Cruise vacations are one of the most popular ways to travel. The opportunity to see multiple destinations in one relaxing, fully catered trip continues to appeal to millions of travellers every year.
Despite the luxury of the experience, there are a number of illnesses that can affect cruise travellers. Infectious diseases can spread easily on large ships where hundreds or thousands of travellers – often arriving from various destinations – are living in close quarters for an extended period of time. Illnesses that occur on ships can also have a negative health impact on host port communities where passengers disembark for sightseeing tours and on-land activities.
When taking a cruise, it’s important to be cautious of your own health and be considerate of the health of others – it only takes one sick person to affect many.
Gastrointestinal illnesses (gastroenteritis) caused by norovirus, E. coli, and salmonella can be present on cruise ships. These highly contagious viral and bacterial infections are transmitted by:
Symptoms usually develop within 12 to 48 hours after exposure and can appear suddenly. They include vomiting, watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, headache, and nausea. The illness typically lasts 1 to 2 days, but you can be contagious anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks after getting sick.
Respiratory illnesses such as influenza are also common on ships. The virus is transmitted among passengers through infected air droplets by sneezing or coughing. A person can be contagious 1 day before and up to 7 days after symptoms appear. Symptoms include high fever, sore throat, nasal congestion, high fever, muscle aches, headache, fatigue, and general weakness. Patients usually recover after 1 or 2 weeks, but the illness can cause complications in young children, older persons or those with a pre-existing condition.
The Hepatitis A virus is transmitted through contaminated water and food or by the fecal-oral route, and may cause severe liver damage. Hepatitis A symptoms can mimic the flu – fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, fever, loss of appetite, and includes jaundice (skin and eyes). Symptoms appear anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks after being exposed. The illness can last up to 6 months. However, some people are long-term Hepatitis A carriers and will not exhibit any symptoms during their lifetime.
Legionnaire’s Disease is a lung infection caused by the Legionella bacteria. Passengers can acquire the infection when breathing contaminated air droplets from water found in hot tubs, hot water tanks, air conditioner and plumbing systems that are not properly cleaned and disinfected. Symptoms mimic pneumonia (cough, chills, high fever, muscle aches, and headache) and usually appear 2 to 14 days after being exposed. If caught and treated early with antibiotics, patients can make a full recovery, however it is responsible for fatalities in up to 5-30% of cases. The bacteria do not spread from person to person.
Before you go
During travel
What to do if I or others around me get sick?
When you have reached the point where you no longer expect a response, you will at last be able to give in such a way that the other is able to receive and be grateful. - Dag Hammarskjöld
