Staying Healthy while Cruising - How to beat the bugs

[Thetrail]

Has anyone had any luck with spraying the person coughing in the lifts with airborne? What about when you hear people coughing along the hallway outside your room, do you pop out and give the hallway a spray?

 

I am not trying to be smart here, but we were standing next to someone waiting for a lift one day, and she was coughing her lungs up. We walked to the furthest lift and went down instead of up, only to have her get on our lift on the way up and she got real close in my face and asked why we went down. I was so stunned, that I worked really hard to control myself from slapping her. Why do sick people think they should stand around coughing without covering their mouth? We have knee and heel issues, and the stairs are not always something we can do instead.

 

I have now done 2 cruises in 3 months where we have come down ill with a chesty virus a few days before the end, and I have had to take a week or two off work. I mainly stay away from people so that I don't spread it as much as I can. It adds a lot to the cost of the cruise when you then need to lose money from not working as well.

 

We drive 6 hours to get to the ship, so we haven't caught the virus on a plane, it was certainly on the ship each time.

 

As soon as I heard so many people coughing on the last cruise I hoped that I would have built up immunity from the cruise 2 months before, but unfortunately, here I sit feeling ill still, reading in the hope that there is a solution, but very concerned about the next cruise we have booked.

 

We like to book balcony cabins, and hope that helps with fresh air, but there seems to be no way to turn off the air conditioning on Voyager class ships. Even getting the air conditioning to stop going alternately hot and cold is so frustrating. If it is put in the middle on neutral it just seems to blow away with a mind of its own.

 

We went to the MDR for lunch one day and realised the server was handling everyone's water glass picking it up to refill it. Do you think that spreads things from one damp surface to the next?

 

If I have to walk around the ship stressed about having to go back to the room every time I need to go to the loo, and not knowing what I am catching in the buffet, or who is sitting near me coughing in the MDR, lounges, bars etc, then the holiday is not really going to be very good value.

 

It is time for us to give up on cruising? Maybe, as these last two cruises were very expensive, and the value for money really drops when you stay in your room for a few days in consideration of others. Then to be so ill when arriving home is no joke.

 

For those that have done many cruises and not ever been ill, I hope that continues, but lately there has been a lot of talk on these boards and social media about viruses and pneumonia where younger cruisers are ending up in hospital with chest infection illnesses. The noro I understand can be helped with the washy washy, but the air born viruses seem to be on the increase lately, and that 2 or 3 week after effect is not real great.

you should stay home and never ever leave your house.....:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[jules815]

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.

 

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Oh boy, this is so true! My husband just started commuting to work by train 3 days a week. He never gets sick, and just last week had to call in sick with a nasty cold. Also, I'm a pet sitter, so I'm outside a lot and rarely interact in person with people. I take every precaution mentioned in this thread, but I've still been sick a few times when we've cruised. Both times though, it happened very early on, so I believe I picked something up in the airport or on the plane.

 

I'll be cruising next month, so I've just upped my C intake with supplements. Not sure if that will help, but I guess it can't hurt.

[RuthlessBoss]

We don't do anything different than we do at home. We do wash our hands frequently, we use handrails on the stairs, (rather be sick than break a bone), use fingers to push elevator buttons, and avoid hand santizer when possible ( I hate that stuff).

My immune system is very good, we get the flu and pneumonia shot, exercise eat a wide variety of food and sleep..

I guess we are of the fortunate few who don't get sick because we travel.

 

I like this post. I wonder what people do with their knuckles or elbow after they've touched an elevator button:D I think all I do is bring a few sanitizing wipes for a quick wipe of my cabin door and remote. Heck, I just had a brief cold, and I haven't been anywhere:eek:

[nik23]

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

 

 

Agree, we start taking Airborne 2-3 days prior to flight and continue until about midweek of cruise.

