Yes – Cruise ships “can” get bed bugs.

But before you cancel your cruise, let’s look at this in more detail.

In the past, we had a wonderful chemical (sarcasm) called DDT that did a great job of killing bed bugs, but due to the many health risks, this chemical is not allowed to be used anymore.

Cruise ships and hotels are required to use other products, which are mostly effective in killing and preventing bed bug infestations.

Here’s the good news about bed bugs on cruise ships!

Several measures are in place to ensure bed bugs do not take up residence in your stateroom. Laundry is washed at very high temperatures thereby killing the bed bugs and stateroom attendants are trained in cleaning procedures to eliminate bed bugs.

If you spot a bed bug, alert your stateroom attendant immediately.