would you go on a cruise, given the recent hantavarus and being refused to dock?

[HoraceCope]

British crew member in need of urgent medical care amid suspected hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship | Water transport | The Guardian

This kind of thing happening is rare, so no, of course it wouldn't put me off.

Last time this kind of thing happened was early 2020 (6 years ago) when people were kept on board because of covid.

Never heard of this virus before, but I am sure some posters will claim they've heard of it, as they are really 'well read' and 'well educated. '

I went on a Nile cruise once on a small ship. The trip itself was beautiful with interesting places to stop (Luxor, Aswan). But the amount of food stuffing/boozing ad expectation of joining in was not to my taste. I am very much a solo traveller. If you gave me a million pounds I would not go onto one of those horrendous mega ships.

🤣🤣 your comment is more “scaremongering” than anything the media have said. Who the fuck is talking about lockdowns other than you?

I would go on a cruise. Yes it's terrible what has happened but it's very rare. I don't think cruises are like some people make out. My friend has been on several as a single woman & she socialises if she wants to but also spends time on her own when she wants. There are many options for the evening & it doesn't revolve around the entertainment. It's like being in a small village really, plenty of options for all of the day

I'd heard of it, mainly in the context of the western desert regions of the USA. I'm terribly well read, mostly mystery novels, AND educated, and watch lots of cop shows where unexpected deaths in the desert are always caused by evil scientists pretending it's hantavirus not their chemicals..

Googling tells me that not living in the desert won't save me as there's a European strain spread by bank voles, with which my garden in infested, so that's that.

we're all doooomed.

I have been on a few cruises and never had any problems with illness. Got another booked for summer and can’t wait!

Absolutely, I've only been once but it was unexpectedly our perfect family holiday, can't wait for my next one. It's nothing like the descriptions here. These sickness cases are very rare. Will you never go to a hotel or restaurant in case you get a sickness bug? You could get hantavirus anywhere there are rodents, but you most likely won't.

Hantavirus was in the news recently as Gene Hackman's wife died from it, sadly leaving him alone and confused in the house until he also died as she was his primary carer.

Thanks for proving me right @DeanElderberry 😆

@DeanElderberry #joking (sort of!)

It’s rare so wouldn’t put me off. I’m more put off by the general petri dish environment. I have kids in school so enough school holidays and weekends are marred by whatever viruses arw doing the rounds that week - don’t want to pay a fortune for more of the same!

We’ve been on three, quieter cruises as I have limited mobility & need to rest a lot, so they’re perfect as they allow for my restrictions - plus DH’s desire for adventure & exercise, especially on shore trips. We have another booked for summer & are considering a trip of a lifetime to the Antarctic in the next couple of years.
All the above are on smaller ships with plenty of quieter spaces as well as socialising areas; the idea of a mega-cruise fills me with horror.

Re viruses, I’ve had no particular concerns about the cleanliness of the small number of ships we’ve been on.
It’s terribly sad that these travellers have been stricken by such a deadly virus, despite the constant efforts of the staff to keep everywhere safe & hygienic.

Re lockdown, nothing keeps you safe from a virus like a determined stance & a smidge of anger against authority 🙄

There would be absolutely no point locking down when the thing is spread by small rodents.

Like I said, we're dooomed.

i do look at cruise stuff sometimes because the relentless advertising means it’s quite hard to miss, and some things about it appeal to me (I do like the look of the river cruises and the Hurtigruten) but so many other things put me off (trapped in a cage stuff). As for illnesses, my FIL got norovirus on a small ship and had to be helicoptered off along with a few others, and the info I had then was that once a ship has norivirus on board it’s extremely difficult to eradicate. So I am quite put off by that. Tbh my MIL was a consultant immunologist and if she couldn’t prevent him getting an infection then nobody could.

Love cruises as well as other type of holidays. Have had less illnesses on a cruise than just flying to a resort but then we do carry around a small bottle of hand sanitizer to use before eating everywhere and tend to just do our own thing rather than attend busy events or excursions.

I have no hesitation going on cruises, just about to go on 22nd. The usual superior sneery twaddle being spouted here - cruise lines and ships vary so much that it’s difficult to generalise!

We have our 12th one booked for next year on a smaller adults only ship to Norway and Iceland so won’t attract the booze cruisers. On our last one to Norway we had 4 continuous port days and were worn out with all scenic walking. Hate gyms and only do a few laps around the ship in the morning to walk my breakfast off.

If there’s one type of holiday I hate, it’s waiting around in a crowded airport, then stuck in a tin can with hundreds of other people for hours on end, then lined up around a pool getting sunburnt. Plus cruises are often cheaper than package holidays

I've been on several, and enjoyed them all. But they were mostly very small and going to places you can't get to any other way e.g. Antarctica, Greenland etc. I wouldn't go on a mega ship though; too many people in a confined space.

No. the ocean scares me

It combines all my worst things on holiday. I get horribly sea sick hate enforced socialising with strangers and like to go for early morning walks / runs to explore before it gets busy. So not for
me!

Love cruising. Big ships, small ships, hot countries & cold ones. Expensive ones and cheap ones, I like them all! It's not the only holiday type we take but it is perfect for some occasions.

This is a (terrible) isolated incident that could have occurred anywhere and won't make any difference to my choice to cruise.

Of course I would, one outbreak on one cruise doesn't mean that they should be avoided.
Think of all the virus outbreaks in hotels, doesn't mean they shouldn't be used.
Living your life like that would be very limiting.

Never been on one and probably never will . If I went on one with dh, he'd be stir crazy within 2 days . I might contemplate one in a few years if I had a friend desperate to go but it's very , very unlikely .
I'm amazed that they can have rodent infestations , and it makes me think of pirate ships .
A work colleague went away on one last year and many of the quests ( shipmates ) went down with covid .

I enjoy river cruising and canals, but sea cruising does not appeal to me at all. Maybe it's connected to disliking large towns - I find them claustrophobic and think I would find a sea cruise liner claustrophobic as well.

I have never been on one but was completely put off during Covid when that cruise ship was stuck in the sea near Japan