MSN: 9 Signs You Picked the Wrong Cruise Line

Above, the pool deck of a Bahamas-bound cruise ship. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is funny that many cruise lines are adding humongous cruise ships to their fleets what can carry 5,000 people or more. Some have capacities of 7,600. The reason that is funny (not in a good way) is one of the most frequent voiced complaints about cruise lines is overcrowding.

Taking a cruise is not my favorite mode of travel. I've only been on three cruises. The first was to Alaska. The second was to Cuba. The third was to the Bahamas. Each one were taken on ships that were older and had passenger capacities of under 3,000. I did not feel overcrowded in any of them.

Being stuck on a ship with hordes of people in close quarters makes those ships floating petri dishes with germs passed around by passengers. I caught a bug on two of three cruises I took. 

MSN posted a slideshow article on 9 signs you picked the wrong cruise line. 

They begin it with:

Several major cruise lines have faced passenger dissatisfaction due to overcrowding, aging ships, and inconsistent service. Common complaints include safety concerns, added fees for dining and room service, and underwhelming shore excursions. Travelers also report that certain cabin upgrades and cruise-booked activities may not provide good value for the extra cost.

To read more, go here. 

Norovirus Hits Over 70 People Aboard Royal Caribbean Cruise

Above, the Royal Caribbean ship, Majesty of the Seas, in Havana
 Port. I caught a cold on this cruise ship. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There is one main reason that cruise ship traveling is not my favorite way to vacation: diseases.

Two out of three cruises I have taken had me get sick. They were relatively minor, one a 24-hour flu and the other a head cold.  

With the trend of cruise lines introducing bigger cruise ships, carrying around 5,000 passengers and crew, they are floating petri dishes. 

It has happened again. An outbreak of norovirus occurred on board a Royal Caribbean ship 

According to NBC News:

Over 70 people aboard a 13-day Royal Caribbean cruise have reportedly fallen ill from norovirus ahead of its final destination in Miami, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

The outbreak on the Royal Caribbean International ship Serenade of the Seas, which departed from San Diego on Sept. 19 and is scheduled to arrive in Miami on Thursday, was reported to the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program on Sunday. The program is set to help prevent and control the introduction and spread of gastrointestinal illnesses on cruise ships.

The CDC reported that 71 out of 1,874 passengers and one of 883 crew members have "reported being ill during the voyage" and noted that predominant symptoms included diarrhea and vomiting.

To read more, go here. 

Cruise Ships: 15 Nightmarish Facts

Above, the ill-fated Costa Concordia.

To date, I have been on three cruises. One to Alaska in 2001, one to Havana in 2019 and one to the Bahamas last year.

Each one was enjoyable, but I have found on two of them that having so many people in a small space does spread germs. I have come down with an illness twice during cruises.

That's not all people have to contend with while on a cruise. Other things can and do happen aboard cruise ships.

AOL posted an article with 15 "nightmarish facts" that may make one not want to take a cruise.

They begin it with:

Cruise ships market the illusion of a floating escape with unlimited buffets, sunsets on demand, and zero dishes to wash. But behind the floating resort vibe is where things get weird, really fast.

These facts about how cruise ships operate—and what can go wrong—might make you think twice about setting sail.

Here's a snippet:

No, cruise ships don’t sink every week—but when they do, they make headlines and documentaries. Remember the Costa Concordia in 2012? The ship ran aground, tipped over, and tragically took over 30 lives. From 1980 to 2012, 16 cruise ships sank, and many more got stuck. On average, 2.5 ships run aground every year.

To read more, go here. 

Fernando Valenzuela Hospitalized

Legendary Dodger pitcher Fernando Valenzuela has been hospitalized for an unspecific illness. He has stepped down from the broadcasting booth to concentrate on his health.

I have a signed baseball from Valenzuela.

Much has been speculated about the nature of Valenzuela's illness. One person speculated that it is liver cancer.

A recent photo of Valenzuela with former Dodger pitcher Sandy Koufax has been posted. His weight loss is very much evident. 

Above, Fernando Valenzuela and Sandy Koufax at Dodger Stadium
 on August 10, 2024. Photo Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images.

Whatever the nature of his illness may be, best wishes and prayers are extended for his full recovery. 

To read more, go here.

No Cruise Illness This Time

Above, kicking back in the stateroom.

It has been since Friday that I got home from the cruise to the Bahamas.

Before going further, I will state that it was a good trip and I had a fun time. Now, since I have been home since Friday evening, I have not come down with any trip-related illnesses. This is a first for me.

