How to avoid sunburn?

[rjf32]

I will be going on my first cruise in May. My fiance is a red head and thus burns very easily. We are both very outdoors type people and do not want to spend all our time inside. Any suggestions or tips on what she can do to avoid getting sunburned and thus be able to enjoy our trip?

[cowprintrabbit]

Hats! Get them from a sporting goods store so you are sure they will really protect you (plus some of them float - I love my REI Women's Explorer; it's been all over the world with me!) Also, if she's redheaded she probably has sensitive skin, have her try Clinique's new SPF 50 sunblock, I'm horribly allergic to the drugstore stuff and I can use the Clinique on my face even.

[zotzer]

I will be going on my first cruise in May. My fiance is a red head and thus burns very easily. We are both very outdoors type people and do not want to spend all our time inside. Any suggestions or tips on what she can do to avoid getting sunburned and thus be able to enjoy our trip?

 

Whatever you do in your outdoors lifestyle when NOT on a cruise. The sun is the sun. Either stay out of it or wear sunblock, hats, and clothes that cover your skin.

 

Then again, you are 'outdoors types', so you already know that. :)

 

Tracy

[zantedeschia]

I Any suggestions or tips on what she can do to avoid getting sunburned and thus be able to enjoy our trip?

Stay out of the sun. Not trying to be funny here.

 

Otherwise limit your exposure, wear sunblock, sunglasses and hat. Learn to recognize early symptoms of burning (sunburns can continue to worsena few hours after exposure).

[Treven]

I generally go to a local tanning salon that has the spray-on tans. I get 3 or 4 sessions of the spray on & the same number of sessions in a tanning bed. I also have/had red hair. Now if I don't shave my head, it would be red/blond/grey with more scalp than hair; so I simply keep my head shaved. HOWEVER, I never go out in the sun without my Tilly hat.

[fireguy091]

Are you kidding. This is a joke right. You are both outdoor types and you don't already know the answer. Going on a cruiise isn't any diff than being outside anywhere else. Can you say sunscreen...:rolleyes:

[TPKeller]

Actually, going on a cruise can be very different than at home, depending on where you are going and where you are from, of course... Farther south, the sun's rays are more direct, so you must be even more careful than in the higher latitudes.

 

And I agree wholeheartedly with Treven! Tilley is the way to go!!! I have an LTM3... Tilley makes the best hats in the world! Just ask them! :)

 

Theron

 

P.S. How many hats come with an owners manual?? :D

[whale-watcher]

Going on a cruiise isn't any diff than being outside anywhere else

not true! Between the lack of shade and the intense tropical sun you are far more likely to experience problems on a cruise than you are at home...especially in spring, when a person's natural photoprotection (resistance to sunburn) is at a low point (and the tropical sun will be right overhead). Add red hair and fair skin into the equation, you can even have problems in Alaska (and I am living proof of that!)

 

I actually wear a swim shirt made of a high-spf fabric to prevent sunburn when I snorkel...this works like a charm, and even provides an extra bit of insulation in the water. I purchased mine from http://www.sunsafe.com, but http://www.coolibar.com is another excellent source. Both of these companies also sell hats and other garments also made out of a high SPF fabric.

Also, don't forget to wear sunglasses at all times (red-haired fair-skinned people are also at increased risk of eye damage.

[wrp96]

As a very fair skinned person, who got a severe sunburn on the Brilliance of the Seas last month (I have the scars to prove it) I have a few tips:

 

1. Stay out of the sun as much as possible - I know hard to do on a cruise. If that fails, at the very least avoid afternoon sun as much as possible.

 

2. Wear high SPF sunblock - I went through 4 bottles of the 30 SPF spray lotion and still managed to blister. So I recommend a 45 SPF or higher. Put it on before you even think about leaving your room in the morning. Even if you aren't going to be in the sun except for a few minutes, PUT ON SUNBLOCK. Don't forget to put sunblock on your ears, your neck, the back of your knees, and on both the tops and bottom of your feet.

 

3. REAPPLY, REAPPLY, REAPPLY - this is the one that got me. If you get in the pool or hot tub, even for 1 minute, reapply your sunblock. Get rained on - reapply. It's been an hour since you last put any on - reapply. Even if your sunblock says waterproof and lasts up to 8 hours, reapply every hour on the hour.

