Leary of getting seasick.....advice please

[cmoose]

My DH, DD and I planning a Bermuda cruise on the Dawn, June 2014. We are very interested interested in booking a suite, but the only suites on the Dawn are either forward or aft. We are all a little phobic of getting seasick, especially DH. I know it's better to be mid-ship, but is it worth giving up the deck 10 corner aft penthouse to be in a balcony mid-ship???

Are waters to Bermuda typically rough in mid-June??

Any advice would be great.

[DMLyons]

You can't count on waters being smooth or choppy ever, but another thread covered this and no, it's not TYPICALLY bad. You're unlikely to get seasick on a cruise ship anyway, unless the seas are incredibly rough or you are very prone to motion sickness, because the stabilizers are just that good, even if you aren't amidships.

 

Oh, and take Bonine before you need it...like with breakfast every morning and the first dose before you even board. If you're phobic of the idea, you are more likely to suffer it, so cut the idea off at the pass. Test a dose of it a week or two before leaving, so you're sure you don't have any problems (unlikely as it is) with the drug, in general, before you're aboard ship and counting on it. It won't hurt you to take it if you don't get seasick, but it will be beneficial to have a steady stream of it in your system, just in case. Rehydrating you after you're dehydrated is harder than just keeping yourself from getting badly ill in the first place.

 

Personally, I like the perks of a suite, so I'm in a DOS on the same ship.

 

DML

[jlacy1987]

When we were on Spirit we were mid, but we ended up being all over the boat because of activities and such. We only ever felt rocking and motion one night due to high seas.

 

If you are worried about it, bring medicine on board with you, but I doubt you'll need it.

[puggsie]

Me too! I haven't cruised for over 20 years and last time I did, I had a patch prescribed by a doctor. I do not want that this time because I remember being seasick on land for several days afterwards. DH and DS have never sailed so who knows how they will react. As a precaution, I am bringing two different kinds of sea wrist bands, bonine, and dramamine. I figure better safe then sorry, but I also don't want use unless we need it. I also heard ginger pills are good and green apple. I don't believe anyone who tells me you won't get seasick. That is just them. Everyone reacts differently. I get bouts of vertigo these days and even that makes me nauseous. Have a good trip!

[broberts]

The difference between midship and aft motion wise is typically only detectable by the most sensitive of people.

 

I'd suggest looking into OTC ginger pills. Of the ingestible solutions they seem to have the least negative effects and most people report very good results. Take these with you and if they are not enough you can always get something from guest services or the infirmary, not sure which it is on Norwegian.

 

If DH is prone to motion sickness, he should consult his primary care physician. There are prescription medications that may be better suited to his needs.

 

A number of people report good results with correctly positioned wrist bands (Sea-Band is one brand). There is also an expensive but apparently very effective electronic version.

[puggsie]

Oh, and I am on 10 Mid ship Balcony and fought the urge to go with a suite because of the same reasons. I figure if all goes well this trip I will try it next time. We shall see!

[DMLyons]

As a precaution, I am bringing two different kinds of sea wrist bands, bonine, and dramamine.

 

Ummm... Bonine and Dramamine are the same drug. Both are Meclizine. I picked both up and checked them before my oldest took a long flight. She didn't need it, but she had it.

 

DML

[springssparrow]

As I experience motion sickness in the back seat of a car or on a bus or ferry, I always wear a patch when on a cruise. I have discovered that 1/2 of a patch does the trick without the sleepiness that is a bothersome side effect

[Steamboat Holly]

My stepson and I are very prone to motion sickness. I feel sick when I swing, read in a car, drive on windy roads, or watch tv with too much motion. We were pretty nervous about getting sick so I did a lot of research into it. I had used Bonine before, and never had any side effects, so I knew I would bring that along. I also bought a big jar of ginger capsules and Hylands brand motion sickness pills that dissolve under the tongue. We started the Bonine the night before we boarded the ship, and for the first 2 nights of the cruise. We stopped taking it after that, mostly because we forgot, but we also wanted to save what we had left for the last night when we heard the seas would be more rough. This was our first cruise so we didn't really know how much motion to expect, but we felt a lot of motion. We spoke to a lot of cruise veterans who said they had never felt so much motion on a ship. Most of them were cruisers who sailed from Florida. So hopefully you'll have calm seas out there. I only felt sick once, on the very last night, but I was overheated, so I sat and watched the ocean for a few minutes and I felt much better almost instantly. I've also heard green apples help!

