Sickness - should we cancel?

[mjbarnard]

As a doctor who works in a cardiac surgery hospital this is a difficult message to post. I am only too well aware of the risks of infection spreading within large groups in confined spaces. Indeed hospitals (and their staff) are themselves the worst culprits at spreading infections amongst their patients.

However please look at this question from my family’s particular point of view. We are resident in the UK and are travelling to Florida in May, when we are travelling on the Magic (high stateroom category) and have booked a wedding ceremony while on board!

What worries me particularly are the continuing messages into January of this year from cruisers describing ongoing infectious problems. A posting from the last few days describes 20 families being removed from the ship at the first port of call.

Now I attribute NO blame nor criticism at the ship, its staff or DCL. As a professional I completely understand the difficulties in eradicating this problem. However the fact of the matter is that it seems there is a definite ongoing problem with infection on the ship. We have insurance – that is not the issue. However we have a more difficult decision than many US citizens. We are investing in air fares from Europe, a great deal of money on associated arrangements and reservations, and planning a very special personal occasion.

In view of the continuing reports – would others in my position play safe and cancel?

 

[tlgoblue]

As a doctor, you must be aware that the percentage of illness currently being experienced on the ship recently (speaking only of the DCL ships), is not significant. We have a better chance of picking something up off a cart at the market, than on a ship that is (and BELIEVE ME, THEY ARE), constanly wiping and disinfecting. May, in the States, is not typically rampant with virus, though it isn't unheard of. I'm wondering, since May is just around the corner, would you have time to plan an equally specatacular event, if you chose to cancel?
It is a lot of money, but May is as safe a time to go as any. Good luck, whatever you decide, and congratulations on the wedding!

Tracy

 

[Mommypoohbear]

We will be on the May 10th Magic and I am not really concerned about illnesses at that time of year. Dec and Jan are the two worst months for illnesses in the Northeast USA where we are from.

I myself and my DD (3) are recovering from week long fight with the Viral flu.

My DD(4) is allergic to Milk, and will vomit if given certains forms of milk, My only concern is that she may get sick and it will be misinterpeted by the staff and they will ask me to confine her.

 

[mjbarnard]

Thank you for your congrats!

No of course we couldn't arrange an equal event - but of course we could arrange a later alternative.

I really really don't want to get into (?meaningless) discussions about relative risks and statistics. If say 100 of the 3000 passengers were infected that equates to prevalence (not incidence) of 0.03 . If the US population is 290 million - that would be nearly 9 million people affected. I think the CDC would be jumping...

I believe there is a small but definite risk of infection (and then rather spoilt trip). I did try to make clear that my question relates not to the size, cause or basis of that risk. Rather what would others do in my situation?

I had a long discussion with my fiancee this evening. We are intending to go! I am sure that whatever happens it will be a unique occasion. Just wondering what others think?

 

[GenieDana]

The stomach flu (Norwalk?) is going around here (in Florida) with a vengence right now. Many kids are in and out of school, and at work (in Tallahassee) my office has had 1 in 3 employees come down with it in the last two weeks. If you think about that statistically, to achieve similar infectous rate on ship would be to have 800+ sick at once!

Just be careful - don't share drinking appliances (straws, cups, etc.), wash your hands well, don't shake hands (or wash well afterward), use clean utensils (not handled by anyone else), and keep your hands off railings, door knobs, etc. unless you can wash afterward.

 

[tlgoblue]

Sorry for the long winded stat rant . Yes, I would go, IF my traveling companions were of a small number. If this involves a larger party, I may re-think. It's one thing to spend a few days under the weather and only a few are affected. If, however, there is going to be a larger party, then obviously, the number of people an illness would affect is larger and the $$ is an even larger factor. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time. Getting married on a ship! How truely romantic!

Tracy

 

[reneesam]

I too am a physician and my whole family came down with what I believe was the Norwalk-like virus last week (and we cruise next week!) I think you have a very good chance of being exposed (at least in the US) on land, and as many enteroviruses like this have a higher incidence in the cooler months, this may have contributed to the peaks we saw recently.

