Is it safe to go on a cruise?

As you may have read or will read here, a lot of the responsibility for the success of your vacation rests in your hands.  As travelers, we need to have a certain level of involvement in the process for it to result in a flawless vacation.  I've been on a bunch cruises and know others who have been on way more and never had a bad one.  This is exactly why.  

Don't get me wrong.  Those Celebrity guests could not have predicted that their tour bus, ship excursion or not, would run off the side of the road.  The Princess guests probably could not have stopped the fire.  But those are extreme examples of incidents that could happen much more if we, as the traveling public, just went blindly about our business, hopeful that all would go well.

We need to be involved in the process and have a realistic view of what we are doing.

Jamaica has had an undeserved reputation for being an unsafe place to go.  Many cruise ship passengers do not get off the ship there.  That's a mistake.  Sure there are bad parts of Jamaica, just like there may be bad parts of your own town that you  avoid.  But common sense tells us to be careful in a place we are not familiar with.  Common sense tells us to take the ship-approved shore excursions or those recommended by a trusted friend.  We know a guy in Jamaica who we've toured with for years and feel comfortable with.  You may not. 

The point is: be careful and be involved.  You can still skip housework, cooking and cleaning for a week on your cruise and have the time of a lifetime.  But pause for a moment when making your plans.  Here are a few tips that I've picked up, stolen, borrowed or invented that are helpful:

• Do your homework.  Research where you're going and what you'll be doing both on the ship and ashore.  Web sites like http://www.cruisecritic.com/ give a wealth of good, current information.
• Buy Travel Insurance.  Now more than ever you need the right policy for YOU.  There are a bunch of choices, one right for you and it's cheap insurance.  There's no reason not to have it
• Pay attention at the safety drills.  Before each cruise you'll be trained in what to do in case of an emergency at sea. Often this is seen as a waste of time.  I guarantee you that the guests aboard the burning Star Princess were glad those safety precautions were in place
• Find a friend who knows.  If you're not working with a travel agent, start. And find one who specializes in what it is you want to do.  No travel agent can be everything to everybody.  If you're going to Alaska, you need an agent that has been there, several times, and knows the lay of the land
• Don't be cheap.   The dollars you save buying a cruise on the Internet from some faceless, voiceless computer broker are not worth the loss of involvement you'll have from a human being.  The money you save buying an inexpensive shore excursion rather than the (admittedly) more expensive ship tour is not worth it either
• Don't go ashore alone.  Ever.  You're easy prey for crooks who want to do you harm.
• Finally, don't forget about food safety.  That Norwalk Flu Virus can be most effectively controlled by US.  At the buffet, dig to the bottom of that casserole and get the hot stuff on the bottom rather than skimming the top where the temp might not be hot enough to kill bacteria.  Wash your hands  before putting food in your mouth.   Easy stuff.

Those are just a few things you can do, a few of the essential elements of a flawless vacation that you DO have some influence upon. 

Read what the United States Coast Guard

We've got to use our brains and when we do our odds of having a safe and happy vacation, whatever kind you're thinking of, improve greatl

CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) protects passenger and crew health by minimizing the risk of gastrointestinal illness aboard cruise ships. VSP accomplishes this mission through sanitation inspections, disease surveillance and investigations, onsite inspections of new ship construction and renovation and reviewing construction plans for new ships. VSP also trains crew in proper public health techniques including food handling and preparation, drinkable water system management, and pool and spa operation and maintenance.

VSP posts inspection scores and outbreak information on the VSP Web site. This dynamic program continues to meet the needs of public health. 

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