[CRUSINGFAMILY]

Like many have said we sanitize the surfaces in the cabin when we arrive all surfaces. We do not use the public restrooms ever unless it is an emergency. We are not big fans of the hand sanitize in the restaurants, try to avoid them if possible. Try hard not to touch contact surfaces like hand rails, elevator buttons, ( ask someone else to press your floor). When returning to our cabin always washing our hands, keeping items like backpacks etc away from contacting your every day items. Washing shoes off after excursions. Just being generally very cautious. In the defense of the house cleaning staff they now have different color cloths and cleaning tools for doing each job to ensure that you don't get the counter tops cleaned with the toilet rag. Not saying it doesn't happen. It seems more and more that we have had trouble with dirty cabins as the crew are trying to clean more and more cabins. I believe they are paid by piece work so the more they take on the more they get paid.

We follow these practices in our every day life so for us it is not unusual and we feel today you must be more careful so you don't get sick at any time.

 

Happy sailing don't sail if fear just use common sense and enjoy your holiday

 

Brian J

[KPfromCT]

Wow!!! Some of you take this to a new level.

We don't do ANY of this, and we NEVER get sick.

 

If you "protect" your immune system to this degree, you will never build it up.

 

We wash our hands after using the restroom, and really, that is about it.

 

Don't sanitize the room down until it's sterile, don't sanitize in the MDR or at the buffets.

 

Reminds me of when DD started daycare at 4 months. She was sick CONSTANTLY for 3 years. Picked up EVERYTHING from her "friends":rolleyes:

 

Doctor told us it was actually a GOOD thing. When she got into elementary/middle/high school, she would NEVER be sick. And aside from the occasional stomach bug in elementary school, she hasn't missed a day of school from being sick in 8 years.:D

[scorpluvsdolphins]

1. Bring Clorox wipes. Wipe the door handles to your cabin and bathroom every day.

2. Take 1 tissue if not going to eat in MDR, 2 if you are to use on the handrails and hold the menu.

One tissue is good to use in the windjammer to grab the serving utensils.

3. Take a PROBIOTIC with a minimum of 5 bacteria strands AND a anti-fungal for at least 1 month before and 1 month after the cruise.

4. If you fly, wear disposable gloves to get on and off the plane.

I don't fly often, but I use Lysol wipes on anything I might touch while being seated in the plane. Then I remove the gloves. I use a tissue or part of my jacket to open the bathroom door on the plane.

 

 

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[Thetrail]

1. Bring Clorox wipes. Wipe the door handles to your cabin and bathroom every day.

2. Take 1 tissue if not going to eat in MDR, 2 if you are to use on the handrails and hold the menu.

One tissue is good to use in the windjammer to grab the serving utensils.

3. Take a PROBIOTIC with a minimum of 5 bacteria strands AND a anti-fungal for at least 1 month before and 1 month after the cruise.

4. If you fly, wear disposable gloves to get on and off the plane.

I don't fly often, but I use Lysol wipes on anything I might touch while being seated in the plane. Then I remove the gloves. I use a tissue or part of my jacket to open the bathroom door on the plane.

 

 

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I'll pass....:rolleyes:

[Thetrail]

Like many have said we sanitize the surfaces in the cabin when we arrive all surfaces. We do not use the public restrooms ever unless it is an emergency. We are not big fans of the hand sanitize in the restaurants, try to avoid them if possible. Try hard not to touch contact surfaces like hand rails, elevator buttons, ( ask someone else to press your floor). When returning to our cabin always washing our hands, keeping items like backpacks etc away from contacting your every day items. Washing shoes off after excursions. Just being generally very cautious. In the defense of the house cleaning staff they now have different color cloths and cleaning tools for doing each job to ensure that you don't get the counter tops cleaned with the toilet rag. Not saying it doesn't happen. It seems more and more that we have had trouble with dirty cabins as the crew are trying to clean more and more cabins. I believe they are paid by piece work so the more they take on the more they get paid.

We follow these practices in our every day life so for us it is not unusual and we feel today you must be more careful so you don't get sick at any time.

