Is it just me?

[oceansandseas]

 

Hlitner.....You mentioned that you take Cipro and Zithromax on your cruise.  I live in Canada and Canadians can not buy antibiotics without a prescription from your doctor.  My doctor will not prescribe for me to take on cruises. I have developed bronchitis on cruises.

 

Are antibiotics available to buy over the counter in the US. Maybe I could pick some up on a Caribbean cruise out of Florida.

[travellovers2]

9 hours ago, Anchor Light said:

More good ideas for being on any ship but any chance you were on Silhouette when taking these precautions?

I have not been on Silhouette, we have been on 38 cruises, so far,  including 4 Disney cruises.

[Covepointcruiser]

Antibiotics are not available over the counter in the U.S.   Most “Knowledgeable” MDs do not give prescriptions for antibiotics to patients who are not sick.   The indiscriminate use of antibiotics has caused the rise of superbugs resistant to all normal antibiotics.

 

[Shadow9612]

13 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We now use a hand sanitizer sold by a company called "Nozoo" that has no alcohol and works quite well (this product is active on your hands for about 24 hours). 

@Hlitner do you know the product name -any chance you have a photo if the sanitizer? 

[Hlitner]

55 minutes ago, Shadow9612 said:

@Hlitner do you know the product name -any chance you have a photo if the sanitizer? 

I will do better then just a picture.  Here is a link to the product's web site:

https://zoonousa.com/product/hand-sanitizer/

You can explore their entire site and make up your own mind.  We originally found this stuff after reading a recommendation here on a blog.   At the time, CVS carried the product under their own CVS brand name but I haven't seen it in their stores for over a year.  

 

Some have claimed the product is actually effective against Norovirus but that seems to be very debatable.  

 

Hank

[hcat]

18 hours ago, Sascol said:

 

Us too!  We call it the pharmacy bag.  Nyquil tablets, lozenges, Rolaids, aspirin, etc. 

Us too...also add saline nasal spray...works well to keep sinuses clear.

[Shadow9612]

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

I will do better then just a picture.  Here is a link to the product's web site:

https://zoonousa.com/product/hand-sanitizer/

You can explore their entire site and make up your own mind.  We originally found this stuff after reading a recommendation here on a blog.  

@Hlitner that's fantastic, thank you.  

[webecruzin2]

On 9/12/2019 at 12:48 PM, MISTER 67 said:

I'll start this off by saying that in no way am I picking on Celebrity but because I think the Celebrity board of all the boards I visit is this is the one I respect the most. That plus we were on the Equinox on the 8/31 cruise. Here is what is going on with me and its driving me crazy. I'm 73 and in very good health but in 6 out of the last 8 cruises I have come down with horrible colds after dis-embarking the ship,  this has happened on Princess, RCCL, MSC, HAL and now with Celebrity. In 61 cruises we have never come down with the Norovirus but down through the years I've had more than my share of colds after a cruise, we live in Florida and only get colds after a cruise. Is this going on with anybody else? We are extremely careful when onboard using the hand sanitizers just about every time we pass by one. Is this happening to others? Any tips than you might hep us out with would be gratefully appreciated.

I've come down with at least 3 serious respiratory infections towards the end of some cruises lately.
October 9 2018 I had a high dose flu shot  and 6 weeks later the day after we returned from 7days on the Summit I was diagnosed with Type A flu.  Took me 4 weeks to get over that one.
On a Carnival ship in May I came home with a very bad cough, although I'm a stickler for hand washing/sanitizing they didn't seem to be very concerned with it on the Sunrise.  Also the casino smoke was everywhere.
September 2019 after 9 nights on the Constellation in the Med I came home with a horrendous viral respiratory infection, tested negative for the flu although it felt exactly the same and was sick for 6 weeks.
I think these types of viral infections are airborne and all the handwashing in the world won't stop those like me from catching those rotten little bugs.
It doesn't stop us from cruising though and can't wait for our next cruise on the Summit in April.   😉
 

[terrydtx]

Our last three trips, 2 cruises and 1 Perillo land tour we came home with horrible colds or worse. Last year we got sick with colds on the land portion of the HAL Noordam Alaska cruise, but I suspect we got the bug while still on the ship. The year before on our 14 day Perillo Italy tour we came home with bronchitis and this was attributed to one person who was sick the whole bus tour in Italy. I think it is more being around others in a confined spaces, buses, planes and ships , than the vehicles themselves.  My son manages a large call center and he came home with the type A flu this week. It is rampant in his place of work, one person comes to work with the flu and almost everyone in the office eventually gets the bug, lots of people working in confined spaces.

[dani negreanu]

I’m very careful — still — 2 bad coughs last days of the cruise...

And very hard to get rid off afterwards 😰

 

[dadofjessie]

DW and I have had the same problem when ever we took a cruise, and it didn't matter where, at the end of it we would come home sick.  What we started doing was bringing disinfectant wipes with us and we would wipe down every surface that we could conceivably touch on the plane, hotel and cruise ship.  This means even in the hotel and ship bathrooms, and especially remote controls.  We are also more conscious to not touch surfaces in public areas and use hand sanitizer at every opportunity.  We now do not get sick as we once did.

