Seasickness and Lots of other questions

[carolinesmom]

Hi!

 

I'm new to these boards and cruising. I'm exploring vacation options for spring break 2010 which falls the week before Easter. We have 4 children who will be 14, 12, 9, and 6 at that time. It is becoming a challenge to find things to keep everyone happy. I thought a cruise might work well for us. However, my husband is very worried about getting seasick. We have both gotten sick on smaller boats many years ago. Can some of you who have cruised before tell me how often people get sick? And what works best for children and adults.

 

I have loads of other questions, since we have no experience with this. I'm looking at getting two connecting ocean view cabins. It looks like each has two twin beds and 1 berth. How does the berth work? Is it an upper type bunk that opens from the wall? Will someone who is 5'6'' fit in one (that would be the 12 year old).

 

Would it realistic to think that we can let our 14 and 12 year olds have breakfast and lunch together without an adult? Is it okay to leave them in a cabin sleeping in while we take our younger children to breakfast?

 

What does tender mean? I noticed that the cruise we are looking at shows tender to a Grand Cayman stop?

 

I will have more questions, but I'll stop there for now.

 

Thanks so much!

[cb at sea]

A ship is different from a small boat, in regards to motion sickness...unless the seas are over 12 ft. or so, you barely feel the motion. Bonine/dramamine, and other OTC drugs work very well for adults...talk to your pediatrician about the kids!

 

Only YOU know your kids, but most 12-14 years olds are allowed to go places and do things on their own....(don't forget, there's also room service included in your fare!!!)

 

A tender is a ferry-like boat that will take you to shore when there's no dock suitable for the ship to use...it's large, not a rowboat!, and holds about 150-200 each trip. They run all day long, so you can come and go at will.

[koji68]

My wife uses a Sea-Band Wristband. You can find then in any drug store. She never gets sick when wearing them.

 

As for cruising with kids, I would recommend a Disney Cruise. They will have activities for the whole family or for each age group independently.

 

We went with our kids to the Bahamas with Disney and they had a great time.

[cb at sea]

The upper berths (or pullmans) do fold out from the wall....some cabins have that sort of bedding, some have sofabeds...even adults will fit in the pullmans.

 

Call whichever cruiseline you decide on and check prices for different catagory rooms....for instance, on RCI, some ships have balcony cabins that connect to an inside room...perfect for the kids, while the parents get the balcony! The savings on the inside cabin can offset the cost of the balcony.....

 

Have the deck plans in front of you when you book,, so you'll know what you're paying for!

[drv001]

I get the Transderm Scop patch when I go on a cruise and it definitely works. I get sick just traveling in a car so your husband should be fine with that. Just ask your doctor to give you a prescription. If he still gets a little woozy or you have choppy waters, he can add dramamine and will be just fine. Hope that helps!

[carolinesmom]

Thanks so much for all the great information. I think my husband is getting more comfortable with the idea. We already have some of the bracelets which we have used on fishing expeditions. I'll do some research on the other suggestions and speak to our pediatrician for recommendations for the the kids.

 

We're leaning toward a 5 night Celebrity cruise out of Miami. Our oldest is in High School now and wants nothing to do with a Disney Cruise! Our travel agent gave me a list of several 5 night cruises that are departing the week of our spring break - those that she would recommend. From that we narrowed it down to 3 that left on the best day and Celebrity was quite a bit cheaper than the other two. It also stops in Key West, which my husband and I both love, so that was a big plus.

 

I'm sure I will be back with more questions!

 

Thanks so much!

[Fredr]

Hello,

 

Suggest that you get the kids involved early and often. Tell them that this is an adventure for you and your husband and you do not or will not have all the answers. Show them the ship's lay out and where your cabin will be. To save some money, you can put the kids in an inside and you will be across the hall (this may not work but it is worth a try).

 

Explain that they will have a lot of freedom on the ship but that they must be respectful of others (there will be upwards of 1,500 people on the ship with them). And explain that the Captain of the ship is really in charge and he will not tolerate any nonsense. As for meals, have dinner in the main dining room each evening as this is a nice time for the family to be together. On formal nights have the kids look nice but this doesn't mean a tux for the boys...just look nice in dress pants and a dress shirt. You already have a dress and your husband has a coat and tie.

 

You can go the buffet for breakfast and lunch or to the main dining room for all three. Remember, they will sit you as a family just like in a restaurant for breakfast and lunch.

 

Tendering is fun because you get to see the ship from water level. And sit outside, that is, if the tender has seating on top. It is an especially nice ride into and out of Key West on a tender.

