Family off Disney Cruise

[mmouse37]

Well they are now handing out a letter at check-in that say if you have any symptoms, please do not cruise with us......I am assuming, but don't know for a fact they Disney would then refund your cruise price if you were honest enough to say....yeah...maybe I should not sail beause I am not feeling well.

I can't imagine many people owning up to being sick at check-in.

MJ

 

[mcnuss]

I booked my cruise for my family 1 year in advance, and my 3 children have been looking forward to this trip so much, but I am seriously considering going on a different line if I can work out the details.

Why? Don't you expect that other cruise lines are going to take the same approach? This virus is almost as common as the cold and it is everywhere this year. It has hit our school this week (and here I thought I got away from it!!). You can't know if it will appear on your ship, and if it does, just look at how HAL reacted vs. DCL. Just my 2 cents, stick with Disney.

 

[mcnuss]

I booked my cruise for my family 1 year in advance, and my 3 children have been looking forward to this trip so much, but I am seriously considering going on a different line if I can work out the details.

Why? Don't you expect that other cruise lines are going to take the same approach? This virus is almost as common as the cold and it is everywhere this year. It has hit our school this week (and here I thought I got away from it!!). You can't know if it will appear on your ship, and if it does, just look at how HAL reacted vs. DCL. Just my 2 cents, stick with Disney.

mmouse - You are right about questioning if people would fess up once they are in FL and ready to board. There was a kid, maybe 5 or 6, puking at the Hyatt on the day we were there waiting for the 11/23 cruise. He threw up right on the table in the ballroom. The parents rushed him to the bathroom, and we saw the DCL people trying to find them, but it did not look like they caught up to him. My DH saw them later boarding with the boy....Did he have NLV? We'll never know....

 

[taswira]

Originally posted by Firefighter Mickey
Hmmm. Maybe DCL should be screening people before they even board. The could do a quick looksee at people, take temp, things like that and then if you don't make the cut, you aren't even allowed to board.

That would not solve the problem, because many people are boarding with NLV <I>before</I> exhibiting any symptoms. Those are the ones who get sick the next day or two. You also have to consider that some guests arrive a bit <I>flustered</I> from the travel, rushing around, etc., and may show up red-faced, sweaty and with a high temp! I've seen at least a few of those at the terminal.


And MelissaE1 - I know you were probably joking but a full-time pathology lab onboard would still not solve the problem. Among other roadblocks, even with testing, I don't believe results for NLV are immediate. They would still have to quarantine.

I APPLAUD DCL for all their efforts. The way they are handling things surpasses all other lines IMO.

 

[kajohn]

Quote:

"Why? Don't you expect that other cruise lines are going to take the same approach? This virus is almost as common as the cold and it is everywhere this year. It has hit our school this week (and here I thought I got away from it!!). You can't know if it will appear on your ship, and if it does, just look at how HAL reacted vs. DCL. Just my 2 cents, stick with Disney."

I am considering changing cruise lines because I feel DCL is going overboard with the Quarantine. I know they are stuck between a rock and a hard place, but I am much more worried about being wrongfully quarantined than I am about the virus. To truly be quarantined, everyone who comes in contact with that person should be quarantined.

If a family is quarantined, then someone would be bringing them room service, that CM would receive tip money which had been touched by the "sick family". The room sterward would still be coming in the room etc. The dishes the family touched would be taken out of the room and touched by probably several crew etc. etc. So I feel the quarantining is just a PR thing, and I feel it is wrong. I also feel we are adults, and MOSTpeople use common sense when it comes to illness.

Quote:

"According to the transcript from the CDC at the top of this board, people can have the virus show up in their stools for up to 2 weeks. In addition, people can apparently be "shedding" the virus and not show any symptoms at all (asymptomatic cases)."

This is another reason I feel the quarantine is a waste of time. Has anyone on this board ever heard of a family or sick person being quarantined prior to the last two weeks on a DCL ship? This virus has been around every year according to the TIMES article posted on this site, and I don't believe DCL handled it this way in the past, they are only doing it now due to bad press.

I am curious what people who will be traveling in the next few weeks think? Are you concerned?

 

[imgoingtodisney]

think they'll cancel any more future cruises? we're booked to try again next for nov but who knows? should we still plan on it?

