Sea sickness tips?

[emmac25]

I suffer terribly from sea sickness, and am first time cruiser. No idea how I am going to react on the ship as never been on one this size before. I don't want to have to rely on dramamine or the patches behind my ear (had reaction to that last time so it kind of put me off).

 

Are there any others who suffer from sea sickness and have advice or tips, all-natural remedies etc. Also any advice on the sea bands (?) I think that's what they are called.

[Clarea]

A few ginger snap cookies can be very helpful for easing the queasy symptoms.

[dixieva]

I too used to get very seasick until I tried Bonine. Meclizine is the generic name. I get the chewable ones. You can buy them at walmart but you have to ask for them at the pharmacy. I start taking them the morning that I will be boarding the ship and chew one twice a day-one morning and one at night. They don't make me sleepy and I can have a drink if I want. They always work for me.

 

I think the trick is to get it into your system and keep taking it. Once you get sick it's too late. I take them every day that we are at sea. If we have several port days in a row I don't need them but I start back the morning of the day that we will be at sea.

[BillOh]

A few ginger snap cookies can be very helpful for easing the queasy symptoms.

 

The ships with the new Freestyle machines do offer a ginger ale. Ginger tablets work great for us, we start taking the day before.

[sullyair]

I'm I pilot and fly my family. My wife has suffered for years from motion sickness. About a decade ago, in a pilot supply catalog, I saw an advertisement for a "Relief Band". Pilots can't medicate but can suffer from motion sickness just like anyone else. Pilots started using these bands that were previously used for nausea relief for chemo patients.

 

We tried it flying and it worked so good we decided to try a cruise. We've been cruising ever since.

 

It runs on batteries. She wears it like a watch upside down with conductive gel. It puts an electric pulse on some nerve that makes the nausea go away. It has varying levels. If she puts it on the wrong nerve, her whole arm goes numb.

 

 

I know it sounds like voodoo or total BS; however, she swears by it. They are commonly available now in many Pharmacies or at Amazon.

[Tim,n,Sue]

I get seasick extremely easily and I find that a green apple works wonders. It has something to do with the pectin but within 20 minutes I was up and about. I get them from the Windjammer and I keep a few in my cabin, just in case.

 

Read this years ago about seasickness and I find it so true.

 

As first you worry that you are going to die, then you worry you are not going to die.

[brillohead]

Talk to your doctor about letting you try some other antiemetic medications at home before you leave, so you can see which ones don't cause drowsiness or other reactions.

 

Meclizine (Antivert) is a less-drowsy version of dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) and is available over the counter. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) can also work for motion sickness and is available OTC.

 

Ondansetron (Zofran), promethazine (Phenergan), and dolasetron (Anzemet) are other drugs you could discuss with your doctor.

[Pomperaugrr]

I use Less-Drowsey Dramamine. It does not tire me out and our pediatrician even recommended it for our daughters. We never have a problem when we take this. We start the morning of the cruise and by sail away, we are good to go.

 

Eric

[amrosk]

I too get very easily motion sick, but am typically ok on the ship (I pack some meclazine and ginger tablets to be safe) BUT where I have the most trouble is on the tenders and on the buses for excursions. You may want to consider that when planning your day. I personally find the ear patches to work well (though they increase my eye sensitivity to light) so I plan to use one for the three day period where we have excursions and tendering. We also choose cabins relatively deep in the ship and not right at the front. Good luck!

[emmac25]

Thank you everyone, great advice that I will be following up on!

[Loki'smom]

I read somewhere on these boards about ginger gum for motion sickness/nausea. Recommended it to a friend who is pregnant and having bouts of morning sickness. She went out and bought some and said it worked.

[srvdmy4usn]

They may not be the most scientific research group on the planet, but they sure are entertaining! Check out Mythbusters tests on seasickness http://mythbustersresults.com/episode43

 

My personal opinion, I have spent years on a ship while in the Navy. I have seen all types of newbies come on board and look a little green. In the end, everyone gets used to it. I really think the biggest advantage you can have going into it is mental. If you go into it expecting some motion but having a good mental attitude that it will not ruin your vacation, you will do just fine!

 

If you do experience some symptoms creeping up try a few things and see what works for you:

 

Find a place where you can fix your eyes on the horizon

 

Find a place with no windows where you can eliminate the horizon

 

Eat! You will see a lot of opinions about apples, ginnger, crackers, etc. I would say eat 50 ice cream cones if that is what it takes to make you feel better!