 

4. Wear a hat. The one area I don't have to worry about as I have such thick hair my head is protected - but I still wear a hat anyways, especially one that covers your neck.

 

5. Wear as much clothing as you comfortably can - i.e. long sleeve shirt, longer pants. After the burn on the Brilliance, I went and found a really light weight white button up shirt to wear whenever I was outside on my Serenade cruise. I was actually just as cool with it on as with it off, and my shoulders, arms, and back were protected. When I wasn't in the pool, the shirt was on.

 

6. Stay in the shade as much as possible. Instead of getting the lounger right next to the pool, get the lounger underneath the overhang. At the beach, pay the extra money to get a beach umbrella or find a tree to place your towel under.

[Cuizer2]

I use a nylon fishnet shirt. Nylon because it does not absorb water. Fishnet allows some sun through, but still does a very good job of blocking enough. A good sunscreen takes care of the rest.

[gadawg1979]

I waould say use the SPF 70 sun block that is out I use it every cruise and never burn. Also, remeber to reapply reapply and reapply it is all about the layers when it comes to sun screen. And to the the sun is the sun crowd FYI the world has been proven to be round and I have a basic middle scholl lab for you take a basketball and a flash light into a dark room. Shine the light at the middle of the ball. You will see that the sun spreads out higher in the middle lesser on the top and btm.

[blcfree]

Sunscreen causes me to itch, almost like an allergy. I ofcourse, wear protective clothing (hats are a must). I go to the tannng booth for 3 weeks prior to my cruise and have yet to have anytrouble. Of course, I am not really fair skinned..Good luck. A sunburn can almost ruin a cruise although nothing can really ruin a cruise.

[shutterbug630]

When my sons were little, my pediatrician said to look for a sunscreen with titanium dioxide as an active ingredient. Banana Boat has a sports suncreen with a 30 spf that has it. My husband usually fries in the sun and no longer has a problem. Be sure to put it on before going into the sun. Have a great cruise!!

[FunCruiser56]

Be sensible about your sun exposure time. Use a good sunscreen and reapply often. The combination of sun, water and sand is a lethal combination and you can get a bad burn.

When we go snorkeling or to the beach we do wear light color tshirts in the water in addition to the water proof suncreen.

If you lay out on the pool deck in the full sun for a couple of hours your guaranteed to get a burn, same way at the beach.

Have a wonderful trip, buy lots of sunscreen before you leave, a cute coverup for your honey and hats for you both.

 

Funcruiser

[Treven]

Actually, going on a cruise can be very different than at home, depending on where you are going and where you are from, of course... Farther south, the sun's rays are more direct, so you must be even more careful than in the higher latitudes.

 

And I agree wholeheartedly with Treven! Tilley is the way to go!!! I have an LTM3... Tilley makes the best hats in the world! Just ask them! :)

 

Theron

 

P.S. How many hats come with an owners manual?? :D

And are insured!!

[pcur]

My DH has always described my skin as "fishbelly white", and I also have a lot of red in my hair. I skip from "glowing" to "burnt", and just pass over "tan".

 

I agree about hats in the Caribbean, and the sunscreen shirts and hats are very good.

 

I also have sensitive skin, and for some reason the following sunblock not only works well for me for LONG periods of time, but it's cheap, too!

 

I get it at Walgreen's: Fruit of the Earth's BLOCK UP. It's SPF 50 with aloe vera. It has Parsol 1789 in it. I use it all over where I will be exposed to the sun, AND wear a hat.

 

Reapply if you're out for long periods of time. Also, wash the palms of your hands, as it will sting if you wipe your eyes later on.

[chapdaddy]

At the risk of bringing down the house...Tan before you go. If you don't tan or can't..Then religiously apply sunblock, wear a hat, and remember..When it starts to feel burnt.....Its too late!

