Thinking about a cruise? Things to consider
11/4/2024 by Denise Dupras, M.D., Ph.D.
Now that the COVID-19 pandemic is over, more and more people have returned to travel — in particular, cruises. There are things you should know about cruise ship travel. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a great resource page just for that.
Before you travel
- Update your routine vaccines and check if other vaccines are needed for any of your destinations.
- Consider seeing your primary care team or a travel specialist at least one month in advance for destination-specific recommendations including vaccines, medications and other information. Be sure to bring your itinerary with you.
- Prepare a travel kit of things you might need or that could be difficult to obtain while on the cruise.
- Prescriptions and over-the-counter medications.
- Insect repellent.
- Sunscreen.
- Hand sanitizer.
- Health insurance card.
- Consider travel insurance.
Preventing illness
- Protect yourself from the sun. Wear clothing or sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher. Skin can burn even if it is cloudy or cold outside.
- Use insect repellent to avoid bug bites. Mosquitos and ticks can spread diseases including malaria, dengue, Zika, Lyme and others.
- Use medications to prevent seasickness if needed. Options include pills or patches which can be obtained from your healthcare team before you leave.
- Wash your hands.
- Vomiting and diarrhea are frequently caused by outbreaks of norovirus. Ensuring that you wash your hands with soap and water before eating, after using the bathroom, or touching things that others have touched, can prevent you from contracting this infection.
- This may also protect you from contracting respiratory viral illnesses such as COVID-19, flu and RSV.
- Consider wearing a mask in crowded or indoor areas — particularly where there are others with respiratory illnesses. This precaution will help protect you from contracting respiratory viral illnesses.
The CDC has other webpages with additional information to keep you healthy and safe during your upcoming cruise:
- Cruise Ship Travel: CDC Yellow Book 2024 (Travel by Air, Land & Sea).
- Tips for Healthy Cruising.
Have a great trip — and stay safe.
Denise Dupras, M.D., Ph.D., is a general internist in Community Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Palliative Care. She completed her medical and doctoral degrees at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and her residency in internal medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Her interests include medical education and evidence-based medicine.