About Getting Sea Sick on a Cruise

Most of today's cruise ships are equipped with Stabilizers that reduce the effect of "roll" from waves and wind. Roll is the term for the side to side rocking motion of a ship.

Stabilizers do not mitigate pitch or yaw. (Pitch is when the ship dives up and down, front to back, and yaw is when the bow, or front swings 'off course' to the left or right.)

They are like fins or paddles that extend out from the side of the ship, and change their angle with sea conditions to cancel out some of the effect of roll.

Photo: Ship Stabilizer by Templar52

Symptoms of Seasickness

Here are some typical symptoms of seasickness. The most common ones are disiness and nausea. You might get some symptoms but not others.

1. Vertigo (dizziness)
2. Nausea
3. Vomiting
4. Sweating
5. General Discomfort
6. Headache
7. Fatigue

Normally, you won't experience all of these symptoms at once.

Seasickness and motion sickness are the same thing, so if you normally are affected by plane travel or get car sick, there's a good chance you may be subject to seasickness, as well.

If you are prone to motion sickness in general, discuss the matter with your physician. He or she will help you determine what might be the best seasick medication for you on an extended sea voyage.

"The Patch," or Scopolamine requires a prescription, and does have possible side effects. Make sure you are aware of them if you chose this precaution.

I don't use anything. Perhaps it's just that after some 35+ cruises, I've "got my sea legs." I sure hope it stays that way, as I do love to be at sea!

Once, I took Dramamine. Knowing that Hurricane Jeanne was fast approaching our port of departure, and that we would be sailing through unusually rough seas, it seemed like a wise precaution. I don't remember the first 24 hours of that cruise, because I couldn't stay awake! I can't tell you if the Dramamine was effective in preventing anything except alertness. And yes, it was the "Less drowsy formula."

These days, I usually take along at least one package of hard ginger candy. I've never needed it, though we've been in some fairly rough seas now and then. But I it was nice to have some on hand to give to a few shipmates who were feeling a bit queasy.

Below, I'll tell you just what kind of ginger candy I take with me. And, because I have lots of cruising friends, some of whom DO get sea sick, I'm going to pass along their seasickness remedies, too.

GENERAL SUGGESTIONS
Here are some things to take into consideration when planning a cruise if you are concerned about the possibility of succumbing to mal de mer.

1 - Try cruising on a newer, larger ship.

2 - Bear in mind that cabins nearer amidships, and on lower decks, will "move less" than those on either end or on upper decks.

3 - Hurricane Season is June 1 - November 30, but PEAK activiey is usually August - October. Avoid the Caribbean during this time.

4 - Bring your motion sickness remedy of choice with you rather than waiting to obtain something on the ship. See below for some suggestions if you don't already have a preference.

5 - If you begin to feel affected, try keeping your eye on the horizon, or get where you can feel fresh air in your face, or lie flat on your back.

6 - Though it may seem like the last thing you want to do, try to eat something. Try apple wedges and saltine crackers.

Even if you are not normally subject to motion sickness, bear in mind that, on a cruise ship, you MAY encounter a lot more motion than you are accustomed to handling. (And you may not!)

If you'd like to have all your bases covered, just in case, here is a list of travel sickness precautions and remedies that are readily available. These suggestions are based on what is used by my cruising friends. Bear in mind that what works well for one person may be less effective for another. Bring one or more of them with you. Not all will be available on board the ship.

1 - Dramamine and Bonine are available over the counter. Many cruisers prefer Bonine, as it is less likely to induce drowsiness. Follow the directions on the box.

2 - Wristbands that employ acupressure to alleviate nausea associate with sea sickness are made by Psi, SeaBand,Travel Eze, and BioBand. I don't know how these work, but my friends who use them wouldn't cruise without them. They seem to like both Psi and SeaBand real well.

3 - Ginger capsules are used by one of my frequent fellow cruisers, and she swears by them. She begins taking them a couple of days before boarding.

4 - Ginger candy from The Ginger People is what I take along in case someone needs it.

5 - Queasey-Pops are widely used by cruisers, kids, and expectant moms. Very affordable, but not too many in a package... you'll want several packs for a week long cruise, just to be sure.

All of these are are available on Amazon, and you'll find links below. (There are more expensive "systems" available, but the folks I know have been perfectly satisfied with the more affordable products I'm showing here.) Some come in both adult and child versions.