Unexpected post-cruise bonus?

Upon returning from our recent cruise my wife and I just came up with terrible head colds that lasted for a full week. Talk about a letdown after was meant to be a good time! 

Since cruises are an economic lagging indicator, there have been so many people cruising in America with a record 19 million expected for 2025, problems like this should be expected. Respiratory illnesses like colds and flu are fairly common on cruise ships, especially larger ones like our sold-out 4,002-passenger vessel. Indeed, illnesses spread easily on cruises. 

It begins with their close quarters, with shared dining areas, theaters, elevators, and corridors that promote lots of face-to-face exposure. In addition diversity isn’t that good, with passengers and crew coming from all over, bringing as premium diverse viral strains. Then, there’s the recirculated air. While many ships now use HEPA (high-efficiency mechanical air filters that capture 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns in size), enclosed environments still pose risks for airborne transmission. 

Do I need to also mention everything we touch like handrails, elevator buttons, buffet utensils as germs love any kind of exposed surfaces. It’s also true that fatigue and lowered immunity, caused by travel stress, altered sleep, and indulgent eating can combine to weaken our defenses. What we think we got was a respiratory infection like a fierce head cold. 

We immediately took a Covid test that was negative. Left are RSV, gastrointestinal bugs like norovirus that are frequently circulating on cruises. Sure, frequent hand washing would help as well as avoiding crowded indoor events when possible. Staying hydrated would also help, but there always is a fatalistic side in all of us. 

The best thing is to stay away from these kinds of environments, so that's why I just deleted the cruise’s app from my phone!