[biker@sea]

25 ft seas tonight for the Dawn . I like the ride aft. better in big seas . The bow slaps more .;)

[fiathina]

My husband and I were worried about the same thing - first time cruisers, forward suite, and a history of motion sickness as children. We took preventative Bonine once daily and were absolutely fine. The motion was barely noticeable except on our last evening (we sailed three weeks ago) - we both took an extra dose of Bonine and slept like logs! We didn't see anyone else looking particularly green, either.

[spidybabe]

TAKE THE AFT CABIN!!!! There is nothing better than an aft balcony!!! The motion is not that different. Had one once and it is the BEST!!! We have tried the patch and hated it--never felt great with it on, and had very rough waters and felt sick even though wearing it. Love Bonine.. never had a problem no matter how rough the seas got .Take one before you embark, and then take daily. I have high blood pressure--no problem-- and we drink like fishes when taking them. Also FYI NCL usually gives them out free at guest services. but I always take my own, just in case they don't have any.

Safe sailing

[ocean12ny]

We are going to use the ear patch. One patch behind one ear for 3 days, then get new patch. Someone above said something about a half patch but I just asked my Dr about it and they said NO cutting it, so be careful with that. It is a prescription so you have to go to dr to get it.

 

The pills also work but it makes me sleepy, I never tried it more than one day (ferry rides, long car/bus rides). I considered it but rather just have patch and be done.

[jdblakeslee]

Second the suggestion to take Bonine every day of your cruise. Period.

 

We just returned from Hawaii and I couldn't believe how much the ship rocked and rolled. This cruise only traveled at night so we waited until about 4 pm each afternoon to take the pill. So glad I had enough for both of us. David never gets seasick but would have had some issues were it not for the Bonine. Btw, it doesn't make you sleepy or groggy.

 

Jennifer

[Laszlo]

Take the meds and GO!!!!!!

 

Unless the seas are flat as glass I get seasick, I take Bonine and it works every time.........and I'm a boater with my own boat! I never got sick until 20 years ago when my left eardrum was punctured

[Moondawgie]

I take Bonine before getting on the flight (I arrive a day early) and then 1 for the 1st night on board. Once I am used to the motion (if there is any) I take only ginger pills (which I take 3 days before leaving and every morning of the trip.

 

I am very prone to SS. Take the aft.

[jjikids]

Did Gem aft suite last week. Wonderful. DH wore the wrist bands and we both took ginger pills morning and night. No problems at all.

[spidybabe]

READ THE SIDE EFFECTS FROM THE PATCH!!! THEY ARE VERY REAL!! Def be ready to have eye issues---light sensitive. blurry vision, among a host of other slight problems that you prob won't realize you are experiencing until you are home. HATED THE PATCH

Oh and Bonine is non drowsy dramamine makes you very drowsey

[broberts]

Second the suggestion to take Bonine every day of your cruise. Period.

 

We just returned from Hawaii and I couldn't believe how much the ship rocked and rolled. This cruise only traveled at night so we waited until about 4 pm each afternoon to take the pill. So glad I had enough for both of us. David never gets seasick but would have had some issues were it not for the Bonine. Btw, it doesn't make you sleepy or groggy.

 

Jennifer

 

People react differently to any drug. Bonine makes me lethargic. My mother gets very sleepy using it. But it does work very well.

