Nurse who cruises shares the simple habits she swears by to avoid getting sick onboard
A nurse has revealed the simple things she always does to avoid getting sick on cruises - and there's one she feels 'very strongly' about.
With thousands of passengers sharing dining areas, entertainment venues, and other communal spaces, illnesses can spread rapidly. And some travellers feel there's little they can actually do to avoid catching a bug.
But Ashley Neill, also known as 'The Cruising Nurse' on YouTube, has shared her top tips and tricks to avoid sickness while onboard - and what you can do in the unfortunate event you do fall ill.
"Let's talk about the first thing I do when I get inside my cruise cabin - I'm going to take out my disinfectant wipes, and I'm going to wipe down all the high-touch surfaces," she said in a video on her YouTube channel.
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That includes door handles, balcony handles, bathroom doors, light switches, remotes, the expert explains.
"This doesn't mean that cruise ships are not clean," she admitted, "The housekeeping does a great job on these ships."
Neill added: "It's just gives me my peace of mind that I know I have done my part to keep my cabin clean and myself healthy."
She also stressed the importance of hand washing, and while it sounds obvious, the nurse warns 'it is not'.
"There are lots of washy-washy people, especially when you go into the buffet, with hand sanitizer, but the best practice to stay healthy on a cruise is washing your hands with
old-fashioned soap and water.
"Hand sanitizer will not work, so stick around."
Neill also explained that contrary to popular belief, 'every cruise ship has a cruise medical center'.
She added: "It works almost like an urgent care center. So, they have things they can help with respiratory viruses, common colds, seasickness, viruses, and stomach bugs.
"They have medical professionals on board that can assess you, treat you, and stabilize you. But, this is where it gets a little bit tricky, because the keyword here is stabilize."
In more serious cases, Neill explained that passengers may require a 'medivac', where a helicopter is dispatched to the ship to airlift them to the nearest medical facility on land.
She warned: "This can actually cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars if this happens to you.
"And this is where something really important comes into play."
Among her tips and tricks, the nurse urged those planning to set sail to get travel insurance lined up before they go.
"I feel very strongly about this," she noted.
"A lot of people I feel brush travel insurance under the rug, or they think that they have it through their credit card, and that's enough.
"I'm so passionate about travel insurance, and how important it is. Do not skip this step in your cruise travel."
The nurse shares her 'cruise medical kit' essentials
"It's everything that I personally travel with on board a cruise ship to keep myself and my family healthy when on board the cruise," she said.
Neill recommends packing seasickness and nausea medication, diarrhoea relief, painkillers, cold medicine, bandages, antibiotic ointment, and electrolyte packets to help manage common illnesses and minor medical issues while onboard.
Topics: Cruise ship, Health
Mia Williams