Just got off Enchanted Princess… What a ride

This cruise felt more like a retirement home at sea… I’d say 99% of the passengers were over 75. My dad kept asking me to go after his girlfriend canceled last minute. I finally agreed, and honestly, I wish I hadn’t. The food was just okay—buffet was better than the dining rooms. The fancy dining was a bit better, but nothing special. The ‘360 experience’ was more about the visuals than the food or drinks.On top of all that, my dad got really sick and is now in the hospital. On day 3, I saw him at the blackjack table with a dealer who was clearly sick. The next day, he started coughing and had a runny nose. He was sick for the rest of the trip, and I couldn’t get him to see the ship doctor until it got really bad (he’s stubborn like that). The first day, I only noticed a few sick people, but by the end, it seemed like almost everyone was coughing and sneezing. Even with hand sanitizers everywhere, it didn’t help much—people are just gross. So many times, I saw people leave the bathroom without washing their hands or just rinsing with no soap.The ship’s medical staff were great and did all they could. I just wish he had gone to them sooner. Now we’re stuck in a hospital because his kidneys are failing. Turns out he has flu type A, and it’s probably what led to the other serious issues. Pretty sure he caught it from that dealer. I don’t think I’ll be doing any more cruises. I’d much rather go somewhere on land where I can leave if I want instead of being trapped on a floating germ factory for 10 days.

Copying the original post here in case it gets changed.

That sounds awful. Hope your dad gets better soon!

Currently sick on Virgin and heading home tomorrow. Got hit with something nasty on night two… I’ll spare the details. Went to medical, and they put me in isolation for the rest of the trip. Seems like everyone’s sick but won’t go to the doctor because they don’t want to be locked in their cabin.

@Peyton
That makes sense. My dad barely left his room after day 5, but he was still refusing to admit he was sick. At first, he blamed the feather pillow and had the steward swap it with mine. When I found out, I had them change all my bedding and pillows. The steward wasn’t thrilled, but he did it. He actually checked on my dad often and went above and beyond. I made sure to tip him well before we left.

Where did the cruise go?

Hale said:
Where did the cruise go?

The Caribbean—Antigua, St. Lucia, St. Thomas, Grand Turk, St. Kitts, Dominica. He was already sick by the first stop in Antigua.

Nico said:

Hale said:
Where did the cruise go?

The Caribbean—Antigua, St. Lucia, St. Thomas, Grand Turk, St. Kitts, Dominica. He was already sick by the first stop in Antigua.

That sucks. Hope he recovers soon.

@Hale
Thanks. We’re now stuck in a Florida hospital, far from home in Texas. Luckily, he got the extra insurance—one night in the ship’s medical center was over $8,000!

Nico said:
@Hale
Thanks. We’re now stuck in a Florida hospital, far from home in Texas. Luckily, he got the extra insurance—one night in the ship’s medical center was over $8,000!

Wow, that’s insane :flushed:.

Sorry to hear about your dad. We were on that cruise too. The guy in the cabin next to us got quarantined, but we don’t know why. We didn’t notice many sick people, but we mostly kept to ourselves. Seems like a lot of people get sick after cruises, though. Hope he gets better soon.

@Drew
Thanks. I tend to notice this stuff more than most. My dad didn’t even realize the dealer was sick—she kept coughing and wiping her nose on her sleeve. I saw it the second I walked up. He’s hard of hearing, but still… He was just too focused on the game. I move if I hear someone coughing too much. Swine flu nearly killed me in 2010, so I take this stuff seriously now.

I was on that ship two weeks ago. Definitely an older crowd.

Sorry about your dad. Hope he recovers. It was really kind of you to go with him after his girlfriend bailed. (Unless she had a legit reason, he should dump her!)

Marley said:
Sorry about your dad. Hope he recovers. It was really kind of you to go with him after his girlfriend bailed. (Unless she had a legit reason, he should dump her!)

He’s slowly getting better. And yeah, he broke up with her after she backed out.

@Nico
Glad to hear that on both counts!