Cruise ships create a unique environment when it comes to illness. You have thousands of people from around the world sharing elevator buttons, handrails, buffet tongs, and countertops - surfaces touched thousands of times each day. While you can take precautions to protect yourself, sometimes you're the one who gets sick. Here's what to do if you catch a cold, flu, or the infamous "cruise cough" while on a cruise ship - plus what it might cost you if you need medical care.
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What To Know Before You Get Sick
- Pack cold and flu medications - onboard prices can exceed $100 for basic items
- "Cruise cough" or "cabin cough" is a real phenomenon caused by recirculated air and close quarters
- Medical center consultations typically cost $100-$200 and must be paid upfront
- Most health insurance does not cover treatment at sea or in foreign ports
- Travel insurance with medical coverage can prevent thousands in unexpected expenses
Contact Heather Hills at Flow Voyages for assistance booking your next cruise
Article Index
- What Is Cruise Cough (Cabin Cough)?
- Colds, Flu, and Respiratory Illness on Cruise Ships
- What to Do If You Get Sick Before Your Cruise
- How to Treat a Cold or Cruise Cough Onboard
- Understanding Cruise Ship Medical Centers and Costs
- Getting Sick After Your Cruise
- Travel Insurance and Medical Costs
- Protecting Fellow Passengers
- When to Seek Medical Attention
- Staying Healthy on Your Cruise
- Plan Your Next Cruise with Confidence
What Is Cruise Cough (Cabin Cough)?
If you've cruised before, you may have heard passengers complaining about a persistent cough that develops mid-voyage. This "cruise cough" or "cabin cough" is a real phenomenon, and understanding it helps you prepare.
Cruise cough typically develops from a combination of factors: recirculated air in climate-controlled environments, low humidity levels onboard, close contact with thousands of passengers, and exposure to new viruses your immune system hasn't encountered. Symptoms often include a dry, persistent cough, scratchy throat, mild congestion, and general fatigue. It's usually not serious but can linger for days or even weeks after you return home.
Cruise Cough Symptoms vs. Something More Serious
A typical cruise cough feels like a nagging irritation - annoying but manageable. However, if you develop fever, chest pain, shortness of breath, or productive cough with colored mucus, you may have something more significant like bronchitis, flu, or a respiratory infection that warrants a visit to the ship's medical center.
Colds, Flu, and Respiratory Illness on Cruise Ships
While COVID-19 dominated cruise health conversations for several years, it's no longer the only concern - and honestly, it never was. The common cold, seasonal flu, and other respiratory illnesses have always been part of cruising reality. As I often tell people: "While COVID is less of a concern today compared to how it was during the pandemic, it still exists. I have many friends and clients who have cruised in the past few years who have gotten sick. This advice is more general, and just because we're not testing specifically for COVID doesn't mean it doesn't exist."
The good news? The same precautions work across the board. "If you are concerned about getting it, there are things you can do to make it less likely - wearing a mask, social distancing. Luckily, these are the same things you should do to reduce the risk of getting sick with any of the common illnesses that you might face on a cruise ship."
What to Do If You Get Sick Before Your Cruise
Getting a cold right before your cruise creates a difficult decision. Can you go on a cruise with a cold? Technically, cruise lines may allow boarding if you don't have a fever and aren't visibly ill - but should you?
If you're experiencing mild cold symptoms without fever, the decision is a judgment call. Consider how contagious you might be (colds are most contagious in the first 2-3 days), whether you can realistically rest and recover onboard, and how your illness might affect thousands of fellow passengers.
If you have flu symptoms, fever, vomiting, or diarrhea - please don't board the ship. Cruise lines take illness seriously, and medical staff can refuse boarding if they determine you pose a health risk. Beyond policies, it's simply the right thing to do. Don't be the person who triggers an outbreak that ruins hundreds of other passengers' vacations.
Check your cruise line's cancellation policy and travel insurance coverage. Many policies now offer more flexibility for illness-related cancellations than they did pre-pandemic.
How to Treat a Cold or Cruise Cough Onboard
When illness strikes mid-cruise, your cabin becomes your recovery headquarters.
Self-Care Strategies
Stay hydrated - the low humidity inside cruise ships can worsen congestion and throat irritation. Order room service or have someone bring food from the buffet so you can rest. If you have a balcony cabin, use it for fresh air and sunshine while staying away from crowded areas. In tropical areas you will typically find humidity helps cabin cough, and if you don't have a balcony cabin or are in colder, drier parts of the world - simply run your shower on hot and give yourself a steam bath.
For cruise cough specifically, throat lozenges, honey, and staying hydrated help soothe irritation. Rest as much as possible - your immune system needs energy to fight off whatever you've caught.
Practical Tips for Recovery
- Wash your hands frequently - Cruise lines emphasize this during safety drills for good reason. Use warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds, especially before eating and after touching high-contact surfaces.
- Use hand sanitizer between washes - Keep a small bottle with you and use the stations positioned at restaurant entrances. Sanitize your hands after loading plates at the buffet, using the drink dispensers, and after touching serving utensils. The same is true for touching menus, hand rails, elevator buttons, even your own phone to help avoid spreading or catching anything.
