Seasick on the Century Question.

We are planning our first cruise for 2012 probably on the Century to Alaska (just waiting for the itineraries to be posted).

I get very motion sick and already plan on using the patch. Is it easier to get seasick on a ship the size of the Century as opposed to the larger ships?

You won't notice the movement any different from this ship to the larger ones...however...to get the least amount of movement, a cabin on a lower deck at midship would likely be the best

I don't know the answer to your question but I know we took our first cruise on Royal Sovereign. Then we took the Carnival Conquest (lot bigger). I felt more motion on the Conquest.

You won't notice the movement any different from this ship to the larger ones...however...to get the least amount of movement, a cabin on a lower deck at midship would likely be the best

Thank you. We were supposed to take this cruise three years ago when we had a death in the immediate family the week before the cruise so cancelled the cruise. The TA who we were working with at that time told us the same thing about mid-ship and a lower deck.

The reason the question came up now is I read on another thread that the Cenutury is more unstable than larger ships.

I also read on another thread that Century is more unstable also. I guess we need the answers from other people, huh?

If you are prone to sea sickness I would definitely reconsider using simply the patch. The best solution we have found is as soon as you board the ship proceed to the pursers desk and ask for some meclazine...sea sickness pills. they give them to you free at the pursers desk. You will probably board ship about noon...once you have the pill(s) take it immediately...allowing it to ick in before you get underway about 4-5pm. donot wait until you start to feel queezy for it will be tooo late.

THis stuff works much better than the patch...one problem i head about the patch was that the medicine (or active ingredient) is secreted into you body at different rates depending upon your weight and size.

If you are prone to sea sickness I would definitely reconsider using simply the patch. The best solution we have found is as soon as you board the ship proceed to the pursers desk and ask for some meclazine...sea sickness pills. they give them to you free at the pursers desk. You will probably board ship about noon...once you have the pill(s) take it immediately...allowing it to ick in before you get underway about 4-5pm. donot wait until you start to feel queezy for it will be tooo late.

 

THis stuff works much better than the patch...one problem i head about the patch was that the medicine (or active ingredient) is secreted into you body at different rates depending upon your weight and size.

Yes, meclazine and I are very good friends :o:). I was hoping to avoid taking it for days on end by using the patch. Meclizine is carried in my purse at all times :o

I also read on another thread that Century is more unstable also. I guess we need the answers from other people, huh?

If the water is rough enough that you feel seasick on the Century which is certainly not a small ship, then you would feel just as seasick on a larger ship.

I can assure you, having been on the Century five times it is not unstable....that's almost a rediculous thought given the size of the ship.

I am very prone to motion sickness and I do not agree that the size of the ship does not matter. The size, design, and draft do matter. There is definitely more motion on the smaller ships than on S class due to all three of the forementioned. Not significantly more - but if you are sensitive to motion you would know this is true.

That said, the primary deciding factor is of course the seas on that particular cruise. If you have 25ft seas (which we have had, thankfully only once) any ship would be a rockin' and a rollin'.

As long as you use medication, and follow all the standard tips to avoid seasickness (which you can find on this board) you should be fine on Century. I have sailed her a couple times and had a great experience each time.

I will add one more opinion about the patch - I found it not as helpful as just taking along meds when needed. Not everyone has the same opinion, but that is mine. I use meclizine for mild-to-moderate seas, and if it gets really rough I go back to the original Dramamine, which works better but of course makes you more drowsy. You can talk to your doctor or research on the internet, and you will find that the 'prescription' doses of meclizine are higher than that stated on the packages OTC. That is good to know if the seas get rough. I believe you can safely take twice the amount on the package, but as I am not a doctor I recommend you double check with yours before taking my word on it.

Wouldn't the Alaska cruise be kinda smooth .. If you are in the inside passage you would be protected from the larger waves?

We are planning our first cruise for 2012 probably on the Century to Alaska (just waiting for the itineraries to be posted).

 

I get very motion sick and already plan on using the patch. Is it easier to get seasick on a ship the size of the Century as opposed to the larger ships?

Have you used the patch before? A lot of cruisers report unpleasant side effects.

Wouldn't the Alaska cruise be kinda smooth .. If you are in the inside passage you would be protected from the larger waves?

When I sailed the inside passage, the trip north out of Seattle was in very rough seas. Our cabin was pretty close to the bow and we weren't just getting a rocking motion. The ship would rise and then you would get a brief sense of weightlessness, and then "wham" a sudden stop. Repeat. I didn't think a ship this large would ride over waves that way, but we must have been steaming into the waves and riding over the crests. The good news is it only lasted for one night and then until about lunch the next day. The rest of the cruise including the trip back down to Seattle was fine. As a note from the midship on back you felt the up and down, but you really didn't get the weightlessness and slamming effect.

Have you used the patch before? A lot of cruisers report unpleasant side effects.

plus comedians always make fun of the "alien patch people" :D

Sea bands for wrists and ginger capsules work for us.

Wouldn't the Alaska cruise be kinda smooth .. If you are in the inside passage you would be protected from the larger waves?

Depending where the cruise originates and ends, there could be some rough seas on some days. If you sail from Seattle, the seas can be rocky along the west coast. If you are sailing all the way up to Seward, the seas can definitely be rocky on the patch of open water south of Seward. It can be quite a rude awakening after enjoying the smooth as glass seas of the passage itself.

