How not to get sick on a cruise? What meds?

Eat a well balanced diet that includes fruits and veggies.

Hand wash regularly. I hate sanitizers and never wipe down the cabin.

Get plenty of sleep and rest.

I do use hand rails because I don't want to fall and break my neck.

We get a flu shot every year. We are both in high risk categories.

Have never been sick on a cruise or after returning.

We just do the things we do at home. Works for us.

I usually bring sanitizing wipes and wipe all touch surfaces in my stateroom...door knobs, toilet knobs, sink, remote. Things like the back of the chair that you pull out, drawer knobs, etc.. Yes, the cabin stewards do this, but I back them up myself.

I bring wipes too, for hotel rooms and cruise ship cabins. However, it grosses me out to think of the germs that are transferred from room to room - I mean, hopefully they change their cleaning rags but I wouldn't be surprised if they don't. They probably wipe the toilet seat and then the sink. Yuk. ;p

If you don't want to get sick, drive to the port, don't fly. That is how the vast majority of the people who end up sick on or after a cruise get sick.

If you don't want to get sick, drive to the port, don't fly. That is how the vast majority of the people who end up sick on or after a cruise get sick.

Not always. The worst head cold I ever had was after our Alaska cruise. Boarded and disembarked in my home port. Flown back and forth to AU a few times and have never been sick,

It is reasonable to think there are some exc eptions, to how and where we catch colds and URI, when traveling. IMO Could be in the trinket shop where you bought souvenir s. :)

I bring wipes too, for hotel rooms and cruise ship cabins. However, it grosses me out to think of the germs that are transferred from room to room - I mean, hopefully they change their cleaning rags but I wouldn't be surprised if they don't. They probably wipe the toilet seat and then the sink. Yuk. ;p

I guess you missed the Rossen Report on NBC News a few years ago with the hidden camera in hotel rooms. Among other surprises, there was the use of cleaning rags to wipe down the drinking glasses.

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It is an interesting topic. We have managed to avoid Noro (and other GI issues) for over 1000 cruise days by simply washing our hands, and washing often...as well as avoiding touching our face with our hands. Most hand sanitizers are near useless against Norovirus...so hand washing (with soap and water) is the best thing anyone can do to avoid Noro. Some also argue that using the MDR instead of the Lido buffets also lessens the chances of contracting Noro (of other GI bugs). As to flu, if you get real flu (not a cold that many folks like to call the flu) there is little to be done other then be miserable until you get better....which will take at least a week. If you get an early dose of Tamiflu it might help decrease symptoms and perhaps cut 1-2 days off the recovery time (which means you are still pretty ill for about a week).

The one thing that has driven us nutz (for over forty years of cruising) is the predominance of URIs (Upper Respiratory Infections) on cruises. We have been on some cruises where it seemed like more then half the passengers were coughing their heads off....including us :(. We have lately had a lot of luck avoiding URIs by following a few basic avoidance steps. 1. We try to minimize and even avoid the use of elevators (enclosed chambers where you don't have a prayer if somebody is coughing or sneezing). 2. Wash hands often and use hand sanitizers. and 3. Use some common sense and try to keep some distance between you and anyone who is coughing and sneezing. These simple steps seemed to have helped us a lot. Just this past year when we cruised 70 days we managed to avoid even a sniffle.

And finally, we have been experimenting with a new hand sanitizer we first heard about here on CC. It is a foamy product developed by a New Zealand company called Zoono, and sold in many parts of the world. In the USA, CVS now sells the product under their own name and its called CVS Health......Advanced Hand Sanitizer (Instant Foaming). It is sold in a couple of sizes but we buy the 1.7 ounce bottle (which lasts the two of us a few weeks). This product is quite different from products like Purrell since it uses far less alcohol and has Benzalkonium Chloride as its active ingredient. This is an interesting chemical (and somewhat controversial) that may be effective against Norovirus. The problem with testing products against Noro is that the labs have great difficulty producing Noro in a lab. A few months ago, DW and I started using this product once or twice a day when we were on the Regal Princess....which had just suffered a major Noro outbreak. The Regal Princess cruise was fine and we had no GI problems. We live in Mexico in the winter (there now) and have continued to use the product here in Mexico where GI problems are somewhat legendary. To date, neither of us has suffered any kind of GI problems.....but this is all anecdotal and proves little. Another interesting thing about this Zoono formula is that it claims to work for up to 24 hours (even if you later wash your hands). Our vote is still out, but we figure its worth trying since alcohol based products like Purell are near worthless against Noro. Another great benefit of this new product is that it only uses a small amount of alcohol (you can barely smell any alcohol) so it does not dry out our hands. We understand that the FDA has approved the product (which is why CVS can sell it) but that studies are still underway to determine its real effectiveness against Noro.

