How do you enjoy good health on your cruise?

We're sailing soon and thinking about the several times we have suffered poor health during a cruise. We've experienced stomach ailments to the sniffles on some of our cruises. Because of our location, we always have had to fly to our cruise port. (Except for our Alaskan cruise, we drove to the port, and... we didn't feel ill during the cruise!!) What do you do to keep your good health during a cruise?

DH and I start taking Airborne a few days before a flight and throughout the travel days. I know some people say it doesn't work but it really seems to work for us.

On the cruise, it's mostly about washing hands, washing hands, and washing hands some more. We also don't go to the buffet--not because we are afraid of germs, just because we are not fans of buffets in general. But I'd imagine there's a bunch of germs hanging around in there so it probably helps.

Other than that, I'm following to see what other people suggest, because I've still come down with head colds while traveling on occasion. Never stomach issues though.

Booze and Guy's Burger's. :'):'):')

Drank enough alcohol to kill anything. Avoid the buffet.

Only been really sick once, and I swear it was something from the deli on the Valor and it lasted about 24 hours. Otherwise I get rest, drink lots of water (usually bottled) and I never, ever, drink out of unwrapped glasses/cups in a hotel or on a cruise ship. Handwashing and lots of soap helps and one of the things I bring on all cruises is a container of liquid hand soap for my ship bathroom. I'm also one of "those people" who uses Clorox wipes on surfaces in my hotel/cruise cabin and I also usually bring a small canister of Lysol spray. Takes about 10 minutes to wipe down door handles, TV remote, dresser knobs. I know they clean, but not every surface gets wiped down in the room.

DH and I start taking Airborne a few days before a flight and throughout the travel days. I know some people say it doesn't work but it really seems to work for us.

 

On the cruise, it's mostly about washing hands, washing hands, and washing hands some more. We also don't go to the buffet--not because we are afraid of germs, just because we are not fans of buffets in general. But I'd imagine there's a bunch of germs hanging around in there so it probably helps.

 

Other than that, I'm following to see what other people suggest, because I've still come down with head colds while traveling on occasion. Never stomach issues though.

Thank you so much! We've never thought about Airborne. We'll start on that! And wash hands!

Good hygiene and use stairs at times.

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Thanks everyone! You've given us several good suggestions. We'll use these suggestions and hopefully will have a healthy happy cruise :)

We always start Airborne about a week before departure. Given our home base in AZ, we have to fly to the port; therefore, I also bring sani-wipes and wipe down the tray table, the armrests, the seat belt, and anything else on the plane that we may touch. We make every attempt to avoid the lavatory, and on the plane, only order packaged items to drink (no coffee!). I also bring a full-size can of Lysol spray and spray everything in the pre-cruise hotel, ie; pillows, sheets, remote, faucets, toilet, towels, shower, etc. I do the same once we get to our cabin. I also bring a bottle of liquid soap for our cabin bathroom. And be sure to stay hydrated! Lastly, as everybody else has mentioned, wash your hands frequently, well, and extensively!! Sounds excessive, I know!! However, we travel extensively and frequently, and have never (knock on wood!!) gotten sick on a trip.

I have never been sick on a trip or cruise. I wash my hands often and use hand wipes. I also obey the signs in the restrooms on the ships and exit using a tissue to pull the door open. I don't wipe everything down in the room or on a plane though. I always wash my hands or use sanitizer before eating. Once I handle the serving utensils at the buffet, I do not touch my food with my hands unless I have a sanitizer wipe to use first.

We always start Airborne about a week before departure. Given our home base in AZ, we have to fly to the port; therefore, I also bring sani-wipes and wipe down the tray table, the armrests, the seat belt, and anything else on the plane that we may touch. We make every attempt to avoid the lavatory, and on the plane, only order packaged items to drink (no coffee!). I also bring a full-size can of Lysol spray and spray everything in the pre-cruise hotel, ie; pillows, sheets, remote, faucets, toilet, towels, shower, etc. I do the same once we get to our cabin. I also bring a bottle of liquid soap for our cabin bathroom. And be sure to stay hydrated! Lastly, as everybody else has mentioned, wash your hands frequently, well, and extensively!! Sounds excessive, I know!! However, we travel extensively and frequently, and have never (knock on wood!!) gotten sick on a trip.

