You’ll have the time of your life on a cruise — unless you end up getting sick. Whether it’s a bad cold you catch or you get seasick for the first time, you want to do everything possible to avoid feeling terrible on vacation. Not only is it a total bummer, but it feels like a massive waste of money if you can’t leave your cabin for a few days. Here are some ways to help prevent illness and avoid getting sick on a cruise, so your vacation is everything you dreamed it would be.
Wash Your Hands
Mom was right: washing your hands is one of the most effective ways of preventing illness. That’s especially true on cruise ships where norovirus runs rampant due to the close quarters and buffet lines. It’s a highly contagious gastrointestinal illness, and the CDC recommends washing your hands often to prevent spreading it or getting infected.
Use the Hand Sanitizer Stations
Hand sanitizer stations are all over cruise ships now, outside restaurants, at the start of the buffet line, and even in elevators. The alcohol-based sanitizer will kill germs like flu, COVID-19, and cold viruses, so make a habit of using it multiple times throughout the day. Keep in mind, though, that it doesn’t take the place of washing your hands. Norovirus is not killed by hand sanitizer, so old-fashioned handwashing with soap and water remains a priority.
Bring Plenty of Medication
If you’ve ever forgotten to bring over-the-counter pain medications on a cruise and you got a headache, you know that buying medicine onboard is absurdly expensive. So plan for plenty of scenarios and bring more medicine than you think you need, just in case. Grab things like cough syrup, anti-diarrhea medication, and whatever you usually take for a cold. Plus, even if you’ve never gotten seasick before, it can’t hurt to bring some motion sickness pills. If nothing else, you’ll help someone who does get seasick.
Wear a Mask
While masks have been stigmatized since the COVID-19 pandemic, they’re still one of the simplest ways to lower the risk of catching or transmitting airborne illnesses, according to the CDC. They reduce the number of germs you breathe in, and that’s especially important when you’re in close proximity to lots of other people on a cruise ship. You may also want to consider wearing an N95 mask on the plane to your port city so you don’t get sick right when your vacation starts.
Limit Your Alcohol and Food Consumption
Cruises are all about excess. Chances are, your body is not used to drinking four glasses of wine every day for a week, and eating three buffet plates, five desserts, and a lobster tail while you do it. This can all wreak havoc on your stomach, so take it easy and pace yourself so you don’t have to miss anything due to an upset stomach or overimbibing.
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Chew Ginger Candies
Ginger has been used to treat motion sickness and nausea seemingly forever (remember drinking ginger ale as a kid when you had an upset tummy?). It’s not just an old wives’ tale, either; it actually works to help calm your stomach. So if you’re even a little concerned that you might get seasick, you might consider bringing some ginger candy or crystallized ginger to eat regularly as extra insurance against nausea.
Wear Sunscreen
If it’s snowing at home when you leave for your cruise, it might be easy to forget sunscreen if you’re heading somewhere warm like the Caribbean or the French Riviera. But the last thing you want to deal with is painful sunburn, or worse, heat exhaustion, on your vacation. Lather up with sunscreen regularly when you’re outside, and especially at the pool.
Drink Plenty of Water
Staying hydrated is good advice any time, but it’s extra important on vacations. You may be dehydrated from the dry airplane air, lounging on the lido deck in the sun, or from imbibing more than usual. Bring a sturdy, reusable water bottle on your trip and refill it multiple times a day to help you keep drinking water.
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Avoid Public Bathrooms
You’re obviously not going to be able to avoid public bathrooms for your entire vacation, but at least while you’re on the ship, opt to use your own cabin’s bathroom as much as possible. That will limit your potential exposure to germs and viruses, such as norovirus.
Sanitize Your Cabin
Cruise ship cabins are turned over very quickly. If you’re usually a little grossed out by a hotel room and all the possible germs you can’t see, then you should feel the same way about a cabin. Bring travel-sized packs of antibacterial wipes and wipe down the germy hotspots in your room as soon as you get in: door handles, TV remotes, light switches, and bathroom faucet handles.
More Cruise Tips You Might Like
- 10 Things You Should Never Eat on a Cruise — Vacations are a time for indulging, especially cruises. But there are some foods you’ll want to steer clear of.
- 23 Things That You Should Never Do on a Cruise — From the peril of reckless selfies to the nuances of interacting with staff, and the absolute necessity of not missing the muster drill, here are some crucial cruise ship etiquette tips to remember.
- 15 Hacks for Better (and Cheaper) Food on Cruise Ships — Discover cruise dining hacks to enjoy better meals, avoid crowds, and save money — dine like a VIP without paying extra.
