Jump to content

Desperately seeking help for seasickness advice!


cruiserfromalabama
 Share

Recommended Posts

Here is my problem! My husband and I are seasoned travelers on land and sea, but my sister and her husband are not! We want them to take an Alaska land/cruise tour with us in early June 2018 and my brother-in-law is deathly scared he will get seasick! I do not think he realizes how large cruise ships are and that most people don't have seasick problems. I do understand that some people do get seasick, but I need advice to help him through his fears! He has glaucoma and can not use a patch, but I don't honestly think he would need a patch anyway. Since I have never been on a cruise in Alaska, am I wrong to believe that it is very gentle cruising. We would be cruising inside southbound from Anchorage to Vancouver with only sea day being last day. Please give me info so I can help him with his fears! Anyone out there have any issues with seasickness on Alaska cruises?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’ve seen several seasick passengers on Alaska cruises. Although you’re cruising the inside passage there are times it can be rough, particularly when crossing the Gulf of Alaska on the first leg of your cruise.

 

His best advice will come from his doctor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I get motion sickness. I haven't been to AK yet, but I have been on several Caribbean cruises. I take Over the counter meclizine from the pharmacy (generic Bonine, way cheaper) and have not had any problems cruising. I start taking it 2-3 days before getting on the ship to get it in my system. I take it before bed so any sleepiness happens while I'm already in bed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I too have seen motion sick passengers, multiple times.

 

A message board is not the place to get advice that should be gotten from a health care provider. ALL meds have "side effects" so even over the counter can be a wrong choice.

 

I'd suggest a round trip Vancouver, since I've just about always experienced at least 1 day with "rougher" sailing on Seattle cruises.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is my problem! My husband and I are seasoned travelers on land and sea, but my sister and her husband are not! We want them to take an Alaska land/cruise tour with us in early June 2018 and my brother-in-law is deathly scared he will get seasick! I do not think he realizes how large cruise ships are and that most people don't have seasick problems. I do understand that some people do get seasick, but I need advice to help him through his fears! He has glaucoma and can not use a patch, but I don't honestly think he would need a patch anyway. Since I have never been on a cruise in Alaska, am I wrong to believe that it is very gentle cruising. We would be cruising inside southbound from Anchorage to Vancouver with only sea day being last day. Please give me info so I can help him with his fears! Anyone out there have any issues with seasickness on Alaska cruises?

 

 

 

Go to the doctor and get Antinausea pills like you would get if you can't take painkillers because you get sick.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While I agree discussing medications is better done with one's doctor....I was recently on my first cruise last month, 20 days starting in Edinbrough to the Faroes, Iceland and 8 ports in Greenland.

 

I have been the family vomit queen, cars, planes trains, boats, I always got sick. I was fairly concerned about this trip. I purchased several holistic remedies, one over the counter and one very expensive prescription. I also found a bit of tech called " relief band". It is s'pose to interrupt the signal between your tummy and your brain to stop the nausea.

 

I was properly in the loo sick only once in then first day or so. I found on rough days as long as I had the band on and didn'f move about the boat I was mostly ok, I think fighting the boat was the problem. I also found my tummy got very angry when in hot, stuffy rooms on rough days.

 

So, my answer is, on rough days spend as much time as possible in fresh air, (we were eating outside), move about as little as possible.

 

On calm days, I was just fine.

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-G920T using Forums mobile app

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got seasick on my first cruise in feb! Luckily i had bought some generic seasick tablets from walmart prior to getting on the ship... i didn't expect to get it atall.

I took one tablet as soon as it started and then another before bed, then i didnt need one again!

 

Sent from my SM-G925F using Forums mobile app

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the advice and will definitely get RX from his doctor for seasickness meds. The problem is to settle his mind that a cruise ship is not at all like going out deep sea fishing on a charter fishing trip. Who knows-he might not even need anything(I sure hope). Has anyone gotten sick on a cruise before and then found that a cruise in Alaska is a little more calm and therefore did not produce seasickness in them?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the advice and will definitely get RX from his doctor for seasickness meds. The problem is to settle his mind that a cruise ship is not at all like going out deep sea fishing on a charter fishing trip. Who knows-he might not even need anything(I sure hope). Has anyone gotten sick on a cruise before and then found that a cruise in Alaska is a little more calm and therefore did not produce seasickness in them?

