cruise crud

We are about to take a 15 day Celebrity Infinity Panama Canal cruise and I want to enjoy every day-- without getting sick. Does anyone have any tips, suggestions, do's or don'ts that help avoid catching something on board?

Thanks!

Wash your hands lots, always use hand sanitizer before meals, avoid touching your face.

Try not to get run down with super late nights and tons of booze as it will lower your resistance as well.

I sometimes wipe all the surfaces that we'll possibly touch in our stateroom with sanitizing wipes on embarkation.

Someone once said the key was to eat nothing with your hands. Use utensils for everything.

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Do not forget these tips while traveling as well.

Thanks!

I can't believe I'm going to say this but I've been on quite a few cruises and never gotten sick (knock on wood). I wash my hands alot and always before heading in any dining venue to eat. I hope I didn't just jinx myself!

Now, airplanes are a totally different situation....good thing I don't fly to many cruises any more :)

The biggest tips I can relate: Yes, wash your hands. Yes, use sanitizer frequently. Most importantly for us, sanitize AFTER using serving utensils in the buffet., before you eat. Sanitize AFTER handling the menu, before you handle the rolls (or anything else). Sanitize BEFORE you use any gym equipment and then again after you are done.

You aren't the problem. It is people with absolutely abominable hygiene that are the problem and you must defend against their lousy habits.

For years now, I have worn a white glove to the buffet. Everyone handles utensils. We dont know if their hands are clean. If I forget my glove, I use the table napkin to put the food on my plate. Has worked for me so far.

Wash your hands...use your elbow or knuckle to press elevator buttons...use a disposable hand towel to open the door when exiting public rest rooms...try not to use the handrails if using the stairs...IN short...try not to touch the things that other passengers are touching!

All of this applies from the time you leave home to the time you get back home. Personally, I feel that a lot of the problem comes from airlines where the air is recirculated for the entire flight. If someone is coughing...it can easily spread. Unfortunately, it does not "show" until on a cruise so the cruise line get the bad reputation!

My 5 GOLDEN Rules of cruising for not getting ill:

1) Wipe down your stateroom after embarkation with Lysol wipes. Remotes, door handles, toilet handle, etc..

2) Never go to the bathroom anywhere but your own stateroom.

3) Do not shake hands with anyone.

4) Make use of ALL hand sanitizer stations, before and after touching any public use materials

5) Don't over indulge too much.

These have worked for me so far...

Starting a week before taking your flight to the cruise, use the "Airborne" fizzy tablets in a glass of water once a day.

Use hand sanitizer frequently especially after holding handrails. Naturally, use soap and hot water after using the bathroom.

The hot tubs may be breeding grounds for disease. The cruise lines dump in chlorine but will it kill all the stuff that passengers may harbor?

Besides illnesses, be careful of injuries like twisted knees from getting on/off tenders, insect bites, and sunburn! A bad sunburn definitely can make for a miserable few days.

But, most of all - enjoy yourself. You are on a cruise!

Use water...hot or cold.! You cannot get the water hot enough to sanitize your hands....the temperature of the water has NOTHING to do with how clean your hands are...it's merely a "comfort" thing. You would have to use BOILING water to sanitize...and that would NOT be a good thing for your skin!

Been on 5 cruises so far and have never gotten sick except an hour or two of seasickness during rough seas, but some Gravol took care of it. Nope... I don't take it unless I actually need it. That would be as dumb as taking any other medicine just in case you might need it.

I've never wiped down anything with Lysol or worn gloves or fanatically washed my hands. I sometimes use the hand sanitizers, sometimes I ignore them. I shake people's hands. I touch the serving spoons and press the elevator buttons with my bare fingers. I go in the hot tubs. I use the handrails when I need to.

In short, I live my normal life, except better cuz I'm on Vaca. :cool:

I start with Airborne a week before we get on the plane. IMHO planes are as bad if not worse for getting a bug. Once on the ship I wipe the handles, remote, phone in the cabin. Etc with disinfecting wipes. Beyond that I use the hand sanitizer at the dining venues and gym (although I'm not convinced they actually have much benefit). Then I don't worry about getting sick-I'm on vacation.

Avoid the hand rails on the stairs and in the elevators and don't touch the elevator buttons with your fingers. Use a knuckle. Same opening the bathroom doors, use your knuckles to press the buttons. This way there is less chance transferring bugs to your mouth. Most of us don't put our knuckles in our mouth anymore;). The less stuff you touch the better. Avoid the buffet if you are really worried, hundreds of people have groped those serving tongs. Eat in the MDR.

Oh, and there is still no guarantee, I did all this, sanitized like crazy and still got the crud on the NCL Star last year:mad:.

Starting a week before taking your flight to the cruise, use the "Airborne" fizzy tablets in a glass of water once a day.

 

Use hand sanitizer frequently especially after holding handrails. Naturally, use soap and hot water after using the bathroom.