[webecruzin2]

46 minutes ago, dadofjessie said:

DW and I have had the same problem when ever we took a cruise, and it didn't matter where, at the end of it we would come home sick.  What we started doing was bringing disinfectant wipes with us and we would wipe down every surface that we could conceivably touch on the plane, hotel and cruise ship.  This means even in the hotel and ship bathrooms, and especially remote controls.  We are also more conscious to not touch surfaces in public areas and use hand sanitizer at every opportunity.  We now do not get sick as we once did.

Yes, we do the same thing.  I constantly wash my hands and always use the sanitizer, wipe down everything in the cabin and never touch the handrails, door handles or elevators with my bare hands.  
Never had Noro on a cruise but I do suspect food poisoning on the Oasis once only because of something the Crown and Anchor host told us.
The airborne viruses are much more difficult to avoid.  They can even get into ventilation systems.

 https://www.goodway.com/hvac-blog/2012/07/clean-hvac-systems-prevent-virus-outbreaks-on-cruise-ships/

[pattyj 1204]

I take Airbourne fizzy tablets daily for about a week before the cruise and daily while on the cruise. DH catches any and all airborne "bugs" He has sinus difficulties even when not on cruises. We also have a medicine bag filled with all manor of OTC especially cough/cold sinus stuff. My sister laughed until we cruised with her and she needed something-Now she asks if we have the "bag" with us.

[cangelmd]

On 9/12/2019 at 11:48 AM, MISTER 67 said:

I'll start this off by saying that in no way am I picking on Celebrity but because I think the Celebrity board of all the boards I visit is this is the one I respect the most. That plus we were on the Equinox on the 8/31 cruise. Here is what is going on with me and its driving me crazy. I'm 73 and in very good health but in 6 out of the last 8 cruises I have come down with horrible colds after dis-embarking the ship,  this has happened on Princess, RCCL, MSC, HAL and now with Celebrity. In 61 cruises we have never come down with the Norovirus but down through the years I've had more than my share of colds after a cruise, we live in Florida and only get colds after a cruise. Is this going on with anybody else? We are extremely careful when onboard using the hand sanitizers just about every time we pass by one. Is this happening to others? Any tips than you might hep us out with would be gratefully appreciated.

I haven’t read through the responses, so I apologize if this has been said already.

This is the result of lots of people from widely separated areas being confined to a small space. You don’t see it after staying in a hotel because you don’t spend as much time confined to the same area in a hotel.

Hand sanitizer is well and good, but hand washing is superior, follow the old ABC song to be sure you get hands clean. Be aware of where and when you need it - elevators and the buffet are big offenders. We talk about sneezing and coughing a lot, but surfaces are important for rhinovirus as well.

If you aren’t exposed to a lot of viruses - no small children around, no out of state relatives, you are at a disadvantage as an over 65 years young. 
get a flu shot, pneumonia vaccine and shingles shot (new vaccine preferred) and you have protected yourself from the deadly things

[Spif Barwunkel]

It's such a joy to travel. Unfortunately, each time we leave our local habitat we are at risk of predation from various irritants and foreign bodies that, systemically, we might not be used to. Environmental changes such as air quality and temperature change, along with confined spaces and lots of people, put us at risk for illness. Precautions and routines are varied with the hope of lessening the duration and severity, should we succumb to the onslaught.

 

We regularly take vitamin supplements including vitamin C. A few days before a trip we increase the C supplement with daily doses of "Emergen-C". That continues during the trip and a few days after the vacation is over. I rub Vaseline on the inside of each nostril every day to stay moist and decrease the inhalation of irritants. Our doctor writes a prescription for a steroid, which will be taken if symptoms start in order to expedite recovery. If you normally have allergies and are taking medication, talk to your doctor about increasing dosage amounts prior to and for the duration of the trip.

 

Nothing guarantees keeping a cold, the flu, a virus or an allergy attack at bay. But, with good travel habits and awareness, we just might get lucky.        

Edited January 17, 2020 by Spif Barwunkel

[MISTER 67]

1 hour ago, cangelmd said:

I haven’t read through the responses, so I apologize if this has been said already.

This is the result of lots of people from widely separated areas being confined to a small space. You don’t see it after staying in a hotel because you don’t spend as much time confined to the same area in a hotel.

Hand sanitizer is well and good, but hand washing is superior, follow the old ABC song to be sure you get hands clean. Be aware of where and when you need it - elevators and the buffet are big offenders. We talk about sneezing and coughing a lot, but surfaces are important for rhinovirus as well.

If you aren’t exposed to a lot of viruses - no small children around, no out of state relatives, you are at a disadvantage as an over 65 years young. 
get a flu shot, pneumonia vaccine and shingles shot (new vaccine preferred) and you have protected yourself from the deadly things

Actually I'm in excellent health at 74. Hardly ever get a cold while at home, never get flu shots and never got the flu on a ship, just bad colds. We cruised on the Nieuw Amsterdam last month and survived that cruise without coming down with a cold so maybe our luck has changed.