Never touch your face with your hand, and good hand washing practice.

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Honestly, all we really do is stay especially hydrated. This helps with air travel, cruising, and heavy drinking. We do wash our hands frequently and use hand sanitizer essentially every time we see it. Only poor health we've experienced has been self inflicted ;-)

I did used to get a little sick basically every time I flew, but I fly a lot more now with no ill effects. I can only attribute it to increased water intake and just having caught and built an immunity to everything that floats around US airports =p

As suggested earlier, hydration is essential and Purell, Clorox wipes and Lysol go with us on every cruise. In addition, as we get older we have learned, the hard way, not to try to do everything and to get plenty of rest. Moderation in consumption of adult beverages, especially on shore excursions, also adds to the preventive.

Avoid the lifts, the buffet, handshakes (use fist pump instead), people who are sick (coughing or sneezing), using hands to eat (pizza or chips).

We also wash our hands well and often.

In terms of stomach type of issues many have already commented on this but I will just reiterate what we do.

We do not eat off the ship with very few exceptions.

When we do we will not eat fruit without a peel, salad or uncooked items.

No water tap water or ice.

Again we limit eating off the ship.

On the ship we try to get to a buffet very early.

We wash hands regularly and for awhile and with warm to hot water and lots of soap.

Avoid touching mouth, face, eyes.

We do bring wipes to clean our door handles from time to time.

We avoid elevators.

We wash hands with hand cleaner when we can't get to the rest room.

This helps to a large extent.

It still doesn't avoid getting a common cold.

Keith

Just back from 46 nights Cuba & the Caribbean Cruise; it was the first time that the dreaded 'cabin cough' didn't affect us (although the public rooms sounded like the Consumption Clinic at times ...).

We paid for a flu jab just before departure; we took 2 x Echinacea tablets each day; the cabin was permanently humid because the shower area was like a Chinese laundry during the cruise with hand-washed clothes in every corner ... Last thing at night we rubbed Vaseline (actually it was an out-of-date Vics vaseline decongestant ...) at the base of each nostril to stop drying - smelled like a eucalyptus tree but who cares...

And we used the hand sanitizer at every opportunity. A major advantage was that CMV, our cruise line, had a crew member working all shift wiping bleach on every stair rail and lift surface - and then start all over again. You could often smell the bleach in the lift - but that is reassuring.

Final actions - we purchased root ginger just before boarding - a boiled infusion dealt with rough seas and any interim sore/upset stomach yukky feeling; and we spent as much time on deck as possible to get fresh air into the lungs and blow the cobwebs away - even during the wet weather and rough seas.

I returned from the cruise feeling more relaxed than I have ever been - completely at peace; and, after walking an average of 1.5-2 miles per day on the top deck, a little lighter than at the start of the cruise and a little fitter (well, less unfit ...). Best ever cruise!

One thing we did recently during our cruise on Ovation from Singapore to Sydney (aka the death ship) was to avoid the public loos. We always returned to our cabin to use the bathroom.

As everyone else has said handwashing and hand sanitiser at every opportunity works too.

We were unaffected by the gastro issues reported on this cruise.

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Just back from 46 nights Cuba & the Caribbean Cruise; it was the first time that the dreaded 'cabin cough' didn't affect us (although the public rooms sounded like the Consumption Clinic at times ...).

 

We paid for a flu jab just before departure; we took 2 x Echinacea tablets each day; the cabin was permanently humid because the shower area was like a Chinese laundry during the cruise with hand-washed clothes in every corner ... Last thing at night we rubbed Vaseline (actually it was an out-of-date Vics vaseline decongestant ...) at the base of each nostril to stop drying - smelled like a eucalyptus tree but who cares...

