Family banned from boarding cruise ship – Travel at 60

A family from Melbourne has had their holiday ruined after they were refused permission to board their cruise.

The Wu family of four had booked a cruise with Royal Caribbean, travelling from Stockholm to St Petersburg, but were not allowed to board after their two young kids were considered too sick by the ship staff.

Travelling in a larger group of 13 throughout Europe to visit family, Dr Debra Dettman-Wu, her husband and two children attracted the crew’s attention after her husband ticketed a form asking whether anyone had experienced a cough of fever in the last week.

Since their son has chronic asthma and their daughter had shown flu-like symptoms six days prior, the family decided to declare that in the form before boarding. 

“It was really distressing, the children were in tears — I was almost in tears,” she said, according to the Herald Sun.

“There were three doctors in our group and we’re adamant the children were not a risk, but they were still not allowed on board.”

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Due to their unforeseen change of plans, the family then had to book flights and find accommodation and then arrange a doctor’s certificate to approve them for travel before they were able to catch up with the cruise at a later port.

Royal Caribbean reportedly told Dr Dettman-Wu in an email “the decision made was given in an effort to prevent the spread of any possible virus among our guests and crew on-board … we respect and stand behind the physician’s decision.”

Earlier this month 91 passengers on a 10-day Sun Princess cruise through the South Pacific were struck with norovirus, a contagious virus that has similar symptoms to gastro.

A second incident occurred in February when a further 140 passengers were afflicted with gastro.

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These viruses can be contracted through eating or drinking contaminated food and liquids, touching contaminated surfaces and having contact with someone who is affected.

Royal Caribbean’s sickness policy are enforced to prevent passengers from being affected by illness during their stay, including taking “steps to reduce the chance that your illness will spread to others on the ship” which could including the “denial of boarding on the current or any future Royal Caribbean International cruise vacation.”

“The policy really makes no sense, as the average child suffers six to eight viral illnesses per year,” Dr Dettman-Wu explained.

“If they are excluded for the duration of the illness, and seven days after being completely well, that would mean each child could be expected to be banned for at least 60 days per year — or have a one in six chance of not being allowed to board.