Scared to cruise

I'm prone to vertigo and very aware of when I'm dizzy, and yeah it can set off anxiety. But ... I've never, ever experienced that "sea legs" thing people describe once back on land.

It's too rare to worry about.

I am a planner, a "what iffer", suffer from panic disorder and remember my first cruise as the ship was pulling out between the sea walls in Ft. Lauderdale. I was thinking "oh my goodness" but relaxed as the ship made its way out to sea and have never looked back since. My husband and I leave for our 26th cruise two weeks from today. It always takes me two or three days to get my land legs back after a cruise but it isn't something that curtails or interferes with my daily routines. You'll come back from your cruise hooked on this amazing mode of travel and itching to book another one. Have fun, enjoy all the port stops and above all, smooth sailing!

Barb

Hi my friend! I suffer from anxiety (the past few years) and just booked my first cruise. I do have inner ear problems, but was also in the Navy and never had issues then. If you're anxious perhaps speak to your doc about getting a mild anxiety med along with whatever preventive measures you're taking along for motion sickness. My guess is you won't need any of it, but you'll have it which will settle the anxiety. I'd also try and focus on staying busy the second you step on board.

ENJOY! Life is too short, and anxiety sucks - that I do know. Best of luck! Keep us posted! ❤️

I am in my early 60's and female. I also just came off of my very first cruise. You will be very surprised to find that you really do not feel the water on a big ship like you do little boats. Unless the sea is really rough you will find it to be very steady and smooth. I have had zero problems since I got off the ship.

He hasn’t forced me. Since we booked it I have been quite excited, but when I read about this debilitating condition I have become really scared again

I didn't know this was a thing the first time i cruised. I probably would have fretted about it had I known. :rolleyes:

Turns out I don't even ever get seasick apparently. Our first cruise hit a storm and there were times walking down the long hallway half the length of the ship from our cabin to the elevators I found myself taking the occasional step or two on the walls. Please note unless this cruise you've booked is across the Atlantic in November you are highly unlikely to experience this level or even half this level of ship motion.

If you haven't experienced motion sickness for instance while riding in a car you are pretty unlikely to have any difficulty. Not to say it does not happen, but it isn't common at all. Even among family members that do experience motion sickness riding in cars none had any trouble on a big cruise ship.

My best recommendation is see your doctor. There a little patches they can prescribe, and you can also talk with him about what other steps he suggests. Candied ginger - not at all the same as ginger candy - and green apples, sea bands, and over-the-counter motion sickness tablets are some of the other options you'll want to discuss with your doctor.

Happy cruising!

I am neither female or middle aged. I get it. For me, it goes away in a few days and it is no real problem.

 

DON

Same for me

I have felt this as an elementary school aged boy when my friend invited me to join them on a weekend jaunt to Catalina on their family boat. It's no biggie. It just felt like I was still in transit for a couple of days. I went to school, I played baseball (didn't get a hit, but that had nothing to do with the the swaying in my head, just a bad player), and I goofed off with my friends.

It's nothing to be "terrified" about, just a minor annoyance.,

i have always been scared of boats and terrified of going on a cruise, but my husband really wants to, so in the end we have booked one. Now I am terrified as I have read something about mal d’embarquement.and am scared I will get that. It says it affects middle aged peri menopausal women and that’s what I am. Has anyone had this

Some people get "land legs" for a day or so and it goes away.

At the bottom line: you can be fearful and not go, which gets you zero reward OR you can be fearful and go, which gets you a vacation full of new experiences. At the end of either selection, you're not dead or disabled. Isn't the "right" choice rather obvious?

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IMPORTANT!!

Do NOT watch a double feature of Titanic and The Poseidon Adventure the night before you leave for the port city.

Thank you for all your replies. As you can probably tell I have an anxiety disorder and the thing that scares me the most is feeling dizzy. So I was googling to see if I would feel dizzy sleeping on a ship when I read about a woman who had mal d’embarquement and it never went. This is what set me off. I really want to do this for my husband. We have been married 35 years and I won’t fly either

I guess anything can happen, and I don't want to diminish your anxieties. I have a couple of irrational ones myself...so I know there is no talking someone out of their anxieties. But I am very much prone to motion sickness...yet in 50 days of cruising, only had one day of mild discomfort, and it was on a VERY rough sea in the Mediterranean. I never tossed my cookies or (heaven forbid) skipped a meal. I just felt a little off. I took the non-drowsy dramamine and that fixed me right up. AND I get some of the best sleep of my life on cruise ships.

Someone else said that feelings of stress and anxiety melt away when stepping on a cruise ship. That's certainly the case for me. I have a high stress job, and when on "land vacations" I'm still checking my work phone regularly, etc. On a cruise, I step on the ship and I'm immediately lighter and happier. I'd bet you'll experience that too.

Cruising is great.

...so I know there is no talking someone out of their anxieties.

Really? Amazing what a good psychotherapist (with/without appropriate meds) can help accomplish.

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I understand your concerns. As Mark Twain once said, almost all worries never happen. I am prone to vertigo on occasion. I am also terrified of heights, sharks, and get motion sickness pretty easy. However, none of these things happen on for me when I'm cruising. Even my disdain of crowds goes away when I'm cruising. Perhaps much of that is due to my attitude (interesting fact - people who go to bed determined to wake up happy are more likely to do so than people who simply just go to bed). On my first cruise I ever went on, I had a lot of things on my mind as I really didn't have much of a choice but to go. I envisioned myself puking the whole time from motion sickness. I envisioned titanic scenes, getting caught in a hurricane. The thing with imaginations, you only have to feed it a crumb for it to believe it's having a 5 course meal. In the end, I think I ended up getting like 3 or 4 hours sleep each night because I was too busy having fun! I'll make this bet - I look forward to your positive review and your upcoming battle with cruise addiction! Enjoy!

That feeling of ‘I don’t have my land legs back yet’ that I get after every cruise does not feel like dizziness. I like it because it reminds me that I just took a fabulous cruise and that I need to start planning my next one. It comes and goes for a couple of days. Just take some seasick remedies with you on the cruise. I’m putting myself together a kit for the next cruise: Bonine, seabands, ginger candy, lemon ginger teabags, and Motionease aromatherapy from Walmart.

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Remember that many do not get sea sick at all. I was on a ship during a bad storm. The ship did do some interesting rocking and rolling. I did not see lots of people sea sick. I also had no problems at all. You are worrying about things that may not happen :)

Remember that many do not get sea sick at all ... You are worrying about things that may not happen :)

True. I was in the Navy and went through a hurricane off Florida. I didn't get sick, but it was easier to lie on the deck (can't fall off the floor, right?) than stand or sit when I didn't have duties to perform. Conversely, I had a gnarled old Chief who got queasy in the calm harbor when the first line was cast off.

Unless you know you get motion sick, do not presume that you will, but be prepared with bonine or dramamine in case you do.

Have fun.

Oh, you mean "land sickness". lol I do get it but didn't know it had a name. Just take some non drowsy dramamine, even if you're on land, and you'll be fine. It only lasts a day or two. I just figure out that now I know why Jack Sparrow walked funny.;)