Sea-bands

[matherwood]

Just a note of warning...on a very rough week-long European cruise, following Storm Dennis across the North Sea, we needed extra Sea-Bands. I found some in the Oceana onboard shop, and had to pay £28 plus for 2 pairs.....a total rip-off in my opinion. Memo to self and others...don't forget to bring them with you/purchase them before you leave!!!

Other tips for coping with the rough sea-conditions would be welcome! At the moment, we are not considering another ocean cruise in the near future!

[eddie11]

Oh, shame

 

In extreme storm conditions I think I would just make my way to the medical centre for a jab.  Shame to have your holiday ruined when a little ***** can save it 🙄

Others say acupuncture from the onboard practitioner will do the trick.

Stugeron works for me, though, fortunately I rarely have to resort to medication

All ginger products help mild seasickness - biscuits, toffees, pop, crystallised pieces

[matherwood]

Thank you, Eddie! I'll be more prepared next time.

[Adawn47]

Since P&O have changed  suppliers of their onboard shops the prices are now eye-watering. If we need to purchase something I might have forgotten to pack. I wait until the first port. 

[jeanlyon]

If any of you watched the Twinstitute on TV, they did a test between sea bands and taking ginger.  The ginger won hands down.  That's what we take.  Crystalised ginger.  Start eating little bits on the way to the ship.

[Adawn47]

52 minutes ago, matherwood said:

Just a note of warning...on a very rough week-long European cruise, following Storm Dennis across the North Sea, we needed extra Sea-Bands. I found some in the Oceana onboard shop, and had to pay £28 plus for 2 pairs.....a total rip-off in my opinion. Memo to self and others...don't forget to bring them with you/purchase them before you leave!!!

Other tips for coping with the rough sea-conditions would be welcome! At the moment, we are not considering another ocean cruise in the near future!

Please don't let this one bad experience put you off. You got caught at a bad time with the storms. They're not all like that. We've had some smooth crossings on the Bay of Biscay which is supposed to pretty rocky.

[jeanlyon]

Strangely, I have never had really bad weather in the Bay, the worst weather we ever encountered, was once Force 11 in the Med, just north of Majorca and the other time was leaving Southampton in a Force 12 on Balmoral.

[majortom10]

We did a Cunard cruise some time ago and I will always remember what the ship's Doctor said about wrist bands at a Q&A. He said they will let everyone at home know that you have been on holidays because you will have a pale ring around your wrist where the sea band has been other than that there is no medical evidence that they work only that you might convince yourself that you will be OK because you are wearing the bands.

[jeanlyon]

Yes I agree with that.  Ginger on the other hand works for all kinds of sickness, including morning sickness!

[Adawn47]

So do I. I've always thought it was a placebo effect as well. Your mind is powerful force.

[Adawn47]

4 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

Strangely, I have never had really bad weather in the Bay, the worst weather we ever encountered, was once Force 11 in the Med, just north of Majorca and the other time was leaving Southampton in a Force 12 on Balmoral.

Strangely enough the worst weather we encountered was in the med too, and the Bay of Biscay that time  was like a millpond . We were south of Majorca on our way to Italy  and on Adonia too. A pretty interesting cruise that was. 

[DamianG]

Prescription tablets are the only thing that work for me, only take them when I need them (i.e. when I'm not feeling well rather than as a matter of course) and not been sea sick since 2011 (touch wood!). That was a particularly rough passage home, massive swells, so bad that I had to bail out of the Caribbean Tier lunch and go for a lie down!

[kruzseeka]

That sounds much like profiteering from a captive audience.  What a rip off and taking advantage of people's misfortune.  

[Selbourne]

9 hours ago, matherwood said:

Just a note of warning...on a very rough week-long European cruise, following Storm Dennis across the North Sea, we needed extra Sea-Bands. I found some in the Oceana onboard shop, and had to pay £28 plus for 2 pairs.....a total rip-off in my opinion. Memo to self and others...don't forget to bring them with you/purchase them before you leave!!!

Other tips for coping with the rough sea-conditions would be welcome! At the moment, we are not considering another ocean cruise in the near future!