Our symptoms were terrible but quite brief- 24hrs! I do hope it confers immunity to all of us for this week.

Don't change your travel plans over fears of what might be...I think you will find any small risk is worth the great benefits! Good luck!
Renee

 

[ducklite]

In all honesty I think the problem is more with people getting on the ship already exposed. Without doing serum titer levels at the port there's really no way of stopping it from getting onboard.

It sounds like DCL is doing everything they can to keep it at bay, but it's running rampant all over the USA and Canada, so unless thye just completely stop sailing there's not much more they can do.

It seems like the number of people who are actually getting ill is a pretty low ratio, so I guess you just have to weigh the odds.

I do wish you the best whatever you decide.

Anne

 

[Cindyluwho]

Just my two cents worth, I don't think the numbers are really that low at all. First of all, I was on the Nov 16th sailing where "reported" illness was around 300. I guarantee you it was much higher. If you read the recent posts from people that have been on the ship you'll see that there were many people sick that just don't go to the sick bay. They know they'll be up and around in 24-48 hours so why be quarantined for longer. I'm not saying that's what I'd do, I'm just saying that seems to be the "nature of the beast". I understand that the virus has been worse this year for everyone; hospitals, nursing homes, anywhere there's a large number of people in a confined space. It usually dissapates later in the spring so I would assume May would be better than sailing now. I would wait until March to make a decision, I know that's cutting it close but this thing could go away as quickly as it started. I'm going again next December and hoping for the best. I'll be taking my eccinachea and vitamin C hehehe

 

[Michelle]

I absolutely would not cancel.

We were on the first sailing after the ship had been pulled out of service for the week of disinfection. We washed our hands a LOT, took normal precautions, and had a marvelous cruise.

I did not see a single sick person on our cruise, although I heard of isolated reports of illness. There have been no reported outbreaks on either ship since then, per CDC standards for reporting. Yes, there will ALWAYS be a chance of sickness anywhere you go, but the disinfection and public health standards are VERY high on the Disney ships and if you practice good hygiene the likelihood that you would get sick on the ship is no greater than you would have getting sick anywhere else.

I hope you and your fiance go and have a magical wedding and honeymoon.

 

[bengals01]

i wouldnt cancel becuause of the virus, they are closing schools left and right here, my nephew's school had 20 kids in 1 class off sick,

 

[bengals01]

we were on the 1/18 cruise never got sick and haven't got sick did hear there were a few that were sick,

 

[samason88]

Please be aware that the more people with you, the more likely someone will get sick, if not many of you. Our party of 7 went just last week on the Magic for a 7-day cruise. Believe me when I tell you that the "cast" members on the Magic are covering up a continued virus on the ship -- as 5 of the 7 of us got sick. I will make this entirely clear for you so that you understand the nature of the illness. My 3-year-old threw up 9 times. That's 9 times. (we counted) We were losing it from the top and bottom, if you will, until everything was gone, including our energy and desire to be locked up in that little stateroom. We were with another family who ALSO got sick. The man in that family had to be hooked up to an iv onboard the ship. We witnessed throw up in and around the dining areas, including some at the entrance to breakast the final morning. Pools had to be closed more than once to clean out sickness, and the doctor did say he had an "extremely" busy week. All the while, the employees claimed there was no problem with a virus on board, and you might take a wild guess about any compensation Disney gave us. That's right. Absolutely zero. ZERO. I did take out insurance, but I don't think ours had a clause about sickness onboard. I'll check, but I think ours was cancelation insurance only. You will hear a lot of people who had a great time. Sure, they didn't get sick. Take your chances, and good luck to you, but just be aware that you ARE taking a chance. No matter what anyone writes here, there are no two ways about it. Good luck to you and yours!

 

[AnnMorin]

We were on the 12/7, yes some people got sick but then again people get sick everywhere. We did not get ill on the ship. DH did get the norwalk virus and bring in home when in Boston one day. (now if you were going to Boston THEN I would consider cancelling as they have a HUGE eppidemic right now) but we were fine on the ship. As long as you are vigulant about handwashing I think you would be fine. You have a chance of getting it anywhere not just on a ship. I did not think twice about rebooking for next year.

