TIPS TO AVOID GETTING SICK ONBOARD

Norovirus is a very common illness onboard a cruise. It is an illness that stems from crowded spaces with a large number of people. It’s almost like a stomach bug that lasts for around 12-48 hours. No one wants to be in the bathroom or in their cabin for 2-3 days of their vacation. Seasickness is another one that is common on cruise ships. Seasickness stems from the motion of the ship and disturbs the inner ear. Here are some tips on how to try to avoid getting sick and ruining your cruise.

Wash your hands- Thoroughly washing your hands is the best way to avoid getting sick. And we mean washing your hands very frequently, before and after each meal, the restroom and when returning from a day in port. We want you to be a germophobe for the duration of the trip so you can avoid being sick. There are also hand sanitizers located on the ship, please take advantage of those in addition to washing with soap.

Drink water- Staying hydrated is key. Bringing a reusable water bottle is a great idea to fill up at the buffet or your cabin. If you start to feel dehydrated try to drink a sports drink like Gatorade to boost your electrolytes.

Don’t drink THE water- In certain locations, it is not sanitary to drink the local water as it can make you very sick. Avoiding ice and fruit where you eat the skin in countries that drinking the local water isn’t a great idea. Bringing your own drinks and snacks is a way better option than being sick.

Fight the Jet Lag- No one wants to be so jet lagged that they miss part of their trip. One recommendation to avoid jet lag is to arrive in port a day or two ahead of time to sleep it off. Another idea is to fight the urge to take a nap the first day and sleep throughout the night and a little into the morning to get on a better schedule. If you decide to fight the jet lag spend time outside in the fresh air and in the natural light. 

Pack sunscreen- Getting burnt to a crisp in the hot sun is not the way to enjoy your first day and the rest of your cruise. Bring sunscreen, a hat and aloe lotion if you do end up burning yourself. Make sure that you pack it because if you don’t, the cruise gift shop is going to grossly overprice these essential items.

Pace yourself with the food consumption- Due to the wide and amount of selection of food options, to avoid getting bloated and overstuffed, make sure you pace yourself. One suggestion is to indulge in only 2 out of the 3 courses per day to make sure you don’t go home 20 pounds heavier either.

Beating seasickness- If you are worried about seasickness here are some remedies include; chewing ginger candies, eating green apples, acupressure wristbands, consume as much fresh air as possible, look at the horizon, select a cabin in the middle of the ship, Dramamine (over the counter medication), Transderm patch (administered by your doctor) or booking port intensive cruises (avoiding the amount of days at sea).