 

And we used the hand sanitizer at every opportunity. A major advantage was that CMV, our cruise line, had a crew member working all shift wiping bleach on every stair rail and lift surface - and then start all over again. You could often smell the bleach in the lift - but that is reassuring.

 

Final actions - we purchased root ginger just before boarding - a boiled infusion dealt with rough seas and any interim sore/upset stomach yukky feeling; and we spent as much time on deck as possible to get fresh air into the lungs and blow the cobwebs away - even during the wet weather and rough seas.

 

I returned from the cruise feeling more relaxed than I have ever been - completely at peace; and, after walking an average of 1.5-2 miles per day on the top deck, a little lighter than at the start of the cruise and a little fitter (well, less unfit ...). Best ever cruise!

Smelling like an eucalyptus tree, that’s good. As you can see I am an Aussie. Good to hear about CMV, looking forward to 36 nights on Columbus starting April 2018.

Smelling like an eucalyptus tree, that’s good. As you can see I am an Aussie. Good to hear about CMV, looking forward to 36 nights on Columbus starting April 2018.

Columbus is really good PROVIDED your starting point is the price you paid for your cruise. Some of the food is repetitive (I'm a picky eater so that's fine for me) and a little like an upmarket works canteen in the Bistro (Fruit crumble and custard - yummy! - on formica tables), but service is great and the staff are really friendly and up for banter. My wife had to switch to a low salt diet early on in the cruise and a nominated waiter fetched her meal from the restaurant when we ate in the Bistro - you cannot ask for better service than that!

Entertainment is not as slick as US Cruises and the Craft Sessions are there to provide humour (why would you cruise to make a Xmas decoration when there's an Ocean of views, flying fish, dolphins etc to watch and great weather to walk the decks?).

We met some great people (visited Amsterdam to pick up the Dutch and German passengers - most were excellent company and both polite and humorous), laughed an awful lot and had a wonderful time in some great destinations. We were determined to enjoy ourselves and did!

Doreen, the German Fitness Instructor, was brilliant! I think she rejoins Columbus around 20th January in Sydney - if you see her (she also works in the Reception Desk Area), please pass on my regards as one of the 'Werner & Steve Playmates' duo - we did have a lot of fun on her early morning fitness walks!

If you have half of the fun we had, you will have a great time!

Steve & Elaine

Duplicated post - must pay attention!

One new feature I wish I'd see on more ships is that in her last refurbishment Queen Mary 2 was outfitted with actual washing sinks with running water, soap and paper towels at entrances to the buffet. Purell only does so much (and I suspect most people don't stop by their staterooms to wash their hands before heading for the buffet).

I think airplanes are worse than ships when it comes to exposure to colds.

That said, I don't do anything special on planes or ships. Occasionally I come down with a cold while traveling. I suspect it would happen either way, and I look at it as a chance for my immune system to get some exercise.

I have never experienced a stomach issue while traveling; friends and family have long opined that I have a cast iron stomach and seem to have no issues with food or water wherever I've gone, as long as I observe the normal precautions (e.g., not to drink the water in Egypt, for example....) :D

We avoid the buffet. If we do go to the buffet we pass on the items that are very much open to to handling by the public.

We try not to overeat.

We try not to use the public restrooms. We wash our hands vigorously several times a day. We avoid the elevators. We avoid grabbing the handrails etc.

I won't shake hands with anyone. If we happen to be at a table where someone is coughing and sneezing constantly we make our excuses and leave.

We don't wipe our cabin down, never carry those wipes etc. Not certain that they are really useful.

So far so good....never been ill on a ship. I think a drinking a generous amount of red plonk is the key to good health! Both on land and on the sea.

Avoid disgusting smokers, and rat out anyone doing it where they shouldn't be.

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Try to stick to your home diet for the first couple of days- we have porridge in the buffet, and perhaps one piece of toast, as at home, then a sandwich and soup at lunch. After a few days we indulge a little more, but keep off the puddings most nights (especially the much loved fruit crumble and custard, Marchie 1053!). Mind you, I've know OH to make a detour to the buffet in the late evening when he knows that crumble's on the menu...:O