Cruise Ship Travel

Cruise ships can be amplifiers of infectious diseases because of the close human proximity of semiclosed ship environments. The most common diagnoses of cruise passengers evaluated in cruise ship infirmaries include upper respiratory infections, injury, seasickness, and gastrointestinal illness. Cruise ship passengers may experience clusters of brief self-limited diarrheal disease, although this rate is much lower risk than on land. Certain groups, such as the elderly, pregnant women, and immunocompromised, might be more seriously affected by infectious diseases and stress of travel. Ensure the traveler has medical insurance (health and repatriation) that covers conditions in international waters.