How to Stay Healthy on a Cruise Ship


You’ve just booked your cabin on an upcoming cruise with recommendations from Cruising Journal, and you couldn’t be more excited to board the ship and enjoy the voyage! As you get ready for your trip, don’t forget to prepare for potential illnesses while on board.

When you’re in close contact with so many travelers for a long period of time, you could easily catch a bug. From digitizing your medical documents to assembling a first aid kit, here’s how to prioritize your health on the high seas.

Digitize Your Medical Records

Before you pack your bags and get ready to set sail, it’s a good idea to digitize your medical records and upload them to a cloud storage system. That way, should you get sick on your cruise, you’ll be able to access your records no matter where you are.

After digitizing several individual documents, you can try this listing for a PDF merging tool to combine all of your documents into a single file. This will reduce the amount of time you spend searching for a specific document. After merging the files, you can rearrange them in the order you want.

Common Cruise Illnesses

First, it’s important to know which types of illnesses are most common on cruise ships. Naturally, there’s always a chance of getting seasick. GoodRX also states that travelers should be aware of illnesses like food poisoning, the flu, and regional infections, like yellow fever outbreaks, chicken pox, or rubella. Make sure that you receive any required vaccinations for the region where you’ll be traveling.

Pack a First Aid Kit

Don’t leave for your cruise without stashing a first aid kit in your suitcase! In addition to including basic items like sunscreen and band aids, ShermansTravel also recommends seasickness prevention medication, pain relievers and fever reducers, antacids, eye drops, antihistamines, aloe vera gel, and a digital thermometer.

If you take any prescription medications, talk to your doctor about ordering your meds ahead of your trip. You don’t want to run out of your prescription while you’re on board! Furthermore, if you take any supplements on a regular basis, don’t forget to pack these, too.

Stick to Healthy Routines

When you’re on a cruise, it’s only natural that you’ll want to indulge at the many buffets on board, enjoy a few drinks on deck, stay up late having fun with the other guests, and lay out in the sun in the afternoon. But finding a balance is important if you want to avoid getting sick. Bon Appetit recommends committing to on-board activities like yoga classes, taking the stairs everywhere, skipping late-night dessert buffets, and using the gym.

What if You Get Sick?

Sometimes, you’ll do your best to stay healthy during your cruise, only to end up catching a bug anyway. This can be quite frustrating, but thankfully, there is always medical care available on board cruise ships. If you’re feeling under the weather, and you need to seek medical attention, you’ll want to make an appointment with the staff on board. They may be able to treat you at the ship’s facilities, or they might give you a prescription that you can fill at the next port.

When you’re staying on a cruise ship, there’s always the possibility of contracting an illness from another passenger. But can take steps to minimize your own risk. With these tips, you’ll be ready to store your medical records in the cloud, keep up with your health and fitness routines on board, and get the care you need if you do fall ill.

Ready to book your next cruise? Start researching the possibilities on Cruising Journal! Look up the latest reviews of different cruises on our website today.

Gloria Martinez

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