Cruises offer people an ideal way to relax and travel with resort-quality amenities, limitless food and drinks, and an opportunity to visit multiple destinations in a single vacation without having to wait out multiple flights in airports. However, the popularity and affordability of cruising also has led to health hazards.
There are a number of things you can do to make sure your next cruise is a healthy and enjoyable one, and if you follow these five simple dos and don’ts of cruising, you should expect fair skies and calm seas on your upcoming vacation:
Get Vaccinated
Regardless of where you’re traveling, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise you to make sure that you are up to date on routine vaccines, including measles/mumps/rubella, varicella and seasonal flu. Even if you’re traveling to a destination where these vaccines are routine, others on the cruise may be coming from parts of the world where these diseases are still common and vaccines are not routine. Because of this and because of the close quarters that cruisers travel in, there have been chickenpox and rubella (German measles) outbreaks on cruise ships.
Depending on your destination, you may need additional vaccinations to ensure that you are protected. You can research the CDC’s vaccination recommendations by country on its Travelers’ Health pages, but you may want to discuss your travel plans and specific activities with your doctor to determine whether or not you should consider additional vaccinations prior to traveling.
Even if you are not at risk for yellow fever, the CDC notes that some countries in Africa and South America require proof that you received the yellow fever vaccination. This is especially the case if you visited a country with yellow fever. Cruise ship policies may differ from those of their destination countries. Be sure to ask the cruise line or check online to ensure that you won’t be stuck onboard while your fellow cruisers are off exploring the port of call.
Stay Sanitized
When you consider that the average cruise ship carries 2,000-3,000 passengers, the odds are favorable that not one but many passengers will be ill. And when you factor in sharing pools, decks, chairs and other items onboard, as well as touching many of the same surfaces that they’ve touched, it’s logical to conclude that you will put yourself at risk of catching some sort of bug onboard.
The good news is that cruise lines are aware of these risks and take measures to limit the spread of diseases onboard their vessels. You’ll find hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the ship. A good rule of thumb is to stop and sanitize whenever you come across one. You may want to consider bringing travel-sized hand sanitizers onboard with you and using them frequently throughout the day while you’re using equipment, lounging in common areas, and before and after eating in dining halls. Frequent hand washing is also advisable. And if you are one of those people who climbed aboard despite having a case of the sniffles - you should be sure to offer your fellow cruisers the courtesy of sneezing and coughing into a tissue rather than your hand, or sanitizing after you do.
Keep Your Hands Off Your Face
Norovirus is one of the most notorious cruise ship viruses. It can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. This virus and others can be prevented using the frequent hand washing and sanitizing measures outlined above (always look for a sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol). But one other thing that cruisers should be mindful of is how often they touch their faces.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found that the average person touches his or her face an average of 3.6 times an hour. Every time you touch your face or nose, you’re transferring all of the bacteria and viruses that your hands have picked up by touching common surfaces (an average of 3.3 times per hour). This process is called “self-inoculation” and is the primary reason why germs spread from contaminated surfaces to infect people.
Don’t Drink the Water
Staying healthy on a cruise isn’t just limited to what you do onboard. Remember to follow food and water precautions while you’re on shore excursions. If you’re planning to go off the beaten path and aren’t sure what you’ll find in terms of food and beverage, consider bringing along some snacks and bottled waters or sodas. Both the CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) recommend that if you’re unsure of the water quality, drink only beverages in sealed containers, stay away from ice, and eat fresh fruit only after washing it with clean (bottled) water and peeling it yourself (think bananas and oranges).
When dining, avoid choosing questionable eating establishments. You can ask around for local recommendations on cruise boards in advance of your trip or do your research with a travel guide. You should try to stick to eating only thoroughly cooked food served hot to avoid getting food poisoning or exposing yourself to other pathogens.
Don’t Test Your Limits
No one wants to cancel an entire vacation because they feel a little under the weather the day before departure. However, if you think that you’re in the early stages of an illness, it may be wise to consult your cruise line and find out if alternative cruising options are available -- they don’t want you onboard if you’re sick any more than your fellow cruisers do. You should also consult your doctor to be sure that it’s safe for you to sail, especially if you have a chronic illness.
If you begin to feel ill while onboard, don’t wait. Report symptoms to the ship’s medical center promptly and follow their recommendations.