I'm terrified!!!!!!!!!

[CruiseMGM]

No worries, the captain definitely doesn't want unhappy/sick/terrified passengers, and they'll steer around rough weather whenever possible. You'll be on a floating city, it's HUGE. You'll feel a little motion but it shouldn't be too bad. We like the motion of the ship! But I usually take some Dramamine and MAYBE take it the first day or two "just in case". After that, no problems.

 

Our very first cruise was a Transatlantic from Florida to England. We sailed on the anniversary of the Titanic sinking. Don't think I wasn't concerned, too! LOL! It was an AWESOME first cruise and we were instantly addicted. The first few days, the captain was pushing the ship to out-run a storm, so we were moving pretty fast. A bit rocky here and there, but nothing of concern. If I ever feel a bit queasy on a ship because of the movement, I'll nibble on a green apple, it really helped me. Being mid-ship also helps, as the movement can be less than at the bow or stern.

 

You'll have a great time!

[roger001]

My little sister, who is traveling with me, gets extremely carsick. Will she most likely be seasick too? And can I give her the medicine you guys are suggesting too? She's 13

 

It's OTC. You'd have to read the label. You can get the same thing in prescription from your doctor. Ask him. It's meclizine.

[Kattus]

You'll be fine! DH and I took a cruise during Hurricane Sandy, our first cruise, and it wasn't that bad (despite the fact that it was rerouted to New England and not in the heart of the storm). I think at highest there were 20 foot swells, but we were fine with just Sea Bands and as long as we didn't stay at the front of the ship.

[KeithJenner]

My little sister, who is traveling with me, gets extremely carsick. Will she most likely be seasick too? And can I give her the medicine you guys are suggesting too? She's 13

 

 

Our son often gets carsick, but he has now spent over 50 days at sea and has never shown any sign of getting even a little bit seasick.

[ColinIllinois]

If I were you I would worry less about the waves and more about the Caribbean iceberg season that started in January. That's how most ships are lost this time of year. I think it was only five ships missing last season though. On board electronics are getting much better for early detection.

[RuthlessBoss]

The cruise itself I'm not worried about. The only thing that keeps buzzing around in my mind is if the ship will be safe in rough seas. Maybe I'm watching too many movies as someone stated lol

 

If a ship was built and not "safe", there would not be too many ships sailing:)

[TwizzlersAddict]

So the ship may bounce a bit;) Is it safe? Has it sunk yet? Have you heard of anyone bouncing off the walls? Better bring your bands, bonine, ginger, as I predict you'll get sick just from worrying about it:eek:

 

While cruising is extremely safe.

People have bounced off walls during storms.

 

The video is 7 mins but the real action starts at the 4 min mark.

 

Cruise ship Pacific Sun hit by tropical storm

:

[Squidward Q Tentacles]

The bigger the ship the less it is affected by the seas. The new cruise ships are designed to give passengers the best ride possible, they have ballast tanks to make the ship heavier when needed and make it a "bigger" ship. They also have stabilizers that help keep the ship level that can be used when needed.

 

Many people get motion sickness, some it is mental and some it is a physical condition. I don't like pushing a grocery cart because it does not sway with me as I walk, but I love the swaying of a ship.

 

Do as some said and plan for the cruise ahead of time, look into getting some pills, patches or bands for motion sickness. Don't start worrying about it until your cruise, you can worry yourself for no reason. Bring some bottles of ginger ale to enjoy on the ship, that helps a lot of people feel better.

 

While on the ship enjoy looking at the horizon, it is a beautiful sight, especially in the morning and evenings, and it helps you feel less sea sick.

 

You will be safe, have a great cruise and enjoy being at sea.

[Demonyte]

The bigger the ship the less it is affected by the seas.

 

That is not so straight forward - bigger the ship, the more wind surface it has and the more side wind it catches and rolls as the result.

 

I'd rather say that modern ships are built more with passenger comfort in mind than older ships - as long as you are talking about ships (not boats), even smaller modern ships can manage with weather much better than ships build couple of decades ago.

[zqvol]

Like in air or land travel, most people travelling will never be in really dangerous accidents, but then again - even big accidents do happen occassionally.

 

7StoZp-2_hA

 

 

the OP could have gone all day without you posting this junk. Yes it happens but there was no need to show her something from the middle of a hurricane.

[LOWTYD]

I'm going on my first cruise soon and my biggest concern is hitting rough seas. Am I overreacting????

 

I have read to take the Bonine starting a couple e days before your cruise. If youare on deck and feel sick, look out at the horizon. .Eating a green apple or taking some ginger is suppose to help too. Try not to let it ruin your cruise. I have been in some really rough weather and these ships can handle more than you think.

 

You may feel the ship bump and do a little sideways step but it is all ok. Please try to enjoy your cruise. Hopefully you will be having so much fun that you will totally forget about it. :)

[gooch47]

There is a children's version of Dramamine that claims to work even after symptoms start. I bought it for our 11-year old granddaughter but she hasn't needed it in three cruises. She, too, is very prone to being carsick.

