seasickness

[ilmsg]

This will be my first cruise (9/15, 4 day to Bahamas on the Sky) and I am very prone to sea-sickness. I know the boats are large but do you recommend taking something before hand? Do you usually feel queasy at all?

[scrinchy]

I always use the scopolamine patch but you need a prescription for them. I have also used Sea Bands which you wear on your wrists, you can get them at most pharmacies. Bonine, which is meclazine (sp) seems to work for many people, and taking ginger tablets sometimes helps. Check with your doctor, maybe he can recommend something. Have a great time on your first cruise, but don't be surprised if you become hooked:).

[bakerintn]

If you know that you are prone to seasickness, I would recommend "the patch", although it requires a prescription and is not the cheapest way to go. Lots of people report that the non-drowy Dramamine (or Bonine, which is the same chemical) works well and does not have too many side effects. However, that does not work so well if you wait until you are quesy. Take Bonine in advance (the day before boarding and each morning to start your day).

 

I am not prone to seasickness on either small boats or ships, but I do know how miserable it can make you feel and is well worth a few bucks to avoid. I have always liked to have a box of ginger snap cookies around -- I like them, and they do help with mild cases and are nice to offer those around you who may be starting to feel quesy. Others suggest ground ginger capsules found in health food stores -- I just like the cookies better.

 

Some people may recommend an ocean view cabin --- I don't. If you get queasy, being able to see the horizon is good relief, but you should get up and outside in the fresh air to do that rathen than hide in your cabin, in my opinion.

[Dellarose]

I am prone to motion sickness, also. The patch works well. If it gets rough, I still feel a little queasy but that's as bad as it gets. You have to put the patch on a few hours before you get on the boat. I've been told if you wait, it won't work.

[discjoker]

YES! Take something. I am prone to motion sickness and I remember the first full day on my first cruise I was in bed "sick"....swearing to myself that I would never cruise again. I took something and I was fine...but I sure wish I would have taken something before hand so I wouldn't get to that point.

 

I have learned since then. Meclizine is my drug of choice. I take one during breakfast the day of boarding...take another at dinner. I repeat this daily while on the cruise (one at breakfast, one at dinner). Seems to work for me.

[ilmsg]

YES! Take something. I am prone to motion sickness and I remember the first full day on my first cruise I was in bed "sick"....swearing to myself that I would never cruise again. I took something and I was fine...but I sure wish I would have taken something before hand so I wouldn't get to that point.

 

I have learned since then. Meclizine is my drug of choice. I take one during breakfast the day of boarding...take another at dinner. I repeat this daily while on the cruise (one at breakfast, one at dinner). Seems to work for me.

 

Can you get this OTC?

[dontstayathome]

We sailed through Hurricane Bertha 3 weeks ago and the seas were rough. I took ginger tablets (started taking them the day before we left) and my husband took Bonine and neither of us ever were seasick but we saw and heard of ALOT of people who were. Would we have been sick if we had not taken the meds??? Who knows - but I didn't want to find out! Good luck!

[watchdiva]

I'd recommend TripTone which was recommended to us by my DH's dive shop. We've been taking that exclusively for the past 5 years and have never had a problem with either feeling queasy, tired, etc. Absolutely no side-effects.

 

It's available on the internet and also from any scuba dive shop (if you're near one!). Don't worry though - these are some BIG ships and the seas to the Bahamas should be pretty calm......

 

Have a great cruise:) .

[JCJR]

The receptions desk has seasickness pills available at no charge. Take them a couple of hours before sailing. The good news is that the Bahamas are right there most of the passengers had no waves. Also the ship goes real slow so it does not feel like you are moving at all.

[discjoker]

Can you get this OTC?

 

Yes. The brand name is called Bonine or Dramamine Less Drowsy. You can also get it in larger quantities for much cheaper as a generic (Meclizine HCL). They may have it behind the counter (but available without a prescription) in generic form. I believe that is also what they have on the ship available at no charge from reception (we buy it so we always have it on hand and don't need to deal with lines at reception).

[storm15]

Calling tomorrow to get hubby the patch and I bought some Bonine for son and my self. :) How does the patch work if you swim???

[zubee23]

Patch stays on just fine while swimming. You need to change it every three days and switch ears (behind the ear). My daughter used patches while she did a spring break cruise during college. She was glad I told her blurred vision was a side effect of the patch. She woke up one of the first mornings of the cruise and thought she had gone blind! She did cut the patch in half to cut down the dosage and was fine. Patch is one size fits all but she's tiny so the lowered dosage suited her better.

Have a great cruise!

[HappyTRIPs]

You need to know that the patch can cause dry mouth, blurry vision and some difficulty urinating. I was afraid on my first cruise so I put the patch on the first thing. The next day I woke feeling bad and before the day was over I pulled the patch off. I felt great when it wore off. I was on the Sky recently and you really don't even feel movement. If you are real prone to motion sickness I would try 1/2 of the tablet of Meclizine the day you get on and 1/2 in 4 hours. If you feel ill take the whole tablet the next day and then every 6hours. I used sea bands and really liked them during a tropical storm.

