Does cruising with kids = germs?

[sciteach11]

I know there is an increased chance of catching certain bugs (noro, covid) on cruises, but as an adult I have (so far!) been lucky enough to avoid getting sick on cruises by following good hygiene practices. However, it's been 5 years and we are now considering cruising with our 3 and 6 year olds next year (currently 2 & 5), who seem to be germ magnets at school. The little one still sucks his thumb and has brought home everything from preschool. If we try and take a 7 day cruise as a family are we guaranteed to get sick? Have some of you managed to keep your kids healthy and enjoy the whole week? Should we just wait till they're older?

[Itchy&Scratchy]

22 hours ago, sciteach11 said:

However, it's been 5 years and we are now considering cruising with our 3 and 6 year olds next year (currently 2 & 5), who seem to be germ magnets at school.

it's the age. Mine was sick all the time from the time he started preschool at 4 and until about 2nd grade.

He started cruising when he was 3 and only got sick on a cruise once, and it was our own friends' kid who got him sick (their kid was still sick when they boarded the ship with us). 

 

I do make sure to give him his regular vitamins and probiotics every day on the cruise, and take ALL imaginable meds with us as well. He also never sucked on his fingers.

 

Oh, the "funny" thing is - we got covid on a cruise twice already, but our kid didn't.

[sciteach11]

Thanks for sharing your experience! When we had covid it was much milder for our kids too. I'd love to avoid getting it again, but I think noro is the one I'm really worried about. 4 year old got it at a birthday party once and that was not a fun week in our house 😞 So good to know your son has cruised without getting sick!

 

If you don't mind sharing, how many times have you cruised vs. gotten covid? My aunt and uncle have cruised twice since 2020 and gotten covid both times...

 

20 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

it's the age. Mine was sick all the time from the time he started preschool at 4 and until about 2nd grade.

He started cruising when he was 3 and only got sick on a cruise once, and it was our own friends' kid who got him sick (their kid was still sick when they boarded the ship with us). 

 

I do make sure to give him his regular vitamins and probiotics every day on the cruise, and take ALL imaginable meds with us as well. He also never sucked on his fingers.

 

Oh, the "funny" thing is - we got covid on a cruise twice already, but our kid didn't.

 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

16 minutes ago, sciteach11 said:

If you don't mind sharing, how many times have you cruised vs. gotten covid?

we got covid on 2 out of 6 cruises (June 2022 and April 2024).

[sciteach11]

6 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

we got covid on 2 out of 6 cruises (June 2022 and April 2024).

Thank you!