What do you do for motion sickness ?

[Princesss]

I get motion-sickness quite easily. I have taken the pills for it and also try to eat the pickled ginger on the ship whenever I can. That seems to work OK for me, but I was wondering if anyone has any other remedies. I am always open to suggestions so any advice is appreciated !

[taszmom]

Ginger capsules work every time for me and I have been on seas where the waves are crashing into the MDR windows and it was completely empty cause no one could handle it.

[Princesss]

Ginger capsules work every time for me and I have been on seas where the waves are crashing into the MDR windows and it was completely empty cause no one could handle it.

 

 

I will definately have to get some of those ! I was on a cruise like that once... the whole damned ship was sick, it was so bad they had the employees close their port hole covers :eek: at least it gave us conversation material at dinner the next day !

[Bobblefrog]

Although I am yet to take my first "real" cruise - I did sail the Greek islands once in a 38 footer. And wow, yes, when they say when you are seasick you want to die, they are right! Initially the first day out - OMG - people really DO turn green! That trip I took Dramamine (started the first morning) and after the first bout - it knocked me out. I was the one who slept every day down below and made lunch for everyone else who couldn't go down the hatch. Now, from reading these boards I know I probably could have had half and maybe could have not been seasick AND actually been awake that week. It's okay - I was awake in port and had a blast (stories involving ouzu I will never repeat).

 

So fast forward to our upcoming first cruise. BF has never sailed so I am making and arsenal for seasickness based on Cruise Critic reviews (what a great wealth of info).

 

- ginger pills

- ginger chews (we love candied ginger)

- ginger hot drink packets (less weight than canned "real" ginger ale)

- seabands or biobands (haven't made up my mind which to get)

- motionease

- essential oils (ginger and peppermint) - making my own lip balm

- green apples and crackers - assume I can find this on board

- and then of course bonine (or the generic) if none of our "natural solutions" work. but if needed I now know I can take them upon retiring, and probably less than the suggested amount.

 

 

And a good friend that cruises the Atlantic says her favorite trick is going to the back of the boat and watching the wake.

 

Best ginger products I think are made by the Ginger People.

 

One last thing - that trip in the islands? The first day out, took a Dramamine that morning. We hit a choppy bit - here I was twenty something and had been imagining sailing in a skimpy suit in the sun, like some glamorous movie star and the reality was five of us huddled, green, in our parkas - it was COLD and the boat was freakin' tiny. And jumping overboard was a real consideration. I just started laughing at the ridicoulousness of it (the irony?) and I couldn't stop - I was just wailing. Everyone else was giving me the evil eye. When I finally stopped I wasn't sick and never was again. Guess the big D kicked in. I went downstairs and took a nap and that's all she wrote for the next week! :D Even the last day in 15 foot seas. Now I had a real reason to be scared!

[taszmom]

the bathrooms closest to the MDR were closed because people had made a mess. even some of the dining areas were "roped off" because someone had "lost it". I just giggled to myself thinking, wow all the lounges and shows will be empty tonight!

[Fat Boy]

Wife uses transderm scop patches behind the ear, applied about 4 hours before we boar.

 

I use the nappy-nap time method... Find a lounge chair and enjoy the sunshine.

[photojunkieEMT]

BONINE!! I sailed my first cruise without it and got sick. Was told about Bonine before cruise #2. I will NEVER sail without it again. I have also used it to survive taking my 5 year old niece to an amusement park for her birthday. Without it, I would get very sick on the rides that go around in circles.

[k2excursion]

Go to the edge of the ship and look out over the seas. We get motion sickness because the brain cannot reconcile what you're feeling. When you watch the seas from the edge (best to do it outside and somewhere midship), the brain then reconciles what you're feeling with what you're seeing. Then, it turns off the nausea switch. It doesn't always work for everyone, but it's worked for me. I also think Pepsi/Coke helps. On our last cruise, I started feeling sick on a daysail, then I did both of what I suggested (and stopped drinking alcohol), and soon enough, I felt perfect. Don't drink alcohol.

[DZNYROX]

red and white peppermints with real oil is a natural cure for most stomach issues. i swear by it.

[ZooTycoon223]

well I don't get seasick, but on both cruises I've been on I saw people wearing the small circular patches that go behind your ear.

