How to Prevent Getting Sick on a Cruise: Cheeseburger Cat’s Survival Guide

Obviously, this image is AI generated- and they didn't fully capture my essence, but whatever. I'm vomiting anyway.

Cruises are magical. You wake up in a new place, eat dessert at weird hours, watch people line dance against their will, and convince yourself that ordering a third little drink with fruit in it is self-care.

But cruises can also be floating petri dishes with buffets.

And I say that with love. Mostly.

So if you are wondering how to prevent getting sick on a cruise, please gather around. I haz a cautionary tale, a tiny suitcase full of opinions, and one family story that still haunts the inside cabin bathroom

The Princess Cruise That Humbled Us

This is the story of the cruise that humbled us: a Mexican Riviera cruise on the Discovery Princess, where Mom and my sister learned the hard way that sometimes the most memorable part of a vacation is not the beach, the boat tour, or the pineapple mojito.

Sometimes it is fighting for your life in an inside cruise cabin bathroom.

The second-to-last day of the cruise, after being in Mazatlán, everything seemed fine at first. We had done a beautiful boat tour, had some drinks on the beach at the end of it, got back on the ship, ordered a pineapple mojito, grabbed some ice cream, and headed back to the cabin.

Very normal cruise behavior.

Then my sister got sick.

At first, she thought maybe she had just overdone it a little. It happens. Sun, drinks, boat tour, cruise confidence. A dangerous combination.

But then Mom started vomiting too.

And then came the diarrhea.

Violent. Immediate. Unforgiving.

Now, I do not know if you have ever seen an inside cruise cabin bathroom, but let me explain: it is not a room. It is a vertical closet with plumbing. It is where personal dignity goes to be lightly misted by a shower curtain. It is not built for two people having a full gastrointestinal collapse at the same time.

It was bad. Like, “this is how family legends are born” bad.

We called down to the medical bay, and someone came up with very little that was actually helpful. Mostly, we got a vague explanation that there was “something wrong with the ice cream” and instructions to quarantine in the cabin.

Which is fair. Nobody wants the plague parade wandering past the buffet.

But then they brought dinner to the cabin, which was a bold gesture considering the current situation was vomiting, diarrhea, and betrayal. Thank you for the meal, but unless this chicken entrée comes with a new digestive system, we are not emotionally available.

The worst part? Mom was sick for several months afterward. Later, we found out that some cousins on the same ship got sick too, which made the whole thing feel less like “oops, bad luck” and more like “something on this boat personally attacked the family tree.”

Now, to be clear, there is only so much you can do if true food poisoning comes for you. Sometimes the bad bacteria simply choose violence. But cruise ship illness, especially gastrointestinal illness and norovirus, is worth taking seriously. The CDC recommends cruise passengers wash their hands often, especially before eating and after using the bathroom or touching shared surfaces.

How to Prevent Getting Sick on a Cruise Before You Even Unpack

I am not a doctor. I am a small cheeseburger-shaped travel icon with trauma and opinions. But after watching a beautiful vacation turn into an inside-cabin gastrointestinal disaster, I have some thoughts.

Here is Cheeseburger Cat’s very serious, slightly dramatic, not-a-doctor cruise illness survival guide.

1. Bring Disinfecting Wipes for Your Cabin

The second you get into your cabin, wipe down the high-touch surfaces.

I am talking door handles, light switches, faucet handles, toilet flush button, remote control, balcony handle, drawer pulls, nightstands, and any surface where your hands are going to live for the next week.

You cannot disinfect the entire ship. You cannot personally sanitize every elevator button, buffet tong, casino machine, handrail, and lounge chair. I have tried emotionally, and it is not sustainable.

But you can make your own cabin less gross.

I like the idea of bringing hydrogen-peroxide-based disinfecting wipes, but make sure they are made for hard surfaces and follow the label directions. These are not baby wipes. These are not face wipes. Do not lovingly exfoliate yourself with hospital disinfectant because I told you to clean the remote.

2. Wash Your Hands Like Your Vacation Depends on It

Because it might.

Wash with soap and water before you eat, after using the bathroom, after touching railings, elevator buttons, buffet utensils, casino machines, excursion gear, or anything that has been touched by the general cruise population.

Sing “Happy Birthday” twice. Sing the chorus of your favorite dramatic breakup song. Whisper threats at the germs. I do not care. Just scrub.

