time I got it checked, I got it in Labadee and Coco Cay but we sit beside trees for some shade, so maybe that is something to do with it

 

wendy

x

[Loralie]

I will be in Labadee for the first time in June...now I'm nervous :eek:

 

Loralie

[BND]

I will be in Labadee for the first time in June...now I'm nervous :eek:

 

Loralie

 

I've been there 5 times and never had this happen, and we go in the water.

[ccletzgo]

I get sun poisoning whenever I go to the beach, especially the caribbean. The sun is too intense and it creates a bumpy rash and itchy blisters. And it does get worse with each exposure.

There is really nothing to do but lather on the sun block.

 

 

I suffer from this condition and the older I get the worse it is.. no matter the location, I can plan on the rash developing on about the 3d to 4th day in the sun. I now take a prescription of prednisone on vacation with me and take it the second night in to keep the rash at bay. It works and makes my vacation so much more enjoyable without the sting of that sun rash..

[Arzeena]

Anyone ever have a problem with skin rashes after visiting Labadee?

Let me explain. We have cruised with RCI 3 times and stopped at Labadee each time. Every time we have cruised my wife ends up with a rash on her arms and legs, small itchy blisters that if broken actually scar. They have gotten progressively worse with each cruise we have taken.

The reason we thought about Labadee was that she got them during the cruise the first time and Labadee was the first stop. She got them at the end the second cruise and Labadee was the last stop. This time at the start and Labadee was the first stop again.

We thought maybe it was detergent RCI uses in the sheets but figured they wouldn't likely use the same stuff over that length of time and it doesn't explain that she gets the rash after Labadee.

We ruled out suntan lotion because she has been using it on her stomach for the past two weeks since we've returned and no reaction.

We thought maybe there was some particular plant there she might be sensitive to, or perhaps an insecticide they use there. I dunno.

Anyway, we took Benadryl with us so she took that and it relieved the itching, but not the outbreak itself.

No big deal really, just wondering what she would be allegic to. Anyone else ever had that problem?

 

I heard about it from a couple who shared the dinner table with us once. They thought it was sand fleas.

It also sounds like water lice.....teeny tiny baby jelly fish.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I heard about it from a couple who shared the dinner table with us once. They thought it was sand fleas.

It also sounds like water lice.....teeny tiny baby jelly fish.

 

That's my guess too...jelly fish spores. We have them in Florida's ocean waters certain times of the year. The rash can look a little like measles and itch like crazy. The spores can be so pervasive that life guards fly a special color flag when the spores are especially prevalent to warn swimmers.

 

The thing I don't understand is why only your wife gets this rash.

[TADCruise]

[quote name='FLACRUISER99']April fools? See date on OP's post!
[COLOR="Red"]April 1, 2009[/COLOR][/QUOTE]


Lol! Good catch. I was beginning to get concerned since we have a Western Caribbean cruise on Oasis coming up in May. We sailed this same itinerary on Allure back in 2012 and we did not experience any problems.



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[KimBean]

Yes! I was in Labadee on Christmas 2018. My family of six all visited the port, but I was the only one who spent any amount of time in the water. I was also the only one to get a rash. I brought my snorkel and the first thing I noticed is that there was NO life whatsoever in the water. I could not find a single plant, insect or animal, except for 1” sprigs of algae. The beach was surprisingly free of insects and we only spotted one species of bird, and one stray dog. After I returned to the ship, The Oaisis of The Seas, I started developing a rash on both legs, then in the middle of the night my throat started to close up and I went to the ER where they gave me a shot of Benadryl. The allergic reaction lessened, but the rash did not clear up for several days. I have allergy testing scheduled later this month, in case I have developed a new shellfish allergy, but my instinct is that I was having an allergic reaction to a chemical that the resort sprays on the beach and treats the shore with. I’m looking for any evidence of chemical use, but the greatest evidence is the total lack of plant, insect and animal life in the water. I will also admit that I drank quite a lot after the day on the beach, so I might have gotten the rash due to the overload of chemicals filtering through my body. This MIGHT explain why some people have reactions and others don’t. ???All just a guess??? My advise is skip the beach of Labadee and enjoy Cozumel. Money Bar in Cozumel has excellent food AND lots of awe-inspiring tropical fish. Best of all it’s free to enter. 

Edited January 13, 2019 by KimBean
Added I

[neverbeenhere]

The only cure... mas Tequila! 

[Big_G]

This is gonna be doozy.

Edited January 13, 2019 by Big_G

[bilyclub]

As a wise man on here says:  Welcome to Cruise Critic. 

I wish they would kill the sand fleas too.

Edited January 13, 2019 by bilyclub
add

[KimBean]

Interesting thought. I might be allergic to sand fleas👍I was also the only family member to walk the entire length of the beach and wander around gardens to take pictures of flowers. The rash was isolated to my feet, ankles and calves. 

Edited January 13, 2019 by KimBean
Added

[KimBean]

 

[Coralc]

12 minutes ago, KimBean said:

Interesting thought. I might be allergic to sand fleas👍I was also the only family member to walk the entire length of the beach and wander around gardens to take pictures of flowers. The rash was isolated to my feet, ankles and calves. 

They are biting midges. They are now prevalent all over the Caribbean, blown around by hurricanes. You were probably bitten in the garden, although they bite on the beach too. Nasty feet and ankle biters, and the bites take hours to show up and start itching.  Link:

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/aquatic/biting_midges.htm

 

 

[KimBean]

My rash did not have bumps that would indicate bites. It was just swollen and red. It looked like a sunburn, but the skin was not burned. I used Mineral SPF 50 water resistant sunscreen. The ER doctors assumed it was a food allergy, but no one discussed a chemical allergy. I have had allergic reactions to certain essential oils in soaps with a similar effect. I’ve also had a severe chemical burn type of reaction to Geranium scented Meyers hand soap. 

[KimBean]

is interesting that the Oasis voyage immediately after ours was cut short after 300+ people were sickened in Labadee. They claim it is Norovirus, but I’m not so sure.