 

Happy sailing don't sail if fear just use common sense and enjoy your holiday

 

Brian J

You believe wrong, the cabin stewards are not paid that way or have they ever been....:rolleyes:

[Sam.Seattle]

HUGS TO ALL!

 

Oh, never mind... might catch something.

:rolleyes::D:cool:

 

Seriously...

 

I still contend a few of the biggest areas of concern for me are:

* The room being cleaned at the beginning because you really don't know who was

there and if they were sick or not. The stewards simply don't have enough time to

clean everything.

* handrails... Our last cruise (Jan) on Princess I saw more than once the handrails being

washed very generously with a bleach mixture. (Yes, I asked)

* The serving utinsils in the buffet are of concern. On Holland they often restrict self

service the first day or two based on what? I don't know...

[sjb317]

Wow!!! Some of you take this to a new level.

We don't do ANY of this, and we NEVER get sick.

 

If you "protect" your immune system to this degree, you will never build it up.

 

We wash our hands after using the restroom, and really, that is about it.

 

Don't sanitize the room down until it's sterile, don't sanitize in the MDR or at the buffets.

 

Reminds me of when DD started daycare at 4 months. She was sick CONSTANTLY for 3 years. Picked up EVERYTHING from her "friends":rolleyes:

 

Doctor told us it was actually a GOOD thing. When she got into elementary/middle/high school, she would NEVER be sick. And aside from the occasional stomach bug in elementary school, she hasn't missed a day of school from being sick in 8 years.:D

 

Agree! We are pretty healthy people, rarely get sick, I have not had any type of antibiotic since 1985 and I can't remember the last time my husband was sick enough for one. We wash our hands frequently and use the sanitizer when going in the restaurants but that's it. We've been on 38 cruises and I've only gotten sick once with some type of bronchitis that a lot of people, including crew, seemed to come down with over the course of the 46 day cruise. It took me six weeks to stop coughing! Pretty sure it was viral, but the medical center was kept quite busy on that cruise with people get IV antibiotics:eek: I did not go see a doctor or take anything for it other than cranberry juice with a little vodka mixed in!:D

 

If it makes someone feel safer to "sanitize" their room, it's fine with me but it seems like a lot of unnecessary work that really is not going to do anything. :D

 

Sherri:)

[Velvetwater]

I agree with the folk being dramatic about Antibiotic use...not taking them properly or using them when you are not sick leads to worldwide this:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimicrobial_resistance

 

 

All you need to do is wash your hands PROPERLY and for LONG ENOUGH and at certain times (Before and after: eating/ going to the toilet/ petting animals using the actions outlined in this video (this is the video I show to my class of 7 year olds for our hygiene topic):

 

 

Thats really all there is to it. Hand sanitizers have been proven to be less effective without hand washing and wiping every surface in your cabin is bull because you will be outside your cabin a lot. Even avoiding the buffet isn't the answer as you can simply set your buffet food down then wash your hands before you eat it.

[knittinggirl]

I'm a little confused here.... if you had a rash (or any other condition) before you got on board, wouldn't you bring your own medications with you from home? :confused:

 

I'd also be very surprised if the medical center doesn't carry hydrocortisone cream -- it's a pretty standard OTC product (unless they had just dispensed their last tube and needed to replenish their stock).

 

However, I'm not surprised they didn't carry a thumb brace -- why would they? Some tongue depressors and an elastic wrap would do the trick until you could get to a drugstore to buy whatever specific specialized equipment you wanted.

Sorry, not clear.

 

About day 7 of 24 day b2b, I came down with contact dermatitis, probably from the norovirus cleaning solution. All I had was desonide and DH's clobetisol. I was trying to get the doctor to write a prescription to the cabin steward to avoid the cleaning solutions. Or at least test me to see what we could avoid. Something got on my hands, and I touched my neck, upper chest. (These days, I wear higher necklines on cruises.) But he told me testing would take two weeks, and what I brought with me was better than anything he had.

