Sea Sickness Alaska

[FRED64]

Hi All

I am planning a trip to Alaska on Sea Princess first week in June 2010. I have heard that Alaska is really bad for rough sea's. Can anybody advise .

I have cruised twice before without to much trouble - one evening in the carabian and that was it.

Has anybody used the patches that go behind the ear ?:)

[trophy_23]

Alaska can be rough, but if you are doing a RT there will usually only be 1 night each way that could be rough. Both cruises to AK that I have been on had one night with a bit of rocking, but nothing too bad. I saw many people with patches, whatever makes you comfortable and works!

[psyfi]

Weather is unpredictable. In general, the cruises in and out of Seattle tend to be rougher than out of Vancouver. Mid ship cabins tend to move less than fore and aft and lower decks move less than higher ones. Be sure you start whatever medication you choose the day before you get on board to make sure it is in your system. Have a good trip.

[BroncoLvrs]

I don't suffer myself, but my husband used to have a very hard time with motion. He'd tried the patches behind the ear, the wrist pressure point bands and medication...what he found worked best is Ginger tablets (550mg). He takes them twice a day, starting about a week ahead of our trip. He has shared this with others and they now swear by it! Good luck and enjoy your cruise!

[CruisingGoddess]

The patches are prescription only and do have side effects. With any sea sickness remedy, make sure you try it prior to your vacation to make sure you don't have negative side effects.

 

I've compiled a list of Sea Sickness Prevention Tips & Remedies from all the info I've gotten on these boards and stuff I tried myself:

 

http://moonprincess.com/cruisinggoddess/cruises/sea-sickness-prevention-remedies/

 

Most of all, it's better to be safe than sorry. I was on a ferry from Naples to Capri during my Med cruise. Many people vomited all over the place, all over their clothes. I'm sure it ruined their day. It's better to take something for no reason than to not take it and get sick. Trust me.

 

Good luck!

[funcorn]

Another thing to remember--don't overeat or overdrink.

[alpal1993]

Cruising Goddes I agree 150% Done that been thers.Never leave without my Bonine works very well for me.Doesn't make me tired and I can have a few drinks as well.Tenders and smaller excursion boats tend to do me in without the med.I will start taking it before we flyout the day before,as we will be cruising out of Seattle

[bbwex]

I don't really want to correct some of the statement in Cruising Goddess' compendium, but think a few things need to be said.

 

Treating motion sickness before it starts is very important. Once you get sick, it is clearly harder to deal with.

 

First of all, an explanation. Motion sickness is generally caused by a conflict in the brain caused by messages from the eye that you are not moving, and messages from the inner ear that you are moving. This is why you want to watch the horizon. Closing your eyes and intentionally not watching the motion is more likely to make matters worse for most people. If you have to go inside (bathroom, etc.) do it quickly and get back outside promptly. CG's suggestion to be outside and staying cool is excellent.

 

Where to be on the ship can have an impact as CG said. But the common statement to to a low deck can be misleading, and I admit that CG just said a "lower deck." The way to visualize how a ship moves. For pitching (bow going up and down over the waves): imagine that there is a rod or an axle through the center of the ship (measuring from front to back) the the ship is rotating around the axle. The axle goes through the Center of Motion (more on that in a moment). For rolling (side-to-side), the axle should be imagined going through the ship in the center from bow to stern, again going through the Center of Motion. On something like a freighter that does not have a tremendous superstructure, that Center of Motion is down low -- likely lower than the main deck. However, on modern cruise ships with the mammoth superstructures sometimes ten decks high, the Center of Motion is usually somewhere above the main deck -- you only need to be a naval architect to figure out where it is. If you go lower than the Center of Motion, the motion you notice will in fact increase.

 

Ginger has been proven to work, it is not an untested home remedy. You can take pills, eat candied ginger, etc.

 

In addition to the various pills, there is always the scopolamine patch. This is pretty much the strongest medicine. It has some minor side effects such as a dry mouth, but it can (in a small number of cases) cause more serious issues such as hallucinations. For that reason, if you are considering it, get a prescription before you leave, and try it on dry land to see how you tolerate it.

 

As someone else has mentioned, and though it seems to be counter-intuitive, you should eat. Eat at normal mealtimes. Don't overeat, and don't eat a lot of greasy foods, but having food in your stomach helps.

 

All this being said, most people get over any sea sickness in a day or less, sometimes two days.

[CruisingGoddess]

I don't really want to correct some of the statement in Cruising Goddess' compendium, but think a few things need to be said.

 

Treating motion sickness before it starts is very important. Once you get sick, it is clearly harder to deal with.

