Motion Sickness on Hawaiian Circle?

[ladylawyer]

Hello! I have a very good friend who just booked the Pride of Aloha for November. She has an inner ear condition (Meniere's Disease) which causes her to have a problem with motion. She went with me on a short cruise from LA to Ensenada and was fine, until the last night (the northbound cruise from Ensenada, back to LA). She ended up being so sick that she skipped dinner and became well-acquainted with the bathroom in our cabin.:eek:

 

She asked me to ask if anyone has sailed the Hawaiian Islands in the Fall, who has a motion sickness problem. If so, did you find that this cruise was easier, because you are not going very far and are not really in the open ocean? Was there anything you did to make your symptoms better, if you did feel the motion? Any thoughts or recommendations would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance! ~ LL

[CruisinMK]

You're far more likely to get really rough days on the open ocean than between the Hawaiian islands. Occasionally cruises within Hawaii get it too, though. The bit between Kauai and Oahu on the last night is unprotected, often rough, so prepare a little more for that night.

[beachchick]

Neither my DH nor I have serious problems with motion sickness, but there have been times when we've felt a bit queasy and not so hot. In order to not even get to that level, we do two things. One is to take ginger capsules twice a day during a cruise. (I understand that ginger candy or lozenges work very well too.) We can't always find those, so I keep generic meclazine handy. It's the generic of Bonine and Less Drowsy Dramamine. We take 1/2 of one each night at bedtime. We really do not need the full dose. Any bit of drowsiness it might cause is mitigated by the fact that we're going to sleep anyway. It works like a charm for us. Also, contrary to the myth, meclazine or dramamine can be taken after you start feeling queasy. It will simply take longer for the symptoms to subside than if you take it as a preventive measure. I don't know where the rumor got started that you have to take it before you experience any symptoms in order for it to work. That's kind of like saying you need to take aspirin before you get a headache. (For those who need to know, you can drink alcohol while taking it.)

 

beachchick

[LynnH]

I am prone to motion sickness and this cruise was fine for me (however, the sportsfishing excursion was a nightmare, lol). Sounds weird, but I only feel queasy if I am sitting backwards in the direction the ship is going.

[TahitiChris]

If you suffer from motion sickness, the best thing you can do is determine what works, individually, to prevent feeling sick. Beachchick said that meclazine or dramamine can be taken after you start feeling queasy. Again, it seems to be an individual thing, because I have to take it before I feel the symptoms, otherwise it doesn't help. Once I get queasy, it's too late.

 

For me, a full dose of meclazine is too much. I take 1/2 every 12 hours. No drowsiness, no side-effects and no queasiness.:D

 

Chris

[spleen93]

If it's bad enough, have her ask her physician for a prescription for scopolamine patches. Has a lot of side effects (dry mouth, constipation, drowsiness, etc. etc.) but works really well for most people in terms of preventing motion sickness/vertigo/dizziness.

 

Spleen

[Ocean Spirit]

We sailed the POA in January. The boat was rolling the day we went by the Napi coast.... my friend who is prone to motion sickness did fine...

Both of us got ill the last night heading back to Honolulu.

 

We are going on the wind in January and of course we are a bit worried about the long trip to fanning island. Can't change nature so we will just wait and see.

 

Our trip on the pride was one of the best trips we have every taken....

I don't remember much about the ship it's self.... We were on land all day long, came back to the cabin, went to dinner, the show and then to bed!

I'd do it again in a heart beat. Have a wonderful time