Health Tip: Getting Sick on a Cruise

Getting sick during a cruise can quickly ruin your fun. But since passengers are often confined to relatively small spaces, germs have a way of spreading quickly throughout cruise ships.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers this advice for cruise passengers:

• Wash your hands frequently -- always before eating, drinking or smoking. Also wash hands after you use the restroom, or any time your hands are dirty.
• If you see someone who is getting sick, stay away from that person.
• Get plenty of rest and drink plenty of water.
• If you become sick, report it immediately to the ship's staff.
• If you become sick before you depart, see if the ship will offer a refund or alternate travel date while you recuperate.