First cruise...seasickness advice anyone?

[nalaqueentwo]

I will be taking my first cruise at the end of October, has anyone had or are familiar with seasickness and what worked for you? The patch, over the counter meds or ginger? Any advice would be appreciated. I usually do fine on smaller boats but everyone has told me I have to get my "sea legs" so now I"m paranoid. :eek:

 

Thanks

[StillPooh]

what worked for you?

Drunkenness worked for me. I wasn't expecting the floor to be holding still, so it wasn't a problem! :D

 

I've never been seasick on small sailboats, so long as I didn't go below in bad weather. Most cruise ships have 80-110K tons of displacement; I think people who get sick on them are either extremely sensitive to motion, or they psyche themselves into it.

 

But then, I can also read in cars and ride backwards (reading!) on trains. ;)

[SeaDawg]

Fear of getting sick is the greatest deterrent to cruising. As the ships get bigger, and maritime technology advances – the likelihood of getting seasick is greatly reduced.

 

A rule of thumb - if you have concerns about motion sickness, choose a ship that holds at least 1,500 passengers. The larger the ship, the less you will feel motion.

 

Prior to your cruise, it’s a good precaution to ask your doctor about “the patch,” which is worn behind the ear to prevent sea sickness. There can be side effects, which your doctor will explain. It’s a worthwhile investment – just in case.

 

If that is not to your liking then take some dramamine with you as a precaution.

 

P.S. Welcome to Cruise Critic!

[josask]

It's also a little bit of mind over matter. If you convince yourself you will be seasick, you probably will be. Also, if you convince yourself that the seabands will work, they'll work better than if you are skeptical initially. With that said - always take some drugs in case!!

[CapeCodCruiser]

Here is a good thread on this topic on the Carnival board

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1067984

[CPT Trips]

Meclazine is my first choice. It's over the counter, non-drowsy and 24 hour prevention. Brand names are Bonine and Dramamine Non-Drowsy.

 

Regular Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) is also effective but more likely to cause drowsyness and visual side effects.

 

I don't recommend "The Patch" (scopolamine) due to seriousness of the potential side effects. But, it does work for many.

[Senoj84]

Bonine worked well for me. It's about 8 in a pack and they're chewable. I had no problems at all.

[StillPooh]

I don't recommend "The Patch" (scopolamine) due to seriousness of the potential side effects. But, it does work for many.

Scuba divers shouldn't use these, as they have been shown to increase your risk of nitrogen narcosis at much shallower than usual depths. :eek:

[cb at sea]

I 2nd the "drunkeness" factor!

If you don't get motion sickness on land, in cars, amusement rides....you are less likely to experience it on a large ship.

[blindrid]

I don't recommend "The Patch" (scopolamine) due to seriousness of the potential side effects. But, it does work for many.

 

As mentioned, most people (like I) worry about it more than we should. I've never been close to sick, at least from motion on a ship. The times I've been close it been bottle flu related ;) .

 

Seriously, we do scopolamine (the patch). However, since the patch is sometimes difficult to find, we have a compounding pharmacy provide us with scopolamine in a gel form, in a syringe (no needle, of course) and put a prescribed amount on our wrist and rub it in.

 

My wife is typically a little more sensitive to stuff like that but she's had great luck with it. I do think it is mind over matter and since we enjoy cruises so much, our mind is everywhere we want it to be.

 

We normally use it for a few days and either forget to use it, don't need it or whatever. Some people have the effects when they take it and then immediately stop taking it so I like the gel as you can wean yourself if you want to even though we've never had any problems with either.

 

Do what makes you feel the most comfortable and have a great trip.

[Romy40]

If you are taking Dramamine or other pill, my best advice is to take it on schedule! If this means setting an alarm at night for every 4-6 hours -

DO IT!

Yeah, it's a pain, but puking is a bigger pain.

Been there/done that.

[blindrid]

If you are taking Dramamine or other pill, my best advice is to take it on schedule! If this means setting an alarm at night for every 4-6 hours -

DO IT!

Yeah, it's a pain, but puking is a bigger pain.

Been there/done that.

 

Don't mean to sound harsh but here is no way I set an alarm when I'm on a cruise much less to take a pill :) .

[katz]

Take it from someone who gets motion sick on a swing-------go straight for the patch. I have never had any side effects from using them either.

[Putterdude]

There is no "one size fits all" solution. DW wears the SeaBands and they work very well for her. We just finsihed a cruise with some friends and the ginger capsuls worked for her.

[griffin_hr]

I think your destination might also dictate the need for more severe (the patch) options. For instance, seas are "usually" much calmer in and around the Caribbean (so I am told) compared to a Pacific or Atlantic Crossing.

 

On our Hawaii cruise out of Los Angeles we had great weather out to and around the islands...on the way back we had up to 30' seas and the ship was sold out of any and all sea sickness medication.

 

After that trip I swore to at least have the Patch with me on my next cruise, just in case.

