Are people honest on the health questionnaire?

[mom2brooke76]

I always have been and plan on being so in the future. Just curious what others have/would do if the had a person in their party with any of the symptoms listed.

 

[lovethedream]

This is an excelent question. What happens if you do say yes to one of the questions? On our very recent cruise, I believe it said that if you answered yes to any of the questions, then they would have you evaluated by a health professional. (I am paraphrasing big time here as I remember reading it and answering no to all questions and then boarding, so if anybody has better wording or remembers differently, please say so. Do the questions differ from port to port? We did not sail DCL or out of Port Canaveral on this paricular cruise.) So what happens after the evaluation by the health professional? What happens if they do deny you boarding due to whatever? Does that fall back on travel insurance?

 

[Selket]

You'll have to refresh my memory as to some of the questions you are referring to.

I know for our other Disney cruises I had to send in the medical form for my son - is this the same form you are talking about? He has type 1 diabetes, food allergies, asthma, etc. I had to get a doctor to sign a form that he was "fit for travel" and send it to them. We had no problems.

 

[GoofyCrazy]

I read a TR a few years ago where a family encountered a problem. They were at check in at the terminal and the woman checking them in asked if anyone had vomited in the past 48 hours. The mother answered yes. Their 7 year old had gotten car sick on the ride just from excitement. They denied them clearance to board. They wouldn't let them move their money to another cruise or claim it on their trip insurance.

I would be very careful how I answered questions. I'm not saying lie. I'm just saying think before you answer anything.

 

[Gigi22]

We are absolutely honest. We do not want to carry a virus onboard ship with us, nor do we wish to be on a ship where someone has lied on the pre-trip medical form and brought a virus with them.
FYI, if you develop something while onboard ship, be prepared to be confined to your cabin in order to prevent spreading the illness to others.

 

[design_mom]

We have never cruised before. What kind of questions are on the health questionnaire?

 

[Gigi22]

The questionnaire is quite short. There are only 3 or 4 questions at most. You check off a box in either the Yes or No column for each question. You also have to sign the form--not sure if it requires you to put your cabin number on it or not. The forms have to be presented, along with your i.d. and your payment form, to the DCL staff member doing checkin for the cruise.
Basically the form asks if you (or someone in your party) have experienced any of a short list of symptoms during the past 48 hrs. If you check off a box in the Yes column, DCL will have one of their medical staff see you before you are allowed to board.

 

[jdb in AZ]

One of the questions asks if someone in your group has had diarrhea in the past 24 hrs. If a family member has IBS and has frequent "issues" from eating something that doesn't agree with him/her, it certainly isn't contagious, so why does the ship's medical team need to know about it?

 

[makaylee]

I read a TR a few years ago where a family encountered a problem. They were at check in at the terminal and the woman checking them in asked if anyone had vomited in the past 48 hours. The mother answered yes. Their 7 year old had gotten car sick on the ride just from excitement. They denied them clearance to board. They wouldn't let them move their money to another cruise or claim it on their trip insurance.

I would be very careful how I answered questions. I'm not saying lie. I'm just saying think before you answer anything.

Why were they not able to claim it on their trip insurance?

 

[socababy]

I'll admit that I did lie on the form. Dd had a fever less than 3 days before we boarded the boat. She had the cold/flu (non vomiting) and I wasn't feeling that great when we boarded but did not have a fever yet but I knew it was coming. I'm sure if I was honest, I would not have been able to board. Once the fever hit, I did confine myself to my room for almost 48 hours and I did the same when ds got it a few days later. My Dh , my kids father, passed away a little over 2 years ago. They have had enough disappointment to last a lifetime and I will always try to avoid any more diasppointment for them. They had been looking forward to this trip since last June and were very excited.

This time of year it is inevitable to have a germ free ship. Almost everywhere we turned last week someone was coughing. I do give Disney props for always trying to de-germ public areas. Hand wipes are given before entering any food area and the kids are to wash their hands immediately upon entering the kids area. When I was in the Kids club I always saw people cleaning.