I have been on three cruises and of the three, I have come down with a bug of some sort during two of them. This is not unusual as about 1,500+ people are crammed into a ship passing along germs to each other.

The cruises where I caught a bug were:

• Alaska Cruise in 2000: I came down with a 24-hour flu during the cruise.
• Key West and Cuba Cruise in 2019: I caught a cold towards the end of the cruise.

Norwegian Cruise Lines had hand sanitizers available throughout the ship and a crew member stationed at the Garden Buffet entrances with sanitizer spray bottles to spray people's hands as they entered.  

I also tried to avoid touching hand rails and other things on the ship where a bug my lurk.

Being around other people in close spaces is bound to spread germs, but I have to consider myself lucky this time as I didn't catch any. 

Got Some Snow Shoveling Done

Above, after snow shoveling. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today, we were supposed to have our usual Saturday coffee/breakfast down at Denny's, but I couldn't make it due to the head cold I have. Well, I could have, but I would risk passing it on to the others.

As it turned out, only one showed up. 

Later, I needed to get some bottled water out of the garage. But the walkways needed shoveling (we got around 3" of snow last night). So, I did do some shoveling of the walkways. I managed to get it done before I started gasping for air. 

I got six bottles of water out of the garage and into the house. Once that was done, I poured myself a cup of coffee, which helped clear up my air passages. 

I'll sure be glad when this cold is over and gone.   

Caught A Cold

Above, Karina at the Silver Screen. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yesterday and today, I wasn't feeling much for blogging. I did start yesterday with some, but today I didn't until now.

I apparently caught a cold on Monday. The only person who seemed to have a cold on Monday was server Karina at the Silver Screen Cafe at the El Rancho Hotel. She was coughing a lot while I was there. 

My great-grandfather, who was a doctor, said that it takes three days for a cold virus to manifest itself. So it sounds about right that it hit yesterday,

The good news is that I am feeling better.

Sick Day

Above, last month in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.

Today, I was supposed to be at our monthly supper group's dinner at author/historian Martin Link's today in Gallup. I had to cancel.

But I managed to wake up this morning congested with gunk in my chest and throat with a persistent cough.

I've stayed indoors all day today relaxing with only one trip to the Flying J to pick up some Nyquil and Dayquil. The Dayquil helped me a lot. I am not as congested as I was earlier. 

Hopefully, I will be recovered by tomorrow.  

Akira Takarada Hospitalized

Above, J. D. Lees and Akira Takarada at G-FEST in 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It has been reported by the NorthEast ComicCon & Collectibles Extravaganza that actor Akira Takarada has been hospitalized and is unable to attend the convention that takes place March 8-11 in Boxboro Regency Hotel in Boxborough, Massachusetts.

They posted on Facebook:

Akira Takarada had a seizure involving his heart and he is now hospitalized to recover. His condition is not life threatening, but he will need time to recover. He hopes to reschedule his NorthEast ComicCon appearance at a later date.

Akira Takarada was a guest at the last G-FEST in Rosemont, Illinois, which took place before the pandemic in 2019. 

Best wishes to Takarada-san for a speedy and full recovery.

Cruises: Floating Petri Dishes

Above, the Majesty of the Seas docked in Key West, Florida. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The outbreak of the coronavirus aboard a Celebrity cruise ship in Yokohama has focused attention on people getting sick aboard cruise ships in general.

I've been on two cruises and both times I came down with a bug. I caught a flu during a 2000 cruise to Alaska and a cold during last year's cruise to Key West and Havana. Thankfully, neither were serious, but they did make me hesitant about taking a cruise again.

Outbreaks of different diseases aboard cruise ships is the topic of an article in Japan Today. As their article describes, cruise ships are "floating petri dishes."

They wrote:

HONG KONG - Deadly viruses, chickenpox outbreaks and mass cases of the runs: Sometimes luxury cruise ship holidays are not the trips of a lifetime elderly passengers had hoped for. 

Cruise-goers have fallen sick en masse in the past, their predicament on the high seas coming into sharp focus because the holidays can cost thousands of dollars and are often marketed as trips of a lifetime. 

"Cruise ships are very prone to outbreaks of common cold and the vomiting virus," said John Oxford, professor of virology at Queen Mary University of London. "Invariably the ships are overcrowded and with so many passengers, hygiene levels can slip." 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) logged eight outbreaks aboard cruise ships last year of the highly contagious norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea -- hardly the stuff of a dream holiday. 

Measles, E. coli, chickenpox and salmonella poisoning have all broken out on cruises in recent years.

To read more, go here. 

Avoid Getting Sick On A Cruise

Above, the Celebrity Mercury in Juneau, Alaska. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To date, I've been on two cruises and both times I've gotten some sort of bug.