 

Alaska can be very rough or very calm. There is no way to predict. I have had very rough waters in Alaska that made several people very sick. I hope this doesn't happen but it does happen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If he goes to the doctor he is very likely going to be suggested to use the patch. The patch can have some extremely serious side effects and apparently it is considered to be a drug used as a truth serum and in the warning pamphlet it tells you to only use it around people you trust! How weird is that?

 

I have been motion sick my entire life and I swear by my sea bands. My pressure point wristbands. I have been sick on a cruise even wearing my sea bands that is true. But for just mild motion they work great. Like buses, cars ETC. I have been quesy a few time including Alaska but it was never actual sickness. [And remember I get very motion sick.] I have to wear my sea bands on a 30-minute trip to the next town over if I am a passenger.

 

My last cruise I was extremely sick one day. We had to skip Costa Maya due to rough seas and there were lots of passengers onboard affected. I went to the medical center after 8 hours of being sick and they basically refused to treat me. However, they told me to go to passenger services and buy the over-the-counter pills. They are called avomine. Apparently they are over the counter in many other countries but not here in the United States. So it is possible they could be prescribed by the doctor. I saved mine as I only ended up needing two of the 12 pills I received. But it was a lifesaver! I took them, took a nap and I was able to be up, eating and walking around the ship and feeling normal again.

 

I just recently bought a relief band that delivers electric pulses through your wrist. Using a similar technique as the sea-band. I have read nothing but good reviews. It has honestly been 99 out of 100 reviews that say it works. It's $100 and the battery only lasts 150 hours so I only plan on using it when we are on small ships in Alaska or when the cruise gets really rough. And probably on the airplane. I'm very sensitive about getting sick in front of other people so the airplane, while not likely to make me throw up, is stress for me. I can't say don't get the patches enough!

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Forums mobile app

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Point of reference on my motion sickness. The elevator down from the top of the Space Needle takes about 48 seconds. Very unwisely I was looking out as it came down. I immediately became over whelmed with motion sickness and was sick for about 4 hours until I could sleep it off and reset my brain. So let me stress that these over the counter pills from Passenger Services have given me such a strong sense of relief that I am not even stressed about being sick anymore. Being stressed about motion sickness can cause a lot of anxiety. People who are not affected may have trouble understanding that.

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Forums mobile app

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My daughters are very sensitive to motion, and get sick allot. But since they discovered "ginger" (All forms) they have not been sick once in all their cruises. They like candied ginger for when it just hits (works faster than pills), but most of the time they just take ginger pills the whole cruise. They learned this from Holland America cruise line one evening exiting the MDR, there is a man/woman with trays of candies ginger, mints and chocolates just outside of it. My daughters asked why anyone would want the yucky ginger and were told its settles the stomach and helps with motion sickness! They were able to get several helpings to last through out the cruise and did not get sick that week! Since it was not a medicine they could have drinks if they wanted even.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you so much for some good tips! I will tell him about the sea bands, ginger pills, and candied ginger! I will also check out the relief bands with electric impulses! Trying to reassure my brother-in-law that you can possibly eliminate or ease seasickness without going the patch or doctor prescription pill way. Thanks again everyone!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is a homeopathic medicine called Motion Eze that works very well. It is an oil that, rather than taken internally, you put on the skin behind your ears. You are then breathing in the fragrance from the oils (it's a mixture of several) and it really works.

Also, the crew members swear by the effects of green apples and, believe it or not, that also works. In 2013, we were crossing a very choppy Gulf of Mexico and everyone on the ship was sick. The two remedies I just mentioned made that crossing a whole lot easier.

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Forums mobile app

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you so much for some good tips! I will tell him about the sea bands, ginger pills, and candied ginger! I will also check out the relief bands with electric impulses! Trying to reassure my brother-in-law that you can possibly eliminate or ease seasickness without going the patch or doctor prescription pill way. Thanks again everyone!

I really hope you can put his mind at ease before you leave. Like I said, people who are seriously Afflicted like myself go through so much anxiety over motion sickness. Not only do you just feel so bad but there's nothing you can do about it. And you know that. So you worry about that. And it almost always causes you to miss out on something fun or something great to eat. Or it puts whoever you were traveling with at a disadvantage because they don't want to leave you. It's really something that is hard to understand to a lot of folks. I hope he will trust in all the advice you will give him. But if all else fails and he still get sick, just go to passenger services and get the pills! Fyi, I travel Princess.