- Get light exercise if you're able - Skip the gym, pool, and spa, but most ships have outdoor walking tracks where you can get fresh air and gentle movement without close contact with others. Sunshine and fresh air help alleviate symptoms.
- Eat healthy and stay hydrated - Focus on vegetables and lighter fare. Avoid high-fat foods and heavy cream-based dishes that can increase congestion. Your immune system needs good nutrition to fight off illness.
- Avoid alcohol - As tempting as the cruise bar might be, alcohol dehydrates you and reduces your body's ability to fight infection. Save the cocktails for when you're feeling better.
- Avoid high-touch situations - Skip handshakes in favor of a friendly wave or fist bump. Avoid buffet lines, elevator buttons, and handrails when possible, and sanitize after any contact.
Medications to Pack Before Your Cruise
Buying over-the-counter medications onboard is expensive. One passenger reported being quoted nearly $400 for Benadryl from the medical center. Pack a small supply of essentials:
- Pain relievers and fever reducers (acetaminophen, ibuprofen)
- Decongestants and antihistamines
- Cough suppressants and throat lozenges
- Antidiarrheal medication
- Thermometer
- Hand sanitizer
This small investment can save significant money and potentially a trip to the medical center.
Understanding Cruise Ship Medical Centers and Costs
Every large cruise ship operates a medical center staffed by licensed physicians and nurses. These facilities function as small urgent care clinics - not full hospitals. They can handle minor injuries, respiratory infections, motion sickness, and basic emergencies, and can stabilize serious conditions until you reach a hospital on land.
What Medical Treatment Actually Costs
Here's what many cruisers don't realize: cruise ship medical care is expensive, and you pay upfront regardless of insurance status.
Typical costs include:
- Standard consultation: $100-$200
- After-hours or cabin visit: $150-$300
- Medications: $10-$50 for common prescriptions
- X-rays: $100-$200
- Lab tests: $50-$300
In January 2025, a passenger on Norwegian Encore made headlines after receiving a $47,000 bill for flu treatment over three days. While that case appears extreme and is under review, bills of $2,000-$5,000 for serious illness are not uncommon. The cruise line will charge your onboard account and provide an itemized receipt for insurance claims.
Getting Sick After Your Cruise
Many cruisers notice cold or flu-like symptoms appearing after they return home. This post-cruise illness is common and happens for several reasons: you were exposed to viruses during the cruise that took a few days to incubate, your immune system was stressed from travel and schedule changes, or the dry cabin air irritated your respiratory system and made you more susceptible to infection.
If you develop symptoms within a week of returning from a cruise, treat it as you would any cold or flu. Rest, hydrate, and see your doctor if symptoms are severe or persistent. The good news is that post-cruise illness is usually mild and resolves within a week or two.
Travel Insurance and Medical Costs
Most standard health insurance plans, including Medicare, do not cover medical expenses on cruise ships or in foreign ports. You may find yourself in a frustrating loop where travel insurance won't pay until health insurance denies the claim, while health insurance denies it because treatment occurred internationally.
Travel insurance with medical coverage is essential. Look for policies that include:
- Medical treatment coverage ($50,000-$100,000 minimum recommended)
- Medical evacuation coverage (evacuations can cost $30,000-$100,000+)
- Trip interruption benefits
- Pre-existing condition coverage if applicable
Request itemized bills and documentation from the ship's medical center for any insurance claims.
Protecting Fellow Passengers
If you're sick onboard, you have a responsibility to the thousands of people around you. Wash your hands frequently. Use hand sanitizer stations at restaurant entrances. Avoid the buffet, gym, pool, and spa until you're feeling better. Consider wearing a mask in crowded indoor spaces.
Cruise lines take illness seriously because outbreaks spread quickly in close quarters. Be honest with crew members who ask about your health status. It's not just about policies - it's about respecting your fellow travelers.
When to Seek Medical Attention
Visit the ship's medical center if you experience high fever, difficulty breathing, severe dehydration, chest pain, or symptoms that worsen significantly. The medical team can evaluate whether you can be treated onboard or need to disembark at the next port.
Passengers diagnosed with infectious illness may need to isolate until they can safely disembark or until the sailing concludes. Cruise lines sometimes offer future cruise credits for quarantine days.
Staying Healthy on Your Cruise
Prevention remains your best strategy. Wash hands before meals and after touching high-contact surfaces. Stay hydrated, eat well, get adequate sleep, and moderate alcohol consumption. Your immune system functions better when you're taking care of yourself.
For more detailed prevention guidance, see our tips on how to stay healthy on a cruise.
Plan Your Next Cruise with Confidence
Getting sick on a cruise ship isn't fun, but preparation makes a significant difference. Pack basic medications, purchase appropriate travel insurance, and know what to expect from onboard medical care. With the right planning, you can handle whatever comes your way.
Ready to book your next cruise? Contact Heather Hills at Flow Voyages for personalized assistance finding the perfect itinerary - whether you're planning an Alaska adventure, a Pacific Coast sailing, or a Canada New England fall foliage cruise.
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