Do You Need to Worry About Bed Bugs on a Cruise Ship?

Bed bugs are not necessarily a dangerous species, but they top the list as some of the most annoying and hard-to-get-rid-of infestations you can encounter.

Cruise ship passengers will, on occasion, find these little guys in their cabins. When this happens to you, there’s only 2 options as to where they came from: Either one of the previous occupants brought them along, or you did. Simple as that. Chances are they stuck to some of the clothes while guests stayed in hotels (New York hotels are particularly infested) and made their way to the ship.

One way you can tell there’s bed bugs in your cabin is by the blood trail you’ll find on the sheets. Unlike most bugs, bed bug bites cause you to leave a short line from blood, as their saliva keeps the bite wound open for a few seconds while you’re sleeping. If you find such evidence, call Guest Services immediately.

Generally, Guest Service staff will be in charge to notify the Pest Controller on board, who will conduct a search and determine if there are, in fact, bed bugs in your room. Mind you, bed bugs are not the only cause for bites on your skin (i.e. sand flies, mosquitoes, you name it), but they are the ones most likely to leave a blood trail on your sheets, as otherwise you would’ve already stopped bleeding by the time you reach your bed.

Pest Controllers are very familiar with the typical hiding spots chosen by bed bugs during the daytime. If the search result is negative, they might invite you to visit the Medical Center on board (mind the HUGE charges for any consultation, services or medication unless you have travel insurance to cover the cost) to find alternative sources for the skin reaction. If the result is positive, you may have to spend one or two days in a different room (ideally in a higher category, but don’t hold your breath) while the linen and even mattress are treated properly.

Bed bugs are not particularly dangerous, however, different people may have different reactions to their bites, up to severe ones. Beyond the itch and potential allergic reactions, bed bugs do not commonly spread diseases, although that doesn’t make them any more pleasant to have as a roommate.

As unpleasant and repulsive as they can be, notice that the only way for bed bugs to be present in your room is by taking a hike in someone’s clothes, and an infestation in your cabin doesn’t at all reflect poor upkeep by your room steward. Bed bugs are particularly good at finding hiding spots, and room steward are not usually trained to look in those places, unless something has been reported to them, and even then, they will in most cases refer to the Pest Controller on board, who is about the only person in charge of conducting the search and taking action once a positive result is found.

Cases like these are A LOT more likely to happen in hotels on land than on cruise ships, and the positive results are not very frequent at all. In more than half the cases, the itch or skin reactions guests report are due to a completely different issue. – ThatGuy (onboard)