 

[Lisa F]

We're cruising on 1/4 and while I was not in the least bit worried about contracting the virus, I am a lot more concerned about being quarantined for no reason.

Last year on the cruise the same time of year, my husband got seasick the first night and left dinner early. He did vomit and felt MUCH better after he did, took a bonine and slept it off. He did this in our stateroom, without making a mess for anyone to clean up. If the same thing happened this year, I believe it would require a loss of half of our cruise because of it.

If I had the Norwalk virus I would have no problem staying in my room. If I were sick, that's where I'd want to be, close to my own private toilet etc. But I cannot imagine a worse torture than being forced to stay in my stateroom while feeling perfectly fine. THAT does worry me and that would probably ruin a good part of my vacation. I can watch Disney movies at home, I don't need to be paying a small fortune to do it on the ship.

I think the problem is that many people don't have much common sense when it comes to these things. If I were feeling queasy, I would not want to be out and about on the ship risking tossing my cookies in public. If I had diahrrea I would NOT want to be somewhere where I am not guaranteed proximity to a bathroom. From reports on the last magic cruise before the Magic was taken out of service, though, it sounded like many "accidents" were occuring in public.

I also think the notion of quarantine is a silly one, for the reasons outlined by kajohn. It sounds like if you are not in the active phase of the virus that good hygiene habits can keep you from spreading the it. I would even agree to only use the toilet in my stateroom if it would help, but I am guessing that Disney can't count on people to do that and can't force people to properly wash their hands after using the bathroom to prevent the virus from spreading.

I guess what I am saying is that I think it's perfectly reasonable to keep people in their rooms while they are in the active phase of the virus. I also think it's reasonable to not allow kids back into kid clubs for 72 hours after displaying symptoms (since that environment is much harder to control). But after you are not uncontrollably expelling waste anymore, good hygiene habits should keep you from spreading the virus (unless I am missing something here). I guess that is why I think the 72 hour quarantines are too much, especially for someone who has seasickness or something else that will likely be out of their system and have them feeling much better in much less time than if they had the virus.

Lisa

 

[Firefighter Mickey]

Originally posted by taswira
That would not solve the problem, because many people are boarding with NLV <I>before</I> exhibiting any symptoms. Those are the ones who get sick the next day or two. You also have to consider that some guests arrive a bit <I>flustered</I> from the travel, rushing around, etc., and may show up red-faced, sweaty and with a high temp! I've seen at least a few of those at the terminal.

Which was really my point. You cannot stop the virus from getting on board; isolation for 72 hours is equally silly because in all likelyhood the damage has already been done - the person had the virus and was probably sharing with others long before the symptoms showed up. In addition, even after 72 hours if the person really did have the virus, they are probably still sharing with others - remember, the CDC said this virus can show up in stool samples for up to 2 weeks after you contract it.

Requiring people to be isolated for 72 hours who feel fine is totally ridiculous. As has been said, if the people really do have the virus and have real symptoms, they aren't likely to want to be out of the stateroom anyway.

The point about contact across family members is equally valid. If someone really does have the virus, then the next most likely people to get the virus are those in the immediate family - so just having one person from a family isolated to the room is pretty dumb as well.

I think DCL is just doing this because of the PR value - they want people to start screaming to the news media about these ridiculous measures so that they can calm the fears of the vast majority of people that don't consider the other aspects of this - mainly that simply putting someone in isolation for 72 hours does absolutely nothing - the damage has already been done and will continue after the 72 hour period.

So, if it costs them a few airline tickets, no big deal; at least the ships are leaving generally full and most people think DCL's doing all the right things.

 

[mcnuss]

I am considering changing cruise lines because I feel DCL is going overboard with the Quarantine. I know they are stuck between a rock and a hard place, but I am much more worried about being wrongfully quarantined than I am about the virus.

I don't disagree with your main points, perhaps I am interpreting some things that I've read here differently than you are. I think most of it is wild gossip, rumor & innuendo. I think DCL is just stuck, there's no pleasing everyone. I think, however, to assume that you would not be quarantined on another line is a stretch. You cannot know in advance how any company will react in the face of adverse events. People were taken off the HAL ships and not given one dime of compensation. It is likely that they would err on the side of quarantine too. Changing your plans to prevent a situation that is unlikely to happen seems sad since your kids are so looking forward to it. Not to mention, the whole thing is entirely out of your control! Stay the course. By the time you cruise this too will be old news.

