How do YOU stay healthy on a cruise - help needed

[knippsel]

This is not another norovirus thread, but rather looking for ideas about how to avoid coming down with a severe cold/cough/respiratory ailment during or after a cruise. We've been fortunate to take a number of cruises over the past 2 years and every time we get home, or sometimes during the cruise, we catch "something". Usually a bad cough, sometimes a little fever, etc. We end up coughing and congested until 3 weeks after a trip. It's not airplanes, it happens even when we drive to the port. At home we're quite healthy - never catch colds. On board we don't overdo the alcohol, we get enough sleep (!) etc. DH doesn't want to book another cruise until we figure out why we end up miserable afterwards. It makes me wonder how the staff/crew/entertainers avoid being sick all the time.

Does this happen to you? If not, what's your secret???

[cb at sea]

It's like teachers...after a few years, they seem to get an immunity to all the nasty "kid" germs....

 

It's probably a combo of stress (pre-vacation), and a change of environment.

 

No, doesn't happen to us, generally speaking.

[ggprincess2004]

We try to keep our immune systems in good shape - multi vitamins consistently, flu shots....all the usual general good health things. And when we are on board we become OCD about handwashing. Often and thorough, make use of the hand sanitizers they have placed all over. And as much as possible, only use the bathroom in our own stateroom.....although we certainly are not compulsive about that. Just lots of handwashing. And we do try to get our normal amount of sleep even when on board.

[OCruisers]

One good thing to do take a wrap. It's often cold enough to "hang meat" in the public areas of cruise ships. :rolleyes:

LuLu

[ar1950]

We try to keep our immune systems in good shape - multi vitamins consistently, flu shots....all the usual general good health things. And when we are on board we become OCD about handwashing. Often and thorough, make use of the hand sanitizers they have placed all over. And as much as possible, only use the bathroom in our own stateroom.....although we certainly are not compulsive about that. Just lots of handwashing. And we do try to get our normal amount of sleep even when on board.

 

And DO NOT TOUCH your nose, mouth and ESPECIALLY your eyes. Unless you have just washed your hands.

 

We also use the hand sanitizers before AND after we get food in the buffet. And we wipe down everything in the cabin when we first get on board (tv remote, door knobs, etc.).

 

We have mostly avoided getting sick once we started doing ALL of these things.

 

Happy (and healthy) cruising to you. :cool:

[Langoustine]

I seriously think you need to have a talk with your doctor about this. My wife and I have traveled all over the world for 50+ years, and have never experienced what you're describing. We get flu shots every year, we've had Hepatitis A & B shots, Tetanus shots, etc., we wash our hands, and that seems to be enough for us. We never worry about germs on door handles, telephones, etc., and keep to the theory that if something falls on the floor it's OK to eat it as long as you pick it up within 5 seconds. We are of the age where, as children, we played outdoors all the time, and I have since read that that may have actually been beneficial in developing an immunity to certain germs; neither of us have any allergies, nor do we ever get infections from cuts or scrapes. I wish I could be more helpful, but what you're describing seems odd to me.

Edited October 19, 2014 by Langoustine

[yoyosma]

Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds using soap and warm water. wash them just before eating. hand sanitizer is ok for bacteria but not as effective for a lot of viruses. but it is better than nothing. I use it at the buffet after getting my food - I exect the handles are contaminated by all those people who can't be bothered to wash.

 

Avoid touching railings and elevator buttons. I use my elbows a lot.

 

I sometimes go and wash my hands after handling the menus in the dining room too. It depends my take on the general health of my fellow passengers. You can sometimes tell there is something going around.

 

Get your flu shot.

 

I sometimes get sick after getting home but that could be the exposure to stuff in the dry airplane air and then returning home to the cold after the warm. Hard to say. I also use stuff like airborne if I think I may be getting sick. It does seem to help me a bit.

 

I know this is probably silly, but if someone coughs or sneezes in the elevator or hall I hold my breath until i get off or past the point of the cough/sneeze.

[partybarbie]

I try to avoid touching any of the handrails and the elevator buttons. Use your elbow to hit the button in the elevator. If you have to touch a handrail, make sure that you wash your hands asap. I also take Airborne and try to drink lots of water.

[villager13]

I try to avoid touching any of the handrails and the elevator buttons. Use your elbow to hit the button in the elevator. If you have to touch a handrail, make sure that you wash your hands asap. I also take Airborne and try to drink lots of water.

We also avoid touching hand rails, elevator buttons etc. We use plastic disposable food serving gloves for the buffet since the serving utensils are touched by thousands of people. After we get our food we dispose of the glove. You can buy them at Costco or Sams club. Very inexpensive for a box of 500.