If you are prone to sea sickness I would definitely reconsider using simply the patch. The best solution we have found is as soon as you board the ship proceed to the pursers desk and ask for some meclazine...sea sickness pills. they give them to you free at the pursers desk. You will probably board ship about noon...once you have the pill(s) take it immediately...allowing it to ick in before you get underway about 4-5pm. donot wait until you start to feel queezy for it will be tooo late.

 

THis stuff works much better than the patch...one problem i head about the patch was that the medicine (or active ingredient) is secreted into you body at different rates depending upon your weight and size.

It depends on the person. Meclazine works fine for me, the patch works better for my husband, he is more prone to sea sickness and Meclazine just kept him from tossing his cookies, but he was still quite sea sick (35 FT seas though). From then on, the patch for him.

Also, he tends to have more problems on the Century due to the vibrations. That makes him sick also.

When I sailed the inside passage, the trip north out of Seattle was in very rough seas. Our cabin was pretty close to the bow and we weren't just getting a rocking motion. The ship would rise and then you would get a brief sense of weightlessness, and then "wham" a sudden stop. Repeat. I didn't think a ship this large would ride over waves that way, but we must have been steaming into the waves and riding over the crests. The good news is it only lasted for one night and then until about lunch the next day. The rest of the cruise including the trip back down to Seattle was fine. As a note from the midship on back you felt the up and down, but you really didn't get the weightlessness and slamming effect.

Airtime on a cruise! Whoah:eek: and WooHoo:)!!

It depends on the person. Meclazine works fine for me, the patch works better for my husband, he is more prone to sea sickness and Meclazine just kept him from tossing his cookies, but he was still quite sea sick (35 FT seas though). From then on, the patch for him.

 

Also, he tends to have more problems on the Century due to the vibrations. That makes him sick also.

 

 

Okay, that is close to what I was interested in knowing. Are the vibrations worse on Century? I have problems with even just a little motion (can't do jacuzzis or watch the waves from the beach).

The information is good to know about the patch as opposed to the meclizine. I traveled on the narrow, curvy roads in Ireland a couple years ago and took Bonine as soon as I got up in the morning but I rode in the front seat and didn't have any problems. Daughter took Bonine and rode in the back seat and still got a little queazy a couple days.

Okay, that is close to what I was interested in knowing. Are the vibrations worse on Century? I have problems with even just a little motion (can't do jacuzzis or watch the waves from the beach).

 

The information is good to know about the patch as opposed to the meclizine. I traveled on the narrow, curvy roads in Ireland a couple years ago and took Bonine as soon as I got up in the morning but I rode in the front seat and didn't have any problems. Daughter took Bonine and rode in the back seat and still got a little queazy a couple days.

Yes, we did think the vibrations on Century were worse, especially in the dining room. He didn't experience the vibration problem on S Class.

Order an extra patch and make sure you won't have a problem wearing them. I actually do wear them for the first couple of days and have no problem. While I don't get sea sick, if the cruise is rough I am dizzy for a long time after the cruise is over. With the patch, I don't have that problem.

If you are terribly worried about motion, book a cabin mid-ship and a mid-level deck. We are sailing on Century to Hawaii, April 2012 and I booked mid-ship, deck 8, just because I was concerned about motion in the Pacific.

What you say is correct, booking mid ship. But like I said, the worse vibration (for my husband) was in the MDR, so your mid ship cabin won't help there too much.

In a post by vvnh16a she says that we could go to the purser for Bonine (meclizine) is it availalbe on all ships we are on the Solstice. I was trying to find Bonine in Canada but it is not available here. That would solve my problem if I could get it on the ship. I do not want to order it online.

We also had the same feeling about going up and down at sleep time. I remember thinking the same thing as the previous poster. I felt like we would in mid air also.

Our cabin this time is right by the mid ship elevators on level eight. Would have liked to be lower but level eight is the lowest for balconies.

I would agree with previous posters that it really depends on what is going on with the seas when you are sailing as opposed to what ship you are on. (You can be in a smaller ship and have no problems because of the calm sea whereas on another cruise in a bigger ship you could have rougher seas and feel more movement. You are not immune no matter how big the ship nor are you guaranteed to have problems just because the ship is smaller. IMHO.)

Sailed four times in Caribbean (twice on Century) before I ever felt sea sick (and I am prone to motion sickness.) The seasickness came at a time when there was high wave action and I was on the Solstice.

Since then, always slap on a patch before I leave (as does my hubby). The only side effect either of us have ever had was dry mouth. Never have felt seasick since then (and we were in some rockin' seas on one cruise!)

Did notice vibrations on Century but only on one of the Caribbean cruises and it was on the first night as we were sailing out of Miami when we were on the Atlantic (as opposed to the Caribbean Sea...)

Alaska cruise was pretty sedate, but have only been once and we had great weather from start to finish.

I sailed on the 1/17 sailing of Century and did not notice any one looking a little green. Took my 27 year old daughter with me on her first cruise and she had no problem at all. We were on Deck 8, cabin 8807, 3 cabins from the front of the boat felt some motion in the middle of the night.

The Century sails from Vancouver, not Seattle. The seas are calmer on Vancouver trips than those out of Seattle.