I keep reading that if I travel to Costa Maya...

[chatty]

On other cruise sites I have read that anyone who travels to Costa Maya can not give blood for one year after this vacation due to there being a problem in a comunnity with misqueetos and malaria? I have read handfulls of this same subject from other cruise forums. I am going to call WDW CL and ask if they know about this and I am going to call the red cross to ask them too. I am on for the Costa Maya Cruise in 06 and I have a Daughter who is ill and I am always ready to give blood if and when she needs it so I don't want to risk not being able for a whole year.. If anyone else has seen or heard of this please let me know. Thank You
Chatty

 

[pdarrah]

I believe that the restriction is for mainland Mexico (not just Costa Maya). It would be a problem if you went to Cancun or took any excursion from Cozumel to the mainland.

Do the same rules apply if the blood is being given for direct use of a family member (not the general blood supply)?

pdarrah

 

[chatty]

First thank You for replying. I am waiting for the Red Cross to call me back with this information.. I will post my findings as soon as I hear from them.
Thank You
Chatty

 

[TootyJane]

Chatty, you may want to call your local blood bank. I'm in San Diego and here is a link to the San Diego Blood Bank's Blood Donor Requirements page. HTH.

Lisa

 

[jel0511]

I would have to say after reading the link supplied to TootyJane, that yes, you would not be allowed to donate blood for a year after visiting Costa Maya. Costa Maya is just south of Playa Del Carmen, located in Quintana Roo, and is considered rural. If this is definately something that could affect you, and you said it could, I'd definately consider another itinerary.

 

[ucralum]

My husband is a regular blood donor at CHOC (Children's Hospital of Orange County.) He informed them that he had been to Costa Maya...they questioned him closely about exactly where he had gone. Since the excursion we wanted was sold out, we had only wandered around the port and then returned to the ship. He was allowed to donate, but was told if we had visited the ruins or basically gone out into the jungle AT ALL, he would not have been allowed to donate. HTH.

 

[chatty]

Thank You EVERYONE!! So Much!!
I Love this thread! Who would of thought there was others that knew what I was talking about. Just shows how AWESOME!! this site is and how Helpful and kind Disney and Cruise people are. The Red Cross never called me back so maybe tomorrow..
Thank You Again.
P.S. I am going to post a question on what cruisers think is a more interesting cruise? A Disney Western Cruise or the Disney Costa Maya Cruise?
Thank You Again..
Chatty