 

On the Star Princess last year, we had norovirus on the ship. They worked hard trying to stop the spread. BUT our toilet clogged, and we were told no flushing, and no using it. Our steward said they had a few cabins that had clogged toilets for days. ON A NOROVIRUS SHIP??? We got off the Star Princess, and onto the Celebrity Infinity. Late embarking due to NOROVIRUS! Oh no, it followed us! They did everything Princess did, serving, washy washy, etc. AND they removed the books from the library. At least on a norovirus ship, when we're delayed boarding due to norovirus, I can assume our room's clean.

 

On one of our cruises, we heard someone (don't remember if it was a passenger or crew) admonishing because they touched the rim (where we drink from).

 

The TV remote goes in a plastic bag.

Edited February 21, 2016 by knittinggirl

[knittinggirl]

I agree with the folk being dramatic about Antibiotic use...not taking them properly or using them when you are not sick leads to worldwide this:

Why don't the drug companies invent better antibiotics? Haven't been prescribed a new antibiotic in 15 years.

 

What about all the antibiotics we get via meat raised w/ antibiotics? Aren't they a huge cause of the superbug disaster? Stop overcrowding the animals in pens, so they don't need antibiotics.

 

We have to take all our antibiotics prescribed, and hope the doctor gives us enough. If we're still sick, and we run out, we can get resistant if they're a gap in treatment (or so the nurse practitioner says).

[Beachin2]

Lots of mixing of bugs in this thread. Noro - wash, wash, wash.

 

Respiratory bugs - generally airborne, often viral. Could wash your skin clean off & still get it from just breathing.

 

Ever seen the air filters on the rare times they change them? Enough to gag a maggot.

 

Cruise or don't cruise - you can't duck everything all every time.

[motif]

:)

1. Wash hands well with soap and hot water, especially after visiting the bathroom, and especially before you eat
   
2. Wash hands often with soap and hot water
   
3. Don't bother with supplements (unless your healthcare professional says you need them, or you like expensive urine:eek:)
   
4. Use the hand sanitisers (unless there is a medical reason why you can't)
   
5. Keep well hydrated
   
6. Get enough sleep
    
   And so that the rest of us can keep healthy,
    
   
7. Cover your mouth when you cough
   
8. Sneeze into a tissue or handkerchief and dispose of it in a bin, not on the floor
   
9. If you feel ill, self quarantine
    
   Finally,
    
   
10. Anecdotes are not data ("I ate off the floor of the elevator every day on my cruise, and I wasn't ill"):rolleyes:
    

:D:cool:

[4x4bob]

After reading all of the above posts I have decided to make available to you all my sure fire NORO prevention kit.

 

I have shared it with family and friends and since I consider members here as part of family will extend the offer

 

Mail $50.00 for the kit.

 

You will receive back a 12 inch piece of string and instructions. You tie one end of the string to your left thumb and the other end of the string to your right thumb.

 

Then when your right hand starts to touch you face your left thumb will pull it away. Same when your left hand try's to scratch you nose, your right hand will pull it back. :D

 

Bob

[Flatbush Flyer]

HUGS TO ALL!

 

 

 

 

Oh, never mind... might catch something.

:rolleyes::D:cool:

 

 

 

Seriously...

 

 

 

I still contend a few of the biggest areas of concern for me are:

 

* The room being cleaned at the beginning because you really don't know who was

 

there and if they were sick or not. The stewards simply don't have enough time to

 

clean everything.

 

* handrails... Our last cruise (Jan) on Princess I saw more than once the handrails being

 

washed very generously with a bleach mixture. (Yes, I asked)

 

* The serving utinsils in the buffet are of concern. On Holland they often restrict self

 

service the first day or two based on what? I don't know...

 

 

One of the simplest preventative measures involves redirecting the air nozzle above an airline seat away from a direct path atop you. Though filtered, the distribution system is not foolproof.