 

[4cruisin]

Matthew,

I personally would NOT cancel my planned trip. I realize that you are investing quite a bit of money on airfare along with the cruise itself but I believe being a dr. you are more cautious about cleanliness. I carried my own sanitary wipes with me at all times. I tried to minimize the use of restrooms outside of my cabin. I washed my hands very frequently and was aware of touching certain objects (restroom door handles etc.) DCL does a wonderful job of constantly cleaning public areas and although they do serve the buffets, there are always the people that insist they must serve themselves. I do not believe that DCL was hiding anything. Anytime large goups of people gather, especially children, the risk of spreading a contagious illness, increases. That is just common sense, no md degree needed to figure it out.

I was the person that posted about 20 people leaving the ship in St. Maarten. One was a family with 3 children. I believe 1 child was ill, and one had fallen from his stateroom bunk and required stitches. I bet at that point, the parents had decided to cut their losses and try again on a different sailing. Although this is just speculation, maybe that child was ill from the ship rocking, or eating too much junk or just all the excitement, not necessarily the NLV. Yes, I did see 2 people vomit on the last morning. Was it because of NLV? Maybe, or maybe they had stopped taking their sea sickness med, there could be many reasons.

We had a great time. I was concerned about going when the virus originally broke out on board, but decided that the risk was worth it. Maybe if I had become sick on board, I would have a different opionion but I am very glad that I went. Life is all about the relativity of risk and only you and your family can decide if taking the trip is the right thing to do.

Just my humble opinion, no flames please.

 

[dvarallo]

Hi,

I was one of those families that was flown home from St. Martin because of sickness. My friend's daughter was the first to get sick in our party of 10 and was quarantined for 72 hours. We had seen kids throwing up on Saturday and parents rushing back to their staterooms so they wouldn't be caught. My friend di the right thing and took her daughter to the doctor thus being "isolated" to the cabin. My son woke up Monday with diahrreah which the doctor felt was due to the antibiotics he had been taking for a strep throat he had the week before he cruised and he wasn't eating on the ship. Therefore, the antibiotics probably upset his stomach, but since he had signs of gastrointestinal illness, he was quarantined too. My niece also woke up throwing up on Monday morning, so she was quarantined too. We decided to fly home and try again at a later date rather than be confined to our cabins until Thursday missing St. Martin and St. Thomas. It was a tough decision to make, but it also reduced the risk of spreading the virus which my friends daughter probably contracted from one of the kids that was sick and whose parent "covered it up". I'm not blaming Disney because it is flu season and they have to be extra careful, but there is a risk and there were a lot of sick people on the January 25th Eastern cruise. 10 other families had left with us on Tuesday and they had 38 families quarantined. Good luck to you!

 

[KaitlinsMom]

Just a question - Does anyone know if people are getting sick in the same rooms - like for example, if someone was sick in room 6112, then on the next cruise, are the people that stay in room 6112 getting sick?

Just wondering if anyone knows if they are tracking sick rooms -

 

[outahere]

mjbarnard..........

We were scheduled to be on the Wonder on Feb. 20 for a 3 day cruise, and cancelled...... mainly because of what we kept reading here on disboards and in news sources. I think the entire cruise industry is covering this up a bit, and the situation on a lot of ships is worse than they want us to know about. When we cancelled, the DCL rep (we booked direct) asked why we were cancelling.... we told the truth, and said because of the virus. He became very irate, to the point of being rude (which prompted a, so far unanswered, letter to DCL).

Yes, we know that you can catch this nasty bug just about anywhere, but decided that we would rather save the money and take another cruise after all this has calmed down. We are still going on vacation that week, but will stay on dry land. If we do get sick, at least we will be more comfortable in a much larger room and able to leave the room whenever we feel up to it.

Congratulations on your wedding and hopefully, this will be over by the time of your trip.