Keeping Children Healthy Right Before Cruise

[Livabeth]

Hi everyone,

 

We leave in about a week and a half to cruise on the Crown Princess. I have planned this cruise and everything before and after extensively, but the one thing that you can't plan is for something to keep the kids healthy before the cruise.

 

I am alittle paranoid/worried that they will get sick or be sick on the cruise. My 5 year old has a bad cold right now and my 9 year old is getting over a tooth infection. Every day closer to when we leave that they bounce around the house with lots of energy I'm thrilled.

 

My question is ... what have others done to keep evil germs and sickness away the week before they cruise?? Other than locking them in the house with me an washing their hands continuously, does anyone have any tips??

 

Thanks for the great advice.

 

Livabeth

[Keith1010]

There really isn't much more you can do. Washing hands often for both children and adults is a good idea. And minimizing their play with other children will help us well.

 

One thing we would do it the last couple of days before we would leave we would try to minimize them playing outside, riding a bicycle etc., where accidents are more likely to occur.

 

Have a wonderful cruise.

 

Keith

[Dr_DNA]

Keith is right about proper hand washing. Also, avoid hand-face contact as that is the point of entry for many viruses and bacteria. Finally, there really is somthing to the old addage of an apple a day helps keep the doctor away. Proper nutrition is key to keeping the bodies immune system up. Stay healthy and enjoy your cruise!

[crusinmama06]

I swear off places like Chuckee Cheese for about 2 weeks before every cruise. ;)

 

And of course, lots of hand washing, as always. :)

[wanderingfool]

Eating yogurt every day for a week or two before the trip (if you don't already) or taking acidophilus pills helps prevent stomach issues from occurring, and minimizing their impact if they do. Acidophilus is the same healthy bacteria found in yogurt - good for both children and adults to take, and is available at most grocery, drugstores and health food stores.

 

Try to make sure everyone gets lots of sleep before you go - sleep is so vital for healthy immunity and something we often overlook.

 

I also vote for hand washing, and using hand sanitizer and lysol wipes during the trip itself.

 

Good luck! Hope you have a healthy trip!

[Blissed Out]

Last February we were 10 days from our trip to Disney World. I'm a daycare provider and 3 of the kids came down with fevers during the day and then subsequent flu symptoms. The next day ran over to my moms and was greeted at the door by her telling me to stay outside, they had the flu. We live in Michigan and really the typhoid was really creeping in everywhere. So I went to Costco and bought some Airborne. I'd never used it before but had researched it online. Many people suggested that it had no 'active' ingredients that would keep you from getting sick, but I will swear by this stuff until my dying day. With a family of 5 it was so worth the money, and we never got so much as a sniffle, when really we should have been knocked out by that bug that took everyone 3 weeks to get over. Give it a try, starting the week before you go.

I plan on using this before our next cruise. OH and its got different flavors, and its fizzy. Just make sure if you try it, to let it dissolve all the way. I think it says you should let it dissolve it for a minute or so but I let it sit for about 5 for extra smoothness.

 

Hope this helps.

[Dr_DNA]

I swear off places like Chuckee Cheese for about 2 weeks before every cruise. ;)

 

I try to swear off places like Chuckee Cheese period. :D

[Livabeth]

I try to swear off places like Chuckee Cheese period. :D

 

Ditto to this ...

 

Thanks for your advice. We are busy getting ready over the next week ... so other than their normal recreation programs, school (which is germ filled) and a family get together ... no big public outings.

 

Livabeth

[cb at sea]

Tell your pediatritian that you'll be on a ship for a week, and make sure you have whatever meds you may need for the kids--just in case! Have some antibiotics for the "tooth issue"--you do NOT want that to flare while you're away from home!!!

Bring cold medicines, nose drops, tylenol,....whatever you think you MIGHT need--not all things are available on the ship!

And don't worry too much--kids are sick all the time, and they still manage to have fun!

[Travalerie]

Does the doctor onboard treat things like ear infections in children or have antibiotic doses for infants and children?

[FinallyConvincedDH2Cruise]

Tell your pediatritian that you'll be on a ship for a week, and make sure you have whatever meds you may need for the kids--just in case! Have some antibiotics for the "tooth issue"--you do NOT want that to flare while you're away from home!!!

