Shots for cruising?

[Rosarymb]

I'll be on the Westerdam, April 10th, for a week. We're going to HMC, Ochos Rios, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. Should we get shots? I assume mosquito borne viruses may be an issue, but I will stay in "town" and tourist areas when I go ashore. And I plan to eat on the ship. Should I get shots or not? :confused:

[voyageur]

My guess would be no... I asked the doctor on several occasions about getting shots when going to specific places (like the Caribbean, Mexico, Costa Rica, etc), and he always told me as long as we're eating on the ship, and taking "normal" precautions, like drinking bottled water on land, not eating from street vendors, etc... we need not worry. The places you mentioned are all ones that I've visited, but to be sure maybe you should ask your doctor.

[Are we there yet?]

My family (all 6 of us) just got the Hepatitis A shot just incase. The kids get Hepatitis B shots at school, so they are already covered by that. They say all it takes is one ice cube in the commercials, so better safe than sorry!

You need to take the shot a few weeks before you go though. We will then get a booster in another 6 to 12 months.

[kitty9]

Make sure your tetanus shots are up to date, every 10 years you need a booster, and I highly recommend Hep A and B vaccines for everyone. Other than that, nothing is required for Caribbean cruises.

[jfishe]

for specific info you can check out http://www.travel.state.gov and http://www.cdc.gov