Sick After Dream Cruise

[Cruiser4]

We were on the three night, 1/13 Dream cruise. The morning after we got back I developed severe vomiting and diarrhea, and it sounds like several others in our DIS group did as well. My DH joined the group for the cruise after us because he was curious if others were going to get sick, and apparently several off that sailing are as well. For anyone sailing, please be extra careful with your hygiene! A few of us emailed DCL to make them aware that we were sick, but wanted to make others aware so that you can take precautions. In ten Disney cruises this is the first time any of us has gotten sick.

Thank you for posting this and letting us know about this.

 

[mj2vacation]

A main issue for me with the buffet is eating AFTER using all of the serving utensils that have been used by others with uncertain hand cleanliness. I may know I washed my hands, but I'm not certain of everyone else! I used to always use the wipes that they had by the drink stations in the buffet to wash up after getting my food and before eating (& also after touching the drink dispenser also), but they had removed these on my recent Wonder cruise. They had also removed the wipes at the outside drink station, but when I mentioned to the hotel officer that I missed them, they appeared back (at least for the rest of the cruise)! I also mentioned that I missed them inside the buffet, but they never returned there so I used my own that I carry with me.

Add to that the people that will eat while walking around the buffet, stick their fingers in the mouth to lick their sticky fingers and then go and grab the utensils for their next serving.

We carry our own hand sanitizer. I have also asked for utensils to be replaced after seeing someone do that. It’s not a rare occurrence.

 

[DCLCrazy64622]

You know what really grosses me out? People not washing their hands after using the bathroom. Know what grosses me out even more? When they openly do not wash their hands in front of the other people in the bathroom.

That means, like, you probably never wash your hands after using the bathroom, if you no longer even have the self-awareness to hide your lack of hygiene from others. And it makes one wonder what other filthy grossness you engage in throughout your day.

I once proctored a high school SAT test. I was in charge of the bathrooms during break. I was shocked to see that over half of those teenage girls did NOT wash their hands.

 

[squirk]

I once proctored a high school SAT test. I was in charge of the bathrooms during break. I was shocked to see that over half of those teenage girls did NOT wash their hands.

Nasty. I thought we guys were supposed to be the gross ones.....

 

[Shanti]

This is probably the issue with most cases. Quite frankly though, I can't imagine anyone who is traveling from out of state who will admit that they are ill with a cold or flu and potentially be turned away from their several thousand dollar vacation, even at the expense of many others.

That's what travel insurance is for. I sometimes wish travel insurance was mandatory, like auto insurance. People who scrimp on it can cause problems for others as well as themselves.

 

[squirk]

That's what travel insurance is for. I sometimes wish travel insurance was mandatory, like auto insurance. People who scrimp on it can cause problems for others as well as themselves.

Even with travel insurance, I suspect not many people would voluntarily abort a cruise at the last minute like that. All that planning, all that buildup and excitement, especially if you have kids? Nobody’s going to call that off on account of a sore throat or runny nose.

 

[Shanti]

Even with travel insurance, I suspect not many people would voluntarily abort a cruise at the last minute like that. All that planning, all that buildup and excitement, especially if you have kids? Nobody’s going to call that off on account of a sore throat or runny nose.

This thread is not about minor colds.

The flu or noro certainly would cause me to cancel, get reimbursed via insurance, & travel at another time. Who could enjoy a vacation while running a fever with chills, wanting to rest in bed all day, having no appetite, and/or being prone to diarrhea and vomiting?

 

[squirk]

This thread is not about minor colds.

The flu or noro certainly would cause me to cancel, get reimbursed via insurance, & travel at another time. Who could enjoy a vacation while running a fever with chills, wanting to rest in bed all day, having no appetite, and/or being prone to diarrhea and vomiting?

Sorry. @mrswillson mentioned “a cold or flu”. I thought that was the post we were speaking of in context vs. noro.

Regardless, if the vacation your kids have been looking forward to for months, if not years, is at risk of being cancelled at the last minute, I think most parents would opt to bluff/lie through the health screening and just “tough it out” vs. shutting the vacation down.

I’m not necessarily condoning that, but I 100% understand why a parent would go that way.

 

[phinz]

Nasty. I thought we guys were supposed to be the gross ones.....

After working in the service industry for a long time, I can vouch as to which bathrooms I would rather clean at the end of a busy night...

 

[xavier2001]

Or good genes. There's a certain percentage of the population who is completely immune to norovirus genetically. It's apparently about 20% of the population.

I think I'm one of those people (knock on wood). I can't tell you how many times my hubby and kids have had a stomach bug and I never get it, even though I've most definitely been exposed. Interesting though that neither one of them inherited that gene lol. And interesting that I know for a fact both of my parents are not immune, there was one Christmas where EVERYONE in the extended family except me was sick, all starting within 2 hours of each other so something clearly was in whatever we all ate.

 

[mrswillson]

This thread is not about minor colds.

The flu or noro certainly would cause me to cancel, get reimbursed via insurance, & travel at another time. Who could enjoy a vacation while running a fever with chills, wanting to rest in bed all day, having no appetite, and/or being prone to diarrhea and vomiting?

No it isn't, however most people do not come down with norovirus prior to traveling on a cruise. What is the typical illness people contract on a day to day basis? The cold or the flu, or at worst, gastroenteritis. Regardless I believe you would be the minority as most would not be willing to cancel a vacation that is months to years in the making and is fully paid for (with potentially no travel insurance to cover a last minute cancellation), then have to rearrange work schedules for a new date, as well as explain to your children why their vacation is suddenly not happening. I think the general consensus for a scenario like this is to just deal with it.

 

[mrswillson]

I think I'm one of those people (knock on wood). I can't tell you how many times my hubby and kids have had a stomach bug and I never get it, even though I've most definitely been exposed. Interesting though that neither one of them inherited that gene lol. And interesting that I know for a fact both of my parents are not immune, there was one Christmas where EVERYONE in the extended family except me was sick, all starting within 2 hours of each other so something clearly was in whatever we all ate.

My husband is the exact same way! I feel as though I contact anything and everything, and he doesn't so much as sniffle (and hasn't for the past ten years). When I had noro at the tail end of our cruise, although he had been in close contact with me and had been all of the places I would have contracted it from, he never got ill. You're very lucky!