Hank

The other passenger who is coughing or sneezing may not have an infection. Some of us have allergies and/or bronchial issues such as asthma. There was a period of years when the slightest irritant would set me coughing, sometimes I would have to change seats to move away from someone drinking a herbal tea or wearing a perfume that caused a reaction. Fortunately, treatment by a pulmonary doctor got things healed enough that it's less of a problem, but I can still have a coughing fit on occasion and if I've had a bad cold it can take a month after I'm better for the cough to fully go away. Allergies sometimes make me sneeze a lot too.

IMO the most effective thing ab out hand sanitizers is as remindder to wash, wash, wash our hands. I don't think the dispenser gunk helps a bit but it keeps us fo used the importance of clean hands in order to help stay healthy while out and ab out.

The other passenger who is coughing or sneezing may not have an infection. Some of us have allergies and/or bronchial issues such as asthma. There was a period of years when the slightest irritant would set me coughing, sometimes I would have to change seats to move away from someone drinking a herbal tea or wearing a perfume that caused a reaction. Fortunately, treatment by a pulmonary doctor got things healed enough that it's less of a problem, but I can still have a coughing fit on occasion and if I've had a bad cold it can take a month after I'm better for the cough to fully go away. Allergies sometimes make me sneeze a lot too.

This sounds like me! I have chronic sinus issues with post nasal drip, so I cough a lot. I also have environmental allergies. I was on a plane to Denver one year and someone had a perfume on that set me off. I’m sure the fellow next to me thought I was contagious, but Inwas not. I took some Benadryl (that I carry with me) and by the time we landed, all was well. Well, almost.... I was sleepy from the med! And I’m the same with a cough hanging on after illness. I’m on week 3 of a cough post influenza and left lower lobe pneumonia.

I'm taking notes and trying all of these on our next cruise. For some reason I'm the only one in our family who gets sick and I'm sick after every cruise.

Our last cruise was this past June, by the day after the cruise I had a fever, a double ear infection, a swollen throat and pink eye.

The doctor asked me if I had been around many people, I told him I'd been on 2 international flights, in 5 countries and on a cruise ship!

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I, of course, wash my hands, but I make my own special hand sanitizer that I put in a small plastic spray bottle, and I use it just before eating even though I washed my hands before entering the buffet or dining room. My bottle contains a mixture of store bought hand sanitizer, rosemary oil, peppermint oil, and a touch of bleach. In addition, I take elderberry syrup 3 to 4 times a day. So far we have not gotten sick. Also, I start the elderberry syrup (1 to 2 times per day) a week before the cruise. I also use elderberry syrup when not cruising. My children both got the flu. I started taking elderberry and did not get it. I also washed my hands a lot. In addition, I gave it to the children 4 times a day once they got the flu. They were symptom-free in 2 days.

My illness pet peeve is the number of people who fold their hand into a loose fist, hold it a few inches in front of their faces, and cough at it as though it were a magic funnel that’s going to catch and kill all the germs. Then they unfold that hand and touch things with it, so if it has actually caught any germs, they’ll be sharing them around.

Why can’t people use a tissue to cough into where possible, or their upper arm, or their hand held flat over their mouths and washed afterward? Or worse, the people who don’t even attempt to cover their mouths. Those are the ones who always seem to sit behind us at the shows.

We also NEVER touch railings on stairways!!

This comment comes up often as a way to avoid picking up germs but what happens when you are experiencing a rough crossing and the captain continually reminds you to hold on to the railings as happened on our recent trip. I know what I did - held onto the railings for grim death; it was very rough.

This comment comes up often as a way to avoid picking up germs but what happens when you are experiencing a rough crossing and the captain continually reminds you to hold on to the railings as happened on our recent trip. I know what I did - held onto the railings for grim death; it was very rough.

I’m a natural born klutz with a propensity for falling down stairs. I take giant steps when walking, and forget when I’m on the stairs to take baby steps [emoji13] I have to hold on to the rail for self preservation!

