How to Avoid Illness onboard a cruise ship
We’ve heard this since kindergarten; the best way to avoid the spread of germs is with frequent hand washing. What else can we do to avoid becoming a statistic?
Wash Hands Thoroughly: Go for the soap and hot water. Use the personal hand towels provided in the public restaurants and then drop them in the provided bin.
Use Hand Sanitizer: Take advantage of the hand sanitizer stations all around the ship. While I prefer not to dry my hands out by using the sanitizers, it is a much easier problem to resolve than illness.
Drink Water: Drink plenty of water, free drinking water is readily available in the stateroom, at the bars, from staff at the pool, during all meals, etc. Make it a habit to drink water before you feel dehydrated, it really does cleanse the body.
Include Vitamin C: Have something each day that contains Vitamin C. That might be a glass or orange juice for breakfast, a fruit drink at the pool, or a fruit salad at dinner. Vitamin C does not store in your body, so it’s important to reload each day.
Routines and Habits: Stick with your eating routines, if you don’t generally eat three or more large meals at home, don’t overstress your body by pushing to the extremes on board. If you know cheese bothers you at home, it’s likely it will bother you onboard.
Alcohol: Drink as much as you like, if you are a drinker at home. Either way, try to have a glass of water to offset each beverage to keep the body hydrated.
Stay Active: In most cases, the natural act of moving about on this small floating city, especially if you make a point of taking the stairs, will burn more calories than the average person will get at home. Add three laps around the outside deck for an additional mile. If you’d like a structured setting, join in on some of the endless fitness programs onboard and on land.
In Port: Be smart about the street foods you purchase. Notice the cleanliness of the food areas and also of the server. Use common sense.
If you do get sick: First and foremost stay hydrated. Take medicine as needed; if you didn’t bring any, get some from the ship’s infirmary. Most ships don’t charge a fee for any services related to airborne illnesses.
Remember, it’s a very small percentage of guests that become ill. News media reports often say the number of people who got sick, but what they don’t say is that in almost all cases, the total number is less that half of one percent of guests. They also don’t mention the many ships that don’t have any illnesses.
Bon Voyage!
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