 

If all else fails.... a few beers never hurts!

[bluegirlum]

Have to agree with the bonine and sea bands. I tried to go without the sea bands on Liberty a few weeks ago, and I definitely felt a big sea sick. Even though they are funny looking, I won't go without them again.

[crafty sue]

Hi I worked for quite a few years on a North Sea Ferries, and boy when we got force 10 we got Force 10 ! - best thing we found was either the Ginger suggestions, or flat cola - let the coke go flat, and sip it - don't know how it works but it does. And Just don't think about it - the more you think about being sick, you will feel sick. Just go and enjoy your cruise you deserve it !

[katerkat]

My son gets motion sickness - we don't know (yet) if he will get seasick. So I'm packing a pharmacy's worth of remedies! Meclizine, SeaBands (helps him in the car), ginger gum and ginger snap cookies. I'm also bringing his travel puke kit - a bucket, Ziploc bags to line it, puppy pee pads for splatters, wipes, and gum to get the taste out of his mouth. He's super fun to travel with. :rolleyes:

[Sequim88]

This is why our first cruise was Alaska Inside Passage. Not big enough water (except for crossig Gulf of Alaska) to be rocky but a good testing ground. We determined we are not prone to Mal de Mare so next cruise was transatlantic in Spring across north Atlantic. :eek: Took Crystalized Ginger along but brought home unopened box. We were high up and very far forward and had a lot of motion although seas were not that high ever (15'-20' max just one day). Bucket List cruise - round the tip of South America with side trip across Southern Ocean to Antacrtica (islands). Heard the water there is never calm.

 

Next cruise after TA was So. Caribbean (pretty calm) and we had lower mid-ship location and felt no motion at all. Lowest deck, mid-ship inside cabin has least motion but lowest balcony almost same and gives horizon to concentrate on.

 

A former co-worker took a cruise in the 1960's around Hawaii and got so sick for a week she forever swore off cruising. She still does not believe my claims that the ships now are so large compared what she sailed on that with size and stabilizers they have very little motion like on the old smaller ships.

[ripjerry95]

Bonine is great and you feel a lot less drowsy. Also the sea bands are great. I use them. You can buy them in any drug store. You wear them on wrists and they apply pressure that sends a message to your brain to help with balance. Put them on right before you get on the ship. Also, booking a cabin on lower decks in the middle of the ship. Less motion!

[H8mundays]

I get extremely sea sick. What works best for me is the bonine as suggest however I need to start taking it 1 every morning and 1 every eve for a week BEFORE the cruise. Then I continue it throughout the whole cruise. Since I started doing this I have no problem with motion sickness and can even read during the car ride down which I would never have been able to do before.

[GraphicsChyk]

My last cruise had a couple of really rough days and I wore my sea bands and took Bonine. I also visited the sushi bar (was on Carnival) on the days they offered it and ate lots of the pickled ginger to help.

[ccryder]

I take a bonine and a ginger pill every morning and never have a problem.

[Beeeeeford]

Another vote for Bonine. My daughter gets seasick and this works every time for her. We get it at Walmart as well, but don't have to ask the pharmacist for it. You will find it near the Motril and Tylenol. They usually hide it on the bottom shelf.

[Katana_Geldar]

Cabins that are midships tend to have less movement than those at either end. I've found the best thing is to lie flat if I start to feel movement.

 

I spent quite a bit of time lying in the cabin watching telly on my first cruise.

[dixieva]

Another vote for Bonine. My daughter gets seasick and this works every time for her. We get it at Walmart as well, but don't have to ask the pharmacist for it. You will find it near the Motril and Tylenol. They usually hide it on the bottom shelf.

 

 

Walmart carries a generic chewable Meclizine (same thing as Bonine) and is in a bottle of 100 tablets and is kept behind the counter in the pharmacy. It's $5 at my Walmart-a whole heck of a lot cheaper than the brand name Bonine.

 

I should have explained it a little better.

[elsie3939]

William Sonoma carries delicious candied ginger... Might help and so tasty, too.

[Ocean Spirit]

My mother in law became sea sick on her 3rd cruise. We tried most everything, the band, pills etc. Finally I asked the waiter to bring us some freshly sliced ginger from the kitchen.

We took it to the room, and called room service and brewed our our tea.

That did it and she was then much better for the rest of the trip.