Sea Bands = Placebo effect

 

Stugeron Tablets = No sea sickness. Available from all chemists and cheap. Take one at night and one in the morning if rough seas are predicted. We have been in numerous heavy seas (inc force 12) and Stugeron has saved us every time. Prior to discovering them (thanks to this forum) I was unwell in rough seas. Now I quite enjoy them. 

[showingdiva]

Another vote for Sturgeron.   Rarely need them, but wouldn't leave without them.

[KnowTheScore]

11 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Sea Bands = Placebo effect

 

Stugeron Tablets = No sea sickness. Available from all chemists and cheap. Take one at night and one in the morning if rough seas are predicted. We have been in numerous heavy seas (inc force 12) and Stugeron has saved us every time. Prior to discovering them (thanks to this forum) I was unwell in rough seas. Now I quite enjoy them. 

 

Another +1 from me

 

The wrist bands are total kidology and may help you convince yourself that you are ok in a light swell but once you hit real swells of many meters and storm force 8-12 winds then you'll really suffer.

 

I've used Stugerons for many years and they simply make everything very bearable.  It's just not worth suffering and ruining your holiday.   It's vital however that you take sea-sick meds correctly, which is generally taking the first tablets BEFORE you sail and then at regular intervals from then on.   If you wait until you are feeling sick and then try to take them you will find they don't work.

 

Always check the Metoffice shipping forecast before you sail to see if the sea is going to be light, moderate, rough or very rough and take Stugerons accordingly.   Do the same at ports you visit.

 

The only down side is that Stugerons make you sleepy but it's manageable.

 

 

 

[Harry Peterson]

Stugeron works.  Most other remedies rely on the placebo effect - if that works for you, fine.  Placebos don't tend to work for me.

 

Or, cheaper still (and Stugeron's pretty cheap) buy a generic version - Cinnarizine is the active ingredient, and you'll find it in various own-label products.  Just as good - exactly the same, of course - but cheaper.

 

What you're looking for is this (as on the Stugeron pack):  Active Ingredient: Cinnarizine 15mg.

[matherwood]

Thank you all so much for all your kind advice.

Unfortunately on this occasion of those who needed helping in the rough seas one was a 6 year old and another is on other meds...so the meds option was not possible. However ginger sounds a good remedy which I will remember for the future.

[showingdiva]

1 hour ago, matherwood said:

Thank you all so much for all your kind advice.

Unfortunately on this occasion of those who needed helping in the rough seas one was a 6 year old and another is on other meds...so the meds option was not possible. However ginger sounds a good remedy which I will remember for the future.

 

You can give children over 5 half a tablet of Sturgeron.   As for the other person on medication, a GP or pharmacist would confirm if they were being prescribed anything that would interact with the active ingredient in it.   

Edited March 4, 2020 by showingdiva

[davemorton]

I heard green apples were meant to be good as well as ginger. 

[jeanlyon]

Ginger is not a placebo.  It has an effect on the stomach.  I find Stugeron makes me feel so drowsy, it's not worth being on.  I used to get seasick in the Channel on our boat, but never fel t ill on a ship with ginger.

[SausPud]

Being an ex-sailor for the Royal Navy and have sailed very rough seas, the best ways to control sea sickness is to not concentrate on it.

Take your mind of the ocean. Go do a puzzle, play a game. Something that requires thinking.

Also sleep, most drugs just make you sleepy, so go to sleep. Lay the right way on the bed, so the rocking motion sways you from left to right and not head to toe. You will wake up fine and only takes around 2 hours sleepfor the body to correct the motion and not make you sick.

Ginger might not work for most, suck on a mint also helps.

 

I enjoy the rough seas and motion, it makes me hungry but I'm strange like that.

[2BACRUISER]

Another vote for Sturgeron, I take 2 A couple hours before first sailaway and then 1 every 24hrs at the same time approx 4pm as I can get sick on a boating lake or as I did in Florida on a simulator at Sea World 🤢🤮

[Adawn47]

Strangely enough when the sea is very rough if I were to do a puzzle as SausPud suggested it would cause me a problem. I never suffer from regular seasickness only a weird lightheaded woozy feeling if I try to read when the seas's rough. We're a strange lot us humans! 😆

[KittySunshine]

I appreciate all the comments! Thanks and happy cruising to all of you!!