Healthy Travel

General information, not personal medical advice. Your healthcare professional can help you make decisions for your health, medications, and itinerary.

Before you sail

• Plan a health check early. Ideally, speak with a healthcare professional or travel clinic 4-6 weeks before departure. Review your destinations, routine vaccines, and any recommended travel precautions. Even a later appointment can help.
• Keep medicines close. Carry enough for the trip and possible delays. Discuss storage, time-zone changes, and motion-sickness options with your clinician or pharmacist; some medicines cause drowsiness or interact with other treatments.
• Understand medical coverage. Check whether your insurance covers care aboard a ship and abroad. Consider medical and evacuation coverage after reviewing exclusions, limits, and pre-existing-condition rules.
• Arrange support ahead of time. Ask the cruise line about accessibility, necessary equipment, dietary needs, and available medical services. Shipboard facilities are not equivalent to a full-service hospital.

Clean hands are a cruise essential

Wash with soap and water before eating and after using the bathroom. Hand sanitizer can be useful between washes, but it is not a substitute for soap and water against norovirus. Avoid touching your face and follow crew instructions if illness is reported aboard.

Protect your breathing space

Stay current with recommended vaccines and discuss your personal risk with your healthcare professional. Consider a well-fitting mask in crowded or poorly ventilated indoor spaces, especially if you or a travel companion are at higher risk. Choose fresh air and less crowded spaces when practical.

Pace yourself in the sun and heat

Drink water regularly, take shade breaks, and use sunscreen according to its label. A hat, sunglasses, and protective clothing help too. Sun protection matters on cloudy days and cool, windy decks. Follow any fluid restrictions your clinician has prescribed, and remember that alcohol can impair judgment and balance.

Enjoy the food, keep the balance

Try the dishes you are excited about, include a variety of foods, and listen to your appetite. At ports, choose food served freshly cooked and hot, and use safe drinking water where local water safety is uncertain. Discuss food allergies with the cruise line before sailing and again with dining staff; do not assume a buffet label rules out cross-contact.

Make room for movement and rest

A comfortable walk, gentle stretching, and a consistent sleep routine can make a busy itinerary feel easier. Match shore excursions to your fitness and mobility, wear suitable footwear, and take extra care on wet decks and uneven paths. Rest days count as vacation days too.

If you feel unwell

If you are sick before departure, seek medical advice and contact the cruise line about your options rather than boarding while ill. If vomiting, diarrhea, fever, or other concerning symptoms develop onboard, contact the ship’s medical center promptly and follow instructions about staying in your cabin. Do not try to push through a group excursion while sick.

For severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, or confusion, seek urgent medical assistance immediately. After returning home, tell your clinician about your recent travel if you become ill.

Read the current guidance

This page summarizes practical themes from CDC cruise ship travel guidance. Check CDC destination information and your cruise line’s requirements again before departure. Guidance and local conditions can change.

Source reviewed September 20, 2026.