I often use the hem or sleeve from my shirt, but if I remember, I put some Clorox wipes in a zip lock bag and keep them in my pocket or purse. When we take the stairs - which we often do - I hold one in my hand that’s holding the railing. People behind me get a nice sanitized railing. [emoji16]

Some things, like airborne infections, cannot be effectively controlled. I think people just can't accept this...;)

So....you go on a cruise and take all of these precautions, and then you come home and get sick from someone coughing in the checkout line at the grocery store or working out next to you a the gym. :eek:

Thank you for all of the great tips! The

Last January when we cruised, everybody was coughing and sneezing by the time we got off the ship. It hit me a few hours later on the plane. I felt terrible for days after we got home and was wondering this very thing above possible prevention in the first place. I'm meticulous about handwashing, not using the public restrooms, sanitizing, etc., but all of that didn't keep me from getting sick.

I tried actually elderberry a few months after the cruise when I was visiting my grandkids, who of course, were sick. I still got sick, but it was very short in duration and I didn't feel terrible. I plan on starting it the week before the cruise and taking it the whole time.

I still got sick, but it was very short in duration and I didn't feel terrible. I plan on starting it the week before the cruise and taking it the whole time.

There are actual studies that show elderberry can reduce the duration of the flu. The bottle has a maintenance dose and an intensive dosage. I take the intensive dosage during high risk situations such as being around someone with the flu or when on a cruise ship or airplane.

We also NEVER touch railings on stairways!!

Wash hands a lot!

There are actual studies that show elderberry can reduce the duration of the flu. The bottle has a maintenance dose and an intensive dosage. I take the intensive dosage during high risk situations such as being around someone with the flu or when on a cruise ship or airplane.

I will say I took elderberry on my recent cruise at more of a maintenance dose and didn't get sick! I also had some Airborne with me, just in case.

We just got off the Regal for the first time and I really liked the hand-washing stations by the buffet, but I was a little surprised that so few people were using them. Less wait time for me, I guess...

My illness pet peeve is the number of people who fold their hand into a loose fist, hold it a few inches in front of their faces, and cough at it as though it were a magic funnel that’s going to catch and kill all the germs. Then they unfold that hand and touch things with it, so if it has actually caught any germs, they’ll be sharing them around.

 

Why can’t people use a tissue to cough into where possible, or their upper arm, or their hand held flat over their mouths and washed afterward? Or worse, the people who don’t even attempt to cover their mouths. Those are the ones who always seem to sit behind us at the shows.

Mine is the waving of napkins in the dining room. Yes let’s wave all he germs around in the air. Great way to spread colds, viruses and flu.

I will say I took elderberry on my recent cruise at more of a maintenance dose and didn't get sick! I also had some Airborne with me, just in case.

 

We just got off the Regal for the first time and I really liked the hand-washing stations by the buffet, but I was a little surprised that so few people were using them. Less wait time for me, I guess...

We didn't get sick on our three most recent cruises (36, 10 and 21 days)! What did we do? Martinis! Yes, a martini (or 2) every evening does the trick. And before you laugh, my anecdotal evidence is certainly as good as most of these other ideas....which is to say it's meaningless. But you might consider that alcohol does kill germs (and some viruses) which is why its used in many topical germacides (including Purell). So its just logical that it will kill germs and viruses inside your body too :).

Hank

Mine is the waving of napkins in the dining room. Yes let’s wave all he germs around in the air. Great way to spread colds, viruses and flu.

Yes, no one wants all of those nasty germs floating down on to their Baked Alaska.

Seriously, hand sanitizer and hot soap and water used often is the best preventative. For more protection, gloves and a properly fitted facemask or respirator are the next options.

Here's a link on what to look for in a mask.

https://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/GeneralHospitalDevicesandSupplies/PersonalProtectiveEquipment/ucm055977.htm#s4

I travel with my own medical kit which includes Broad-spectrum antibiotic and other things for food poisoning, and other illness that may happen on my trips. But do not need to use these things much. I think the cruise lines overall try hard to keep these outbreaks down. Talking about and having signs to wash hands, hand sanitizes at points around the ships. They want to reduce these problems, only one ship I have been on recently seem to not care SuperStar Virgo, never saw any hand cleaner offered on the ship or at the dinning areas. Really completely different from other cruise lines. I do not think you can enter a Disney Restaurant without using these products.