Tips for overcoming the vomit comet

[vivianmarie244]

I've read so many nightmares about this that I'm getting really nervous about going but I really want to do Rio Secreto.  So any tips you have to get through the ride without losing my breakfast would be greatly appreciated!

[ABQrobin]

Most people do not get sick.  I have ridden it a dozen times and only twice were the seas rough, and only on one of those trips did I see someone seasick.  Wind will make the seas rough... so if its choppy the boat will rock.

 

The only way to counteract this is to sit in the middle of the boat, and to be careful what you eat prior.  Don't eat greasy foods, lots of coffee or acidic foods, OJ, etc.  Don't stare out the window, try to keep your head level and relax, talk to your friends, distraction is the best remedy.  Ginger ale is the best drink, and yes they serve beverages on the ferries.  Prices are reasonable.  

 

have fun...  it is worth the trip.

[vivianmarie244]

1 hour ago, ABQrobin said:

Most people do not get sick.  I have ridden it a dozen times and only twice were the seas rough, and only on one of those trips did I see someone seasick.  Wind will make the seas rough... so if its choppy the boat will rock.

 

The only way to counteract this is to sit in the middle of the boat, and to be careful what you eat prior.  Don't eat greasy foods, lots of coffee or acidic foods, OJ, etc.  Don't stare out the window, try to keep your head level and relax, talk to your friends, distraction is the best remedy.  Ginger ale is the best drink, and yes they serve beverages on the ferries.  Prices are reasonable.  

 

have fun...  it is worth the trip.

Thanks for the info!  It's good to hear someone actually had a good experience.  I've been going back and forth on whether to cancel our excursion but there's really nothing else that we want to do that we haven't already done.  And Rio Secreto sounds like it would be fun and different.

[elbodans]

I'm assuming you are referring to the ferry from Cozumel to Playa? If so: first, know that I thought it was fun. Like really, really fun. Heck, I'd take the ferry to Playa and back just for the fun of it. So clearly I have issues. 

But for those of us who do NOT have issues--the key to not getting sick is letting your brain know what is happening to your body. That's the main cause of seasickness or motion sickness--think about how much worse motion sickness is when you are, say, reading while in a moving vehicle. So during the trip to Playa, be sure to look outside and see the horizon. There are outside/upstairs seating areas on some of them, but the one I was on those areas were closed off for some reason, so I sat inside near a window. 

I promise this will help. Here's a story to ease your mind: 

When I was 10 years old, my parents took me on a Disney Cruise. This was in the 90s, so the Disney cruise line was the old "big red boat" which was really a REALLY SMALL red boat. 

We sailed through a tropical storm in the really small boat. 

I am not making this up; this is not a traumatic 10-year-old's memory; both of my parents recall the horror of that experience at every family gathering. And that was 20 years ago. Edited to add: nope! That was 30 years ago! Gods I'm old! 

My dad carried my mom in his arms to the infirmary; I stood beside them waiting for a seasickness shot. We were in line behind women wearing feathers and sequins; even the entertainment was sick. 

We took my grandparents on that cruise. During the storm, my dad could not find them anywhere. He eventually located them--still dressed for dinner and sitting calmly under an overhang on a bench on the open deck, watching the sea heave. They were fine. My grandfather was like: never go below deck in a storm. That's what makes you sick. 

My grandfather was right. And we were SICK. 

 

I was never seasick again. Now--I've been rum sick on a cruise. But that's another thing entirely. 😉 

Have fun at rio secreto. The idea of that? Now that terrifies me! 

Edited January 19, 2020 by elbodans
I did math wrong

[laurie10]

We did take the ferry for the trip to the secret river I would say 80 percent of the ferry was sick they did not start passing out barf bags until it was way to late the smell was something else I do get seasick but had on the patch my husband who does not get sea sick said you could never pay him enough to take that ferry ride again. It has that name for a reason. 

[vivianmarie244]

1 hour ago, laurie10 said:

We did take the ferry for the trip to the secret river I would say 80 percent of the ferry was sick they did not start passing out barf bags until it was way to late the smell was something else I do get seasick but had on the patch my husband who does not get sea sick said you could never pay him enough to take that ferry ride again. It has that name for a reason. 

 

Where were you sitting on the ferry?  I wonder if that had anything with it.  I definitely plan on taking some Dramamine that day.

[laurie10]

Inside and it was air conditioned 

[Ellusionz]

Bonine! Take 2, don't chew them tho they taste nasty. Atleast 30min prior to ride. Works great! And non of that drosiness like Dramamine.

[nascarcruiser]

Sit outside on the upper deck.  We are fine when we do this.  If we sit inside I get queasy every time 

[bahacca]

Bonine here too