The previous Great NEWS post offered tips for Healthy Hair in Seven Simple Steps and today we set sail with Cruise Cautions and Concerns. This blog post was inspired by my recent Trans Atlantic eastbound 15 day trip on the Mariner of the Seas from Galveston, TX to Barcelona, Spain. While there are many great advantages, adventures and all-inclusive aspects to cruising and travel there are also many potential risks and side effects to be aware of. Cruise Cautions and Concerns offers valuable information and insights to help protect you from incapacitation, injuries and issues that can ruin a great cruise or any trip.
Preparing For Your Cruise
More adults, children, teens and seniors are enjoying cruise travel than ever before due to many new ships. Unfortunately there are many aspects of cruising that require extra attention, planning and preparation that many people are not aware of or prepared for. This can result in health risks, injuries and ruined cruise trips. This post is dedicated to help with simple strategies to reduce the risks and increase the interest in comfortable cruising.
Cruise companies know if you are entertained, have fun and are happy, you are very likely to come back for more.
These days many adults, children, young adults and seniors are enjoying cruises for adventure, anniversaries, birthdays, country visits, excursions, family vacations, fun, seminars at sea, travel and weddings. This post is dedicated to help you experience less emotional pain, physical pain and weight gain while cruising so you can have more enjoyment and fun.
We all know that cruise ships are in the moving bed and well fed business. They know if you are entertained, have fun and are happy you are very likely to come back for more.
When you go cruising it is important to know the common causes and contributing factors for accidents, health issues, injuries and weight gain that can ruin a great cruise ship trip.
While traveling in Europe in 2011 via an EU Railpass, there were several segments of the trip that included crossing the Baltic Sea on large ferries. These ferries carry cargo, cars, people, trains and trucks and were built like cruise ships loaded with amenities. Prior to these ferry crossings it had been over 15 years since my last cruise so the best way to re-experience the cruise adventure was to book a Royal Caribbean Trans-Atlantic cruise and then write about the life lessons learned.
Modern cruise ships are like small cities sailing the seas. They have almost every modern convenience and temptation you can imagine. It is well known that cruise lines are competing with each other and land based hotels and resorts to see which one can provide the most drink, entertainment, food and fun to spoil you in order to capture your loyalty for future bookings.
There are many cautions and concerns regarding disease, health and injury issues that can ruin your cruise trip or even your career or retirement. My role is to share observations and it is up to you to apply what you learn or pay the price and suffer the consequences.
Challenges
People who already live an unhealthy lifestyle are the most likely to experience the majority of the problems while traveling. Contrary to popular medical myths, the behaviors and habits we adopt are more influential than our genetics and more likely to trigger the issues many people are facing. These problems are almost totally avoidable when you know what to do and do it on a consistent basis as part of your daily routine. Most health challenges can be minimized with coaching and common sense once you make up your mind that you will do whatever it takes to be happy, healthy and in harmony for life.
What you are about to learn can easily eliminate or at least greatly reduce the incidence and severity of most if not all of the health challenges and issues that would bother you on a cruise or in life.
The whole family can have a fun and safe cruise adventure.
If most health issues and weight gain can be naturally avoided and prevented why are they so prevalent? Most people do not know the little principles that can quickly compound into big problems. To prevent problems requires being prepared and proactive in your thinking. You must understand how the body functions and what environmental factors contribute to health issues in order to avoid and reduce these risk factors.
With simple dietary changes, holistic health protocols, lifestyle modifications, natural hygiene and organic foods and products it is possible to enjoy perfect health. It reads like a modern murder mystery how people are developing disease and dying in droves after compromising their immune system and then turning to medical and pharmaceutical interventions for relief. If people took the time to read the warning labels and researched the adverse reactions and side effects from synthetic chemical treatments they would more likely turn to holistic health protocols instead.
The health warnings required on these products often list a dozen reasons and risks for not taking the prescription or over the counter medicine. The bottom line is that disease, sickness and weight are big business for the doctors, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies.
First we will focus on the potential problems and real risks while cruising and traveling and the next blog post will share simple solutions.
Cruise Cautions, Concerns & Tips
Most people travel by bus, car, plane, shuttle van or train in conjunction with boarding a cruise ship. Many things can happen even while off the ship that can cause a chain reaction of events. Advance awareness and prior preparation are essential for a healthy and safe trip. When you are at sea you have very limited access to things you take for granted back home.
Cruise ships confine many people to a limited area for several days to weeks at a time. This can cause some people to loss their alertness and awareness regarding their surroundings. The motion of the ocean and seas sickness meds can affect peoples sense of balance and stability.
The motion of the ocean and sea sickness meds can affect peoples sense of balance and stability.
Cruise ships are hotels that float and sail the seas. Every day the conditions and environment change. Many people fall into a rut of over drinking, over eating and over indulging in sweets with less activity and exercise.
Decks on ships can be slippery, uneven and wet. Ships also have many different and unique features from typical buildings and homes.