[Homecruiser]

I believe the Dawn sails from Boston. The first two days and the last two days sail on the Atlantic Ocean and risk of rough seas is much greater than once you reach the generally calmer seas in and around the Caribean. I have been on the Gem in April and the Spirit in December making the trip south but from NY. Both times we had rough seas...one time going south and another time heading north. We were lucky not to have the problem in both directions. My family are all prone to motion sickness at home and we have all experienced it at sea. Especially on the Spirit Cruise. We travelled prepared with Gravol. We are from Canada and Gravol is the anti nausea remedy most commonly available. It has a drowsy side effect so cannot be used during the day or when drinking. You can get packets of Bonine from guest services and it is usually free. I have a collection of it accumulated from several other cruises so I just bring my stash along in a Baggie. We do not take anything for prevention reasons. However, my daughter and I recognize the early symptoms of motion sickness. She starts to get a headache and I get pins and needles on the back of my neck and sweaty there too. When those symptoms appear we reach for the stash. Last cruise even with about 18 hours of rough seas, we managed to take only one dose of Bonnine. We were fine the rest of the cruise. Each to their own...my preference is no drugs unless necessary. There are so many strategies and many work. This works for us!

[jdblakeslee]

I agree with previous posters that you should try Bonine for yourself at home before you leave. It WILL prevent seasickness but you should be aware of any side effects it may cause you and decide if it's worth it. Neither of us experienced any except maybe a little dehydration but that could have been caused by a number of things.

 

We had an aft balcony cabin on the Hawaii cruise and loved it. I think the fresh air and being able to open the door and sit privately outside helps not only a bit of motion sickness as well as my ever-increasing claustrophobia.

 

Jennifer

[puggsie]

READ THE SIDE EFFECTS FROM THE PATCH!!! THEY ARE VERY REAL!! Def be ready to have eye issues---light sensitive. blurry vision, among a host of other slight problems that you prob won't realize you are experiencing until you are home. HATED THE PATCH

Oh and Bonine is non drowsy dramamine makes you very drowsey

 

I believe you!

 

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[DMLyons]

I agree with previous posters that you should try Bonine for yourself at home before you leave. It WILL prevent seasickness but you should be aware of any side effects it may cause you and decide if it's worth it. Neither of us experienced any except maybe a little dehydration but that could have been caused by a number of things.

 

Mild dehydration while traveling is common, whether or not you take Bonine. In fact, in my class on attending conventions, I remind industry members to drink WATER, WATER, WATER or at the very least juice, if they don't like pure water, though water is still better for you. A lot of them are busy drinking soda, alcohol, and coffee/tea, all of which can dehydrate you. So can "energy drinks" and some types of "sports drinks." And a lot of sugar (eaten...not just drinking it) will draw water into the colon and expel it, so you add more water to cover the excess (above what you normally eat/drink of all of these items) to take care of that. A general rule of thumb is to drink 8 oz of water every time you drink soda, alcohol, eat a sugary dessert... Yeah, you'll drink a lot of water, but you will remain hydrated AND have less chance of hangovers, if you're drinking. They forget that "wet" does not equal "water," and the body needs water.

 

If you tend toward UTIs and such, I also suggest taking daily cranberry tablets or drinking cranberry juice daily to avoid that problem. As you dehydrate, it is much easier to come down with a UTI, and that's nearly the last thing you want to suffer on vacation or a business trip.

 

DML

[swedish weave]

I want to correct a previous post that said Bonine and Dramamine are the same. That is not totally correct. Bonine and Less Drowsy Dramamine are the same chemical (Meclizine) but regular Dramamine is not the same.

 

If you use Bonine, it is usually 25mg, but if you buy the generic meclizine in the Rugby brand, you can get it in 25 mg or 12.5 mg strength. That may help some of you who are very sensitive to the medication by taking smaller doses.

 

You will find the Rugby brand in bottles of 100 pills and it is much less costly than Bonine.

[DMLyons]

I want to correct a previous post that said Bonine and Dramamine are the same. That is not totally correct. Bonine and Less Drowsy Dramamine are the same chemical (Meclizine) but regular Dramamine is not the same.

 

Ah, since I only purchase the non-drowsy formula, I never would have noticed that the other was a different drug. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

DML