Wow I wonder what caused this !!! Flight Quarantined at Gatwick !
I have been doing my welcome home calls this week and finally managed to contact a customer that had been on MSC Preziosa on the 19th February 2019 14 nights with the Virgin Gatwick flight home, I am not sure if you are all aware, but there were some issues on the flight back!
It seems that 40-50 people on the flight were taken ill on the Virgin flight home and 5 of the cabin crew. It seems in the media they are trying to lay the blame at the cruise lines feet, but on speaking to my customer, I am not entirely sure this is the case.
My customer was in the pre economy seats and said that before take off, the cabin stewardess sprayed inside the overhead lockers and the cabin with what looked like insect spray. I have heard of this happening and only ever seen it once quite a few years ago on board a flight back from Cuba. This is to make sure no horrible insects come back to this country. (perhaps stop the spread of Zika virus!) You would think that would be a good thing, but as the illness seemed to be problems with breathing and extreme Dioreah it makes you wonder if the cure is making people ill!
The captain radioed forward to Gatwick and then when they arrived, the whole flight was quarantined there. Doctors and police boarded the flight wearing masks and tests were taken, 3 people were hospitalised. My customer said it was quite scary, they had no knowledge of anything untoward during the flight, so it was a bit of a shock when the events unfolded.
However, as my customer rightly said had they said before landing that the flight was to be quarantined this could well have caused a panic. After several checks and 5 hours after landing, they were then allowed off the plane and allowed to go home.
On a brighter note apparently, the cruise was amazing !!!
Were you onboard too? Have you ever experienced anything like this, share your comments with me to let me know your thoughts on this …….
22 Comments on “Wow I wonder what caused this !!! Flight Quarantined at Gatwick !”
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I am married with a daughter and a grandson. I live on the North East coast of England (between Whitby and Redcar) and love the fact that I can be on the beach in minutes or strolling through the North Yorkshire Moors,and taking in the beautiful views around me.I have…
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I was on the cruise and it was far from amazing even before we were quarantined. The passengers were coughing before we left the ship. I have to say if this was my first cruise I would never cruise again. One thing I will say the staff aboard the Virgin Atlantic flight did a very good job in a difficult situation.
Wow didn’t realise this, so sorry you had such a bad experience xx
Well I was on the cruise too and had a brilliant time. On a ship that size you are bound to have some people who get coughs and colds. I didn’t see anything worrying on board or on the plane for that matter until it was announced that there was a problem. Yes, staff on the plane were good but the whole quarantine process was very disorganised.
so happy you had a fab time xx
I have ended up twice with a dreadful cough on a cruise due to people being infected before they get on it and then spreading the cough around. Last time I was so very careful, I never touched the hand rails etc. or any door knobs. Someone also suggested to me that perhaps germs could also be transferred in the buffet with people using spoons and putting them back again. In future, I will use a tissue if I ever use a buffet again.
I do see people, all over the ship coughing into their hands and not going to wash them this is particularly apart with men as they are not hygenic as women, well not all men.
The woman in the cabin next to us told us that she had the cough before she got on the aircraft and that could possible have spread from there.
We love cruising and would not stop because of that. I do not blame the cruise ships for that but they could be more helpful rather than just sending you to a doctor, on board, ho charged me $179 for a consultation, $100 for 10 really cheap antibiotics and $20 for a bottle of cough mixture, that was NCL some cruise lines are much cheaper.
Hygiene on board is a massive issue, and you can not as you rightly said blame the cruise lines, for personal hygiene. love your comment thank you x
Antibiotics don’t work on a viral infection, they are just taking your money.
totally agree if Viral no need for antibiotics it just has to take its course.
Since been told we probably got infected on the plane as it was the same one that carried the infected passengers home from the previous cruise. Nothing wrong with the cruise, everything was good, including the weather.
I was on the ship, I heard people saying there was lots of people on board being very ill
That’s such a shame, it seems many people had different experiences. By the sounds of things, you were not ill so I am glad about that.
we were on this cruise ship from 19th march until the 2nd april and a lot of people became ill during the cruise. they sprayed our plane on the return flight. I have asthma and I was afraid it would effect me but it didn’t.
I am so pleased it didnt affect you. Just out of interest did they ask if there were asthma sufferers onboard before spraying?
no
I have flown back from Luxor and Cairo on 6 occasions in the last 12 years they always use a spray, and l
have never heard of anyone suffering any ill effects.
It seems then maybe the flight was not the issue, I believe they are looking into the cruise ship as well x
Hi on cruise from the 19th march to the 2april me and my wife become very ill second week into the cruise bad cough sortmess of breath didnt enjoy second week as cough was so bad
We were on this flight went to GP next day as my husband has cancer. He was ok I had chest infection he took I’ll following day and finally diagnosed with pneumonia. I am now having blood tests and chest x-ray as we are both still coughing nearly eight weeks after landing
I was on the MSc Prezziosa following the quarantine trip. The worst cruise ever ! Never again with MSC, my husband and I still very ill today.
Complained at guest services that the air conditioning might need cleaning. Two days later our cabin had a major clean, including bedding, pillows and everything that could be removed. Cabin Stewart told us previous occupants have been very ill as well and he only had time to do a normal clean after they left. Too late for us, we were already running a heigh temperature with cough and sickness.
I was on the cruise from the 19th Feb to the 6th Mar. We had diarrhoea and a cough during the cruise. We did noticed a family of four and the children and mum had a very bad cough at breakfast one morning. It made us feel sick to listen to the coughing.
At first we jus thought oh we have a cough and bad stomach, maybe we ate something doggy, it wasn’t until we got to Barbados waiting room and realized that the majority of the passenger was coughing like us. And when we went to the toilets that the same people was there as often as us.
The Quarantine experience was a shambles. The police officers who was helping at Lgw as very abrupt in their manner. After a 8/9 hours flight that was the last thing we wanted.
As for the spraying of the planes. I travelled at least four times a year around the Caribbean and it is accustomed to spray the aircraft a few minutes after departure because insects can get on the plane while the door is open.
We are regular cruisers and will continue to do so, maybe not on MSC because of lack of English on board, even the majority of musical entertainment was in French.
so sorry to hear this so it seems it came from the ship x
Oh one of my friend also on the cruise, on returned was unable to attend work for three weeks after due to flu like symptoms and coughing.