What to avoid on a cruise…Part 1. Food poisoning

Sometimes my customers call me to let me know that something has happened to them while on a cruise. In most cases, these “little” problems could have been avoided. I will publish a number of articles about various topics that you might avoid when on a cruise. Please contact me if you need more information.

Salmonella is one of the most popular forms of food borne illness that people are aware of today and the symptoms of this type of food poisoning are very flu like and can sometimes be confused with other viruses going around at that time. The symptoms will develop usually 12-36 hours after eating the contaminated food. What is unique about this type of bacteria is that it is common in cooked and prepared foods that were normally thought to be safe. The elderly and very young are more prone to this type of bacteria than those who are healthy and strong.
Of course when you are on a cruise ship where everyone is eating the same thing, the cases of food poisoning can be affected by a large numbers of passengers. There is a government organization called the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which deal only with food poisoning cases which outbreak on cruise ships. There was a large outbreak in the year 2000 on the Disney Magic cruise where over 260 people were struck with food poisoning and the CDC investigated the matter and found it to be caused by the shrimp that was served on the embarkation lunch. The great thing is that no matter how many cruises you have been on or plan to be on, there are many different steps you can take to do what you can to prevent these outbreaks from affecting you during your trip.

The first step any traveller needs to take in order to prevent the affects of food poisoning is by ensuring you have brought the necessary medications with you such as Pepto-Bismol, antacids, etc. When you travel to a new destination, the foods that they serve may not be giving you food poisoning but your stomach may still not agree with the foods. Some of the next steps may seem like they should be common sense but when people are on vacation they begin to try new things and sometimes it is these new things that cause the problems.

You need to ensure that every piece of meat and seafood you eat during your stay is properly cooked as this will kill many of the bacteria that the meat may have had on it prior to cooking. The next important thing to remember on cruise ships is to perhaps skip the buffet. Sometimes the food on these buffet tables may have been sitting out for hours in the heat and these foods become incredibly susceptible to disease and bacteria. Eggs are also a food to be careful with or even avoid during your cruise. All it takes is one bad egg mixed with dozens of good ones to make dozens of people sick with one meal. The last step you need to remember may be the most important during your European or Caribbean cruise. When you get off these ships to visit the local villages and cities on your excursions it is always tempting to try their local delicacies but it is important to remember that the restaurants in these foreign countries may not be subject to inspections or the same sanitary laws as your home. Many times you will find that these restaurants use their tap water to wash their raw vegetables and fruits and to you this water may be unsanitary to drink. These are all factors that need to be carefully considered before you decide to eat anything on a cruise ship.

Although you cannot control the cleanliness of the ships you are choosing to travel on, you can check out the sanitary scores that these ships receive from the CDC and make the decision for yourself which ship you feel most comfortable traveling on. You can however, control your food intake on and off the ship by avoiding uncooked meats, seafood and vegetables. Although there are some risks when it comes to cruise ship vacations, this does not mean you should boycott these great vacation experiences, it is only meant to be an awareness to teach you how to regulate your food intake to maintain your health during your vacation. Enjoy your next cruise and be confident that these steps will help keep you healthy and happy during your cruise trip.