The first time was in 2000 when we took a cruise to Alaska. I caught a flu bug during the cruise. It could have come from the flight from L.A. to Vancouver, Canada (where we embarked). It subsided after a couple of days.

The second time was during my recent cruise to Cuba. About the third day, I got congestion and a cough to go along with it. It ended about a week after the cruise ended. This one was more of a head cold. Again, I could have caught it during the flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida where we embarked.

Above, the Majesty of the Seas in Havana, Cuba. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Getting sick while on a cruise is more common than one may think. It is not surprising since over 2,000 people are crammed into the confines of a ship and passing germs to each other. I got the cold even though I was taking Vitamin C before and during the cruise.

How does one avoid getting sick on a cruise?

Cruise Critic has some tips.

They begin with:

Most cruise travelers sail happily and healthily, but anytime you step out of your daily routine, you let your physical guard down and become susceptible to all sorts of illnesses. From tummy troubles to head colds, seasickness to sunburn and hangovers to jet lag, cruise ship passengers can easily succumb to a number of ailments. 

Have we made you nervous? Don't be. It's relatively easy to stay healthy and not get sick on a cruise ship if you take a few simple precautions. All you really need is a mental checklist and a few minutes a day. 

While we can't guarantee you won't get sick -- for all you know, your germy coworkers may have already infected you before you embark on your trip -- here are our top 10 tips for staying healthy and minimizing your chances of getting sick on your next cruise.

 To read more, go here.

Tokyo Travel Disasters and How To Fix Them

Above, when my luggage didn't arrive at Narita Airport in 2015, Singapore Airlines gave me
 ¥12000, even though they weren't at fault. My luggage showed up at my hotel the next day. 

Have you ever traveled somewhere and have a disaster occur?

The disasters I am referring to are more minor in nature and more of a major nuisance. It has happened to me.

Tokyo Cheapo has nine "Tokyo travel disasters" and what their recommendations are on fixing them.

I have experienced four of them while going to Japan: cancelled flight, getting sick, extreme weather conditions and missing luggage. The first happened in 2014 when my flight to L.A. was cancelled. I actually got on a better flight. The second happened when I caught a 24-hour flu bug in Tokyo in 2001. The third happened when I was stuck midway between Narita Airport and Tokyo in 2014 due to snow. The last happened at noted above.

Their article begins with:

You can plan most elements of your travels down to a tee, from tickets to hotels to activities, but there are some things you just cannot prep for. Whether you’re organizing a year in advance or more of a last-minute kind of person, you probably have the usual things covered: travel insurance, somewhere to sleep and a rough idea of what to do—but travel isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. Lost luggage, a mislaid passport and typhoons are just some of the things that can happen during your trip, and figuring out how to solve them in Japan can be a real nightmare. We’ve come up with some of the most common travel nightmares that we hope never happen to you, but if they do, this is how to minimize the damage and enjoy the rest of your trip!

To read more, go here.

Finally!

Finally, I feel well enough to enjoy a cigar (well, at least half of one).

This is the first time in over three weeks I've lit one up since I came down with bronchitis. One good thing about cigars, one does not inhale while smoking them.

Gradually, my normal activities are returning. It has been a wearing month.

Strange Illness

The bout of bronchitis that I am getting over from has to rank as one of the strangest illnesses I've ever had.

It didn't start with a headcold or anything. It just started out of the blue. No sore throat or anything else appeared, just congestion and coughing. In other words, Boom! There it was!

I've had bronchitis once before (back around 1985), but that developed out of a nasty cold.

After enduring about two weeks of it, I finally got fed up and went to see a doctor. Since I have healthcare, I figured that I may as well make use of it. Up until then, the only times I entered a medical facility was for others, not for myself. The last time I went to see a doctor for myself was for a spider bite in 2005.

I went to see the doctor whose clinic I signed up with when I obtained the healthcare coverage. After checking me (including a chest x-ray), he found that I have bronchitis. It is my understanding that there's two kinds of bronchitis: viral and bacterial. I have the bacterial, according to my doctor. That would make treatment with antibiotics effective as they have no effect on viruses.

After a week of taking the antibiotics and other medications, the bronchitis has been knocked down tremendously. There's only an occasional cough and some minor congestion that is easily cleared. I think it should be completely gone in about a week. I am currently down to taking one medication a day. I started with three.

Also, with the exception of an occasional cigar, no more smoking for me.

My best advice is to not wait two weeks before seeing a doctor. If you have medical coverage, just go ahead and use it! My doctor visit and medications didn't cost me a cent!