Cruise ship sickness is real though and in recent years, is becoming a little more prevalent. This is understandable when you consider more people than ever are choosing to cruise given the fantastic deals on offer most of the time. Sea sickness, gastro intestinal viruses, colds and flus and in recent times, the highly contagious Norwalk virus can spoil the best laid plans of cruise enthusiasts. So how do you protect yourself against cruise ship sickness and what can you do to prevent yourself from becoming a victim?



Let's make one thing clear; cruise lines run very tight ships and cleanliness is one of their highest priorities. When a ship disembarks a group of passengers, the turn around time for the next group is sometimes only hours. The clean up process is very thorough but the problem is the next group of passengers may contain some people who may be infected with some type of illness. Companies take every precaution available to them to prevent any outbreaks of cruise line sickness.

Did You Know?

The Norwalk virus was first identified in Norwalk, Ohio in 1972. It's described as an intestinal illness which people can contract by swallowing contaminated food and water. There are no long term effects from the virus and people usually can recover within several days. To prevent contracting the Norwalk virus it's advised wash hands thoroughly following bathroom visits and before preparing food.

Precautions You Can Take While On Board

There are several things you can do while on board a ship to avoid cruise sickness. This report is not advocating you spend your time worrying about getting sick, after all, you are on board to enjoy yourself but the following tips will give you the best chance of avoiding sickness.

- Maintain a good level of cleanliness. For example, wash your hands thoroughly whenever you visit the bathroom or even come in contact with strangers such as shaking hands.

- For motion sickness, be prepared. Visit your doctor before you leave for your cruise. If you are susceptible to motion sickness you may require the use of a skin patch. Also, while on board, avoid such things as over eating and drinking. Also avoid contact with cigarette smoke. Motion sickness tablets should also be packed before you leave.

- Avoid unprotected sexual encounters. Cruise ships provide the ideal scenario for romantic interludes but there is a difference between being romantic and just plain careless.

- Food is such a big attraction on cruises and over-indulgence can be a problem. Be particularly careful about consuming uncooked food such as some seafood varities. While it can sometimes be hard to resist, being a little prudent during the cruise can save you a whole lot of unnecessary downtime.

Thousands of people in a confined space over several days or weeks can be a breeding ground for illness. By adopting some healthy and safe best practices you will give yourself the best chance of avoiding any form of cruise ship sickness.