A single health setback can transform your cruise vacation from blissful to burdensome. Discerning cruise passengers are heeding medical experts’ advice by embracing preventative measures with the same enthusiasm they reserve for selecting premium staterooms.
When wellness becomes protocol
The ritual of pre-embarkation health screenings – familiar to seasoned cruisers – underscores luxury lines’ commitment to onboard wellness. Cruise ship doctors will even decline boarding to those presenting with symptoms, thereby preserving the collective experience.
Australian authorities sound an alarm
In Australia, where medical authorities have observed elevated influenza rates, health officials have issued an reminder to the cruising fraternity. With the country reporting a more than 50 percent jump in lab-confirmed influenza cases from last year (between January and March), vaccination has become the ultimate travel accessory.
“We are asking everyone to get vaccinated, because if you catch flu it will ruin your cruise and for some people it could result in severe illness.”
Vicky Sheppeard, director of the communicable diseases branch, NSW Health in Australia.
The timing that defines the savvy passenger
The savvy cruise passenger schedules immunizations – especially influenza – no less than a fortnight before departure, allowing sufficient time for the body’s sophisticated immune response to develop. By doing so they ensure their cruise health. However, it is worth remembering that influenza’s evolving nature necessitates annual vaccination updates, much like refreshing one’s travel wardrobe each season.
Cruise health – onboard etiquette
While navigating the luxurious corridors of your floating paradise, connoisseurs of cruise culture make good use of the discreetly placed hand sanitizing stations with the same appreciation they show for other premium amenities. Research confirms these simple yet elegant gestures significantly enhance the collective wellness experience aboard.
About the Author: Staff Writer