[madelinerose]

http://www.sportif.com/jump.jsp?itemType=CATEGORY&itemID=471

 

http://www.nozone.ca/products_usa.htm

 

Minimum SPF 45. ;)

[Genessa]

As a very fair skinned person, who got a severe sunburn on the Brilliance of the Seas last month (I have the scars to prove it) I have a few tips:

 

 

2. Wear high SPF sunblock - I went through 4 bottles of the 30 SPF spray lotion and still managed to blister. So I recommend a 45 SPF or higher. Put it on before you even think about leaving your room in the morning. Even if you aren't going to be in the sun except for a few minutes, PUT ON SUNBLOCK. Don't forget to put sunblock on your ears, your neck, the back of your knees, and on both the tops and bottom of your feet.

 

3. REAPPLY, REAPPLY, REAPPLY - this is the one that got me. If you get in the pool or hot tub, even for 1 minute, reapply your sunblock. Get rained on - reapply. It's been an hour since you last put any on - reapply. Even if your sunblock says waterproof and lasts up to 8 hours, reapply every hour on the hour.

 

4. Wear a hat. The one area I don't have to worry about as I have such thick hair my head is protected - but I still wear a hat anyways, especially one that covers your neck.

 

 

dh & I have followed these rules and haven't gotten burns after our very first cruise. I apply sunblock before I leave my house to get to the airport - that way, when I hit the warm, sunny climate I'm already covered ;) .

 

I also use clothing to physically block my skin from the sun in the afternoon if I'm outside.

[Guest rfrenchbaxter]

Actually, going on a cruise can be very different than at home, depending on where you are going and where you are from, of course... Farther south, the sun's rays are more direct, so you must be even more careful than in the higher latitudes.

 

And I agree wholeheartedly with Treven! Tilley is the way to go!!! I have an LTM3... Tilley makes the best hats in the world! Just ask them! :)

 

Theron

 

P.S. How many hats come with an owners manual?? :D

 

I agree with you 100%. I am from Indiana and I am used to the sun and tan very easy. But the sun on the cruise that I took was more intense. Start going to the tanning salon or get a spray on! I was dark before I went and spent 2 hours in the sun the first day at sea and I got red. From there on I just got darker. Apply and reapply the sun block. Nothing is worse than being sick from too much sun!

Rfrenchbaxter

[mrsfuzzmo]

I always, always, always go to a tanning salon before we vacation, especially cruise. Start very slowly ~ a few minutes and every other day, add on a couple more. In a month, you should have at least a decent base. Even very fair people will tan in a booth if they do it slowly and regulary.

 

BEWARE of the Spray on Tans. Sure they are great for a last minute tan look for an event or wedding or something...but they do not provide any sun protection. It is basically a dye that is applied to the skin. There is no SPF in it and just because you look tan, doesn't mean you skin as the melanin in it to protect from burning. If you do spray tan to get those white legs a little color, be sure to use sunscreen.

 

My husband and I go tanning as a ritual before our cruises. Neither of us has burned once. We will still though, use an 8 spf the first couple of days just in case!

 

Mrsfuzzmo

[westernmom]

Does anyone ever get their eyes sunburned? I was just telling my dh yesterday that he should get a pair of sunglasses for the cruise (our first and to the e caribbean). Do you get a lot of reflection from the water?

 

Up here we get it from the snow when out snowmobiling or skiing.

[Genessa]

Does anyone ever get their eyes sunburned? I was just telling my dh yesterday that he should get a pair of sunglasses for the cruise (our first and to the e caribbean). Do you get a lot of reflection from the water?

 

Up here we get it from the snow when out snowmobiling or skiing.

 

there is a lot of reflection from the water, whether you are on the ship or on a beach - definitely bring sunglasses!

[mrsfuzzmo]

I always make sure and put on waterproof (usually in the form of an spf stick) on the tops of my ears and in my hair part. Those are two areas that people miss when applying. Eye lids are another.

 

Mrsfuzzmo

[TPKeller]

there is a lot of reflection from the water, whether you are on the ship or on a beach - definitely bring sunglasses!

There can be a lot of reflection on the ship as well. On our first cruise, my sister got sunburned while sitting in the shade. Only place it could have come from was reflecting off the deck and surrounding ship structures. She was surprised and quite inconvenienced for the rest of the cruise.

 

Theron