Cruise Sickness
Although there have been outbreaks of cruise ship sickness mostly related to food poisoning the real danger of getting ill is when you debark and start exploring one of your ship’s ports of call.
This kind of trouble can strike at anytime and at any place you happen to be. Getting sick is an unfortunate reality when traveling for many. It doesn’t happen always so it’s a mystery when it does happen. We’re talking about normal stomach problems here, like food poisoning and diarrhea, not the more serious kind (e.g., malaria, yellow fever, dengue, hepatitis, etc.).
In most cases, it has to do with contaminated food. Maybe the chef at that lovely, out-of-the-way restaurant you checked out didn’t wash his hands when he tossed your salad, or maybe the food just wasn’t cooked that well.
The travel adage, ‘boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it!’ very much applies in the Caribbean. Watch out for those cold salads, ice cubes in drinks, and hand-made ice creams, raw food, and buffet warnings.
Don’t let the possibility of getting sick bother you too much. Don’t get paranoid about food poisoning just exercise some common sense. It’s probably not going to happen to you anyway, but its best if you prepare for it. Over the counter drugs will probably do it for you and as for dehydration, Gatorade type sports drinks are much easier to drink than water and will replace sugar you have lost.
As for bottled water, they are generally available in the whole region. If you’ve decided to spend most of your time on a Caribbean beach, you will most likely have no problems staying hydrated. However, if you want to go hiking or mountain trekking in remote areas, be sure to bring approved water purification pills.
Some of the commonest illnesses you will get while on a vacation in the Caribbean include:
· Diarrhea
· Dehydration
· Constipation
· Insect bites
· Skin irritations
· Colds, flu’s, and sore throats
Diarrhea is easy to handle with non-prescription drugs. Or you could just wait it out and let whatever got into your digestive tract flush itself out. Be sure to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and try slicing an apple very thin and leaving the slices until they turn brown before eating. The bacteria related to diarrhea and other symptoms normally die after 36 hours but if the symptoms grow worse consult a doctor.
Dehydration is the reason you feel awful during a bout of diarrhea. You can take dehydration salt supplements to solve the problem and/or drink lots of liquids. If you’re hungry, stick to bland foods like dry biscuits, boiled potatoes and rice.
The frequency of constipation is rather unusual, considering how many travelers expect to get diarrhea. Again, drink plenty of water, eat fruit, and have some natural laxatives at hand. Coffee and herbal tea could also help.
Colds, flu’s, and sore throats are common after long haul flights. They are also easily activated in the Caribbean’s damp climate. You might get skin irritations somewhere in your Caribbean vacation, either due to certain elements in the air, something you ate, or all those exotic plants surrounding you. But they can be easily dealt with Hydrocortisone cream or other travel sized remedies. If they get really bad, you can try antihistamine pills. Cruises are a dream come true for some and a yearly routine for others, there are so many activities on the cruise it keeps everyone coming back for more year after year.