[JohnHall1965]

The wife gets motion sickness in the car and while flying ,she takes Dramamine before we fly to our destination and all during the cruise ,if she misses a morning taking her pill ,she is seasick by noon . For myself I just order a Bloody Mary (or three)with breakfast, and a beer every 1/2 an hour or so the rest of the day :rolleyes:

[electra2008]

I get travel sick in a car, bus train any where. Fresh air and close your eyes, found that out on a coach once had not taken any pills with me felt sooo bad, if you wear glasses especially bi or vari focals take them off at least until the pills kick in. They are all tips as well as what ever medicine you take. Went across from Maderia to North Africa in Dec. The second you feel unwell get fresh air even. I swear by Kwells but each person has there own oreference and do not look at the horizon.

[cmptrwiz]

I take a meclazine the night before we start cruising. It does make me a little sleepy so I just take it at bedtime. This gets it into your system before you cruise. Then I take one every night at bedtime for the next 4 days after that I don't need it the rest of the week.

[OnePsychLynne]

Are there better types of "Sea-Bands" than others and are there standardized ginger pills? I definitely have to do something different than taking meclazine-even half a pill renders me non-functional :eek:

[k2excursion]

To the OP, sorry that you've received some mixed messages here. There are things that don't work for everyone, and for some rare exceptions, the opposite of what is correct works for them. While keeping that in mind, it is a proven fact that you are supposed to look out at the horizon and do not close your eyes. Your brain must be able to reconcile what you're feeling by looking out at the horizon. For a rare few, this could possibly make it worse, but this advice is accepted by experts everywhere. The other mixed message in this thread is about alcohol. Alcohol makes seasickness worse, especially when you drink it the night before you travel (which is every night on a cruise).

 

Here is one of tons of websites with advice, with the primary advice being to focus on the horizon:

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/healthy_living/travelers_health/hic_what_you_need_to_know_about_seasickness.aspx

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Chew special gum

[davex100]

One Bonine and one ginger capsule every evening does the trick for us

[pampaul]

I am also a Bonine user (just picked up a box for our cruise in 12 days!!!)

 

The trick that I've learned over our last few cruises was to take a pill a couple days before we set sail and then one a day for the length of the cruise. Has worked for me.

 

I keep hearing about these ginger pills or ginger candy. Where do I find these? And does the ginger candy have a strong ginger taste?

[Starfire_rules]

I get really seasick if I don't take one ginger pill in the morning! But on my first cruise I didn't take any so I got sick. My cabin mate ordered room service and the crew member told me that eating an apple will help. He then ran and got me one and after eating it I felt so much better. That crew member deserved the $5 tip he got!

 

 

Sent from Starfire_rules' iPod Touch

[gsxr_moe]

I start to Ginger Pills twice a day and Dramamine at bed time....a few days before (and during) the the cruise.. Works for me...

 

Wife uses the patch and my 9 yr old daughter uses the wrist band things...

[BSQ]

Neither of us get motion sickness too easily, but when we do feel the least bit queasy, we use ginger candies.

 

I buy Gin-Gins at World Market. (The traveler's candy one).

 

And yes, you do taste the ginger quite strongly. The ginger chews by this company are quite spicy. :) I've used these as well for travel, but like the little box the Gin-Gins come in. :D

[barbaragrace]

I use the seabands AND bryonia (it's a homeopathic remedy) UNDER the tongue (30 c every half hour) when the seas are rough.

http://abchomeopathy.com/r.php/Brydy)

[hkolln]

I get terrible motion sickness, even while driving in a car. I took bonine last cruise (one each night) and was fine the entire cruise. Never once got sick! I'm using that again next cruise. Worked great for me :)

[fl_couple]

I do get seasick very easy, and I have found that the Non-Drowsy formula of Dramamine is my best friend, along with Ginger capsules.

 

I used the TransdermScop patches on one cruise, and on about the 5th day I lost about 60% of my vision (in addition to the dry mouth, which everyone who uses them complains about). The vision loss lasted about 3 weeks. It happened so gradually that I hadn't realized it until I went parasailing...very freightening. I did go to an eye specialist upon our return, and he said it is a fairly common side effect. It was really a bummer not being able to drive!

 

Belinda

[sail-a-bration]

I use the chewable Bonine. On rough days I take two. I love the candy coated Ginger, not sure how much it really helps but who cares I like it.

I bought one of those seabands, it didn't do much for me. I ended up taking the Bonine. In Alaska, I ask the steward to move the beds sideways so the rocking would be like a swing back and forth instead of side to side.