Bring cold medicines, nose drops, tylenol,....whatever you think you MIGHT need--not all things are available on the ship!

And don't worry too much--kids are sick all the time, and they still manage to have fun!

 

My Mom has a toiletry bag that looks like a CVS blew up in it, every over-the-counter med you can think of. Last thing you want to do is ask the ship's doctor for some Pepto or Imodium since you have a tummy ache or are feeling 'irregular'! :eek:

[mcfam5]

 

My question is ... what have others done to keep evil germs and sickness away the week before they cruise??

Livabeth

 

PRAY!

[crusinmama06]

Does the doctor onboard treat things like ear infections in children or have antibiotic doses for infants and children?

 

Yes, but you don't want to have to pay for this service. Been there, done that...have the credit card charges to prove it. ;)

[Travalerie]

Yes, but you don't want to have to pay for this service. Been there, done that...have the credit card charges to prove it. ;)

 

My kids thankfully have never had anything that requires antibiotics, but of course I am scared that will be something that would happen on the cruise. I could ask her doctor to write something just in case.

[ducktoon1]

When my kids were younger, they were prone to ear infections. If I had any suspicion at all that one was coming on and we were within a week of a vacation, I would get them in to the doctor and get a perscription.

 

In addition, I too bring a mobile CVS with me whenever/wherever we go on vacation. My zip loc baggie contains Motrin, Tylenol, bandaids, neosporin, Cortizone creme, mucinex or dimetap, and aloe burn ointment. There have been some trips where I didn't use any of it, but it's nice to have it at my fingertips for the trips I do need it.

 

Good luck!

[Kerry's Girls]

Does the doctor onboard treat things like ear infections in children or have antibiotic doses for infants and children?

 

We're just off the Sapphire Princess. One of my girls had a 102 temp the first night. I had tylenol, but I wasn't sure if 102 is an emergency or not so I called the medical center and the nurse couldn't have been nicer. She said if it went any higher to call back and they would come, otherwise, we'd go to see the doc in the morning. We went the next day to see the doctor, who I swear was even better with my toddler than our own pediatrician. My little Kerry had an infection in both ears, so was given antibiotics and motrin (to alternate with the tylenol). The 1st visit was $60, the follow up visit 2 days later was $50 and the meds were $20 and $15. I assume I'm going to be reimbursed either by my insurance company or my travel insurance for part or all of it, but still, the costs were reasonable I thought since they really could have charged anything they want! The doctor we saw on the 2nd visit was also amazing. I feared being scolded for bringing a sick child aboard (though she wasn't ill the day we left), but instead they were very supportive and I swear even encouraged me to go ahead and take my daughter to the kids club if she wanted to go. They said Americans are more afraid of germs than in other countries and getting sick is just part of being a kid. Of course, we did not visit the kids club - even though getting sick is a part of childhood, I didn't want to a) get another kid sick on vacation and b) face the angry mothers :rolleyes: We had a fine cruise anyway - though I really felt bad for the people on both sides of our cabin who must have heard my daughter crying as she suffered the first few nights with sore ears. Just wanted to let everyone know what a positive experience we had with the medical staff. Thankfully it was for something much less horrific than Michelle went through, but it made me feel much better for our upcoming Trans-Pacific cruise. It's comforting to know they can take care of these things when we're out in the middle of the ocean with toddlers.

 

Have a great trip!

 

- Mia

[Travalerie]

Mia

Thank you so much for sharing your story! That really put me at ease. I am actually a doctor which makes me completely useless with my own kids! I am really paranoid about things, and they always end up ok. I will be cruising on HAL, I hope if anything happens they are as friendly as your crew. My Pedi and good friend told me she would write for something general for the girls and for numbing drops. So we will pray that we all stay healthy and the medicine will expire on the shelf unused!

[Livabeth]

I started this thread a week ago with concerns about keeping my dd healthy before our cruise this weekend. Guess what ... I had my youngest dd at the doctor's today!! Her cold was not getting better and she started complaining about a sinus headache and sore throat yesterday. The doctor said her ear and throat were alittle red and for precaution he prescribed an antibiotic for her. I really hope this does the trick and clears up anything that was starting to brew.

 

So ... i guess the morale of this thread is that you can worry and try your hardest to kids healthy before a trip, but germs don't care and things can happen.