 

[Selket]

Basically the form asks if you (or someone in your party) have experienced any of a short list of symptoms during the past 48 hrs. If you check off a box in the Yes column, DCL will have one of their medical staff see you before you are allowed to board.

Ok...that is a different form than the health form we had to fill out before sailing for my son with chronic health issues. Fortunately we've not had any illnesses shortly before boarding the ship!

I think asking this question is going to raise a debate. Should you lie? No. Can you see why someone would lie? Yes. Is it always wrong to lie on that form? Perhaps not.....

 

[Aminniedala]

Can anyone tell me what symptoms are on this form? I'm sailing on Sunday and am getting over a cold-- a cough and congestion, no fever, no aches (dr. says it is not the flu). I don't want to lie, but don't want to be denied boarding because I had a cough. We've been planning this vacation for a year and a half!!!!! We do have travel insurance, if worst comes to worst, but I really would rather not have to tell my 4 year old daughter--and my husband-- we can't get on the big boat after all.

 

[smb6]

Everyone (except socababy) is saying they are always 100% honest. I'm curious to hear from someone that has answered yes to having diareha, vomiting, or fever on the form. I have a feeling a lot of people lie. I have not cruised yet and I pray we are all healthy for our cruise. I'm not saying I would or would not lie, but I can definately understand why people do it.

 

[allonte]

There's a health questionnaire? I've never had to do this before on other liners. Is this just a DCL thing?

 

[kcashner]

The ship's big issue is gastrointestinal viruses, which spread like crazy in enclosed spaces. They are constantly cleaning and disinfecting public area surfaces, hand out wipes before meals, etc. all for our benefit.

Reason--if 3% of the "population" of a ship becomes ill, it must be reported to US authorities. To put that in perspective, a public school does not have to make a report unless 10% of it's "population" is absent on a given day. DCL wants to keep a "clean" health record, so they have the screening questionaire for guests as well as very strict policies for crew.

They ask about vomiting, diarrhea, or fever in the 3 days before cruising. If you say yes to any of the above, you will be "evaluated" by one of the ship's nurses...who will always deny you boarding (but you have been "evaluated.") If you make enough of a stink, you'll be seen by the doc. Unless you have some proof as to why you've had these symptoms (note from home doc that you have irritable bowel syndrome or whatever), you will again be denied boarding. Many years ago, DCL would arrange a stay at WDW for the family; they no longer do that. Now, you are denied boarding and you are on your own.

As to whether your travel insurance will cover--that depends on the documentation you have. DCL will document that you were denied boarding, but you're likely to need more than that...like something from a hospital, doctor, urgent care, etc. So here's the problem--if the kid is not really sick (just excited), and the non-DCL place says she is not sick, the insurance may not pay! YIKES.

So, do some people lie? Ummmm read here--how many people on the boards suggest all sorts of things to get around rules. Yes, I'm sure that some people lie. Is this the best policy? Well, if they are sick, they have just brought their illness onto the ship--essentially a closed community. Every elevator button they've touched, etc. is potentially contaminated and spreading their virus to other passengers. Oh yeah, that's what DCL was trying to avoid. Besides that, if they are sick and go to the health center after sailing, their insurance will probably refund at least part of their costs for the days they were confined to their cabin.

It's sort of a no win....I'm for honesty.

 

[jdb in AZ]

We had to do a health form for Celebrity 2 years ago.

 

[Mcky36]

YES, poeple lie!!

I just got off the Wonder on Sunday and there were A LOT of sick people on the ship. Sitting in the Walt Disney Theater there was a constant chorus of coughing. A little boy threw up on the first night there two rows behind us and the woman commented that he had been sick for 2 days. Obviously, that means he was sick at the time they boarded and she knew it.

