Off the Dream Sunday - daugher diagnosed with the flu type A on Wed

[Rogillio]

Originally Posted by MND

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope she gets well soon. Otherwise, how was your crusie?

Mike

It was awesome. My daughter slept a lot the last day but other than that, it was a great trip.

[MND]

Originally Posted by Rogillio

It was awesome. My daughter slept a lot the last day but other than that, it was a great trip.

Having a family member get sick on the ship is always my fear. I got sick at a resort once, but I had the brown bottle flu, if you know what I mean. Take care!

Mike

[Rogillio]

Originally Posted by MND

Having a family member get sick on the ship is always my fear. I got sick at a resort once, but I had the brown bottle flu, if you know what I mean. Take care!

Mike

My wife got sick with food poisoning on the next to the last day of our 7 day cruise in 2004. She spend the next 24 hrs 'quarenteened' in the room while the kids and I played at Castaway Cay. She's not a beach person so she was ok with saying in the room and watching movies. She had gone to medical when she got sick and they took a blood sample. She was suprised that the nurse did not use glooves to take the blood. So after the cruise she sent a letter to DCL about this.

We got a letter back and DCL distanced themselves from the blood issue saying the nurses are contractors and they would pass on the info to them, bla, bla, bla. They appologized for the food poisoning (again admitting no liability) and said since we did not have travel insurance they could not refund the cruise.....but they would give us a credit voucher for the cost of her cruise fare. We were 2A/2C in a verandah room on a 7 day cruise in the summer so her credit voucher was for like almost 1/2 the total fare so we got like $3,200 or so! This was enough to completely cover the cost of a 4 day cruise in January!

After that I've teased my wife that she should get sick again so we could get another "free cruise". She said no! :-)

[Capt_BJ]

I got a flu shot back in the fall

and I came down with a zinger of a case of the flu right after Christmas. Still not back to 100%. First time I've been zapped in a long time as I always get the shot ... but this year's strain is a hummdinger.

[Bear3412]

Originally Posted by Rogillio

..... they took a blood sample.....

Did you learn the results? Do you believe DCL stateside knew the results and that may have influenced their willingness to refund? Were others poisoned too?

Can you say interrogation?

[Rogillio]

Originally Posted by Bear3412

Did you learn the results? Do you believe DCL stateside knew the results and that may have influenced their willingness to refund? Were others poisoned too?

Can you say interrogation?

IDK if we got results or if DCL got results. I hadn't thought that the results might confirm food poisoning but you may be right. It was on lobster night and she had the lobster....but so did the rest of us. I have always thought it was hush money for the poor medical practice of not wearing gloves. My wife's sister is a nurse and she too was suprised that a nurse would take blood w/o gloves.

[jmarsh]

I have a friend that swears by drinking two 8oz glasses of 100% grape juice two weeks before any vacation will help with not getting the flu. She swears by it and made me promise that my DD10 and I would both do it before we go on our cruise in May. I did promise and have done some research on it and supposedly it really does work. So I am going to stock up on the grape juice for the both of us and hope for the best. It is not something you do after you start to feel sick but is a preventative measure to combating getting the flu.

[barbarasc]

sorry to hear the family is sick it seems to be the "year of the flu" yuck!

A few years ago we were on the Magic (7ngt) and on the 5th day my daughter got sick, the 6th day my husband got sick and the 7th day I got sick. As soon as my daughter was sick we call guest services and report her sick and asked if anyone else was report ill "NO" they said, when my husband got sick I called again....anyone on the ship sick again we got a "No". Really no one else, "no no one is sick with stomach issues". Well we assumed we all had the dreaded Norwalk Virus that we picked up while on the ship. The ship never required us to see the doctors on board, nor did they request that we stay in the cabin (we did becuase we were so sick). I felt like DCL handled this like Don't Ask Don't tell sort of thing which disappointed me a great deal.

[woody73]

Originally Posted by barbarasc

. . . Well we assumed we all had the dreaded Norwalk Virus that we picked up while on the ship. The ship never required us to see the doctors on board, nor did they request that we stay in the cabin (we did becuase we were so sick). I felt like DCL handled this like Don't Ask Don't tell sort of thing which disappointed me a great deal.

DCL routinely discourages its guests having Norovirus symptoms from seeing the ship's doctor. If the ship's doctor sees a certain percentage of guests (5%?) with such symptoms, he or she is required to report it to the CDC.

Woody

[barbarasc]

Originally Posted by woody73

DCL routinely discourages its guests having Norovirus symptoms from seeing the ship's doctor. If the ship's doctor sees a certain percentage of guests (5%?) with such symptoms, he or she is required to report it to the CDC.

Woody

Yep.....we figured that's why they did not care if we saw the doctor or not. I thought it sad that they were willing brush that sort of sickness under the rug at the risk of others getting that AWFUL AWFUL sickness. They didn't even suggest that we stay in our cabin and away from the self serve food. I can say that I don't think we have every been that sick! YUCK!

[lanejudy]

Originally Posted by barbarasc

... The ship never required us to see the doctors on board, nor did they request that we stay in the cabin (we did becuase we were so sick). ...

Guest Services would never request that you stay in your cabin under quarantine, such order would come from the ship's doctor. Also, since cast members at Guest Services are not medically trained, they would likely expect an adult in any party to be mature enough to determine whether a member of that party should see a doctor. They also may not refer passengers to the medical office because there is added expense to the guest, it's not a free service. If a member of my family was ill and I wasn't sure if he/she should see a doctor, I would call the medical office and ask - just like I'd call the doctor's office at home and ask. Keep in mind that the medical office has a vested interest in billing for patients seen. I also believe it's the ship's doctor who maintains records about how many passengers reported certain symptoms, not the Guest Services desk; DCL certain receives the info, but not necessarily the Guest Services desk unless there has been an outbreak determined. While it may sound like a lot to say 100 people were sick, that's a small percentage of the population onboard a full ship.

If you called Guest Services and asked "I am sick, how do I get seen by a doctor onboard?" and it was shrugged off, then I'd agree DCL was avoiding the issue.

[kriswin1]

yes i know antibiotics do not work on viral flu but tamiflu does. antibiotics would be for the secondary infection, like pneumonia, which is when it really gets dangerous for the flu.

[Rogillio]

Originally Posted by woody73

DCL routinely discourages its guests having Norovirus symptoms from seeing the ship's doctor. If the ship's doctor sees a certain percentage of guests (5%?) with such symptoms, he or she is required to report it to the CDC.

Woody

That is a very serious accusation. What do you base your assertion that DCL, "Routinely discourages guest with symptoms from seeing the doctor"? Do you really have some insight into DCL's medical records? Please cite your source for this.

[meajuly5]

My nephew went to ship dr with upset stomach, vomiting and fever. He was quarantined in cabin for 24 hours after fever broke. 4 day cruise. No cruise credit etc but then we didnt expect one. Not sure hoe strictly they enforce bc other family members could come and go but he abided because he was I'll and didn't want to get anyone else I'll.

[lanejudy]

Originally Posted by meajuly5

My nephew went to ship dr with upset stomach, vomiting and fever. He was quarantined in cabin for 24 hours after fever broke. 4 day cruise. No cruise credit etc but then we didnt expect one. Not sure hoe strictly they enforce bc other family members could come and go but he abided because he was I'll and didn't want to get anyone else I'll.

It is my understanding that the stateroom host is tasked with reporting if a quarantined guest leaves the stateroom. I've also heard that while they don't offer any credit, they do try their best to keep you comfortable and happy - they'll bring requested food/drink, toys and games for kids, etc.