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I have been on over 20 cruises and never contracted a stomach virus nor have I been seasick.  Those brand new mega-ships run smoothly and ships use stablilzers to further reduce swaying.  Unless the ship is sailing in rough water or a storm may have passed by, very few people get seasick.  And guess what?  There are ways to prevent seasickness, medical and non-medical.

*Pick an itinerary that with calmer seas and less days at sea.  The Caribbean is a good bet but no place is guaranteed not to have a day of rough water.  Ships generally are in port during the day and sail in the evening and overnight unless there are days at sea and even then, the water is usually smooth.    

*Motion sickness remedies are out there.  You can buy them before stepping on the ship or pick them up onboard.  They include prescription medications such as the patch behind the ear, over the counter anti-emetics like Bonine and Dramamine, or homeopathic remedies which include the acupressure wristbands and ginger capsules, which work very well.  The secret to using these remedies is that you must take them before you feel the effects of motion discomfort.  Usually ½ to 1 hour before sailing.  

According to the CDC norovirus is associated with cruise ships because:

*Health officials track illness on cruise ships.  They do not track stomach viruses in schools, nursing homes or other places unless it is epidemic.   Therefore, outbreaks are found and reported more quickly on a cruise ship than on land.

*New passenger arrivals may bring the virus to other passengers and crew.  Cruise ships are very clean.  The spread of norovirus is from other people, not the cruise ship itself.  With that said, the norovirus can be spread just as easily anywhere - whether it's a cruise ship, hospital, school, recreation center, or your neighborhood grocery store.  That's why it's so important to WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY.  

People become infected with norovirus by:

*Eating food or drinking liquids infected with norovirus.

*Touching surfaces or objects infected with noroviruses and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.

*Having person to person contact with a norovirus infected person by being close enough to someone vomiting that the droplets may reach you; sharing food or eating from the same utensils; and shaking hands.

*Not washing hands after using the bathroom or changing diapers and before eating or preparing food.

Norovirus is NOT airborne.  I repeat.  Norovirus is NOT airborne.  You cannot breathe it in even if you're standing next to someone who has it.  

Preventing the virus is not only possible, but it's easy and doesn't cost a lot of money.  Just the cost of soap and water.  WASH HANDS OFTEN WITH SOAP AND WATER.  Wash your hands after using the bathroom or changing diapers and before eating or preparing food.  Wash them for at least 20 seconds.

I've heard conflicting reports about alcohol-based hand sanitizers.  Some say it doesn't kill norovirus but the CDC recommends using them with handwashing or if soap and water are not accessible.  I always carry hand sanitizer because it does kill other germs that could cause illness, especially when traveling overseas.

Know your ports of call.

A little research can help you determine how developed your ports of call are.  Most Caribbean islands have safe drinking water and a good standard of food preparation but if in doubt, drink bottled water.  If a restaurant looks unclean, don't eat there unless recommended by a good source.  On the other hand, in Mexico you should only drink bottled water without ice (unless the ice is made with bottled water) and don't eat from vendors.