Happy Monday everyone!!!!
We are down to 13 Mondays until our cruise!!!!
I was planning a special forget me not this week, and I was going to have a video to go with it. Unfortunately, the lens on my camera is cracked, and I have to wait for the replacement to arrive so that I can get the video ready. While fretting over my camera, I started to look back at previous cruises for an inspiration for today. I found one that I think is just as relevant today as it was back in January (as there are still travel advisories pertaining to this matter). Keep a look out for a 'Special Edition' Forget Me Not sometime this week. As for now....
This weeks Monday Forget Me Not is inspired by an email I got, just prior to our last cruise from
Disney Cruise Line warning us about the Zika Virus.
(I have attached the email to the end of my reminder.)
Anytime you travel to areas that are prone to mosquitoes it is a good idea to have a defense plan. In central and south Texas, this is a battle we prepare for in early Spring every year. If you are not used to fighting off this sucky pest, I have a few tips.
You will read in the email from Disney that a bug repellent with DEET is recommended. However, several people are severely allergic to DEET. There are good repellents out there that are DEET free. Bull Frog sells what we call bug screen. It is a sunscreen that has a bug repellent in it. Also, we use Sun X towelette sun screen (I mention this because the same company also makes a bug repellent towelette - there are actually quite a few companies that make an easy to use towelette applicator including Avon {Skin So Soft}).
If you want to stay away from the liquid / lotion type all together, there are bug bands available (little stretch bracelets, or live strong type of bracelets). There are a few different types out there (if you would like a picture of one, I can post the type that we got last season from groupon. Theirs advertises that 1 band lasts for 100 hours...we find that about 3 days is the limit). As I just mentioned, you can find them on groupon. If you are in an area that does not have a mosquito problem, you may need to search some place like San Antonio or Houston's groupon page to find them. I have also seen a similar product in the camping section of our local Walmart. However, they are starting to run out of them this time of year, and they will usually not restock until early spring.
Finally, a solution that works for a good number of people ( I am not sure if the difference between working or not is due to blood type, or body chemistry), is peppermint oil (it is one of the essential oils). I know you can find the actual oil at health food stores, but we have found that anything with peppermint oil in it works. Mine and my youngest son's favorite is a hand sanitizer spray that has the peppermint oil in it. EO peppermint hand sanitizer is the one we get from Lucky vitamin (online). With the spray, you are getting the sanitizer, which comes in handy on the boat (we like to have more than just the sanitizer wipes they give you before entering the dining areas), and the peppermint all in one. Bath and Body sells a Twisted Peppermint lotion, soap, and I think hand sanitizer during the Christmas season.
I would suggest putting what ever type of bug repellent you plan to use on your shopping list soon. The farther away from summer we get, the harder it will be to find.
Here is the email I received from Disney just prior to our cruise last January:
Important Information About Your Cruise
Reservation #:
Dear...,
We appreciate you booking a
Disney Cruise Line vacation.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a travel alert for countries and territories in Latin American, the Caribbean and Bahamas
where Zika virus, a mosquito related illness, has been found. They have also issued specific guidance for people living in or traveling to a specific areas in
Florida.
The precautions recommended by the CDC are similar to those to prevent other mosquito borne illnesses and include wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants
and using EPA-registered insect repellents containing an active ingredient such as DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 according to the label.
While the most common symptoms are usually mild and include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes, pregnant women should pay special attention to the travel
alert and take necessary precaution to avoid mosquito bites.
Additional information can be found under the Travelers Health and Zika virus update sections of the CDC website at
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices and
http://www.cdc.gov/zika.
Should you have any questions related to your sailing, please feel free to call us at 800-939-2784 or 407-566-7000.
Sincerely,
The Cast and Crew
Disney Cruise Line