Avoiding Sea Sickness

[ElvisC]

What do you belive works best for avoiding sea sickness? Side effects?

[Bunkie103]

Sorry I gotta say it....stay off a ship! Okay, now I feel better. Seriously, we had minimal motion until our last day and then we hit the remnants of a Tropical Depression. Didn't have to take anything, but we DID eat and kept busy. Lots of fresh air works for me too. I try to order some pretzels from Room Service to munch on because that seems to help me. I'm sure you will be fine. I always travel with Bonine and Sea Bands just in case. :rolleyes:

[poolgal]

There are certainly lots of options but I honestly believe keep something in your stomach works best. Even if your not hungry a few bits of a cracker or apple every hour or so can work wonders. Its an old Seamans trick and it works. And by the way: Soup doesn't! Its got to be solid.

[hilltopfamily]

I take it every night of the cruise and even start taking it the day we begin our drive to the port and keep taking it all they way back home to Nebraska (tend to get car sick). Nothing's gonna ruin my vacation if I can help it! :D

[Ceramicpro]

I start taking Bonine 24 hours before leaving for my cruise and take it once a day at bedtime. I also wear sea bands at the same time. To some people this might be a little excessive, but if you have equilibrium problems or you're on certain medications that can cause dizziness, it seems to work well. Haven't been seasick or airsick yet!

[dan40]

Keep cruising till you develop sea legs. Thats what my wife did and now she's a regular sailor. You should hear her swear!:eek: :D

 

 

Dan

[Stircrzy]

The only time that I have felt the least bit queasy was my first sailing on the Royal Princess in 1985... the first time I took a bath in the tub (as opposed to a shower).

 

Other than that one time, I've sailed many times without any problems and have never used any medications or remedy.

[mike508]

The most important thing to remember is to start taking it before you actually feel the effects from seasickness. It is alot harder to control once that happens. If you have experienced it before and think you will again. Start taking something at least 24 hrs before sailing.

 

Sea you on the high seas.

[hilltopfamily]

Mike: I think you hit the proverbial nail on the head. You need to take the med before you experience the symptoms. For a 1st time cruiser, it's hard to know if you're going to need it until you're on board. But in my case, I know I get motion sick in cars if having to look at kids in the back seat, when on airplanes, and especially on "thrill" rides that go around or sideways (I do fine with roller coasters, going forwards/back is not a problem for me). So I decided not to take a chance, and took the bonine for the duration of the cruises. It's very cheap, has little side effects (in fact I expereinced none) and I just didn't want to "chance it".

 

BTW: 18 year old guy at our dinner table on our 2nd cruise was seasick at dinner on formal night! As soon as they served the lobster he lost it all over his plate right there at the table. Yuck!!! Felt so sorry for the poor guy. :( He ended up getting bonine, I believe from the medical officer/staff, as well as apples from our server team, and was fine the rest of the cruise. I'm sure he wished he had taken some preventative bonine, or at least started just as soon as he began to "feel it". :o

[ditzymm]

I am one of those who get seasick just watching a boat dock - yech! ... when we traveled on the Glory, I had fears of being flown home so we purchased the insurance - thank goodness! we didn't need it ... I had the patch (yeppers! you have to put it on the day before boarding - and replace every 3 days) ... for the patch change since it too isn't effective immediately, I took Zofran which needs a Rx as well - it is an anti-nausea med given to cancer patients - works great!! ... this is the first time in my life I was on a boat, looking over the rail at the water - yes! looking at the water and not doing my usual puking ... TYG ... this worked wonders for me ... good luck to you!

[Cotton]

I've posted this before. If you DO start feeling queasy:

Don't go to your cabin to lie down. (Worst thing you can do!)

Go to an outside deck as close to the bow as you can.

Look straight ahead - never down at the water.

Try to focus on something on the horizon, or just look slightly up and ahead.

The more fresh breeze on your face, the better!

[noahsark99]

I have never tried Bonine...only Dramamine which puts me to sleep so I don't like it... Can you take Bonine and drink those wonderful frozen fruity beverages or should you steer clear of alcohol when taking it??

Thanks!

[oldvato]

My first time out at sea on the Destroyer USS Strong, I got sicker then a dog. I was down below in closed quarters when I started feeling the ship's motion.

 

What I recommend for anyone going out to sea is to be topside in the fresh air when the ship gets underway. Best thing to do is go the the lido deck for the sail away party. Stay up there in the fresh air. See and feel the ship's motion. If you don't feel sick after you have been up there a while, you should be alright for the rest of the cruise.

 

It works for me and my wife.

[cruznlobo]

Never needed anything. Kind of like the motion. The more the better.

As long as my beer can doesn't fall over I'm OK with any type of motion.

[hstrybuf]

Knock on wood, I've never been seasick even in 12 foot seas. I take the Bonine along just in case though. ;)

[Bunkie103]

Thanks to the OP for starting this. My DS is cruising the first time in November and has had Motion Sickness issues in the past. There are some great suggestions here. I do remember the Room Service person suggesting an apple when my DD felt queazy. :D

[miclane001]

My 12-year-old and I have always used Bonine with no noticeable side effects.

