Staying Healthy while Cruising - How to beat the bugs

[Esahuma]

We are relative pretty healthy people and don't normally get sick at home -

 

That being said - we just returned from 3 days in Key West then 5 days on Independence followed by 10 days on Serenade -

 

We did the normal - wash our hands - drink plenty of water - got plenty of sleep - used hand sanitizers and washed our hands again -

 

Both of us still ended up getting sick and had to visit the doctor the day after we got home..... virus and bronchitis. This is not the first time - I would save at least 50% of the time one of us comes home with 'bugs'.

 

We have heard - drink more water - take vitamin C- wear a mask - take echinacea - turn off your a/c -use a humidifer -

 

WHAT IS THE ANSWER? What helps you from bringing the 'bugs' home with you?

 

Thanks

[Clarea]

Besides everything you mentioned, we also avoid using handrails on the stairs.

[Paulxyz2004]

I avoid the Hand sanitizers and will refuse the use of them. Never got sick.

[Keith1010]

Drink water, wash hands throughly and often, try to avoid elevators, avoid handshakes, don't touch mouth and nose and when it's not practical to wash hands use hand sanitizers.

 

Keith

[Cheerysmom]

I am not sure how you can avoid some viruses. ... some are transmitted through touch others are airborne. Noro is by touch....wash hands. Bronchitus and colds are airborne. It seems that I always get a cold when I fly. The guy 3 rows back sneezes, I breath that air in an enclosed area. My husband and i both work feom home so we don't see a lot of people. We rarely get sick. But put me in a plane.... bingo. I am sick with a cold.

 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Edited February 20, 2016 by Cheerysmom

[retiredgram]

We do all of the above plus I take AirBorne everyday while on the cruise. Works for me, so I will continue.

[davekathy]

Also keep your hands away from your face as much as possible. Wash your hands offen and use hand sanitizer as a back up when you can't wash your hands.

[ShakyBeef]

Not to go all germaphobe on you, but do you eat at the WJ? I have seen too many nasty things done by people at buffets on land and sea, to ever eat from them again, if I have a choice. You can be as conscientious as possible, but if a kid didn't didn't wash his hands after going to the bathroom and then stuck his hand directly into that communal food bin, you're pretty much doomed when you choose some food from that bin after him.

 

This is just one example I personally saw (happened to be on Carnival Pride): girl (about 12 years old) sticks her hand right into the pickle bin - plunging it deep into the pickle juice and coming out with a pickle that she starts happily munches as she walks away. I believe I was the only witness. I informed the next crew member that came by, and he immediately removed the pickle bin, but how many times a day does something like that happen, unwitnessed or unreported?

 

And how about, even if the food hasn't been contaminated, the tongs with which it is self-served. Do you wash your hands after filling your plate from the buffet? Many people do not wash their hands after using the toilet. Disgusting, but true. I've witnessed it over and over again.:mad: Then some of those people go straight to the buffet and start touching tongs...

 

Anyway, just a couple aspects of buffet usage that might not have occurred to you.:)

[Clarea]

Forgot to add always using a paper towel to open the door as you are leaving the bathroom.

[ShakyBeef]

Forgot to add always using a paper towel to open the door as you are leaving the bathroom.

 

 

Yes!:) I hate it when a bathroom only has hand-blow-dryers and a door that one must pull to exit.:(

[CRUISEFAN0001]

Besides everything you mentioned, we also avoid using handrails on the stairs.

Forgot to add always using a paper towel to open the door as you are leaving the bathroom.

Both very good ideas at any location, including a cruise.

 

Of the 20 or so cruisers we know, plus us....quite frankly....we have never gotten sick on any cruise to date.

 

That's not to say it doesn't happen or people don't get sick - yes that happens - but with reasonable precautions, the probability can be significantly reduced.

 

The fact is that there are also some people "prone" to get ill when traveling (in any way) for a wide ranges of reasons.

[cb at sea]

I am not sure how you can avoid some viruses. ... some are transmitted through touch others are airborne. Noro is by touch....wash hands. Bronchitus and colds are airborne. It seems that I always get a cold when I fly. The guy 3 rows back sneezes, I breath that air in an enclosed area. My husband and i both work feom home so we don't see a lot of people. We rarely get sick. But put me in a plane.... bingo. I am sick with a cold.

 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

You aren't being exposed to enough germs to become immune! Teachers or child-care folks generally stay sick a lot the 1st couple of years...then they rarely get sick, as they've become immune to the "bugs" that they are around.

[DrD]

In my expert opinion, it's sleep.

 

Immune function studies have shown that for most of us, lack of sleep significantly impairs the immune system.

 

Many of us sleep less before a vacation due to stress, excitement, or simply having too much to do. Then on the vacation we may sleep even less.

 

I make a big effort to get enough sleep before and during vacation and I've not gotten sick yet.

 

also alcohol can lower immune function.

[Sam.Seattle]

I used to take very few precautons, but getting sick just once changed me...

 

* Buffet - use sanitizer I carry in my pocket after I sit down and shared serving handles.

* Rest Rooms - Always use hand towels to when leaving.

* Avoid hand rails too.