Hand sanitizer is fine as a backup when there is no sink, but it should not be your whole plan. The CDC says hand sanitizer alone does not work well against norovirus, and recommends washing hands well with soap and water.

So yes, use the little sanitizer stations. But do not treat them like a magical force field. Soap and water are the main character here.

3. Pack Your Own Cruise Medicine Kit

Cruise medical bays are there for emergencies, but they are not a floating Walgreens with unlimited options and your preferred brand of nausea medication.

Bring the basics you know you tolerate. Think nausea medication, anti-diarrheal medication, electrolyte packets, pain reliever, fever reducer, motion sickness medication, any prescriptions you need, and anything your doctor recommends for you personally.

Also, if you have allergies, plan ahead. My sister learned on her first cruise that ship medical options can be limited, and if you are allergic to something common like penicillin, that can make treatment more complicated. Do not assume they will have exactly what you need.

I would not recommend treating antibiotics like a routine travel hack, because antibiotics are not always appropriate and they do not help viral illnesses like norovirus. But if you have a history of infections, allergies, or medical complications, talk to your doctor before your cruise about what is reasonable to bring.

That way, if your body decides to perform a full Broadway production called “Gastrointestinal Regret,” you are not starting from zero.

4. Bring Electrolytes and a Filtering Water Bottle

If you get quarantined in your cabin, you may not want to depend on tiny cups of water and sad room-service timing.

A filtering water bottle can make cabin tap water feel less psychologically suspicious. I like Brita water bottles for this because they are easy to pack and easy to refill. Add electrolyte packets, and suddenly you have upgraded from “tiny dehydrated gremlin” to “responsible traveler with a hydration strategy.”

That matters because vomiting and diarrhea can dehydrate you fast. If you get sick on a cruise, the CDC recommends drinking plenty of water and resting, along with reporting symptoms to the ship’s medical center.

5. Splurge on Wi-Fi or Download Shows Before You Leave

Listen to me carefully.

If you are quarantined in an inside cabin, the cruise ship TV will not save you.

You will discover the same five channels, one safety video, a map of the ship’s location, and maybe a movie from 2009 playing on a loop. This is not entertainment. This is psychological warfare with towel animals.

If you are sick and stuck in your cabin, Wi-Fi can be the difference between “I am miserable but watching Netflix” and “I have memorized the muster station video and now I am emotionally attached to the ship captain.”

So if you can swing it, get a Wi-Fi package that allows streaming or at least enough access to keep your phone, tablet, or laptop useful. Download shows before you leave, too.

Future you, trapped in a cabin with ginger ale and regret, will thank you.

6. Report Illness Early, Even If It Is Embarrassing

Nobody wants to call medical and say, “Hello, yes, my body has become a haunted sprinkler system.”

But you should.

Cruise ships need to know when gastrointestinal illness is happening so they can track possible outbreaks, quarantine when necessary, and reduce spread. The CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program says passengers can help detect outbreaks quickly by reporting symptoms to the onboard medical center.

Also, do not be the person who knows they are sick and still goes to the buffet.

Do not be that villain.

Stay in your cabin, hydrate, rest, and spare the innocent.

7. Be Careful Around Shared Food and Buffets

I am not saying you need to fear the buffet.

I am saying the buffet is where hands, tongs, sneezes, children, and questionable judgment all gather under one roof.

Wash your hands before eating. Use utensils, not your bare paws. Avoid food that looks like it has been sitting too long. Be cautious with anything that seems temperature-questionable. If something tastes off, do not try to be polite to the potato salad.

You are on vacation, not auditioning for intestinal roulette.

My Final Words to Prevent Getting Wrecked on Your Vacation

You cannot prevent every cruise illness. Sometimes food poisoning, norovirus, or mystery stomach chaos finds you anyway.

But you can make yourself harder to take down.

Bring disinfecting wipes. Wash your hands like a tiny surgeon. Pack your own medications. Bring electrolytes. Use a filtering water bottle. Report illness. And for the love of all things floating and buffet-adjacent, buy Wi-Fi or download enough entertainment to survive cabin quarantine.

Because if you ever find yourself trapped in an inside cabin with two violently ill people, a tiny bathroom, and room-service dinner arriving like a cruel joke, you will understand one sacred cruise truth:

I may love travel and trouble- but she does not love cruise ship diarrhea.