As for why HAL may not have self-serve for a first day or two, they're probably trying to set an example. Prohibiting self-serve food all the time (in "buffets", tea times, receptions, etc) is just one of the reasons we sail primarily on Oceania. On a similar front, O also appears to have one crew member whose only assignment is to constantly clean/sanitize handrails, door handles, etc.

 

Now if we could only get some other passengers to cough into the crook of their arms instead of their hands...

[knittinggirl]

After reading all of the above posts I have decided to make available to you all my sure fire NORO prevention kit.

 

I have shared it with family and friends and since I consider members here as part of family will extend the offer

 

Mail $50.00 for the kit.

 

You will receive back a 12 inch piece of string and instructions. You tie one end of the string to your left thumb and the other end of the string to your right thumb.

 

Then when your right hand starts to touch you face your left thumb will pull it away. Same when your left hand try's to scratch you nose, your right hand will pull it back. :D

 

Bob

Talk about expensive piece of string! Maybe it's 5 cents for the string, and $49.95 for the instructions. Also, anything medical has a huge mark up. Edited February 21, 2016 by knittinggirl

[knittinggirl]

One of the simplest preventative measures involves redirecting the air nozzle above an airline seat away from a direct path atop you. Though filtered, the distribution system is not foolproof.

As for why HAL may not have self-serve for a first day or two, they're probably trying to set an example. Prohibiting self-serve food all the time (in "buffets", tea times, receptions, etc) is just one of the reasons we sail primarily on Oceania. On a similar front, O also appears to have one crew member whose only assignment is to constantly clean/sanitize handrails, door handles, etc.

 

Now if we could only get some other passengers to cough into the crook of their arms instead of their hands...

Coughing usually expels a bunch of germs out 3 feet.

 

Anybody know if ships sell depomedral shots?

[lahlah57]

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

 

Yes Airborne is part of our travel meds. We start on our tabs 3 days before our flight and continue on from there as well as drink waters at meals with alot of lemon once we board.

We have never picked anything up and we are in our mid 50's and travelngreat distances.

An AirBorne fan!

[lahlah57]

Why don't the drug companies invent better antibiotics? Haven't been prescribed a new antibiotic in 15 years.

 

What about all the antibiotics we get via meat raised w/ antibiotics? Aren't they a huge cause of the superbug disaster? Stop overcrowding the animals in pens, so they don't need antibiotics.

 

We have to take all our antibiotics prescribed, and hope the doctor gives us enough. If we're still sick, and we run out, we can get resistant if they're a gap in treatment (or so the nurse practitioner says).

 

I blame doctors for giving antibiotics to patients who hound them for them at every little thing. I do not want them and can fight an illness on my own.

I do know that I do want those antibiotics when it is a SERIOUS concern.

There is a multitude of antibiotics on the market....we do not need "better" ones.

[davekathy]

Try to avoid shaking hands with the staff and other Cruisers.

[BeagleOne]

Airborne is a complete marketing scam. It doesn't actually do anything positive. The company got in a lot of trouble a few years ago for false advertising. Airborne is a waste of money.

 

Taking too much vitamin C isn't going to do any good. Our bodies can't store it, so anything in excess is urinated out. And too much of it can lead to kidney stones.

 

Spraying Lysol into the carpet and upholstery isn't going to do anything.

 

Taking antibiotics when they're not necessary is one of the major causes of antibiotic resistance.

 

DepoMedrol is a steroid, methylprednisolone. It is not indicated for infections. In fact steroids suppress the immune system and can make infections worse.

 

motif's post is 100% correct.

[pris993]

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

 

Besides what you do, we also put the temperature in the cabin at the lowest setting for heat, no matter where we are in the world, when we go to bed. That way we are not sleeping under cold air at night.

 

We also stay to ourselves, prefer a table for 2 when dining.

 

Changing the temp in the cabin has really minimized the number of times we get sick during and after a cruise. Have well over 50 cruises... rarely sick at home, did get sick after returning from cruises years ago.