 

The hot tubs may be breeding grounds for disease. The cruise lines dump in chlorine but will it kill all the stuff that passengers may harbor?

 

Besides illnesses, be careful of injuries like twisted knees from getting on/off tenders, insect bites, and sunburn! A bad sunburn definitely can make for a miserable few days.

 

But, most of all - enjoy yourself. You are on a cruise!

I absolutely HATE when people recommend AIRBORNE. All you are doing by taking it is making the company richer and richer. Have you noticed their commercials claim absolutely nothing? This is because it does absolutely NOTHING. If you did not get ill during your cruise, it is NOT because of Airborne.

Airborne. You can find this in the cold remedy section many pharmacies (I did), but Airborne doesn’t cure anything. It’s a cleverly marketed vitamin supplement with no scientific support for any health benefits. How do they get away with it? Actually, Airborne paid $23 million back in 2008 to settle a class-action lawsuit over its advertising. They had been calling Airborne a “miracle cold buster.” According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s David Schardt:

After the lawsuit, Airborne modified their packaging, which now claims only that it “helps support your immune system.” This is one of those vague claims that supplement makers love, because it doesn't really mean anything. Airborne's products also now include a disclaimer:

Wash your hands, with soap, frequently.

Keep your hands away from your face.

Wash your hands, with soap, frequently.

 

Keep your hands away from your face.

Bingo:cool:

I agree with champagne123 about Airborne. If you read the ingredients, it's just a very expensive mega dose of Vitamin C.

My advice is to use a hepa quality face mask. ;p Because washing hands won't prevent the air born germs.

On the last cruise, sinus seemed to be the biggest problem for us. I don't know if it came from the ventilation system or was the result of a changing weather pattern or a change in barometric pressure.

Just make sure you pack lots of your favorite sinus medicine for both of you just in case none of the preventive measures worked.

A week before I leave home i begin having an Emergen-C drink each day, followed by an Airborne gummy.

Each night I swab my nose with Zicam.

I wash my eyeballs with Collyriumevery day; sometimes twice a day.

While on the cruise I do the same. If I go to the buffet, I bring along an individually packaged Germ-X wipe to clean the table. And I never let my eating utensils touch the table.

I never travel without Immodium; and I try to drink a gallon of water each day ( at home and away.)

Feel free to copy and or dismiss as you see fit. What works for me may not work fir you....

When washing your hands, use the method instilled into medics. Wet hands, apply soap, scrub palms together, interlock fingers, make sure you've done the backs of the hands thoroughly, this should take at least 30secs- 1 minute. Use your elbow to turn off the tap when rinsed. People often forget that the tap is covered in germs because everyone has turned it on to wash dirty hands! Make sure you dry hands thoroughly. Use a tissue to open doors - even your own cabin door. If you have to hold the handrails, then again, use a tissue. Keep your hands away from your face. Plus of course using any sanitizer as you come across them.

PS: Water alone is not sufficient to ris hands of germs, it's the application of soap and even more importantly the vigorous rubbing that gets rid of the blighters.

I agree with champagne123 about Airborne. If you read the ingredients, it's just a very expensive mega dose of Vitamin C.

 

 

On the last cruise, sinus seemed to be the biggest problem for us. I don't know if it came from the ventilation system or was the result of a changing weather pattern or a change in barometric pressure.

 

Just make sure you pack lots of your favorite sinus medicine for both of you just in case none of the preventive measures worked.

This is the best advice. Sinus issues were rampant on our last cruise. Starting taking sinus/allergy meds a couple of days before the cruise.

When washing your hands, use the method instilled into medics. Wet hands, apply soap, scrub palms together, interlock fingers, make sure you've done the backs of the hands thoroughly, this should take at least 30secs- 1 minute. Use your elbow to turn off the tap when rinsed. People often forget that the tap is covered in germs because everyone has turned it on to wash dirty hands! Make sure you dry hands thoroughly. Use a tissue to open doors - even your own cabin door. If you have to hold the handrails, then again, use a tissue. Keep your hands away from your face. Plus of course using any sanitizer as you come across them.

PS: Water alone is not sufficient to ris hands of germs, it's the application of soap and even more importantly the vigorous rubbing that gets rid of the blighters.

:*:*:*:*

Say what you want about Airborne. My wife and I use it before plane trips and cruises and it works for us!

I am faithful about my annual flu shot, too. Some people say those are worthless but seems worthwhile to me.

Say what you want about Airborne. My wife and I use it before plane trips and cruises and it works for us!

 

I am faithful about my annual flu shot, too. Some people say those are worthless but seems worthwhile to me.[/quot

 

 

Just a quick question. How do you know it works for you? I have never taken it and yet have never become ill. How would you possibly know? Have you read the ingredients and claims of this product. Luckily the FDA put a stop to this product and their claims, and yet there will always be people that "believe" and open their wallets. Very happy you believe it works for you.