Recently, my family and I took a cruise to Alaska. With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging on, there were some steps that we needed to do to prepare for a wonderful trip. This post highlights the steps we took to get ready.
Pack a First Aid Kit
For most of us, packing first aid and medical supplies for a long trip is nothing new. My son has allergies and asthma, so we are used to packing his medications. For a cruise, you will be travelling to multiple ports and moving around quite a bit. You will not want to be looking around for a drug store for every little need. I suggest packing the following basic items to be prepared:
Bandaids
Neosporin or other antibacterial gel
Tylenol or acetominophon
Motrin or ibuprofin
Benadryl tablets
Benadryl cream for bug bites
Anti-diarrheal
Tums or Rolaids
Dramamine for motion sickness – we liked the non-drowsy formula and found it worked well for my daughter and me.
Cold Medicine such as Mucinex
Cough Drops
In addition to these basics, remember to pack a week’s supply of your medications. I take high blood pressure medicine so; I filled my prescription before I left to assure that I had enough for the trip. I also packed my son’s inhaler and asthma medications as well as his Epi-Pen. Depending on your family’s special health needs, you may need to alter this list.
Toiletries
While I was refilling my prescriptions, I stocked up on travel sized toiletries. For the items that are not available in travel size, I bought travel sized containers and put a week’s supply in those. This is essential for a cruise because space is at a premium in the cabin. We travelled to Alaska and needed all the packing space possible for our gear so using travel sized containers for our toiletries was essential. We also brought small containers of bug spray and sunblock.
COVID Testing Certification
As of the time of this post, we were required to test for COVID and show proof of a negative test. Be sure to check the latest CDC guidelines before you cruise. Bear in mind, we are all fully vaccinated. We went to a local urgent care to obtain the test. Because we needed a rapid test with a doctor’s certification, we paid $150 per person. This was a cost that we had not budgeted! Alternatively, my daughter ordered an at home test from the cruise company which included a telehealth visit. She paid about $70 for that test. Because my husband had COVID the month before, we were not sure if he would test positive again, so we went for the urgent care visit. If he was positive, we planned to get a “certificate of recovery” from the doctor stating that he was under a doctor’s care for COVID. This was also a requirement from the cruise ship. Luckily, we all tested negative and were able to go on our cruise. With the new COVID variants, many people are testing positive using home tests for weeks after they have been sick, so it is important to have a plan.
I hope you find these tips useful as you plan for your cruise. Please add your tips for preparing to cruise in the comments. Have a safe and happy trip!