[DreadPirateRobert]

Popcorn and Strawberry milkshakes!

[cew1]

The Patch..I put one on when I pull into port, Change it every 3 Days. No problems....Cliff

[dromMOM]

 

There are two symptoms of seasickness, dizziness and nausea. Since a number of factors contribute to sea sickness and can trigger either or both parts, it makes sense to adhere to the following guidelines to reduce the chances of succumbing to it.

 

1. Get plenty of rest before you go out on the water. Weariness and exhaustion can make you more susceptible to other things that can bring on motion sickness.

 

2. Do not eat greasy or acidic foods for several hours before your sailing adventure. This includes having coffee also. You don't want to have a lot of acid or heavy, slow to digest foods rolling around in your stomach while you are rolling around on the sea. Heavy, greasy foods like bacon and eggs, sausage, waffles or pancakes with syrup, alone or combined with acidic juices like orange juice, can wreak havoc on your system and end up recycled as lunch for fishes. Consider less acidic fruits (apples, bananas, pears, grapes, melons, etc.), breads (muffins, croissants, rolls), cereals and grains as alternatives. Milk, water, apple juice, cranberry juice and other low acid beverages are gentler alternatives to orange juice or grapefruit juice.Caffeinated beverages (including soft drinks) should be avoided as they are diuretics (make you urinate) which accelerates dehydration. The gas in carbonated beverages has negative responses in some, avoid them also.

 

3. Do not skip eating before sailing. An empty stomach can be almost as bad as one with the wrong types of food in it. Give your stomach acids something to work on other than your well-being. Give your stomach time to begin digesting you meal. Get up a little earlier if you must to eat relax and an hour or more before going out on the water. Don't overeat and get bloated either. Easy does it.

 

4. Drink plenty of water. Even partial dehydration lowers your body's resistance to the stressful factors caused by the boat ride. Take lots of water with you and drink often.

5. Do not drink alcoholic beverages for several hours. Alcohol tends to dehydrate the body. Its other symptoms are not desirable either. Alcohol can prevent the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of sleep, the one in which you dream and your brain rests. You may feel tired and not alert from just a few drinks, two qualities not conducive to safe boating. If you do plan on drinking, make every third drink a glass of water. It will reduce dehydration and your chances for a hangover.

 

7. Again, if possible, avoid the cabin and other enclosed spaces. Sometimes, a breezy spot in the sun may be preferable to a shady spot in a stuffy cabin. The open air and ability to look out over the horizon are often more important than being in a shady spot, which can be stuffy and enclosed, limiting your view of the horizon and perhaps making you more prone to motion sickness.

 

1. Don't drink liquor excessively the night before departing. The slight morning after feeling can be many times compounded on a boat.

2. Be careful to avoid greasy foods. The first sign of seasickness is indigestion and it often never gets past that point.

3. Drink Coke or Pepsi. These two drinks help reduce the chances of getting sick because they contain phosphoric acid, which is an ingredient in Emetrol, a drug to control vomiting. That's the medical explanation I received from a doctor when I asked why a Coke seems to settle the stomach. Eat Saltine crackers. They absorb the excess acidity very well. If the indigestion is really bad, take an antacid.

 

6. Sleep on your back. This seems to support the stomach better from bouncing around, though, not being a doctor, I couldn't tell you why.

[GoinCruisin]

I take ginger all of the time... keep stock in the fridge and have it in caplet form. My doc recommended this to me because I have experienced mild sea-sickness deep sea fishing and other ocean excursions... I have always been told to drink ginger ale when nauseated, so I tried it and did not feel a thing... I took along a bottle of Emetrol and Phenergan, just in case but didn't need it... thank goodness!

[cjar855]

:) I agree totally with

hilltopfamily

Cool Cruiser

. I take Meclizine(antivert) starting 2 days before,then every day.I once spent 5 hours in the emergency room after a flight to Las Vegas and experienced severe Vertigo. Since then I never fly or sail without my meclizine.:)

[Saymyname]

Although, I don't know if I get seasick, I really don't want to know!:D

I cut the patch in half and wear it behind my ear for 3 days. So far, no sea sickness.

[derf5585]

If one is seasick that can mean only one thing; You are at sea on a cruise.

 

Can one be seasick on land WELL

 

Mal de Debarquement (MDD) is a type of vertigo and imbalance that occurs after an individual gets off of a boat.

from

http://www.earaces.com/maldedebarquement.htm

 

Symptoms better while moving, worse when still

from

http://www.icsmedical2.com/DiagnosticGuide/031.asp

[IKE]

I have been cruising since 1991 and 42 cruises later have never gotten sea sick. I took My Doctors advice years ago to take (1) Dramamine before setting foot on the ship. We have never missed a meal and have experieinced some very rough and stormy sailings. After the initial dose, We take as needed. Also drink lots of water and don't eat greasy and fatty foods. Use common sense.