Before choosing a ship to spend your cruise vacation aboard, look into the ship's sanitation and health record. The Federal government inspects most cruise ships that enter United States' water. Some foreign ships may escape such inspection, yet many follow voluntary guidelines established by the cruise industry. The information gleaned from these ship inspections is available to the public, if you know where to find it. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) release inspection information on their website. Cruise ships receive a score between 0 and 100. Cruise industry officials consider any score below 85 troubling. However, they note that just because a ship received a score below 85 does not mean it is unsafe.

The International Council on Cruise Lines (ICCL) counts the 16 largest cruise lines as its members. The ICCL informs passengers that it is important to consider their individual healthcare needs when deciding upon which ship to cruise with. Some cruise ships have better medical facilities than others. "A person with a serious medical condition should consult with their personal physician before taking any vacation," an ICCL pamphlet warns.

Those who do decide to cruise can take several commonsense precautions to ensure a safe and healthy trip. Experts agree that you should pack all necessary medications, plenty of sunscreen, and hats. Additionally, cruise veterans drink plenty of water and avoid excess alcohol and rich foods. Such precautions may help stave off a bout with seasickness. Also, cruise doctors recommend leaving the popular seasick patches at home as the side effects associated with the patch are often worse than seasickness itself. "I think of these things as common sense but, apparently, not everybody does," said Dr. Stefan Schoeman, an onboard physician. "People don't wear hats, put on sunscreen, then they get badly burned, and it spoils the cruise for them." Dr. Schoeman also advises passengers to pace themselves and not overextend their physical activities.

Unfortunately, many accidents and illnesses can and do occur at sea. Cruise line doctors report many broken limbs from falls aboard ship, as well as diarrhea, stomach bugs, and respiratory ailments. Most reputable cruise ships have well stocked medical facilities and well trained doctors and nurses. Such facilities are necessary as access to land-based healthcare is often impossible. However, cruise ship doctors can commit dangerous and deadly mistakes just as their land bound colleagues.