5 Ways to Stay Healthy When You’re on a Cruise

1. Bring travel sickness medication

You may not think you suffer from sea sickness, but that’s something you can only confirm after spending a few weeks on a cruise ship. Despite the enormous scale of many ships, it’s possible to suffer bouts of nausea during the journey – don’t let that ruin your holiday.

Make sure you go equipped with some medication specifically for eliminating motion sickness. Ginger candies can also help to ease nausea and get you back to normal. Cruise ships often stock temporary cures for sea sickness but bring your own to be absolutely sure you’ll avoid falling ill.

2. Keep your diet in top form

It’s way too easy to be tempted by the sweet treats on offer during a cruise. Add alcohol to the mix and it’s quite literally a recipe for disaster. Don’t let your eating habits slip whilst abroad the ship – otherwise, you’ll be facing quite the challenge once you disembark. In fact, CTI reports that cruise passengers put on a pound a day on average!

Of course, you’re allowed to indulge occasionally but don’t make it a frequent occurrence. Avoiding the foods on offer is definitely a challenge, especially when you stop off to explore a new city, but your body will thank you for it in the long run.

3. Make sure you’re exercising

Being at sea is no excuse for slacking on the fitness front. Many cruise ships have fully-equipped gyms for their passengers, so there’s no reason to skip your routine. Sure, you’re on holiday – but even a quick 15 minutes of exercise is better than nothing.

Why not hit the pool for a swim? It’s one of the most effective methods of exercise, acting as both a strength and resistance workout whilst also helping you shed the pounds. Not only that, but swimming is good for your mental health – so if you’re feeling stressed and need to unwind, a few lengths may help you out.

4. Always wash your hands

With passengers confined to cruise ships for days or weeks, it’s almost too easy for bugs and illnesses to spread. Although you’re asked before you board whether you’ve shown any recent symptoms of illness, not all passengers will tell the truth. This leads to the spread of bugs – something that could potentially leave you bed-bound and missing out.

So, try to diminish the chance of this happening by washing your hands frequently. Surfaces could easily be carrying germs, which could eventually lead to you falling ill. Keeping clean and washing your hands diminishes the risk of you contracting anything.

5. Wear sunscreen wherever you are

No matter where in the world you’re travelling to, sunscreen is a must. The temperature may feel mild and the clouds may be blocking the rays, but you’re almost always at risk of burning. It’ll take a serious toll on your skin, and if your sunburn is severe, it could lead to illnesses such as sun poisoning – which you could even be hospitalised for. There’s no reason not to slap a layer of sunscreen on when you can.

Do you have any more tips for staying healthy whilst on a cruise? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.