[STARFISH*4]

the "patch" was awful for me...made me feel worse than the sea-motion

pills make me drowsy......i wanted to try the bands but ended up taking Ginger and it has worked everytime for me and its natural and no side effects...anything you try tho check with your dr specially if you are taking other meds....GOOD LUCK

[CPT Trips]

If you are taking Dramamine or other pill, my best advice is to take it on schedule! If this means setting an alarm at night for every 4-6 hours -

DO IT!

Yeah, it's a pain, but puking is a bigger pain.

Been there/done that.

 

Go to one a day Bonine . . . no need to interupt sleep.

[CPT Trips]

Take it from someone who gets motion sick on a swing-------go straight for the patch. I have never had any side effects from using them either.

 

Someone who is a first time "scop" user is well advised to try it on a lazy weekend at home to see whether you get the adverse reactions.

[Marie51]

I'm going along with those recommending non-drowsy bonine or dramamine.

Take it along with you just in case.

[capncarp]

I was a mite worried when I took my first cruise, I normally don't get motion sick, but then again, I'd never been far out on the surface of the Atlantic before, either.

My gut feeling (sorry, no pun intended) is that if a small boat's rocking doesn't get to you, the longer, more gradual motion of a large (60K tons and up) ship should be much easier to take. The worst motion we had to deal with was when we skirted a tropical storm rolling up the coast. It was most noticeable in the buffet (carrying a tray to your table as the ship rolled gently under you) and trying to dance in the nightclub, when the ship and you might be moving in distinctly different directions simultaneously. It felt like trying to walk up the aisle of a bus or train under acceleration--not hard, just a bit complex and subject to change at any minute.

I concur with the idea to try out the various methods just to see if they agree with you. What good is an anti-seasickness remedy if the remedy itself makes you ill? By its very nature, scopolamine patches can really put you out, so find out if your first day on the ship will be spent in nap-time. And remember that you're wearing it when you try to get a tan--I saw lots of folks with little pale circles on their necks a few sunny days into the cruise.;) We packed Dramamine just in case, and never had to break it out. I wish you just as much luck.

Bon(ine) appetit!

[OCruisers]

Please ... Please ... Please Consider you probably won't be seasick! :)

[MrsPete]

We were worried about seasickness, so we booked a short four-day cruise for our first. Absolutely no seasickness! I had good reason to worry: Both I and one of my daughters is horrible about carsickness. We brought Bonie but never even opened the box.

 

You don't feel the movement onboard nearly as much as you think you're going to. Yes, you'll realize you're not on land, but it isn't like the ship rocks and rolls constantly. It's not like the sinking scene on the Titanic all the time. I mean, your dinner glasses won't tip over onto your lap. You can leave books and things on your nightstand without fear that they'll fall to the floor during the night. An able bodied, sober person will be able to walk a straight line down the hallway without holding to the rails.

 

If you think you'll have trouble, book a room that's low and mid-ship. Those are supposed to be the most stable. Also book one of the large, modern ships. They have stablizers.

 

A story for the person who thinks it's all in your head: A friend of mine who's always had horrible seasickness (but who loves to cruise) took along two boxes of Bonie. For the first few days she and her daughters took the medicine and were just fine. Then they opened the second box, and later that day -- all at the same time -- they all started to feel sick. They looked at the boxes and realized that their first box had been 24-hour meds, while their second box was 12-hour meds. They'd accidentally allowed themselves to let it run out of their system. So much for "all in your head".

 

People who suffer from seasickness say that prevention is better than cure. Take meds before you need them, and if you do become seasick, the only thing to do is to take a nap (and a pill). Then you sort of "start fresh" when you wake up.

[sc_cruizer]

I have motion sickness in a car, but the cruise never bothered me. I did take Bonine with me and only took it one day. Always works for me. :)

[Rick02809]

I will be taking my first cruise at the end of October, has anyone had or are familiar with seasickness and what worked for you? The patch, over the counter meds or ginger? Any advice would be appreciated. I usually do fine on smaller boats but everyone has told me I have to get my "sea legs" so now I"m paranoid. :eek:

 

Thanks

 

 

It isn't a big deal. Ships these days have stabilizers on them. Bring a box of Dramamine in your luggage as a back up. You may want to take a dose when you wake up the day you set sail so you are medicated.

[Almost Packed]

i owned a ski boat...never had a problem on the water. one night at sea on our cruise, the ship was really rocking...and i got sick. i took the bonine and i was fine afterwards and never had any other problems.

 

one other time, on a small casino boat off the coast of florida, i got sick as well. there had been a bad storm earlier and the water was still rough. i was so sick!

 

now i take bonine with me. i don't take a chance. i was on a roll at the roulette table and had to "cash out" because i was feeling ill.

 

just to let you know, that particular night (it was late at night) the cruise line had hung the "throw up" bags all along the hallways etc. i guess they were expecting people to get sick that night because of the swells.