[webecruzin2]

13 hours ago, pattyj 1204 said:

I take Airbourne fizzy tablets daily for about a week before the cruise and daily while on the cruise. DH catches any and all airborne "bugs" He has sinus difficulties even when not on cruises. We also have a medicine bag filled with all manor of OTC especially cough/cold sinus stuff. My sister laughed until we cruised with her and she needed something-Now she asks if we have the "bag" with us.

Good idea, I'll do that next time.  Will save us time having to go look for overpriced OTC medicine on a ship or foreign port.

[cangelmd]

12 hours ago, MISTER 67 said:

Actually I'm in excellent health at 74. Hardly ever get a cold while at home, never get flu shots and never got the flu on a ship, just bad colds. We cruised on the Nieuw Amsterdam last month and survived that cruise without coming down with a cold so maybe our luck has changed.

That’s great! Glad to hear your last trip resulted in no colds - were you more aware do you think or was it just coincidence?

 

You May have proved my point with hardly ever get a cold - cruises are worse than other trips because you are in a confined space being exposed to viruses from all over the world that you may have little immunity to.

 

Also, please consider yearly flu shots and the one time pneumonia immunizations- they save lives of previously healthy people, truly.

Flu shots aren’t as effective as most other vaccines, but getting one regularly will reduce your risk

[TeaBag]

I am prone to bronchitis also and I agree that you can't protect yourself from airborne droplets.  However, we got a flu shot over 2 years ago and neither of us have even had a cold since.  Must go and get another this year as we have a bunch of cruises lined up.  The thing is, they can only put 3 strains in the vaccine and which ones do they choose?

[jjsnonna]

On 9/17/2019 at 12:55 PM, oceansandseas said:

 

Hlitner.....You mentioned that you take Cipro and Zithromax on your cruise.  I live in Canada and Canadians can not buy antibiotics without a prescription from your doctor.  My doctor will not prescribe for me to take on cruises. I have developed bronchitis on cruises.

 

Are antibiotics available to buy over the counter in the US. Maybe I could pick some up on a Caribbean cruise out of Florida.

No they are not.  Never heard of a dr. handing out antibiotics just in case,

 

[DebInAntigua]

7 hours ago, jjsnonna said:

No they are not.  Never heard of a dr. handing out antibiotics just in case,

 

 

I used to have a great USA doctor who would prescribe "emergency use" antibiotics due to my history of chronic sinus infections that at times had turned into walking pneumonia. That's uncommon for US doctors though.

We live in Guatemala now, and local pharmacies will sell antibiotics without a prescription if you are a regular customer. You can buy almost anything over the counter here if you know what to ask for. Mexico is similar, but they have cracked down on antibiotic sales in the last several years.

We always bring a supply of broad-spectrum antibiotics for each of us on vacation as it can be difficult / expensive / time-consuming to get them while away from home. Most of the time we don't need to use them but they have come in handy once or twice.

[jjsnonna]

The overuse of antibiotics can have deadly consequences.  

[TeaBag]

On 9/17/2019 at 10:32 PM, Hlitner said:

I will do better then just a picture.  Here is a link to the product's web site:

https://zoonousa.com/product/hand-sanitizer/

You can explore their entire site and make up your own mind.  We originally found this stuff after reading a recommendation here on a blog.   At the time, CVS carried the product under their own CVS brand name but I haven't seen it in their stores for over a year.  

 

Some have claimed the product is actually effective against Norovirus but that seems to be very debatable.  

 

Hank

This sounds really good.  Are the bottles refillable?  I see that they have "pens" which would be ideal for taking on excursions etc.  I would like to buy a big bottle and smaller ones to refill.

[wallysdtr]

I have gotten sick - cold, fever, coughing - after cruising and thought it was just me.  DH doesn't.      With my usage of essential oils, and seeing the pattern of illnesses I contract, post cruise, I now diffuse oils in the cabin, use my thieves hand sanitizer (no alcohol) that I take with me where ever I go, and take supplements that boost the immune system.  We will be cruising again in March with 2 other couples and will have extras to help support them as well.

During our last cruise, when going to the buffet, I started sharing my Thieves hand sanitizer with the young lady giving everyone the Purell.  it was our greeting every day and she loved the sanitizer which has a pleasant smell and very nice feeling on your hands.  the 2 specialty restaurant crew members then joined in.  

 

 

[DebInAntigua]

9 hours ago, TeaBag said:

This sounds really good.  Are the bottles refillable?  I see that they have "pens" which would be ideal for taking on excursions etc.  I would like to buy a big bottle and smaller ones to refill.

We use Zoono regularly whenever we venture out in Guatemala.

 

We buy the large bottles to use at home, the smaller ones for trips (not refillable). And the pen types we keep in purses and backpacks.

We don't rely upon it lasting 24 hours though... we apply each morning before leaving hotel room or cabin, then again before dinner. Even more if there is known illness around the ship or if we've been shaking a lot of hands.