[rdsqrl]

I have never experienced anything such as you describe. But then, it's been my observation that some people are just more sickly than others. I am exposed to a university-full of students every day and haven't had so much as a cold in years. I also never get a flu shot . . . Needles? Voluntarily? No way.

[ar1950]

One other thing that we do is take a product called Boiron if we do feel a little out of sorts. The one that is for the flu seems to work the best. So far so good.

[ar1950]

We also avoid touching hand rails, elevator buttons etc. We use plastic disposable food serving gloves for the buffet since the serving utensils are touched by thousands of people. After we get our food we dispose of the glove. You can buy them at Costco or Sams club. Very inexpensive for a box of 500.

 

No longer at Costco around here unless we go to the business outlet Costco. Bummer, because we use them all of the time at home.

[cruzisme]

We try to be healthy before the cruise begins.

We also disinfect the handles, remote, phone etc. as soon as we enter the cabin. We wash our hands with soap and water. Use a paper towel to open the door (public washroom)

Avoid others who are sneezing and wheezing (if possible).

Plenty of rest if possible (we take a nap in the afternoon)

Try not to shake hands but rub elbows. At the Captains Party, he wanted to shake hands with everyone; I just knuckle rubbed or used my elbow. No one was offended by that.

Maybe taking some vitamin C and D supplements with you would help you.

Our friends are both sick from our last cruise (bad head colds)

As we were waiting to disembark, we could hear all the coughs (Vista Lounge)

And use the Purell provided, its better than nothing!

[ar1950]

I have never experienced anything such as you describe. But then, it's been my observation that some people are just more sickly than others. I am exposed to a university-full of students every day and haven't had so much as a cold in years. I also never get a flu shot . . . Needles? Voluntarily? No way.

 

I was young once like you are. Rarely got sick. However, things do change as we get older. Enjoy your good health as long as you can. ;)

[RebelSoul]

Airborne the week before the cruise and flying in day and a great antiseptic (water based hand sanitizer, lasts up to 6 hours, even kills Noro) called Zylast. Carry it everywhere and use it daily.

[Mommypig]

What kind of stateroom do you get? I have noticed mustiness occasionally on staterooms on decks that have no outside ventilation, all ocean view or interior staterooms. I have asthma so I always get a balcony. I want good ventilation. I also bring an air purifier. Maybe there is an underlying mold allergy that is making you sick?

 

 

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[Pam in CA]

Getting a flu shot can help but not much. Unfortunately, I got a really bad cold on my Royal cruise last month and after a week and not feeling better, I went to the Medical Center. They explained that your flu shot is most likely for flu strains in your country or region but when you get people from different countries and continents, you're exposed to new strains. They tested me for the flu and what I had was bacterial. In retrospect, I should have gone to the Medical Center a lot earlier rather than self-medicate since with the stack of medications they gave me, I felt so much better within 2-3 hours and just about normal in two days.

 

The bottom line is that you can catch something from a plane, the ship, a tour bus or van, pretty much everywhere.

[Lerin]

Haven't experienced this at all but wonder if maybe you're "overdoing" it on cruises?

 

-Drinking more than usual, which can lead to dehydration.

This is true even if you don't drink alcohol, if on vacation you drink a lot more soda, mock tails or speciality coffees than at home, it can have a similar dehydration effect on your body as overdoing it on wine or beer.

 

-Staying up later than usual, this combined with any jet lag can bother the immune system

 

More active?

Do you run all over the ship with the dailies in hand to make it to the next class/trivia/show/dance...

 

-Eating more, especially more high fat/salt/sugar.

Even the fact that you eat more often and probably larger portions on a cruise will mess with your system.

 

-Also do you allow yourself any down time before returning to work or do you fly back home at midnight and then hop in the car to work 6 hours later.

 

 

If you are constantly getting sick after vacation, that is your body telling you it isn't liking something about your vacation. Too much sudden change on the system, combined with the anxieties that come per-cruise can send your immune system all askew.

[KarateMan]

Lately I have been bringing on board my own sanitising wipes and wiping down every single surface in the cabin when I board the ship. The phone, the remote, inside every drawer, every coat hanger. Everything gets a wipe down now.

 

I am fully vaccinated every year. Fully immunised for life against hep A and B.

 

Try to avoid the lifts and walk as much as possible. Try to avoid the buffet where possible. When run down and exhausted avoid the gym you need your healthy blood cells to keep you healthy and an intense work-out will only decrease your immunity when you are already more fatigued than usual.

 

Some anti-biotic may work but I would only use as prescribed by a Doctor. My cruise to South America I went through the checklist with the Doctor and although it was highly unlikely that I would catch something like Malaria, I was given doxycycline to take, this is more of an anti-bacterial anti-biotic and can prevent this.

 

On my last two cruises I have managed to come away unscathed by illness.