 

Be well everyone ... i'm going to pack my mini-medicine cabinet now!!

 

Livabeth

[beachchick]

We're just off the Sapphire Princess. One of my girls had a 102 temp the first night. I had tylenol' date=' but I wasn't sure if 102 is an emergency or not so I called the medical center and the nurse couldn't have been nicer. She said if it went any higher to call back and they would come, otherwise, we'd go to see the doc in the morning. We went the next day to see the doctor, who I swear was even better with my toddler than our own pediatrician. My little Kerry had an infection in both ears, so was given antibiotics and motrin (to alternate with the tylenol). The 1st visit was $60, the follow up visit 2 days later was $50 and the meds were $20 and $15. I assume I'm going to be reimbursed either by my insurance company or my travel insurance for part or all of it, but still, the costs were reasonable I thought since they really could have charged anything they want! The doctor we saw on the 2nd visit was also amazing. I feared being scolded for bringing a sick child aboard ([b']though she wasn't ill the day we left[/b]), but instead they were very supportive and I swear even encouraged me to go ahead and take my daughter to the kids club if she wanted to go. They said Americans are more afraid of germs than in other countries and getting sick is just part of being a kid. Of course, we did not visit the kids club - even though getting sick is a part of childhood, I didn't want to a) get another kid sick on vacation and b) face the angry mothers :rolleyes: We had a fine cruise anyway - though I really felt bad for the people on both sides of our cabin who must have heard my daughter crying as she suffered the first few nights with sore ears. Just wanted to let everyone know what a positive experience we had with the medical staff. Thankfully it was for something much less horrific than Michelle went through, but it made me feel much better for our upcoming Trans-Pacific cruise. It's comforting to know they can take care of these things when we're out in the middle of the ocean with toddlers.

 

Have a great trip!

 

- Mia

 

Even though I am a staunch "If you're ill, please don't share with the rest of us" person, and even though my DH and I have to be extra careful now because of our health conditions, I don't see how anyone could reasonably fault you for not knowing that your poor DD was going to get sick during the cruise. You had no way of knowing. It's not as if you said, "Well, she's got a temp of 102 and is probably quite ill and will probably get worse and will probably cry a lot and will probably infect others..." I'm glad no one made you feel bad for not being psychic! We all know that kids can get sick at the drop of a hat (that's how they build their immune systems).

 

I got ear infections constantly when I was a kid, so much so that I had severe hearing loss that had to be corrected by surgery when I was 5. My mom told me that I was not a happy girl when I had those nasty infections, even though I had a good disposition the rest of the time. I don't really remember that time. However, I've gotten several ear infections in the past decade (because of auto-immune issues I am prone to repeated infections that are not typical for adults). The first time, my DH had to drag me to the ER at 3 am because I was in so much pain and crying like, well, like a child would if she had a raging ear infection. The docs had to give me Demerol because the infection was so severe and causing so much pain. I am empathetic to both for you and your DD. I'll be honest: If we had been next door to you, I would have been less than thrilled to hear your DD crying for 3 nights. However, if you had come next door and explained, we honestly would have been understanding and sympathetic. I think that when people don't know what's going on in a specific situation, they tend to relate it only to how if affects them. When they know the story, they can relate it to everyone concerned. (Of course, that's JMO and how we would respond.)

 

I'm glad things worked out well for you and that your DD got good medical care onboard. Nice when we can hear about a positive (as possible) experience.

 

beachchick

[rebeccalouise]

I have two sons and have traveled extensively with both of them since they were born. It is hit and miss. Both have been ill on vacations but it doesn't deter me from traveling- so it must not have been too big of an issue.

 

Don't sweat the small stuff. Kids are resilient and if they get sick, it usually passes within a day.

 

Best advice I have is to make sure that they are washing their hands, drinking plenty of water and taking a good multi-vitamin with anti-oxidants, omega 3s, etc. Best ones are at health food stores.

 

For those traveling at Christmas- all of you should get flu shots. Christmas is the start of the flu season. Take it from me, I was deathly ill during a trip to California in 1999 and it ruined my vacation. Since then my sons and I get shots every year (usually in October or November). And knock on wood, none of us have gotten the flu in all these years.