 

[AnnMorin]

Originally posted by Lisa F




I think the problem is that many people don't have much common sense when it comes to these things. If I were feeling queasy, I would not want to be out and about on the ship risking tossing my cookies in public. If I had diahrrea I would NOT want to be somewhere where I am not guaranteed proximity to a bathroom. From reports on the last magic cruise before the Magic was taken out of service, though, it sounded like many "accidents" were occuring in public.


Lisa

I agree with you that a great of people do not have common sence, I was on the 12/7 cruise and right in the middle of dinner at Luminere's someone vomited all over the table. So unfortunately people are not using common sence!

 

[AnnMorin]

What would you have them do???

People were LIVID yelling and screaming demanding compensation when they got sick. (even those who got on the ship knowing full well the risks with the option of no penalty cancellation.) It was Disney's fault they were sick.

So Disney pulls the cruise, replaces mattresses, cleans etc. They are villians for cancelling it. Ruined vacations, dreams. Horrible company.

Ahhhh then some folks get sick-yet again Disney's fault- they are doing a cover up. How dare they allow people to get sick. The injustice.

Oh wait, they try to prevent more outbreaks and quarentine or debark ill passengers- they are like the gystapo- it is Hitler all over again.

What would you have them do? You do not want to get sick, you want your trip, you don't want it cancelled, you don't want the ship to leave late, you don't want to be quarentined. And while we are at it, they ARE suppossed to control the weather!

Maybe you are right, maybe Disney is not the choice for you, except that if you were on Carnival or HAL you would be told tough luck! No compensation, no freebies, nothing, nada, nun.

I would love to hear a real solution (as I am sure the Disney executives would). Those who are so mad about the prospects of a quarentine, would you be madder if they let sick people walk around and it was you or your child who got ill? some folks have described this as the worst illness they have ever had. Others only have minor symptoms, but someone with minor symptoms could give it to you and you could have a major reaction. If you became violently ill would you then think it was unfair that the person who gave it to you was allowed to?

What specifically should Disney do?

 

[Lisa F]

Originally posted by AnnMorin
What specifically should Disney do?

Quarantine people in their cabin (where they should be anyway) while they are exhibiting symptoms that would make it more likely for the person to spread waste in public, which is a danger for spreading the virus. Beyond that it seems silly to impose a quarantine for 72 hours on someone who is not feeling ill and not showing any symptoms since the virus stays in your system for 2 weeks after having it. At the point when you are no longer uncontrollably spewing bodily waste containing the virus, it should be up to you to practice proper hygiene and not spread the virus. It's also up to you to practice proper hygiene to not contract the virus. I think this is the way it would work if this were any other sickness that hadn't been so highly publicized. If anyone can provide a link saying that the 72 hours of quarantine after the person is no longer exhibiting symptoms makes the ship safer then I will reassess my position.

Lisa

 

[AnnMorin]

http://www.city.ottawa.on.ca/city_services/yourhealth/communicable_diseases/norwalk_en.shtml

and here


http://iccl.org/pressroom/press138.htm


and here

http://www.tvdsb.on.ca/policies/infections.htm

and here
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5009a1.htm


and many many more sites!

Says here that a person may be contagious to another 72 hours after the LAST episode. That may be where they get the 72 hours from.

 

[lpursell]

We are scheduled for 1/18 Western after 3 days at WDW. I am taking my whole family as a result of an unexpected windfall, the trip is costing 17K. This is a very big deal to us and I will be really angry if DCL "quarantines" one of us. I would understand if one of us gets sick on the trip and needs to stay in their room, that's life. We are reasonable people and would not, knowingly, infect others. I will be really, really angry if one of us is quarantined, taking the decision away from us. Yes, I know, some people don't care about infecting other people and go around sick. I've had this complaint at work for years. The company doesn't want employees to stay home sick and employees don't want sick employees to come to work. So viruses spread, what else is new.

I have been on one other cruise and my husband and I spent 2 evenings in our room due to motion sickness. I am really afraid DCL is over reacting to the situation for PR purposes. That's what I'm really afraid of.

