Rough Seas with kids?

[brazilgirl]

Have any of you had the experience of going through very rough seas/storms/huge waves with your kids while cruising?

 

I have booked an exciting 14 day adventure to Antartica / South America at the end of January...it really looks like a once in a lifetime experience. There are whales , penguins , seals , icebergs...

 

However , I have been reading up on the cruise and the possibilty for rough seas seems very high (going around Cape Horn/ Drake´s Passage-infamous in the sailing world). Seems some cruisers have met up with 70 foot waves!!I can´t even fathom that..it is kind of freaking me out.

 

My kids haven´t had seasickness problems (one exception-last day of Baltic cruise-bad waves-middle son got sick). We haven´t used the patch/bonine etc. How effective are these and will they totally prevent feeling bad?

 

Would appreciate any input/stories /advice...thanks!

Kim

[cb at sea]

Anytime you cruise around the edge of a continent, or from one body of water,into another, rough seas are a given, 99% of the time.

 

You should probably discuss this with your pediatrician...that's who will give you the best info and solution for YOUR kids!

[Keith1010]

Since one of your children has already gotten sick from a cruise you should expect it can happen again.

 

While you may be luck, the odds say you will have some rough seas. Could be quite rough around Cape Horn and potentially off Antarctica. I have sailed South America multiple times.

 

Bonine has a product for children. There are other remedies as well including ginger, and ginger capsules.

 

Just like adults some do better with one remedy over the other. My suggestions is to call your chldren's doctor to see what they would recommend/prescribe.

 

I would not recommend the patch for a child for a variety of reasons including you don't want to put touch the patch and then touch things like your eyes. See what your doctor has to say.

 

Keith

[brazilgirl]

I will check with our dr.

 

However , I have never heard of the patches here in Brazil . Are they very effective for adults? Do you wear the patch during the whole cruise or change it daily?

 

When my son got sick , many others on the ship were also sick . I myself felt quite quesy. On our other cruises , that had never happened. We were in the North Sea when this happened.

 

I know Cape Horn and Drake´s Passage will be a challenge!But I think it´ll be worth it. I am talking to my kids about the possibility so they won´t be afraid.

 

Thanks,

Kim

[Keith1010]

A number of adults wear the Patch. Another name for it is Scopolamine. It is good for approximately three days at which point they can remove it and put a new one on. Another name for it is Scopolamine. In the USA it must be prescribed by a physician. I normally do not see children wearing it. Again, I would talk with your family physician about what would be best in your situation.

 

We have sailed this areas multiple times. It's a wonderful cruise. The odds say as you make your way around Cape Horn that the seas will be rough but sometimes they are not.

 

Keith

[Cuizer2]

You might want to give ginger a try. The advantages of ginger is that is not a drug and it will work after someone start to feel seasick. The others require that you take them before you begin to feel seasick.

[kitty9]

Drake's Passage is generally considered one of the roughest areas in the world. On my cruise we had force 10 winds on the Beaufort Scale (the highest possible) and seas of over 40ft. All doors out to the decks were locked and they even came and put tape across the balcony doors to keep people inside. Most people chose to stay in their cabins. Make sure to keep saltine crackers and ginger ale in your cabin before going into that area, and have it available for the kids should they get sick. Open the bottle of ginger ale and let some of the carbonation escape before having them drink. The Scopolamine patch, also known as the Transderm Patch, cannot be used on children, the elderly or if you're taking certain medications.

[14ersco]

On the rough days our son uses sea bands. They are elastic wrist bands that have an acupuncture pressure point. He normally has no problems with any motion activities. He also likes that they come in tie die colors. I did a search by Sea-Band and got the British home page; which said they are available in 50 countries at drug stores and pharmacies.

[brazilgirl]

Thanks for all the input...I will check out all the tips.

 

Kitty9-sounds like a wild ride! What ship were you on and how long did it last? I am really excited about our cruise , but this possibilty does make me a bit apprehensive!