Advice on how to avoid getting bitten and more
By Patti Covello Pietschmann (photos by Richard J Pietschmann)
Photo of Seabourn Legend in Aruba above
It's safe if you arm yourself with a good insect repellent, wear socks, close-toed shoes, loose clothes that aren't brightly colored, and long pants when touring around islands. Of course all that clothing will make you hot. It's also a good idea to take a shower as soon as your back on board the ship.
By Patti Covello Pietschmann (photos by Richard J Pietschmann)
While I've sailed recently in areas where the Zika Virus is running rampant such as Brazil on an Amazon cruise (see photo below)
Photo of Seabourn Legend in Aruba above
the Caribbean and Florida (which has been hit hard recently), I've never spotted a mosquito on a ship or been bitten by one while on a ship. However, and this is a big however, those nasty virus-carrying bugs are all over the place on hot, humid islands and ready to suck your blood. So whether it's Safe to cruise in areas where mosquitoes thrive is a yes/no proposition.
It's safe if you arm yourself with a good insect repellent, wear socks, close-toed shoes, loose clothes that aren't brightly colored, and long pants when touring around islands. Of course all that clothing will make you hot. It's also a good idea to take a shower as soon as your back on board the ship.
The Zika-virus bearing mosquito is prevalent in Puerto Rico, Brazil, French Polynesia, American Samoa,the US Virgin Islands, some areas of Florida while the Dengue bearing bugs can be found on the Big Island of Hawaii, Aruba
and other places.
FYI: Airfarewatchdog just polled almost 1,400 travelers and found that 58% are Avoiding Travel to places where Zika is currently active.
and other places.
FYI: Airfarewatchdog just polled almost 1,400 travelers and found that 58% are Avoiding Travel to places where Zika is currently active.
Full results:
Are you avoiding travel to places where Zika is currently active?
· Yes - 58%
· No - 21%
· Hadn't given it much thought - 21%
Are you avoiding travel to places where Zika is currently active?
· Yes - 58%
· No - 21%
· Hadn't given it much thought - 21%
They just published information on the best deals for Zika-free destinations and shared the top airfare trends we're seeing for Europe right now which are:
· Paris, London, Barcelona, and Dublin are topping our most frequently searched destinations, which is really no surprise. We've seen flights to some of these cities from East Coast hubs for as low as $400.
· With cities like Toulon, Cannes, and St. Tropez, the French Riviera is gaining popularity.
· Palermo, Italy is rising as one of the most searched Mediterranean destinations. While we haven't seen flights dip below $1,000 to $1,700, recent traction is likely due to the city developing.
Read more about the Zika virus at Cruiseable.
· Paris, London, Barcelona, and Dublin are topping our most frequently searched destinations, which is really no surprise. We've seen flights to some of these cities from East Coast hubs for as low as $400.
· With cities like Toulon, Cannes, and St. Tropez, the French Riviera is gaining popularity.
· Palermo, Italy is rising as one of the most searched Mediterranean destinations. While we haven't seen flights dip below $1,000 to $1,700, recent traction is likely due to the city developing.
· In Eastern Europe there's a spike in searches to Budapest, Bucharest, Sofia (Bulgaria), and even Kiev.
· Discount airliners like WOW air and Norwegian are contributing to cities like Reykjavik, Helsinki, Amsterdam, Hamburg, and Lisbon gaining traction.
· Full article here.
Read more about the Zika virus at Cruiseable.
