Cruise 'Cough'..........

[Cosmic Rays]

I read problems with coughs after a cruise. Unfortunately I am no exception and they last for weeks after returning from a cruise. Azura, Queen Elizabeth and Veendam all gave me the curse and next up is Arcadia in July...........

Air con I am sure is the culprit and also airliners when flying to join a cruise.

Does anybody have a solution that might work please or suggestions?

PS ....and I don't mean stopping cruising!!

[the english lady]

some people boil a kettle in the room with the lid open/off to get moisture in the air, or soak a flannel and leave that in the room overnight. Both will bring moisture into the room, which the air con takes out, and may help with the cough.

[FredChopin]

I suffer terribly with this too, and can be poorly for weeks after the cruise. That's one reason why I will only go in a balcony cabin now - I have never suffered with this since we have been able to afford this. The fresh air makes all the difference.

[Tizzy]

I ended up with Bronchitis after our cruise on Azura in January and although I do not know how to stop catching coughs I do have a great cure for anyone who spends the night coughing and can't get to sleep.

Get some Vic or other menthol product and rub it on to the undersides of both feet. You might need someone to help you with this !

Cover your feet with socks and go back to bed. You will find that within ten minutes you will stop coughing. Trust me it really works and has been tried by many family members and friends. I think the plane journey is usually the cause of most coughs and colds before and after a cruise. Lots of people were coughing on our return journey from Barbados.

[tartanexile81]

The only way I can stop it happening is by booking a balcony cabin and leaving the door slightly ajar when I'm asleep. I know they say you're not meant to do this but on a cruise on Oriana we had an Ocean View and I was really congested with a cough during the cruise and for weeks afterwards. In my case I'm sure it's the aircon.

[jenny wren]

Well I had tried everything on our 19 cruises on various cruiselines with balcony doors propped open, wet clothes hanging in the cabin, kettled boiled, standing in steamy shower, etc. etc. and what finally worked was a spray bottle of saline nasal spray and a couple of squirts every night before going to bed along with a wipe of vaseline around the nose and, touch wood, for the last 4 cruises I have not had any sign of a cough!!

 

The theory behind this (I discovered after extensive research online) is that germs/viruses attach themselves to the dry lining (dry because of the air con) of the nose and nasal passages so if you remoisten them with the saline solution it 'washes' them away. Someone else recommended the vaseline around the nose to catch any 'bugs' that may try to enter.....not sure if this is clinically proven but the combination certainly works in my case and I shall carry on doing it....our last cruise was 30 nights on Oriana so I reckon that was a good trial!!

[Thejuggler]

Be careful with the kettle idea. The smoke detectors are sensitive and you won't be appreciated if you cause a muster call. Its a similar story when having the door open while having a shower.

[MULDOAN]

Take a packet or two of table jellies with you and suck a cube last thing at night and the glycirene in it coats the throat and stops the dryness

[John Bull]

some people boil a kettle in the room with the lid open/off to get moisture in the air, or soak a flannel and leave that in the room overnight. Both will bring moisture into the room, which the air con takes out, and may help with the cough.

 

Yep ............ and add: fill the basin with water overnite ( and bath if you have one & shower tray if possible) , hang damp towels in the cabin overnite (with steward's approval ;))

 

JB :)

[the english lady]

Be careful with the kettle idea. The smoke detectors are sensitive and you won't be appreciated if you cause a muster call. Its a similar story when having the door open while having a shower.

not following this, smoke detectors detect smoke, not steam.Boil kettle, and leave to stand all with lid open/off and steam moistens the air. Smoke dectectors don't go off when you make a drink and steam comes out, before kettle turns itself off.

[Thejuggler]

not following this, smoke detectors detect smoke, not steam.

 

Your first premise is wrong. Smoke detectors aren't sophisticated enough to detect just smoke. They detect molecules in the air which are large enough and dense enough to cause the detector to think it is smoke, steam is one example, dust during building work can also be a culprit, which is why during building refurbishment they are usually covered over.

 

Only two weeks ago I had to assist in evacuting 300 people from our rugby club when the fire alarm went off. The reason was steam escaping from the showers into the changing room 'smoke' alarm.

[jeanlyon]

The reason you are not supposed to leave the balcony door open is that all the aircon escapes not just from your cabin. It makes the aircon work even harder for everyone else. That's why you shouldn't do it. And I agree about the steam making smoke detectors go off.

[Cosmic Rays]

The reason you are not supposed to leave the balcony door open is that all the aircon escapes not just from your cabin. It makes the aircon work even harder for everyone else. That's why you shouldn't do it. And I agree about the steam making smoke detectors go off.

 

Being aware of what you say, what is your positive solution please???

[Britboys]

Touch wood I am fortunate not to suffer with this. Many of my cruises have been in inside cabins too. The last few I have just soaked a facecloth and hung it on a wire hanger from the aircon unit - just in case!

 

Some 'detectors' are heat sensitive too. The one in my hallway at home sometimes goes off when the oven door is opened or when I am ironing!

[jeanlyon]

Put a cup of water near your bed. That's what I do.

[WpgCruise]

My wife and I have both suffered through the "cough" and while just my opinion thought it may well be due to so many people forced into such confined spaces that results in the easier spread of germs.

 

This year before our cruise we undertook a regime of Echinacea and Vitamin C, and continued through the cruise. FWIW we also use the hand sanitizer whenever possible.

 

Neither one of us experienced the "cough" though we noticed many on the cruise with the ailment.

 

Coincidence? Who knows, but perhaps boosting the immune system was the answer.

Edited March 29, 2013 by WpgCruise

[tartanexile81]

Put a cup of water near your bed. That's what I do.

 

That doesn't work for me I'm afraid. The air con dries me up so badly that my glass of water beside my bed makes no difference. I'm afraid it's either leaving the balcony door ajar or no more cruising ..... and I know which option I'm sticking with - ;)

[winniesbestm8]

I suffer badly at home, but for some reason I am the opposite on holiday and everything seems to go :)

[Brayman]

I suffer badly at home, but for some reason I am the opposite on holiday and everything seems to go :)

 

Only one word for that - weird! :)

[Growler5010]

I got a cough on Arcadia last year & it wasn't accompanied by a cold - it took 6 weeks to go. So I took advice on the forums & on our 5 week Oriana cruise last month I filled the ice bucket with water every night & used a saline nose spray. Result - no cough!

 

We always have a balcony cabin and although you shouldn't do it I have tried in the past to leave it slightly open for nightime air. However, the constant high pitched whistling this causes is like chinese water torture so I gave that up in the end.

[winniesbestm8]

Only one word for that - weird! :)

 

I know - but true!!

 

Will have to go on more cruises in the year :P

[ovccruiser]

Order and ice bucket every day and leave the top off at night, I have found that works for me.

[bazzaw]

Try using an isotonic nasal spray ( Google it! :) )

 

It is the only positive way I can see to make up for the drying effects of low humidity aircon on the nasal passages.

 

Barry

[teddymouse53]

I always turn the air conditioning right down, the moment I step into my cabin as it is usually way to high for me. I find I don't suffer the dryness, so no cough.

 

 

Angie

[jenny wren]

Try using an isotonic nasal spray ( Google it! :) )

 

It is the only positive way I can see to make up for the drying effects of low humidity aircon on the nasal passages.

 

Barry

 

I agree ..have used this on our last three cruises and it works a treat !! :)