Has anyone here ever gotten sick on a cruise?

[disney fan 13]

I have, not fun. I was on the Freedom Of The Seas (yes I know not disney cruise...) this past June and on my Cozumel day I came down with what I figured out later to be a milder version of the Norovirus, though it still is one of the most terrible feelings i've had in my life... And because of that it will probably be a couple more years before I can build up the stomach (pun intended) to cruise again, which is sad because I was having a great time.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

I have, not fun. I was on the Freedom Of The Seas (yes I know not disney cruise...) this past June and on my Cozumel day I came down with what I figured out later to be a milder version of the Norovirus, though it still is one of the most terrible feelings i've had in my life... And because of that it will probably be a couple more years before I can build up the stomach (pun intended) to cruise again, which is sad because I was having a great time.

Yuck. I'm sorry Disney fan. That would be miserable!

 

[Master Yoda]

Two of my daughters had a similar experience on our first cruise. They were clear of it in about 24 hours and bounced back into form pretty quick. They were ready for another Disney cruise the second we got off the Magic.

 

[emcclay]

What are preventative measures to take to avoid getting sick? Sanitizer, airborne...?

 

[Master Yoda]

What are preventative measures to take to avoid getting sick? Sanitizer, airborne...?

Washing your hands frequently and properly (especially before eating) is the best thing you can do. Going over surfaces with a Clorox wipe can help a little as well. Supplements that claim to "boost" immunity (something that is not really even possible) will do nothing more than lighten your wallet.

 

[emcclay]

Washing your hands frequently and properly (especially before eating) is the best thing you can do. Going over surfaces with a Clorox wipe can help a little as well. Supplements that claim to "boost" immunity (something that is not really even possible) will do nothing more than lighten your wallet.

Good to know. Thanks!

 

[ChuckElias]

I know this is extreme, but I've seen people wear a surgical-type mask. I just wash my hands a lot.

 

[Master Yoda]

I know this is extreme, but I've seen people wear a surgical-type mask. I just wash my hands a lot.

The surgical mask is kind of a weird thing. While they do help a little, the best thing they do is protect other people from you. Surgeons do not wear them to protect themselves from their patients but to protect their patients from them.

One of the most common ways for the little bugs to get spread is from surfaces, to hand, to mouth or eyes. A surgical mask helps to prevent those little buggers from getting from your mouth or nose to surfaces but unless everyone is wearing them they are largely pointless. At best, a surgical mask will help if someone coughs in your face. If you have a sick kid (as they are not know for practicing cough and sneeze etiquette) then I would wear one, otherwise just wash your hands...a lot.

 

[disney fan 13]

What are preventative measures to take to avoid getting sick? Sanitizer, airborne...?

They had sanitizer on every deck (and I used them) but sometimes you just get unlucky...

 

[5thGenTexan]

What are preventative measures to take to avoid getting sick? Sanitizer, airborne...?

Avoid kids.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Avoid kids.

Lol!

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Avoid kids.

Because if they don't make you sick they make you crazy.

 

[emcclay]

Because if they don't make you sick they make you crazy.

In that case, I'll have another margarita!

 

[Tiggerfanatic]

In that case, I'll have another margarita!

That was going to be my suggestion, too. Consume large quantities of alcohol - that'll kill those nasty germs!

 

[Phonedave]

As Master Yoda said, WASH your hands. Sanitizer gels work great for what they can touch, but they do not CLEAN your hands. If you have a layer of "stuff" on you, and you use a get sanitizer, it only contacts the top layer. Good ol' soap and water gets rid of it all.

As for masks. We have a large Korean population in this area and a LOT of them can be seen wearing masks. I always thought it was kind of silly (as Yoda said, it really does not help you). Then somone explained to me that they were them for the exact reason Yoda said - to help prevent spreading germs when THEY are sick. It is a cultural thing about being thoughtful to others when you are sick but still have to be out and about.

-dave

 

[tiaragirl]

Ugh, I had the worst flu on our Mexican Riviera Cruise. It took me a few days to get over (luckily it was a 7 day cruise) but my roomies were great, and so was Mousekeeping.. God bless Glen. Hand sanitizer, stay hydrated, and WASH THOSE PAWS.

 

[wdwstateofmind]

Well if you do get sick Disney is usually pretty good about dealing with it...had to go to the emergency room while at DHS once...they took care of the bill even though it was clearly my fault for not drinking enough water...lesson = drink plenty of H2O

 

[LizC]

Well if you do get sick Disney is usually pretty good about dealing with it...had to go to the emergency room while at DHS once...they took care of the bill even though it was clearly my fault for not drinking enough water...lesson = drink plenty of H2O

Just to clarify, you got sick in DHS and ended up in the ER and Disney paid the bill?! If so, I am very impressed with Disney.

 

[wdwstateofmind]

Just to clarify, you got sick in DHS and ended up in the ER and Disney paid the bill?! If so, I am very impressed with Disney.

I was very impressed. Not only did Disney foot the bill but they paid the cab fare to and from the hospital telling me that if I wanted they would take me back to my room and then they would get a cab later to take me back. I can't remember the security guards name but I had spoke to him in previous years because we were both from New Jersey (as per his nametag). During all of it he pops up too and actually remembered me from saying hi and talking the previous years...overall the entire thing was impressive even though I was such a mess at the time...

they did tell me if you are a jerk they take you to the bad hosptial seeing there are two in town and that is their real "power" over people...i was taken to one that was a bit newer (I think in Kissimmee) that they told me they go out of their way to take people to...

I was out after 4 hours and pretended it was all just a really bad wait for the movie ride...

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Here's a tip for first time cruisers: It's a really good idea to prepare a medicine bag before you leave home that has meds to treat any of the common things that can come on during a trip. Think about things for upset stomach, nausea, cold, flu, and sinuses. If you do start to feel under the weather on your trip, rest and take your meds. Do NOT automatically run down to medical. If any of the crew or the medical staff think there's even a hint of a chance that you could be contagious you will be quarantined to your room for 24 hours. I say this because we had a slightly rough ride one evening on our recent cruise and a lady who didn't know any better took her daughter who she was sure was just seasick (she had vomited) down to medical to make sure there wasn't anything else going around. Her daughter was promptly given seasickness meds and quarantined for 24 hours. The lady told us that the crew came by frequently and made sure the little girl was physically in the room, too. Don't get yourself quarantined unnecessarily.