Ships and shore excursions have lots of stairs. Stairs can be difficult, spiral and uneven so extreme caution is required. Darkness and limited lighting are often more of a concern on the ship and shores.
Docks and gang planks can offer a number of challenges that increase your risk of injury. Watch for cables, cracks and congestion when boarding.
Shore excursions sound enticing and often put your life in the hands of locals in other countries that often have very different standards for health and safety. Drivers and vehicles following different customs can be a real challenge. Always wear a seat belt if one is available. Watch out for the drivers and other guy.
In a castle in Spain I saw several people hit their head on a low stone door entrance and suffer nasty bruises and cuts. Several people took falls while on the ship and on shore excursions.
In a confined space, hygiene is essential.
Bacteria, bugs, germs and virus are another concern on ships and shore. You will be exposed to new pathogens that can over power your immune system. Be sure to have a natural and safe method to clean your hands regularly. Several people were confined to their cabins due to colds and germs. I am not a fan of Purell since it contains many chemicals and recommend you take your own sanitizer made with essential oils like oregano oil and tea tree oil and water. The antibacterial soaps in washrooms often contain triclosan which is an antibacterial chemical that has been found to create antibacterial resistant super bacteria like MRSA.
Many people are tempted to participate in high risk activities and wild adventures while cruising and traveling. Several thousand miles from home is not the time to test the medical facilities of a distant country.
Avoid the temptation to rent a bicycle, jet ski or moped while on land excursions. Many people are injured and some even killed. On a Caribbean destination wedding one guest accidentally collided with the groom who died from his injuries. A man on his honeymoon in Mexico jumped into a pool which resulted in a neck injury and paralysis. Riding a bicycle without a helmet and being familiar with the traffic is a recipe for disaster. Drivers often do not see bikers.
Scuba diving or snorkeling with less than first class outfitters can also end in injury or tragedy.
Being on a cruise is not the time to play basketball, volleyball or other active sports. When the ship is moving it is easy to twist an ankle, knee or back and cause serious injury.
Working out in the gym requires extra caution and diligence to avoid injury and over doing it. New exercise machines, spinning class or over zealous young personal trainers can result in injuries and problems.
When you take excursions to bars, cable cars, castles, churches, hiking, restaurants, shopping, sight seeing and walking around town you are placed in unfamiliar situations and surroundings where you are more at risk. Many cities and countries you visit have very different standards for construction, health and safety.
Avoid the temptations of cookies, fried foods, hot dogs, breads, pasta, pizza, orange juice, sodas, sugar, artificial sweeteners, sugar free desserts (artificial sweeteners) and excess alcohol, coffee, sodas and tea which are loaded with caffeine, calories and consequences. Herbal teas and warm water are much better and healthier for you. Dehydration can be a major problem while traveling. Drinking adequate water with lemon and a pinch of sea salt is healthy and helpful.
Instead of suggesting to avoid the desserts (they are tempting) it is better to suggest being wise and choosing carefully those that are worth the splurge of calories. Get on an exercise machine your first day to see how much exercise it takes to burn off 100 calories. Then check the desserts and consider that each one may take one to three hours of exercise to burn off the calories. Ask yourself if one minute of pleasure is worth two hours of exercise. Will you need to buy new clothes when you return home after gaining five pounds?
Accidents are looking for a careless person so be extra careful.
Remember adventure, travel, trips and visiting new places can result in bruises, bumps, sprains and trips requiring doctor visits. Accidents are looking for a careless person so be extra careful.
Know your limits and use common sense to prevent getting into a situation that might put yu at unnecessary risk.
Being aware of your behaviors, mannerisms, personal items and surroundings are important to avoid con artists and pick pockets. The loss of jewelry, passport or wallet can ruin a great trip. With current economic conditions this activity is likely anywhere you travel.
Protection from excess exhaustion and excess sun is vital. It is easy to over do it and when you are tired it is easier to have less awareness and poor judgment. A back pack, hat, jacket, long sleeve shirt and water bottle are necessary to stay in tip top shape.
This Great NEWS post for Cruise Cautions and Concerns is offered to help people enjoy their cruise experience even more. The outcome is to help people plan and prepare better and make even more educated and informed decisions regarding cruising adventures and trips. Now you have simple steps to help you be more prepared. Are you ready to have the cruise and trip of a life time? It is fairly easy to prepare emotionally, mentally and physically to come back after a cruise in better shape than when you left when you apply these simple strategies offered in Cruise Cautions and Concerns.
What is your current Gap?
What behaviors, habits or lifestyle choices are increasing your risk of accident, health or injury problems while on a cruise or trip? What are you willing to do in order to be a smart cruiser and wise traveler?
Mastery Action Plan (MAP)
What decisions and details will you make now to be even happier and healthier while cruising and traveling
Call to Action
What comments, commitments or questions do you have regarding cruising, flying and traveling?
Next week the Great NEWS blog will share:
Cruise Coaching and Common Sense
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