[Kenlorz]

Like you, my first cruise was on a Mega-Ship. I, too, was worried about getting sick and experiencing rough seas. As for being safe.... remind yourself that you never ever hear of a breaking news report in regards to a cruise ship sinking in high seas; yet you will almost weekly hear about a local car accident that has killed someone. It is FAR FAR more dangerous for you to get in your car and drive to work than to travel on a cruise ship. And also keep in mind that the captain and his crew are keeping a vigilant eye on radar, storms, weather patterns, etc., and will make adjustments to their course if they feel there is ANY danger to ship, passengers or crew. They aren't taken by surprise by the waves or weather. They know exactly what their ship can handle (which is A LOT by the way). It's a ship....it's meant to float and it's meant to bob up and down and sway side to side. Enjoy it :).

 

As for movement on the ship and getting sick, PLEASE take with you Bonine (non-drowsy motion sickness med) and Dramamine (will make you sleepy, great to take at night to ensure you will sleep well). You WILL feel the ship move. Sometimes you may even feel the ship swell up and down with the waves, but it is a slow movement, not drastic and jarring like turbulence on a plane. If you are anything like me, then once you realize that the meds ARE going to work and that you aren't going to spend your week at the commode, you will start to LOVE the gentle rock and sway of the ship. I SWEAR TO YOU.... best sleep of my life is always on a ship!!!!!!!! I keep saying to my DH... "There better be some waves on our upcoming cruise or I'm not going to be a happy camper!"

[RuthlessBoss]

While cruising is extremely safe.

People have bounced off walls during storms.

 

The video is 7 mins but the real action starts at the 4 min mark.

 

Cruise ship Pacific Sun hit by tropical storm

:

 

I'm not even going to waste my time watching this. :rolleyes: Why do people post these on here when we are trying to reassure a poster of how safe the ships are:(:( Some of those on u tube are absolutely gut wrenching, yet I continue to cruise.

[Seatbelt_Bag_LOVE]

My little sister, who is traveling with me, gets extremely carsick. Will she most likely be seasick too? And can I give her the medicine you guys are suggesting too? She's 13

 

 

I would have your sister get a prescription for a scopolamine patch. It is best to put one on the night before sailing, so the medicine can take effect. Scopolamine works very well for nausea and motion sickness.

 

The last cruise I went on, the turbulence in the airplane on the way there was much worse than any motion on the ship!

[Kenlorz]

My little sister, who is traveling with me, gets extremely carsick. Will she most likely be seasick too? And can I give her the medicine you guys are suggesting too? She's 13

 

As another poster mentioned. If a person is prone to motion sickness, start taking the Bonine 4-7 days before your trip. It does have a cumulative effect. My poor dh found that out the hard way during a trip to Disney. First few days, the pills did him no good and he was uber green after every ride, yet by the end of the week (once the meds had built up) he was doing the most aggressive of rides with ease. On a later trip to an amusement park, he started taking it 3 days before we left to let it build up and was fine from day one. We always start our Bonine at least 48 hours before a cruise.

[geegee1]

I'm going on my first cruise soon and my biggest concern is hitting rough seas. Am I overreacting????

 

If you have motion sickness I highly recommend MotionEaze Sickness Relief, All-Natural Topical Liquid, 2.5 ml. I used it on my Breakaway cruise last year. We hit rough waters, which woke me up, between Florida and GSC. It was so bad that I told my wife if it was that bad between GSC and Nassau I was flying home from there. I used the MotionEaze as directed and was feeling better within 10 minutes. I also picked up a pack of Ginger hard candy just in case.

Good luck

Edited February 12, 2015 by geegee1

[mearsfansinboise]

I was in your same position about 5 years ago. I am afraid of everything. I don't fly. I don't do heights. I was afraid of getting seasick. I was having crazy thoughts of being out in the middle of the ocean and our ship being overtaken by pirates. Just a big chicken.

I went to my Doctor and told him I was going on a cruise and that I was afraid of freaking out and it ruining my experience. He prescribed me some Ativan - an anxiety medication. I started taking that the morning of the cruise before getting on board. I might have actually started that one the day before now that I think about it in order to put the crazy thoughts at bay. I was also fearful of getting seasick so I started Bonine at the same time. I took both those medications throughout the entire trip on schedule because there was no way I was going to let fear or seasickness ruin my trip. All that being said, there was this one night when we were coming back from our Hawaii cruise where it got really rocky. They wouldn't let anyone out on the decks, doors were forced closed, etc. I was still on my medications, of course, but I had my husband get my dinner delivered to the room, and I just laid in bed and ended up going to bed a couple hours early that night.

You will be fine. Just make sure you are proactive on doing things before you go because you want to have the bestest trip possible. And you will!

[Freckle53]

SeaCookie94,

 

Stop watching movies such as, Titanic, Poseidon, The Perfect Storm, etc..

