Flesh eating bacteria consumes cruise passenger in 24 hours

by Scott Carmichael on

Have you had your breakfast/lunch/dinner yet? Because this story is bound to upset your stomach.

While on a Mediterranean cruise, 58 year old Raymond Evans hurt his knee during a fall. The injury was nothing serious, but the ships doctor put Mr. Evans on an antibiotic regimen, just to be safe.

Despite the shots, his widow said his condition started to deteriorate, and that the back of his knee was turning black. This developed into a “blotchy blackness” that spread to his chest, elbow and fingers, and he was admitted into the ships hospital.

When the ship docked in Alexandria, Egypt, Mr.Evans was transported to the intensive care unit of the city’s hospital where he died hours later. The total time from noticing the blackness on his knee till death was just 24 hours.

A pathologist told the official inquiry that Mr.Evans had been infected by the flesh-eating bug necrotising fasciitis (warning: graphic images on that page!).

The pathologist concluded that Mr.Evans had not caught the bug during his fall, because the symptoms of the flesh eating bug usually start hours after being infected, so the most probable source was something on the cruise ship that entered through his wounds.

This is of course just another example of the health risks involved with cruise ships. For years, cruise lines have struggled with the norovirus as we previously covered here, here and here. Still, common sense and basic hygiene precautions should help keep you perfectly safe when you get on board.

The cruise ship photo above is for illustrative purposes only – that is not necessarily the ship involved in this incident.

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German cruise company offers knock-up refund

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Germany is struggling to combat a declining birth rate. And, it’s everyone’s responsibility to help the cause in its own way. TUI Cruises has come up with an unusual approach to encouraging procreation.

The cruise company is basically paying for pregnancy.

If you become “with child” on your honeymoon – as long as you are a passenger on the new liner, Mein Schiff – you’ll get a full refund (ladies only).

Scammers, beware! TUI Cruises expects to furnish some proof, of the medical variety, before it will open its wallet and pay the refund. I strongly suspect that they don’t want pictures of how the little bugger was created, though.

“Gallery courtesy Asylum.com. Be sure to check out their list of 26 places every man should visit!”

Daily travel deal – 7 day Bermuda cruise from New York for $540

by Scott Carmichael on

What better way to kick off Spring than a 7 day round trip cruise from New York to Bermuda? You’ll sail on board the Norwegian Dawn, and get to enjoy all the amenities on this ship.

Spend your time in one of the three pools, or enjoy a bite to eat in one of the 12 different restaurants or nine bars

Or how about losing some of that buffet weight in the fitness center? At night, you can be entertained in the Broadway theater or trying your luck in the casino.

This 7 day cruise starts at just $539, depending on the room level you select. To make the deal even better, you are even eligible for a shipboard credit ($25 for in inside room, up to $250 for the largest rooms). And if that isn’t enough, if you are an AFL/CIO union member, you may even be eligible for an even lower rate!

Remember, these cruises include all your meals, so for just over $75 you get a room and all your meals and entertainment, and because the cruise leaves from New York, residents of that area won’t have to invest anything extra in flying to a port.

The ship spends 3 days in Bermuda, which should leave you with plenty of time to enjoy the island, and because your “hotel” is parked in the port, you only have to unpack and pack once.

The price quoted is a “from” price, and depends on your date of departure, availability and room category. Quoted prices do not include taxes or additional fees.

Cruising not your cup of tea? Check out our other top travel deals!

Man overboard! Passenger falls off Bahamas cruise ship

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The Coast Guard has given up its search for a 39-year-old Norwegian Cruise Line passenger off the Bahamas. The man fell off the boat early yesterday morning, approximately 60 miles north of Nassau. Though he hasn’t been identified, other passengers saw him take the plunge.

Other cruise ships in the area contributed to the search for this lone moron passenger. But, at 8 PM yesterday, the Coast Guard said it was suspending the search after having scoured 590 square miles.

Clearly, it pays not to get too close to the edge of the ship … unless being on a boat isn’t your idea of going out to sea.

UPDATE: Our hearts go out to the family of the victim. We are sorry for your loss.

U.S. Calls for Limits on Antarctic Tourism

by Kraig Becker on

Following in the wake of the report released earlier this week that an “inexperienced and over confident” captain caused an Antarctic cruise ship to sink, the U.S. is calling for tighter restrictions on tourism to the Southern Ocean, and the continent itself.

According to this story in the Sydney Morning Herald, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is asking for limitations to the size of cruise ships traveling the Antarctic waters, and limits to the number of passengers that can go ashore as well. Smaller vessels would be more maneuverable when avoiding icebergs and navigating the treacherous waters in the region, and limiting the number of visitors who can go on land would help protect the fragile environment there as well.

The article notes that the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators has its own code of conduct which has similar restrictions. But following that code is completely voluntary, and with the sharp increase in tourism to Antarctica over the past decade, there is a growing fear that disaster could strike. This was underscored no only with the sinking of the cruise liner in 2007, but two more ships running aground in this past season.

There are 28 signatory nations to the Antarctic Treaty, which is now more than 50 years old. Last week those nations met at a conference designed to review that treaty, and the new guidelines were proposed there. If the proposal is adopted, ships carrying more than 500 passengers will be banned, and no more than 100 passengers can go ashore at any given time. The proposal also calls for one guide per 20 passengers as well.

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