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Forums mobile app

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is my problem! My husband and I are seasoned travelers on land and sea, but my sister and her husband are not! We want them to take an Alaska land/cruise tour with us in early June 2018 and my brother-in-law is deathly scared he will get seasick! I do not think he realizes how large cruise ships are and that most people don't have seasick problems. I do understand that some people do get seasick, but I need advice to help him through his fears! He has glaucoma and can not use a patch, but I don't honestly think he would need a patch anyway. Since I have never been on a cruise in Alaska, am I wrong to believe that it is very gentle cruising. We would be cruising inside southbound from Anchorage to Vancouver with only sea day being last day. Please give me info so I can help him with his fears! Anyone out there have any issues with seasickness on Alaska cruises?

 

If he is worried, he should consult his physician about options that would be safe and suitable. Being prepared should relieve any stress he is experiencing about the concern.

 

There is no single option that works for everyone. The options are typically, in no particular order:

While many are skeptical of the last three, they do provide relief for many people.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If he goes to the doctor he is very likely going to be suggested to use the patch. The patch can have some extremely serious side effects and apparently it is considered to be a drug used as a truth serum and in the warning pamphlet it tells you to only use it around people you trust! How weird is that?

 

I have been motion sick my entire life and I swear by my sea bands. My pressure point wristbands. I have been sick on a cruise even wearing my sea bands that is true. But for just mild motion they work great. Like buses, cars ETC. I have been quesy a few time including Alaska but it was never actual sickness. [And remember I get very motion sick.] I have to wear my sea bands on a 30-minute trip to the next town over if I am a passenger.

 

My last cruise I was extremely sick one day. We had to skip Costa Maya due to rough seas and there were lots of passengers onboard affected. I went to the medical center after 8 hours of being sick and they basically refused to treat me. However, they told me to go to passenger services and buy the over-the-counter pills. They are called avomine. Apparently they are over the counter in many other countries but not here in the United States. So it is possible they could be prescribed by the doctor. I saved mine as I only ended up needing two of the 12 pills I received. But it was a lifesaver! I took them, took a nap and I was able to be up, eating and walking around the ship and feeling normal again.

 

I just recently bought a relief band that delivers electric pulses through your wrist. Using a similar technique as the sea-band. I have read nothing but good reviews. It has honestly been 99 out of 100 reviews that say it works. It's $100 and the battery only lasts 150 hours so I only plan on using it when we are on small ships in Alaska or when the cruise gets really rough. And probably on the airplane. I'm very sensitive about getting sick in front of other people so the airplane, while not likely to make me throw up, is stress for me. I can't say don't get the patches enough!

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Forums mobile app

 

I just went on Amazon to try to find the product you were talking about, because it sounds gimmicky and I expected there to be a ton of fake reviews, or "I received this product in exchange for an "honest" review", but no, the reviews look legit and it got a B on fakespot. (If I'm looking at the same thing.)

 

Very interesting. I always assumed the sea bands were placebo effect. Will have to research this some more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been on two Alaskan cruises. One was a bit rough (End of season) and the other was smooth (beginning of season). Like others have mentioned, I counted on ginger in the form of candied ginger and ginger gum. In addition, on the rough one, the Captain announced that all cabins would be receiving green apples to help with motion sickness. Now I am a person who gets sick in the back seat of a car or even standing on a dock watching a boat bob up and down and I never got sick so I highly recommend both candied ginger and ginger gum.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anywhere you sail there is a risk of getting sea sick and encountering rough seas. So it is key to come prepared.

 

There are many options to prevent sea sickness. We use Bonine on occasion and will take it pro-actively should the captain warn about rough seas and take one not two over 24 hours. Some people have ginger tablets or ginger.

 

My other suggestion is to get a room mid ship.

 

And my final suggestion is to pick an itinerary that might minimize the chance of rough seas such as a R/T Vancouver sailing.

 

Keith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fresh air and a view of the horizon do have a stabilizing affect for many. Gotta make your eyes and inner ear talk to each other. Most commercial fishermen I know carry/take ginger of some form. You have to take it as a preventative. Waiting until you're sick it tooooooo late.

 

But.... probably not the seasick info you were asking for but it is good to know, on one of the Alaska ferries in the public WC is a sign "If all stalls are occupied, it is permissible to vomit in the waste bin"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...