 

On our last (and our first) cruise, they kept playing the instrumental version of the Celine Dion Titanic movie song in the MDR. It made us laugh. But I'm the type of weirdo who would love to watch Titanic or Poseidon Adventure while on a cruise.

 

To the OP, our first cruise was just this past fall. I brought sea sickness meds just in case, but none of us (Myself, husband, 10 and 2 year old) ever felt sick. The last day the ship was rocking and rolling pretty good, I think from going faster, but no queasy stomachs from us.

[Squidward Q Tentacles]

That is not so straight forward - bigger the ship, the more wind surface it has and the more side wind it catches and rolls as the result.

 

I'd rather say that modern ships are built more with passenger comfort in mind than older ships - as long as you are talking about ships (not boats), even smaller modern ships can manage with weather much better than ships build couple of decades ago.

 

The wind effect on a ship is different from the sea effect. The bigger the ship the less the seas will affect it. Imagine two ships sailing alongside each other, an 1,100 foot aircraft carrier and a 500 foot destroyer. Which one will be affected by the seas the least amount?

 

The wind effect is usually a constant wind with variances in speed coming from one side of the ship. That has less affect on the ship than the effect caused by the seas which has a dual axis rotational effect.

[LrgPizza]

Thank you I will make sure to get it. What is your opinion of the ship in rough high seas? Is it safe?

Why on earth do you think they'd take the ship out there full of passengers if it wasn't safe? They wouldn't even take it out there empty if it wasn't safe! Do you think they have a desire to get rid of it or something?

Edited February 12, 2015 by LrgPizza

[mking8288]

OP, since you are in NYC, curious - do you ride the Staten Island ferry (have you ever?) - commuters do it daily and like them, most of them - you will be just fine. Modern cruise ships are designed NOT to sink and safe.

Are you sailing the Caribbeans, Bahamas/Florida or Bermuda - as typical sea conditions for these itineraries; and, varied with the seasons or time of the year. I do think and slightly "worried" more about flying at 29,000 ft. with turbulence as the plane pitched with the seatbelts on, flight attendants strapped to their jumpseat ... :eek:

 

It's sailing with a positive mindset and being prepared. Where is your stateroom located, midship is best and the lower deck (deck 5 on the BA) will be ideal, but deck 9 or 10 shouldn't be bad. Avoid the buffet on deck 15 if seas are "rough" since it's higher up and away from those nice pictureview windows - hold on to those handrails while walking if the ship is bouncing around a little bit (the stablizers would be fully deployed for the best possible ride)

 

Bring some ginger ale, saltine crackers alone as they are good if you experience motion symptoms; and, green apple (from the buffet) and plain white toast are all good to offset those sickness feeling - along with ginger candy. As much as 10,000 people sailed each week out of the New York area alone - on different cruise ships and SAFELY returned to port afterward - just chill out and have a good time. NCL ship captains and officers are considered among some of the best in the cruise business; and they have some of the best & newest navigational aids onboard.

 

We've sailed in 30 to 40 ft. waves in much rougher stormy weather conditions on smaller cruise ships in the past and did just fine - think positive.

Edited February 12, 2015 by mking8288

[52marv]

Seacookie,

 

You're going to have a great time. Many previous posters gave you excellent advice on curing the physical symptoms of sea sickness and Mearsfansinboise gave you a great way to handle the fear.

 

My 78 year old mom had similar fears, so my teens made her a cardboard sign that read: "Please Rescue Our Gam 1st!" and told her to pack it in her suitcase in case of emergency. Then they told her they had a helicopter on standby to pluck her off the deck if need be. It made her laugh! She loved it and it made her feel better about her fears.

 

During her first cruise she found she enjoyed the motion of the ship, it lulled her to sleep. There was only one really "bad" night from her perspective. We were eating dinner and there was a lot of motion. After dinner, she told us she must be drunk because she couldn't walk straight. We had to remind her that she didn't drink!

 

Go have a great time, my mom loves cruising now and she couldn't have had a better first trip.

[Cruise a holic]

I'm going on my first cruise soon and my biggest concern is hitting rough seas. Am I overreacting????

 

Have been on 30 plus cruises. On a couple of occasions the seas have been a little rough- but never felt unsafe. If you are a new cruisers, the best cabins are towards the middle of the ship and not very high up- you feel less motion at that location. My husband actually finds slight rocking very peaceful, especially if he is going to sleep- guess that it from his childhood and his mother rocking him in the carriage!

 

Also, when you look out the windows, do not look down- just look at the horizon and do not stare too long-

 

I am sure you will have a ball and book another cruise! :)

[zqvol]

The cruise itself I'm not worried about. The only thing that keeps buzzing around in my mind is if the ship will be safe in rough seas. Maybe I'm watching too many movies as someone stated lol

 

 

The ship will be perfectly safe. In all likelihood, you won't even realize that you are on a ship. Stop watching movies. The worst you might experience is a little rockin and rollin.