[scrinchy]

Yes. The brand name is called Bonine or Dramamine Less Drowsy. You can also get it in larger quantities for much cheaper as a generic (Meclizine HCL). They may have it behind the counter (but available without a prescription) in generic form. I believe that is also what they have on the ship available at no charge from reception (we buy it so we always have it on hand and don't need to deal with lines at reception).

 

If things are really bad, you can get a shot from the ships doctor. It's expensive but I hear it does wonders. I'm one of those lucky people that get sick on a swing but I'm hooked on cruising. I just keep hoping I'll get my sea-legs some day.

[Sominex]

You need to know that the patch can cause dry mouth, blurry vision and some difficulty urinating. I was afraid on my first cruise so I put the patch on the first thing. The next day I woke feeling bad and before the day was over I pulled the patch off. I felt great when it wore off. I was on the Sky recently and you really don't even feel movement. If you are real prone to motion sickness I would try 1/2 of the tablet of Meclizine the day you get on and 1/2 in 4 hours. If you feel ill take the whole tablet the next day and then every 6hours. I used sea bands and really liked them during a tropical storm.

I too took the patch years ago and couldn't see clearly for over a month...went to my Dr. on return and he doesn't recommend them. I now use Bonine but they didn't work in 03 in the Western Mediterranean as we hit very rough 15' waves and one 30' rogue wave damaged the upper elevator...but the ships Cruise Director gave me Stugeron15 which saved me. I called all over when I returned and was told you can only get it in Europe so I asked my friend who was travelling to England to get me some. Bonine worked in 06 in the Eastern Med. but it was calm; I keep the heavy one's for rough seas.

Som

[cruisin414]

I also am prone to seasickness. I have tried the Dramamine and Bonine route only to have some real side affects the next day, even using the non-drowsy formula. My DH says I am really cranky and just no fun to be around and I feel as if I have a really bad hangover!

 

I found an all natural remedy at the health food store called Motion Mate. You can also order it on line. I start taking it one to two days before we sail and all throughout the trip and I haven't had any problems. I'm fine when others around me are sick and I have no adverse side effects.

 

I hope all goes well and you have a great cruise - I'm sure it won't be your last.

[Surfgirl]

No. I never get seasick... or at least.. I haven't yet!

 

However, I sail on tall ships where we seek out bad weather for better sailing. Most of the crew would take Bonine. The key is to start it BEFORE you get seasick. So.. you should take it the night before you sail.

 

You only take it once a day. It will make you sleepy, so take it before bed. I do know that there is a non-drousy formula, but I can't comment on that one way or another, because nobody I know ever takes that formulation.

 

If you DO get seasick.. use ginger. You can either get candied ginger from the health food store.. or buy ginger ale-- the REAL kind-- which you can get at a store like Whole Foods.

[micro yaya]

i remember cruise #1, my husband won a 3 day on the carnival carnival, i cried because i literally can't watch movies with a lot of motion. i get sick. i took the patch for years, but the side effects got to me. it slowed down my system blured vision, and sometime when i came home i felt i was still on the boat. i now take bonine before bed every night and never get sick. getting ready for curise #27 next month good luck

[TAMnEGGS]

I also get sick easily, in cars, watching movies, etc. Bonine does not always work for me. Out of despiration I tried the Sea Bands. I was very skeptical but they really do work! I have been on 3 cruises & never gotten sick. I take 1 Bonine daily & wear the Sea Bands constantly. I still feel the movement of the ship almost all of the time but no sickness. I have tried just Bonine (or Dramamine II aka meclizine) on short boat trips & I have gotten sick. TripTone & the original Dramamine are dimenhydrinate, a cousin of Benadryl. They can cause sedation (They knock me out!) so I do not like to use them. I have never tried the scopolamine patch (Transderm-Scop). Good luck!

[dragonfly08]

I tend to get a little motion sick, so I took Bonine and it worked great. I started taking it about 36 hours in advance, and did two doses per day (the instructions said one or two depending on your preference).

 

My mother used the patch on a cruise once. My dad and I took Dramamine, my sister took nothing. My mom was the only one who was sick (to the point where she couldn't leave the cabin) and I've been afraid of the patch ever since. It works for a lot of people, but not everyone.

[Rapture24]

If things are really bad, you can get a shot from the ships doctor. It's expensive but I hear it does wonders. I'm one of those lucky people that get sick on a swing but I'm hooked on cruising. I just keep hoping I'll get my sea-legs some day.

 

How much does the shot cost, roughly? (if you happen to know).

Im very prone to motion sickness, and I would rather spend the money and be healthy for my trip without popping pills the whole time. :p

[crew mom]

If it's the shot DS has told me about it will knock you out for 24 hours and is only for extreme seasickness.

 

Since I knew before cruising that I was prone to motion sickness I tried the patch the first cruise - it made me feel terrible. But I didn't connect feeling so bad to the patch - I just thought I was a real wimp and would never be able to cruise again! After contemplating flying home from St Thomas (I felt that bad) I saw the ships nurse and she said many people react poorly to the patch. She recommended Bonine. Huge improvement.

 

After the first cruise I now try to go without anything but I do keep an eye on the weather. I usually do pretty well as long as the seas are relatively calm.

The last cruise I only took it one evening. I only need to take it when I notice the ships movement and sometimes before tendering.