 

I have been on Celebrity Solstice in March 2013 and came home with a cough. I was on Arcadia in 2009 and 2012 and on both occasions came home with a cough. The Doctor diagnosed something and I cant remember but by the time I post this I probably will have remembered.

 

I have only contracted norovirus once on Oriana in 2006. From what I noted on board is that the level of cleanliness by staff was considerably lax compared to other ships and it is any wonder the virus got out of control. I have been on other ships where there was a norovirus outbreak and never caught it and I do believe that the level of vigilance by staff makes a difference with how they clean. There was an outbreak on the Golden Princess this year. Every night I noticed them spraying the entire passageway from ceiling to floor with some sanitiser. I never got sick on that trip.

[Times Prince]

This is not another norovirus thread, but rather looking for ideas about how to avoid coming down with a severe cold/cough/respiratory ailment during or after a cruise. We've been fortunate to take a number of cruises over the past 2 years and every time we get home, or sometimes during the cruise, we catch "something". Usually a bad cough, sometimes a little fever, etc. We end up coughing and congested until 3 weeks after a trip. It's not airplanes, it happens even when we drive to the port. At home we're quite healthy - never catch colds. On board we don't overdo the alcohol, we get enough sleep (!) etc. DH doesn't want to book another cruise until we figure out why we end up miserable afterwards. It makes me wonder how the staff/crew/entertainers avoid being sick all the time.

Does this happen to you? If not, what's your secret???

We are somewhat susceptible to respiratory issues, and have had similar problems post cruise, even resulting in bronchitis after returning. With that in mind our solutions are:

1. Always get a balcony cabin. Ship's Dr. recommended opening the outside door for at least 10-15 minutes daily to get fresh air into the cabin (and recommended against us booking OV or inside cabins which use recycled air)
   
2. Wash hands per recommendations before leaving cabin and before eating if coming from somewhere else in the ship.
   
3. Wash hands immediately after returning to cabin.
   
4. avoid touching common surfaces (use knuckle for elevator buttons or elbow for railings)
   
5. We use the hand sanitizer before eating - on the airplane and onboard ship
   
6. The biggie: If possible AVOID FLYING. In our case we consistently had issues until we were able to drive to/from the port; then had none.
   
7. Keep well hydrated - drink lots of water, including during flights. Post cruise you are going from a moist sea atmosphere to dry, recycled air aboard the airplane.
   
8. Enjoy the sea air onboard ship.
   
9. Avoid hot tubs. The sickest (really bad cold) I ever got onboard was after using a hot tub, which I don't normally do.
   
10. Maintain hand and face sanitation habits before and after the cruise.
    

We have never sanitized our cabin like others recommend - the Princess staff keeps the cabin sufficiently clean for us. We do, however, check to verify that there are no feather pillows (foam is standard), which was a problem years ago.

 

Good luck on finding what works for you

[Grannycb]

Try taking shorter cruises. We noticed a type of cough/respiratory problem seems to spread through ships on about day 8. Enjoy outside sea air as much as possible. Don't try to do too much, rest and relax, but get some exercise. Walking around the deck is good. Take the stairs rather than riding the elevator if possible. Use the handrails on stairs, falls can be much worse than catching a cold or Noro, but wash your hands afterward. Actually, wash your hands at every opportunity. I have confidence in soap and water and a good rub with a paper towel.

[pompeii]

This might not help with something that is spread through the air, but carry your own pen with you so you don't have to use one passed from person to person. One ill person at the front of the line could possibly spread something to the 50 people next in line.

 

We also avoid touching handrails and door handles if possible, but if we have to, we try to remember to not touch our face until we can wash our hands. And we rarely use the elevators, almost always take the stairs.

 

We have cruised in OV cabins several times without any ill effects, but I hadn't thought about the recycled air. Maybe that's a good reason to pay the extra for balconies......

[MrKenFL]

I don't take vitamins, don't get flu shots, about the only thing I do is make sure I wash my hands after using the rest rooms. Fortunately I have never caught anything on our cruises. I guess I prescribe to the old theory, you gotta eat a peck of dirt before you die.

Because I am a laryngectomee (for the past 13 years) Drs. don't like me to fly because of airborne germs on an airplane but never commented on cruising except to take NORMAL precautions.

I think I just have a good, built up immune system.

My S.O. has never had a problem either getting ill on our cruises.

We are both in our late 70's !

Hoping for good health for all !

[dorisis]

We are both in our late 80s and have done many many cruises without illness in all kinds of cabins. Our last cruise was in a window suite. No balcony. We both came home with that cruiser's cough. I am beginning to think it was the lack of fresh air because we were rarely outside.

[Homosassa]

Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands. And don't depend on the hand sanitizer so beloved by many. Unless it is 70% alcohol and sits on your hands for a while, it will not be very effective (especially if the hands were not recently washed).