Health Issues on Board Ship

Following our blog a few days ago covering how to be prepared for a disaster at sea - not to put a blanket on your anticipation of a great time but to make sure you are physically and mentally prepared for any thing so that you can forget about it all and have a good time, Prow’s Edge continues to talk about how to be truly safe and prepared for anything on your cruise.



This time, Prow’s Edge talks about keeping healthy on your cruise.



It is a well known fact that many cruise ships are riddled with all sorts of viruses and germs layering every elevator button, railing and door handle. This is NOT to say that cruise ships are necessarily dirty disease-ridden vessels – but this news should not be a surprise when you realize that cruise ships pack in a huge number of people into a comparatively small space.  It is obvious that a virus or set of germs sees this as a heaven.



Also,most people taking a cruise, whether they will admit it or not, are in a holiday frame of mind, and all the natural precautions they naturally take at home and in the office at work go flying out of the window.



The same rules you live by at home apply even more importantly on a cruise.



The basic and most important rule is avoid touching every person, hand, railing and door handle you see.



Avoid shaking hands with everyone.  While this may seem a little unfriendly you will find more and more people accepting that shaking hands with every stranger is not a good idea, and certainly not on a cruise.



Even many Captain’s Cocktail events now restrict the shaking of hands.  It’s not that the captain doesn’t want to be friendly - he just wants to keep us all healthy.



Wash your hands as often as possible, and make good use of all the hand sanitizers located in almost every corner on every deck.



And if the worst should happen, and you come down with a virus, or even just a simple cold, see the doctor or nurse on board – that is what they are there for – and stay away from the other passengers.  As awful as that may seem  – it is the decent thing to do, and your recovery will be much quicker.



And finally, if you have any particular health problems, make sure that you bring enough necessary medications, not only for the cruise itself, but for several days after the trip in case of any emergencies. 



This may all sound a little gloomy - but it’s not meant to be.  Precautions becoming a natural part of your life mean that you more than likely to enjoy a problem free cruise.

Dispelling the Myths about Keeping Fit and Healthy at Sea

As Kevin Retief says in his article Fitness at Sea - Keeping Ship Shape on a Cruise , "In the old days, the cruise gym was a pokey little room in the bowels of the ship, there was no such thing as an on-board spa, healthy eating meant skipping dinner, and getting through the day without several cocktails under your belt was practically unheard of. Today, things are different."

Indeed they are.

Keeping fit and healthy on a cruise is no longer the chore it was many years ago, and in fact, better health on a cruise is part of the focus, and a large part of the fun of cruising today.

And if you're still a cynic about that, a brand new feature at Prow's Edge KEEPING FIT AND HEALTHY ON A CRUISE - A Healthy Cruise - It’s not a Myth gives some pointers on how to change your attitudes and see the fun of the healthy and fit options on board your next cruise.

Healthy alternatives at the dinner table are not limited to a plate of greens and a glass of water, the spa is not as elitist as you might think, the gym is not there to punish you, and active shore excursions can provide lots of healthy fun without you even realizing it.

The Prow's Edge Forum too offers comments and opinions from fellow travelers on all sorts of topics including health at sea.