There are plenty of reasons people shouldn’t take a cruise, and its not the Titanic. Cruises have long been a vacation plan for families. They seem like a great idea—little planning, endless food, a handful of destinations, and plenty of entertainment for the whole family.
A great idea, indeed—until you find yourself on a ship for seven days with the same people all sleeping in 10-square-foot cabins, eating the same food day after day. Needless to say, cruises can have their issues.
Laws Are Different At Sea
When you go on a cruise, you’re trying to relax on vacation. Then you add into the mix of the confines of the ship and how most everyone is cheerful and in a good mood and so your guard goes down a bit.
The FBI has jurisdiction over crimes against American citizens but when you’re on a cruise ship, the chances of having any evidence involved a crime not be tampered with is slim to none. If anything happens, the only police on board are hired cruise security;otherwise you have to wait until the next destination.
Once you leave the U.S., you’re actually governed by whichever territory the ship is in and which flag they raise, as discussed in this NPR interview. The laws you have to follow could be quite different.
Crimes happen on cruise ships all the time, and ultimately, the best thing to do is treat the cruise as if it was any other tourist destination and try to limit your risks of becoming a victim. In some of the worst cases, assaults get reported in dozens of cases each year.
Since cruises often offer the all-inclusive deal and it’s especially easy to hit those 24-hour buffets, especially with kids, you have to be extra cautious of a few things.Cooking for a ship full of people can mean the food has to be easy and quick, which often results in things that are fried like chicken fingers and fries. Even when you think you’re being healthy, you may not be. A cruise in the tropics could bring some of the best fruit in the world on board, but be mindful of how much sugar is in fruit. The more sugar you eat higher you may rise, but the harder you’ll fall when the sugar rush ends.==============================
When you are on a cruise, you are generally in the sun for close to 80% of your day. Whether you’re on the deck of the ship or at port and walking around town, a typical cruise will have a tropical theme to all of its destination.
==============================
If you are ever seasick, the best thing to do is focus on the horizon so your vision can settle. Your body will be struggling to understand the motion happening, so giving it a solid focus point is key.
==============================
Of course there are over-the-counter medications that you should stock up on, as well. If you don’t have any or the ship’s store is out, ginger and green apples are supposed to help.
There Have Been Reports of Bed Bugs
One of the biggest complaints about people who take cruises is their uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, including the tiny room sizes and comfort (or lack thereof) of the beds. Even worse than these bed-related complaints?
There have also been numerous reports of bed bugs in four of the major cruise line companies from around the world. The constant influx of people moving in and out of the cabins at the destinations and stops all over the world has brought one of the worst pests known to man aboard even the most luxurious of liners.
Norovirus Abound
Norovirus has received a lot of attention lately due to the severity of several outbreaks among cruise ships. While your chances of experiencing something truly disgusting are low, norovirus is stereotypically (but also unfairly) known as a “cruise ship virus.”
Norovirus is second only to the common cold in terms of contagiousness and results in stomach pains, diarrhea, and dehydration. It is spread through food and water and also by human contact with someone who has it.
=========================================
So if you use a crowded bathroom, eat in a busy cafeteria, or try your luck at the casino—all places that exist on a cruise ship—you’ve got a chance of contracting the nasty virus.
Before stepping on and off any cruiseship, always remember that drugssmugglers are also hyperactive in the Caribbean vicinity.
===============================================
Especially vacationers visiting the Dutch ABC-Islands &Colombia must pay extra attention to guarantee their own security. These waters have historically been pirate havens for the contraband traffic routes to Europe and the USA.
Tourism is eco-terrorism?
Korrekt?