I do not expect compensation from DCL if I get sick on vacation, as I said, that's life. But if they try to quarantine one of us, especially if it's not the flu, there's going to be hell to pay from me.

 

[Lisa F]

From that website, the way the virus is spread (which is what Disney is concerned about) is through three ways:

1) Contaminated water.
2) Contaminated food.
3) Touching a hard surface contaminated with stool or perhaps vomitus from an infected person and then putting fingers to the mouth before washing one's hands.

The website also says that vomiting more frequently occurs in children, diahrrea in adults. That said, if someone (particularly an adult) has a single episode of vomiting (ie due to sea sickness or morning sickness in the case of a pregnant woman also on the cruise) and then shows no more symptoms, I think a 72 hour quarantine is going overboard. If they want to keep anyone from getting sick they should quarantine anyone who coughs and sneezes as well as they may be contageous and spreading their germs.

Ann, the concern is not that people with Norwalk are being quarantined. The concern is that people who might possibly have Norwalk based on symptoms related to other commonly occuring conditions are being quarantined. Seasickness is a very real part of traveling on a ship. On our cruise this time last year I saw many people in the hallways looking quite green while the boat was rocking. IMO an isolated incident of vomiting should NOT be taken to be Norwalk... there are too many other possible explanations for it. For someone who exhibits continued symtpoms of Norwalk, I'm all for following whatever protocols they need to.

Lisa

 

[mmouse37]

I think the 72 hour quarantine is not Disney's idea but the CDC recommendation if anyone exhibits symptons. Disney maybe going overboard enforcing the rule (which we really won't know until we hear what really happened to 4nana), but it is not their rule, it is the CDC's.

MJ

 

[AnnMorin]

That certainly is the rule of all the articles I have read. Although one may shed the virus for longer, those sheds are no longer contagious. You ARE contagious for up to 72 hours after the LAST (not the first ) episode of vomiting or diahrihha (can't spell that for some reason ) The CDC came up with the 72 hours not Disney. So if one is feeling better after a day unfortuneatly they still can make others sick for two days. Not making it up folks, read the articles...

 

[Lisa F]

I'm not saying you're making it up! You asked what I wanted. What I want is for Disney to not overreact and be selective about how they quarantine. An adult who is vomiting due to sea sickness or morning sickness or other preexisting conditions should not have to be quarantined for 72 hours due to a single isolated incident. If they are already doing this, great. But right now it seems as though they are quarantining anyone who might have the virus. Given that one of the links you posted said that vomiting is not as common in adults as diarrhea (i had to look it up! what a nasty word) I personally would think they would give some leeway to adults vomitting since there are so many other VERY common reasons for that. I'm not saying not to quarantine people who have repeated vomiting and diarrhea as they most likely have Norwalk.

What I want is not to be afraid that if my husband gets seasick again that we will be stuck in the room while we feel perfectly fine for 3 whole days. Now if it turns out that Disney is being reasonable (and I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt until we hear from 4Nana directly) fine. I don't think it's reasonable to quarantine someone for seasickness. You may disagree and you are entitled to.

Lisa

 

[ppiew]

This variety of the flu is (according to the CDC) Norwalk LIKE - a variation on the Norwalk virus. It isn't diagnosable on a cruise ship - none have the extensive lab facilities available. For myself, if I were exhibiting these symptoms ie. vomiting and diarrhea - they would not have to quarantine me - I would stay in my room myself. Feeling that rotten, why on earth would you WANT to be out and about???? Yes, some will be quarantined that shouldn't be - but every cruise line is bending over backwards not to allow this to continue and spread, and for those well meaning efforts should be commended. Besides, I am not going to waste time worrying about the 'what if's', what happens - happens. We will take care of ourselves.

 

[lpursell]

ppiew, For those people who are "quarantined that shouldn't be" and paid thousands of dollars for the cruise, don't you think they have a right to be angry? We've never done this kind of trip before and have been planning for a year and, as I said, it's costing 17k. I would sure like to hear from 4Nana because what I'm hearing, I don't like.

I'm accustomed to the risk of being around people and occassionally getting the flu. I've even had it ruin a vacation last summer when I spent 4 days in a hotel room. What I don't like is the risk of being quarantined by Disney Cruise Line for whatever reason they think is necessary.