Healthy Cruising

Tips to Stay Healthy During Your Cruise

 

Welcome to Wander the World with Leslie, a travel blog dedicated to exploring the world with curiosity, efficiency, and cultural appreciation. Whether you're planning a short getaway or a long adventure, this blog blends practical logistics with enriching experiences.

Hi there! My name is Leslie Palacios. So glad to have you join me as I share my personal experiences, opinions, and researched facts regarding travel.

Oh Ship! I’m Sick at Sea

No one wants to get sick while they are on vacation, but **it happens. Sadly, the spread of germs occurs more easily on cruise ships due to the confined environment and multiple shared spaces. An additional risk arises at ports of call where travelers can be exposed to local diseases. According to the CDC, the risk of acquiring an illness on a cruise ship is higher for individuals who are older, very young, pregnant, have chronic medical issues, or are immunocompromised (https://www.cdc.gov/yellow-book/hcp/travel-air-sea/cruise-ship-travel.html).

How can you protect yourself from illness, costly medical care onboard, or worse being confined to your cabin?

Hand Hygiene

The simplest way to prevent the spread of germs and reduce the risk of illness is to wash your hands with soap and water. That’s it! Sounds super easy right? Well, it amazes me how many people in public, not just on cruise ships, will use the toilet and skip washing their hands. People walk right past the handwashing stations and go directly to the food buffets, self-serve drink dispensers, and ice cream machines.

Improper handling of food serving utensils or even skipping using the serving utensil and picking food up from the buffet with their bare hands…just yuk! One time I was traveling on a cruise and witnessed a child with a runny nose who licked the top of a saltshaker! There was no parental teaching moment or attempt to clean or inform a staff member it was contaminated. Nope! That family left the tainted saltshaker on the table and walked away. That contaminated saltshaker was charged with germs and ready to spread a potential virus or infection.

Remember, when washing your hands you can achieve maximum effectiveness by using a liberal amount of soap, lather for at least 20 seconds, rinse the soap, dry your hands, and use the paper towel to turn off the faucet. Washing your hands effectively is even easier when the ships have no-touch sink faucets and dryers.

Of course, when a sink and soap are not available, use a hand sanitizer to clean. This is important after touching handrails, elevator buttons, and other high touch surfaces. These days, cruise ships have hand sanitizer stations strategically located throughout the vessel. I also advise travelers to pack and carry a personal sized hand sanitizer for use as needed onboard and when off the ship in ports of call.

Pre Trip and Packing Tips to Stay Healthy

  • Before you go, visit the CDC’s website for health advisories related to your specific destination

  • It is wise to be up to date on your vaccinations

  • Travel Size Hand Sanitizer- keep in your personal bag for easy access

  • Travel Sized Disinfectant cleaning wipes- wipe down the high touch surfaces of your accommodation

  • Small First Aid Kit to include your preferred headache relief, cold medicine, and anti-nausea medication

  • Consider masks especially when traveling in confined spaces such as planes, trains, and crowded small areas of cruise ships