* push elevator buttons with my feet... just kidding - I use my knuckle.

* newly adopted... I bring a can of Lysol disinfectant. I wipe down our stateroom

stateroom beginning with the TV remote control, light switches, phone, refrigator

handles etc...

 

I really never thought I would wipe down a stateroom, but after DW and I both encounter a bad bug, the only common denominator was the stateroom. I got the bug first and several days later she caught it. We ruled out the plane which is always of concern too when traveling.

Edited February 20, 2016 by Sam.Seattle

[qqwer123]

Never got sick until Last cruise and it was the last couple of days. I think when you are amidst thousands of people you may catch something if your immunity is a little off. I was very careful with lots of hand washing etc. I guess it's one of the risks we take with cruising. This year I'm going to take these oils that my daughter suggested to me..She is a nurse and was sick all the time from working in emerg until she started using them. I also find the oils useful for migraines etc.. I am very sceptical of natural cures but I have had good experiences with this..

[ShakyBeef]

I forgot to mention: I pack a lot of these:

 

 

Individually wrapped Ethyl Alcohol wipes. I use them on hands before eating, and on items and parts of my cabin upon first entering. This is in addition to frequent, proper handwashing.

 

As others have said, we can't prevent it all and control all illness-inducing factors in our surroundings while on a cruise, but we can be proactive and aware, and take several precautions that can greatly reduce our chances of getting sick while on vacation.:)

[cincicruisers]

Knuckles for elevator buttons

Never touch your face if possible

Don't use hand rails and use paper towels to open restroom door

We take airborne, not sure if it helps but it can't hurt

Wash hands as much as possible

Haven't gotten sick so far (hope to keep healthy)

[brillohead]

Wash your hands.

 

Wash your hands.

 

Wash your hands.

[FloridaGram]

In addition to all the on ship precautions everyone else has mentioned we take a brand of vitamin C called Ester C and sometimes "Airborne". They both have different additives that are more herbal in nature and so far it has worked. We have been on 7 cruises since fall of 2014.

[minn0315]

I think that you were already infected before you got on the ship.

 

The airplane is the culprit. Arm rests and tray tables are the worst offenders according to public health studies. We have surface sanitizing wipes we use before we settle into our airplane seat. Then we have hand sanitizer if we do touch the air vent control or the bathroom handles. As someone posted earlier, the air flow in a plane is recirculated so that person with the bronchitis ahead or behind you affects you also.

 

On the ship we use our elbow to push the elevator buttons. Also we try not to use the handrails at all.

[robtulipe]

Don't fly to your cruise which is difficult not to do when one lives in California and the cruise is out of Florida. Stuck in a long cylinder with recirculating air with hundreds of others for many hours is not good for ones health. We also wipe our tray, control knobs and armrests with sanitizing wipes.

Fortunately to get to our last and next cruise we can drive but I guess we won't be able to do this for our Fall TA. :(

I also like the Anthem and Quantum hand wash stations just outside the WJ but still am considering using a disposable glove when serving myself in that eatery.

Edited February 20, 2016 by robtulipe

[pajazz28]

My DW and I have been on 7 cruises and we leave on our 8th next Saturday OOS but we just wash our hands a lot, use hand sanitizer every time we get a chance, also use paper to open bathroom doors and we have fortunately never gotten sick on a cruise. But we are also fortunate that we live 30 minutes away from Port of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale so we do not need to take an airplane to cruise. I will use some of the suggestions you have shared no handrails, elbow for elevators, wiper down cabin and drink airborne (which I do whenever I fly). Happy and healthy travels to all.

[impatientlywaiting]

We have a 29 day b2b scheduled for September/October. Fortunately we have our physicals in August and I'm going to ask my doctor if she'll give me a prescription for an antibiotic to bring with me (just in case) and also what we can take ahead of time as a precaution. Our last cruise in September DH started getting sick the last day (everyone in our group caught it) and we were very thorough in keeping our hands washed and cleansed and not touching things. But it's very sad when you see grown women coming out of a stall in the bathroom and not washing their hands. YUCK YUCK YUCK

[davekathy]

We have a 29 day b2b scheduled for September/October. Fortunately we have our physicals in August and I'm going to ask my doctor if she'll give me a prescription for an antibiotic to bring with me (just in case) and also what we can take ahead of time as a precaution. Our last cruise in September DH started getting sick the last day (everyone in our group caught it) and we were very thorough in keeping our hands washed and cleansed and not touching things. But it's very sad when you see grown women coming out of a stall in the bathroom and not washing their hands. YUCK YUCK YUCK

 

...and men and kids!

[CRUISEFAN0001]

Don't fly to your cruise which is difficult not to do when one lives in California and the cruise is out of Florida. Stuck in a long cylinder with recirculating air with hundreds of others for many hours is not good for ones health. We also wipe our tray, control knobs and armrests with sanitizing wipes.

That points to another interesting tidbit....sea sickness and air sickness are both essentially the same - motion sickness. Odds are if a long flight causes one problems, so might a cruise.

 

As someone who has flown more than 2 million miles and driven equally as far...I agree with you that air travel can spawn illness as much as any other form.