Cruise ships have long been a favorite vacation for many people around the world. Experiencing the wide open seas with not a sliver of land in sight can be eye opening and mind expanding. Unfortunately, the cruises of today are not entirely safe in many regards. Cruise ships can be very dangerous in the way they hold the potential for serious sickness outbreaks due to foodborne illness and other potentially dangerous epidemics. There is a great need for innovation in the way food is prepared and stored onboard large passenger vessels. A large factor is that for each cruise ship there is usually only one food supply and one fresh water supply. This dangerous setup is extremely common for cruise ships. It is in the best interests of the world to collaborate in efforts to solve the issue of food related illnesses aboard cruise ships.

A food related illness can be extremely dangerous for an individual on a cruise due to lack of resources aboard the ship, travel time for emergency transportation to proper healthcare facilities, and potential spreading of the disease to other passengers. While cruise ships do keep doctors aboard in the event of an illness there is still much work to be done in efforts to end the common occurrence of these sickness’. The lack of proper, up to date food safety procedures and facilities plays a large role in the possibility of an outbreak. In many cases, it was found that employees were handling food without proper hand washing and facility sterilization. Additionally, factors like inadequate temperature control of food, contaminated raw ingredients, and cross contamination between food stored improperly and in close vicinities can cause foodborne illnesses. When a large population cohabitates aboard a ship this adds an additional concern of disease spreading to more victims. All of these factors equate to negligence in its purest form. If a passenger does succumb to a food related sickness they are able to seek out compensation with the help of a cruise ship injury attorney from cruise lines and operators. In these events, it is important that the victim take precise accounts of what they consumed and where on the ship it originated from as these diseases are easily contagious. Pathogens from one particular food can spread to other supplies, which then puts the entire ship’s manifest in danger.

In cases of food related illness caused by the negligence of the crew, it is imperative that victims seek medical attention on board as soon as possible. Doing this greatly reduces the chances of disease spread and can decrease recovery time while at sea. The threat of illness due to eating food prepared on the ship can not continue to plague thousands of cruise goers every year.

To conclude, new practices can be implemented in order to prevent further illnesses. These practices would utilize innovative technology that can determine if food is contaminated, reduce spreading of pathogens, and contain harmful bacteria or viruses. The next steps in the fight against foodborne illness will without a doubt coincide with current innovations happening in the food safety industry.