Cruise Etiquette: How to Not Get Sick on a Cruise

19.03.2024 - 22:03 / cntraveler.com

If you’ve been on a cruise recently, you may have noticed the great lengths to which crew members go to remind passengers to wash their hands. On Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, staff dressed as hot dogs and pizza slices stand by the food hall imploring guests to disinfect before eating. On some ships, crew stationed in the bathroom repeat “washy washy" on loop while others sing catchy jingles and dole out hand sanitizer like candy.

While this may seem overkill, healthy hand washing habits can make the difference between the vacation of a lifetime and a travel horror story. From norovirus outbreaks to pandemic quarantines, it’s no secret that cruise ships are not immune (pun intended) to the occasional health scare—to the point that they’ve developed a bit of a reputation among germaphobes.

Unfortunately, the close quarters of cruise ships can make the vessels good environments for spreading a variety of ailments. But the good news is that cruise ships follow stringent health regulations and reporting requirements, and are subject to random sanitation inspections in the US.

But what can travelers do to avoid getting sick on a cruise? Sally Andrews, vice president of strategic communications and public affairs for the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the world’s largest cruise industry trade association, advises that passengers exercise the same sensible health practices that they do on land. “This includes thorough and frequent hand washing, protecting the health of others if they start to not feel well, and contacting the ship’s medical staff as they would at home based on their individual health needs,” she tells Condé Nast Traveler.

For those looking for more in-depth guidance, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains a set of health guidelines specifically for cruise passengers. Some of the CDC’s suggestions are simply good travel advice that isn’t particularly cruise-related, like keeping up-to-date on regular vaccinations, checking with a doctor or travel health specialist if any additional vaccines or boosters might be necessary based on the itinerary's ports of call, and staying home if you feel sick in the days immediately leading up to the cruise. (Most cruise line and third-party travel insurance providers will cover cancellations if a medical provider advises you not to travel.)

Specific to cruising, the CDC recommends frequent hand washing and hand sanitizing (more often than on shore) and wearing a mask in crowded or poorly ventilated areas. Hand washing and sanitizing is particularly effective, the CDC notes, in preventing norovirus, which causes a gastrointestinal illness characterized by vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea.

CLIA says that