 

Our children were 11 and 6 when they went on their first cruise and still have great memories of that cruise. They are now 30 and 25 respectively. It is great fun going on a cruise as a family but it does take some education and discussions with the kids on your part. You spend lots of time with the kids on a cruise, playing all sorts of games, going swimming, seeing shows togerther. And they can spend time in the children's and teen programs ars well.

[uppitycats]

Hi!

 

I'm new to these boards and cruising. I'm exploring vacation options for spring break 2010 which falls the week before Easter. We have 4 children who will be 14, 12, 9, and 6 at that time. It is becoming a challenge to find things to keep everyone happy. I thought a cruise might work well for us. However, my husband is very worried about getting seasick. We have both gotten sick on smaller boats many years ago. Can some of you who have cruised before tell me how often people get sick? And what works best for children and adults.

 

Seasickness can happen, but it's much less prevalent on the large cruise ships. They're really pretty stable. There are lots of medicines, including over-the- counter stuff. You probably should start with your doctor, but I know that folks here have all kinds of recommendations, everything from basic ginger to prescription strength meds. Most of the drugs are most effective if you take them before you get stick, and keep taking them for the length of your cruise.

You should know that cruise ships will be crowded during spring break -- you probably should book soon to assure you'll get the cabins you want!

 

I have loads of other questions, since we have no experience with this. I'm looking at getting two connecting ocean view cabins. It looks like each has two twin beds and 1 berth. How does the berth work? Is it an upper type bunk that opens from the wall? Will someone who is 5'6'' fit in one (that would be the 12 year old).

 

The berth will drop down from the wall, and probably be suitable for the 12 year old. The twin beds -- depending on which cabins -- can be put together and made up as a queen/king bed, if you prefer.

Would it realistic to think that we can let our 14 and 12 year olds have breakfast and lunch together without an adult? Is it okay to leave them in a cabin sleeping in while we take our younger children to breakfast?

 

There is a "family cruising" board on here where you might ask these questions. Which cruise line are you looking at? There are often kids programs that are very popular, and given that you're cruising during "peak family season", there'll be a "ton" of kids on board. Your youngsters will likely hook up with them and it'll be a challenge to keep track of them all day! :)

 

What does tender mean? I noticed that the cruise we are looking at shows tender to a Grand Cayman stop?

 

A "tender" is a small boat (or actually several boats). Your cruise ship will put down anchor(s) away from the shore, and the small boats will come out, pick up passengers who are going ashore, and ferry them to shore. The tenders run on a regular schedule (like every 15 minutes, or every half hour). You'd need to know what time you have to be on shore (if you're going on an organized excursion), and of course when the last tender runs to get you back to the ship. There'll be announcements when the tenders start running -- you go to that deck of the ship (usually somewhere around deck 4), line up with everyone else :) , and step down into the tender. When it's full, it heads off to shore, another tender pulls up, and continues, until everyone who wants to go ashore is ashore. And then they go back and forth -- so you can go back and forth as many times as you want (at no cost), just so you're back on board when the cruise ship is ready to set sail.

I think if there is a chance for seasickness, it's more likely to happen with the tender, than with the big cruise ship -- unless of course you run into foul weather along the way!

 

I will have more questions, but I'll stop there for now.

 

Thanks so much!

 

 

I hope that helps!

[Martini Mom]

I get terribly seasick on fishing boats, ferries, and long car trips, but I never get sick on cruise ships. To help minimize feeling the motion, we also book our cabin low on the ship as well as mid-ship. That helps.

 

I also recommend ginger tablets. They can help with motion sickness without causing drowsiness and they also aid in digestion, for all of those rich meals. ;)

[TrevyMcShaw]

I always bring Dramamine, just in case, but I've never had to use it. My first cruise, I didn't even know we were moving until I looked out the window and saw land passing by.

 

A lot of cruise lines, RCCI, CCL and Disney for sure, have kids clubs. Once onboard, they will probably disappear into the kid world and you will only see them at dinner. I hate that your eldest child thinks they are too old for Disney, I'm 40 years old and would be on a Disney ship in a heartbeat if I could justify the cost.

[sparky52t]

She wanted to cruise so badly but has always had a problem with motion sickness in cars and planes. On our first cruise, she brought ginger, dramamine and a little electric wrist band that administers a small current of electricity to take your mind off of the motion. Three cruises later we're planning our fourth this January.

She loves cruising and while she still uses at least one of the above mentioned aides during each cruise, it's no longer the bugaboo she once thought it might be.