Sea sickness on alaskan cruise?

[worldtraveller99]

I intend to take Dramamine every day. I did this on a very small ship in the Galapagos and was one of only a few people in dinner the one night it was really rough. And I feel nauseous on a ferris wheel! So it does work.

[Melinda Brasher]

I've taken several Alaska cruises,  mostly in July and August.   Until this last cruise, I'd never had any problems with seasickness except for a few mild headaches (that's how my motion sickness manifests in cars, buses, etc).  I love it when it gets a little rocky:  the walking around like you're light, light, light then heavy, heavy, heavy.  I love swimming in the pool when it's sloshing around.  However,  this last August we had one night (between Hubbard Glacier and Sitka) that was really rocky.  There were winds over 60 kt and a "corkscrew" motion that was making people stumble, doors swing open, empty hangers knock against the inside of the closet door, waves crash past our fore porthole window, etc.   I did get moderately nauseated, and decided I'd better bunker down in bed--where it felt like I was flying, then weightless, then pressed hard into the mattress, then flying, over and over again until I finally fell asleep.

 

When the captain announced--the next afternoon--that we were going to have a second night of similar conditions, that's when everyone's stories came out:  lots of people experiencing seasickness for the fist time, people getting violently sick for the first time, CREW members accidentally overheard as they talked to each other about never having been that sick.  I questioned one of the cruise director's people about how often it got that bad, and after about 6 politician-style answers that said nothing, I finally asked, "On THIS ship, THIS summer, how many nights were this bad?"  She sighed.  "This was the worst." 

 

So...most cruises (especially inside passage ones) won't provide much--or any--trouble.  But there's always the chance.  And yes, it's more likely to happen somewhere like the Gulf of Alaska than on the Inside Passage  If you're sensitive, take medicine or other solutions.  Many lines will also give out tablets at the front desk, along with standard sea-sickness remedies like green apples and saltine crackers.   

Edited September 27, 2019 by Melinda Brasher
typo

[latebuyer]

I just got back from my alaskan cruise and it was quite rough leaving Ketchikan. It was a sunny day that day too. I was mad because it was gala night and i couldn't finish my yummy dinner. I had to go to my room. It was quite calm otherwise.

[NeedsVitaminSea]

We sailed on Ovation out of Seattle and had so much motion on our second evening (when we were out in the Pacific).  This was my 5th cruise but the first where I took Bonine and still felt queasy.  Once we got into the inside passage overnight the second night, the water was smooth as glass.

 

We didn't have as much movement on the return trip so it really does depend on ocean conditions/weather.