I pulled my kids out of the Mickey Pool one day due to an obvious sick child in pool area. The kid was OBVIOUSLY sick....I'd guess he was about 10 months old and his mother was holding him standing over the pool area watching her other child. The poor baby looked MISERABLE. Green junk oozing out of his eyes, which the mother kept wiping with a towel and then setting it down on the little ledge that all the kids stand on/touch to get off the slide. She kept checking his forhead for fever and his cheeks were bright red. He was crying that poor miserable cry that made it clear he didn't feel well. The last straw for me, was when she was holding him right over the pool and the snot and gunk from his nose and eyes were just DRIPPING into the pool. She eventually saw it and tried to put her hand under his nose, but by then it was too late.

We saw this family multiple times in the common areas and every time the poor kid had green junk just oozing out of his eyes and nose, bright red cheeks and he was usually crying. His eyes were so swollen, crusty, red, that I don't think he could even see. I overheard the mother telling someone that the kid had been sick with a fever even before they got on the boat, but she thought he would get better. I totally get it that it would SUCK to have to miss the trip due to illness, but honestly, this poor baby was really sick and probably shouldn't have been there anyway. No telling how many kids have now have pink eye or some other infection from being exposed to this baby on the ship. I for one, wasn't thrilled.

So, based on some of the things I saw and overheard on the ship, I'm pretty sure people lie on those forms!!

 

[socababy]

YES, poeple lie!!

I just got off the Wonder on Sunday and there were A LOT of sick people on the ship. Sitting in the Walt Disney Theater there was a constant chorus of coughing. A little boy threw up on the first night there two rows behind us and the woman commented that he had been sick for 2 days. Obviously, that means he was sick at the time they boarded and she knew it.

I pulled my kids out of the Mickey Pool one day due to an obvious sick child in pool area. The kid was OBVIOUSLY sick....I'd guess he was about 10 months old and his mother was holding him standing over the pool area watching her other child. The poor baby looked MISERABLE. Green junk oozing out of his eyes, which the mother kept wiping with a towel and then setting it down on the little ledge that all the kids stand on/touch to get off the slide. She kept checking his forhead for fever and his cheeks were bright red. He was crying that poor miserable cry that made it clear he didn't feel well. The last straw for me, was when she was holding him right over the pool and the snot and gunk from his nose and eyes were just DRIPPING into the pool. She eventually saw it and tried to put her hand under his nose, but by then it was too late.

We saw this family multiple times in the common areas and every time the poor kid had green junk just oozing out of his eyes and nose, bright red cheeks and he was usually crying. His eyes were so swollen, crusty, red, that I don't think he could even see. I overheard the mother telling someone that the kid had been sick with a fever even before they got on the boat, but she thought he would get better. I totally get it that it would SUCK to have to miss the trip due to illness, but honestly, this poor baby was really sick and probably shouldn't have been there anyway. No telling how many kids have now have pink eye or some other infection from being exposed to this baby on the ship. I for one, wasn't thrilled.

So, based on some of the things I saw and overheard on the ship, I'm pretty sure people lie on those forms!!

I think I saw this poor baby that you are talking about. His cheeks were bright red and he looked miserable! The mom should have stayed in her room with him and let her Dh watch her other child at the pool. I really felt for that little boy. Yes coughing could be heard all over that ship!

 

[soonerfan2008]

I wouldn't lie necessarily, but I would use common sense. The intent of the form is to screen for communicable diseases. If I know my child gets carsick or airsick and threw up on the way to the port, I would not disclose that. My ODD has issues with constipation and diarrhea at times (constipated, and then meds for that cause diarrhea), and I would not disclose that either.

Any sort of chronic condition (IBS, pregnancy morning sickness or something similar), I would not disclose. The nurse isn't going to care about an explanation from the stories I've heard--I'm sure EVERYONE that gets to that point has an explanation.

 

[justhat]

We've lied, twice actually. I was pregnant and had awful, miserable morning sickness (that lasted all day). But I said "no" to the vomiting thing. I knew why I was sick, but also didn't want to risk them denying boarding.