Bed Bugs on Cruise Ships???????

Bed bugs have long been the bane of hostels and motels, even luxury hotels. But
after months of occupying a prominent place in headlines around the globe, we
wondered: Are they on cruise ships as well?

The short answer: Yes, and they're equally content to feed on the blood of both
the budget-minded and big spenders.

Cruise ship infestations are rare, but they do occur. Cruise Critic members
have posted about possible bed bugs on late-2010 Carnival cruises, and an
outbreak on Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas caught media attention in early
2005. For those with morbid curiosities, Web site CruiseBruise.com keeps a list
of cruise outbreaks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that the problem is
increasing in first world countries like the U.S., U.K. and Canada, as well as
in Europe. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal references university
studies that show that since the ban of DDT, a pesticide that worked well
against bed bugs, the insects have become more immune to the chemicals
currently being used to kill them. Which means that bed bugs are stronger and
possibly here to stay.

If you're concerned about encountering bed bugs on your next cruise, here's
everything you need to know.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=4345