Beyond Sea Sickness: Beware Cruise Ship Stomach Bugs

While your cruise may be a trip of a lifetime you should be aware of Norwalk virus symptoms, such as chills, diarrhea, nausea and cramps. In the small, enclosed environment of a ship there is always the potential for catching various ailments, including one of the most common, the Norwalk flu virus.

Gastrointestinal diseases, such as the Norwalk virus, can be transmitted onboard by eating tainted food or drinking contaminated water. They could also spread through touching contaminated surfaces and then putting your hands to your mouth. To minimize that possibility make sure you wash your hands often during the day.

Can Get Infected Through Direct Contact

Another way diseases are transmitted is through direct contact with someone who is ill. You certainly want to avoid someone with obvious symptoms if you want to enjoy your cruise. Even though the temptation is great to nibble off someone's plate and try their dinner, do so with your own fork. For the duration of your trip at least, be cautious about what you touch and don't eat or drink after anyone including your own family members

While the Norwalk virus doesn't last long, usually a day or two, it's not pleasant. There's not much you can do about it, except get lots of sleep and drink water. There is no vaccine or antibiotic. You just have to let it take its course and go to bed. You will feel as if every muscle in your body aches and food will be the last thing you want. Even the water you need to avoid dehydration is hard on the stomach. (If you can't keep water down, try sucking on ice chips. It is imperative that you do not become dehydrated.) Diarrhea is no fun and also raises the risk of dehydration. These are the most common Norwalk virus symptoms and while they are far from pleasant, they can be managed.

The sickbay on board won't be much help for your gastrointestinal virus. Cruise physicians or the cruise ship nurse won't be able to do more than offer comforting words and perhaps dispense some over-the-counter medications. They will tell you that you have a cruise virus and send you to your cabin to bed with instructions to drink lots of water. They will tell you that you probably caught the virus before you came onboard the ship, and that may, or may not be true. You can get Norwalk anywhere but the confined environment of the ship is conducive to its spread.

Continue to: Bright Side to Norwalk Virus or Cruise Virus