sea sickness

[nodandade]

just had some great news,some good friends of ours (married couple) have finally decided to join us on our cruise Sydney to Hawaii on the solstice in april 2015, as sea sickness does not worry my wife or myself,but does worry the other couple, I need to ask a question/s.

 

as we have never done this cruise before,what generally are the seas like in april from Sydney to Hawaii, we will oall be in agua class in rooms starboard side very close to the centre of the ship.i know this is an open ended question with a lot of scenarios, but just in general please

 

thank you

[Pacificdaze]

I had many well-informed responses to my thread on seasickness medication on the Aust/NZ forum. Latest reply was today 19/3/2014, so you should be able to locate it easily ( I don't know how to provide the link, sorry).

 

We are on the Solstice Sydney to Hawaii next month, and the seas can be quite rough, particularly between Aust and NZ.

 

I would suggest your friends obtain some medication for peace of mind, and cruise enjoyment. Bonine is the most recommended, and is available in USA or online. Sea Legs is available in NZ, and also effective. Avomine is available in Australian pharmacies, behind the counter I think, but can cause drowsiness.

 

The mid-ship lower decks are recommended for less motion in rough seas, and Aqua class cabins are on Deck 11.

 

Have a wonderful cruise with your friends. Some passengers on our cruise have already done this repositioning trip several times, and have also booked for 2015. It must be good! Susan

[dwhe]

I dunno if this is of much help but my Wife and I crossed the North Sea in rough conditions, we popped pills, dabbed this and that and pressed pressure points but nothing worked.

 

But after a day we were fine and it didn't matter how much the ship rolled, we got used to it I suppose.

 

I think what I am trying to say is that it won't last all trip if it is rough, it didn't for us anyway :D

[Chitown12562]

I believe whatever meds you have you must take them BEFORE you get seasick or they will not work.

 

Also the meds might dry you out and make you feel congested.

[fleckle]

I had many well-informed responses to my thread on seasickness medication on the Aust/NZ forum.

Here is a direct link to it

 

Seasickness medication - Cruise Critic Message Board Forums

 

Bonine, discussed there, is a brand name for meclizine (the generic name) which is provided free of charge on the ship.

 

Just ask for some meclizine when you first board, at Guest Relations, or at the medical facility.

Sometimes they even leave it out on the counter in a box or basket where you can help yourself.

 

If you take it a couple of hours before the ship leaves port, it will already be in your system well before you encounter any rough waters and you should be fine.

 

If you don't want to take anything medicinal, many like to wear the seabands that are sold on the ship, and also available in many general merchandise stores and drugstores or large grocery stores on land.

 

Then there are the old standards for preventing seasickness, like eating green apples or soda crackers or anything with ginger, such as sucking ginger candies or drinking ginger ale.

 

Many cruise passengers do very well taking ginger capsules, available at drug stores and health food stores.

(But the standard caution applies to check with your doctor first who knows your medical history as it may be contraindicated for some.)

 

As previously mentioned, the most stable location on a ship is in the center, on a low deck.

 

[lara68]

All it took us is one bout of bad seasickness years ago to take preventative steps. We now use the "patch" and swear by it. It is a prescription and you need to have your doctor clear you for it. Many people don't like to take medicine and the over the counter remedies and such recommended in earlier posts, are the best suggestions.

[bisabella]

I just read about Divertigo, which is an oil and you place a drop behind each ear. The reviews look good, so I just ordered it from Amazon. It contains no medicine, just oils. My husband gets vertigo motion sickness and he cannot take anything with antihistamines which is contained in all motion sickness medicines, so I am hoping the Divertigo works. Does anyone have any experience taking this?

[bisabella]

I just read about Divertigo, which is an oil and you place a drop behind each ear. The reviews look good, so I just ordered it from Amazon. It contains no medicine, just oils. My husband gets vertigo motion sickness and he cannot take anything with antihistamines which is contained in all motion sickness medicines, so I am hoping the Divertigo works. Does anyone have any experience taking this?

 

I also heard about Reletex, which is a wristband that emits electrical waves. I am taking my husband to the doctor to get a prescription for it. It is expensive, but if it works it is worth it. Has any used it and did it work for you?

[phoenix_dream]

I have not tried Divertigo but can't imagine it would work, except possibly as a placebo affect. Motion sickness (and all motion sickness is vertigo related) is caused by a disconnect between what the brain/eyes see, and the interior ear canal is experiencing (I'm sure there is a more medically accurate way to describe it, but that is the gist of it). I don't see how an external oil could help that. The wrist bands work for some (not sure of this higher priced version) I guess because they press on some type of nerve or something that is related to nausea. The OTC ones never worked for me, but some swear by them. Ginger also seems to help with the nausea, as do the OTC and prescription meds.

 

That said, other than price what could it hurt to try an oil. If it doesn't work the only thing lost is some money and several hours of discomfort waiting until other meds kick in. I would just suggest bringing a back-up plan along as well. I have found ginger works on mild motion sickness - but it is a blood thinner so make sure it doesn't interact with any other meds being taken. Unfortunately I don't think any of the meds are non-antihistamine. There might, however, be a prescription for nausea that your doc could prescribe should the other things not work that is not an antihistamine. It would not be for preventative use, but could make a bad day better. I am not a doctor, so maybe a doctor or RN could pipe in here and advise on that.

[TeaBag]

It was a bit rough as we rounded the south coast of NZ and my cousin was very sick. The pills from Guest Relations did nothing for her. A very kind woman gave us a patch for her. I have never seen anything work so fast. She was right as rain in less than 2 hours. I would suggest getting some of these patches (Transderm?) to have on hand if needed. I can't imagine how awful it must be to be feeling sick and having to put up with the pitching and rolling of a ship. Thankfully DH and I are good sailors. I hope you enjoy your cruise.

Edited March 19, 2014 by YVR cruiser

[kevinyork]

Ive only ever had seasickness once, coming back over The Bay Of Biscay. I had one green apple and was fully well an hour later.

 

 

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[sddsddean]

We did Sydney to LA a few years ago and had no problems at all with rough seas for the whole 29 days. However, the cruise before us missed Melbourne due to storms in the Southern Ocean, so as usual...'you never know'. When I used to cross the English Channel twice a week, the way I got round feeling queasy was to go and look at the sea. You feel seasick because your brain senses you are moving about (from the canals in your inner ear), but if it can't 'see' why you're moving, your brain makes you feel ill. Go and watch the sea. If you can see whats happening, your brain will process the info. I've advised several friends and family about doing this and most find it works.

 

Simon