Why You're More Likely To Get Food Poisoning On A Cruise Ship
By Nicole Cord-Cruz
VACATIONS
People getting sick on cruises happens more often than you'd like to think, whether it's seasickness, a sudden medical emergency, or food poisoning, which is unfortunately common.
Cruise ships can go days without docking, which means fresh ingredients can be in short supply. Produce is sourced every week, but meat is sourced every two to three weeks.
Between 2008 and 2014, the CDC reported 129,678 cases of food poisoning among cruise passengers, and inspections found dead pests in stored ingredients like flour and margarine.
Cruise lines try to keep things clean, meticulously handling ingredients and sourcing the freshest produce whenever they dock, but they can't source every single day.
To stay safe, the CDC recommends avoiding food that's not temperature controlled, as food poisoning germs thrive between 40°F and 140°F, as well as avoiding anything raw.