 

First of all, an explanation. Motion sickness is generally caused by a conflict in the brain caused by messages from the eye that you are not moving, and messages from the inner ear that you are moving. This is why you want to watch the horizon. Closing your eyes and intentionally not watching the motion is more likely to make matters worse for most people. If you have to go inside (bathroom, etc.) do it quickly and get back outside promptly. CG's suggestion to be outside and staying cool is excellent.

 

Where to be on the ship can have an impact as CG said. But the common statement to to a low deck can be misleading, and I admit that CG just said a "lower deck." The way to visualize how a ship moves. For pitching (bow going up and down over the waves): imagine that there is a rod or an axle through the center of the ship (measuring from front to back) the the ship is rotating around the axle. The axle goes through the Center of Motion (more on that in a moment). For rolling (side-to-side), the axle should be imagined going through the ship in the center from bow to stern, again going through the Center of Motion. On something like a freighter that does not have a tremendous superstructure, that Center of Motion is down low -- likely lower than the main deck. However, on modern cruise ships with the mammoth superstructures sometimes ten decks high, the Center of Motion is usually somewhere above the main deck -- you only need to be a naval architect to figure out where it is. If you go lower than the Center of Motion, the motion you notice will in fact increase.

 

Ginger has been proven to work, it is not an untested home remedy. You can take pills, eat candied ginger, etc.

 

In addition to the various pills, there is always the scopolamine patch. This is pretty much the strongest medicine. It has some minor side effects such as a dry mouth, but it can (in a small number of cases) cause more serious issues such as hallucinations. For that reason, if you are considering it, get a prescription before you leave, and try it on dry land to see how you tolerate it.

 

As someone else has mentioned, and though it seems to be counter-intuitive, you should eat. Eat at normal mealtimes. Don't overeat, and don't eat a lot of greasy foods, but having food in your stomach helps.

 

All this being said, most people get over any sea sickness in a day or less, sometimes two days.

 

Thanks for your input! As I mentioned in my post, it's a compliation of what I've read here and other sources on & offline. I personally have never tried to change decks when I feel motion sickness. The only things that have proven to work for me is Bonine, the wrist bands, and getting fresh air but every person is different so I'm passing along info that I've gathered.

 

From a Los Angeles Times article: "Dr. John Bradberry, medical director for Carnival Cruise Lines, said passengers who are susceptible to seasickness should book a cabin in the middle of the ship, but on a lower deck, close to the waterline."

 

Also, a person may get over seasickness from the cruise ship in a few days but once they get on a ferry, where the motion direction and strength are different, they could get it again.

[bonnyweed]

The beauty of doing an Alaska cruise is that you are rarely very far from shore. It is not like being miles offshore as you may have seen in shows such as "Deadliest Catch." The other advice given here sounds good.

[Budget Queen]

The beauty of doing an Alaska cruise is that you are rarely very far from shore. It is not like being miles offshore as you may have seen in shows such as "Deadliest Catch." The other advice given here sounds good.

 

This is rarely true. Cruiseships no longer sail all coastal, like they did 10++ years ago. MANY times, part of the trip, they are in open ocean. Problem is, there is NO WAY to predict the route, there isn't just one, but many, the cpt and decide to take.

[jane02]

I have just booked our first Alaska cruise today that leaves June 29th 2011. I really suffer with motion sckness but have been lucky apart from our Vietnam cruise in 2008. I seriously thought I was going to die. I found the oral medication really messed with my state of mind. I was almost hallucinating at one stage! We cannot get the patches here in Australia but I managed to purchase some last year in Hong Kong. They are really the only thing that worked for me and I wish I had found them years ago. Unfortunately they only have e very sort shelf life otherwise I would by them by the case!

I hope for smooth sailing!;)

[MercedMike]

Hi All

I am planning a trip to Alaska on Sea Princess first week in June 2010. I have heard that Alaska is really bad for rough sea's. Can anybody advise .

I have cruised twice before without to much trouble - one evening in the carabian and that was it.

Has anybody used the patches that go behind the ear ?:)

 

Actually the Inside Passage of Alaska has a reputation for being some of the calmest seas. Alaska trips are usually considered to be pretty good places for those prone to motion sickness.

 

HOWEVER this is not a guarantee. Many times the ships break into open ocean, such as crossing the Gulf of Alaska or cruising down outside Vancouver Island. In eight cruises to Alaska we have run into rough water twice -- once pretty severe. So it CAN happen. But I would not say that "Alaska is really bad for rough seas."

 

My DW tried many things and the thing that works for her is the ReliefBand, an electronic version of the seabands. Each person needs to find the thing that works for them.