daughter worried about her son getting sick

we are planning to take our daughter and her 2 year old son on a the explorer 1/2/2005
now our daughter is having second thoughts
she said people are telling her that kids get sick more often on the cruisies because of confined areas and her room is an inside room
i have tried to tell her in a nice way she is "nuts" that our grandson can and does get sick through playgroups, traveling on the subway etc
does anyone have an suggestions of how i can calm her down?
she keeps quoting the norwalk vice thing

[Donna]

Hi Iris,
Something to remember about these Voyager class ships, they are so large that you hardly feel any motion. There is a better chance that your daughters son will be fine and not get sea sick at all.

thanks donna not sea sick , sick sick. cold, flu etc

[alison1170]

My 2.5 yr old has been on 2 cruises so far over New Years (lots of kids, huge ships) and hasnt gotten sick at all. My husband did pick up a cold the last trip, but that couldve come from the plane ride (where he usually catches something). Since the outbreaks over the last few years, I saw crew constanly cleaning stuff. To be safe, just be sure to wash hands, check that the food is hot or cold not in between. Its hard to keep a 2 yr olds hands clean all the time though. I carry wet wipes and Purell along with a few toys, snacks, diapers, etc in a bag and use those. I would bring along some Tylenol and cold medicine just to cover yourself too, as the child stuff might be tough to find on board, and you might have to wait until a port stop to get it-costing you time and $$. You have just as much risk of catching something when youre out shopping as you would on a ship. Tell your daughter shes paranoid and to relax.

alison

Kids get sick, that is life .
When you take them to the grocery store you stick them in a cart, where they put their little hands on the bar that everyone has just had their hands on, they then of course stick their hands into their little mouths.
You can't prevent them getting bugs, that IS reality, so tell your daughter to cool it , she is being parnoid.
Yes, of course one should wash hands often, it is the best preventative for viruses.

Does your daughter keep her child in seclusion? Of course not, so tell her to relax, and she could even talk to her doctor, he will concur that she is being overly worried and perhaps coming from a doctor that opipion will carry more weight!

[JulieJulz]

Sea sick or germie sick? If sea sickness is a concern he can take benadryl or dranimine everyday with very minimal side effects. Sea sickness is rare before age 3.

If she is worried about germies this is a tougher issue. New moms are wired to be worries about their babies. Be proud that you raised a daughter who truly cares and wants to do the ultimate best for her baby. Now, that said, let her know that YOUR cruise ship is rated top notch for cleanliness by the health board supervisory committee of international sailing (or something like that.) There was an honest scare a few years back when so many people were getting sick. however, due to that incident, cruise ships and their food is far cleaner, and safer, than ever before.

Bring antibacterial hand wipes if it makes her feel better. Personally I do not like those as kids NEED the germies to BE HEALTHY. Don't forget tylenol or motrin or whatever he might need while on the ship.

Best wishes for a memorable trip. Take lots of pictures!

Julie

PS Shopping carts are a pet peeve of mine. Not just all the customer hands and baby mouths that touch the baby seat area but also the chicken and meat package ooze that finds its way there from hands or dripping. eeeeeewwwe!

1st cruise with kids in 2 weeks!

[Darcy]

You might want to bring a can of Lysol spray with you. I usually do for both hotel rooms and cruise ship rooms. None of us (I have four kids) has ever gotton sick on a cruise or a land based vacation.

I've had a couple cruises where i've had to take my kids to the ship's doctor.

For a ruptured ear drum, illness, etc. My experience is wonderful with them -- it was like going to the doctor at home. The insurance paid as if the visit were at my home as well. I wouldnt let the possiblity of an illness keep one away from a cruise.

[LisaK]

kids need to be exposed to germs it builds up their immunity. The cabins are cleaned and disenfected twice a day on the ship. Use universal precautions- wash hands after using the bathroom, pack some Purell hand sanitizer, use it before going to eat at the buffet, get good sleep every night on the cruise so that you are not run down. Actually in most cases the virus does not originate on the ship, its brought on board. The ships are very conscious about sanitary conditions. Tell her not to worry her son is more apt to get sick at day-care or school than he would be on a cruise.

I can be weird about germs too. I just returned with my 16 month old. Took a bottle of Lysol and antibacterial gel. Just made me feel better. Happy to say that she is as healthy as ever. I can tell you that the people that work on those ships are constantly cleaning and that while the closer quarters may make spreading a bug easier, I would think that a bug's presence would be much more likely on a shopping cart or at a local restaurant's highchair. Dealing with the SLIGHT possibility of a bug or cold is well worth the reason why she is dealing with it - A VACATION!!!