Concerns about motion

[panoply205]

Hey NCL fellow cruisers, I am new to cruising and have wanted to cruise for a while now but have always been concerned about my issues with motion sickness. Everyone tells me the big ships are not a problem, getting a room with a window for fresh air will help, or getting a cabin midship will help. Any thoughts on this? My family and I are booked on the NCL Jade 11 June cruise and I am super excited to go but a bit concerned.

[blackwing]

It really depends on the seas... one person will say there was no movement at all but then another person who went a different week on the same ship will say there was lots of movement.

 

Even the big ships you will feel something. I felt movement on the Getaway, the typical swaying back and forth. But on Escape I hardly even noticed I was on a ship, just a little shuddering here and there but nothing like the off-balanced, stumble across the hall like you are drunk movement.

 

I would suggest bringing some of those anti-motion sickness patches with you if you are susceptible.

[triptolemus]

Do you have any remedies you use now for motion sickness? If so, that is a start. Many people swear by a product called Bonine. Find it at any drug store or on Amazon. That's what I use. Others recommend Sea Bands and there are some patches available too.

 

Mid ship cabkns with a balcony are best for this...deck 9 or 10.

 

Fresh ginger or ginger ale are also recommended often.

 

Bring along a few different remedies and see what works. The ships do move, but they don't bob like a small boat.

[terracool]

I myself, luckily, don't get seasick at all. But on my cruise in April, I saw lots and lots of patches and wrist bands. This told me that there are a lot of people who get seasick and yet successfully cruise anyways. We did have huge seas one night - 35' waves out in the middle of the Atlantic - that overcame a lot of the remedies, from what I heard, but other than that most people were fine, even in rough seas, except for that one night.

 

So it can be done! People are doing it all the time. I would get the bands, the patches, some Bomine, and some candied ginger (Amazon.com) and see what works best for you. Come armed with all.

 

.

[cmdchiefthom]

My wife has some issues with motion sickness so 20 years ago a couple of days before boarding the Nieuw Amsterdam on our first cruise together, she took Meclazine 25 mgm less drowsy formula, twice daily throughout the cruise, and continued for a couple of days after we returned home. Never got seasick, never had any problems with moderate consumption of alcohol, just had great time then, and ever since. ;)

[chong67]

I have motion sickness on my first cruise. I got my sickness when the ship start rocking. It was so quiet and nice until the last day.

 

You can go to the med office to get medicine.

 

My wife didnt get it. The captain advice taking more cruise.

 

You can google on how to prepare for this.

 

I will try my luck again. I think I just need more cruise.

[Manbo]

We cruise a good bit and found Bonine to be the best. we buy a couple boxes before we leave and take our first one as soon as we board. I generally stop after a day or two, unless the ship is rocking a lot.

The patches will dehydrate you pretty bad. They are not your best option.

Additionally, on my first cruise in the 80's, the ships doctor told me to keep my belly full! He claimed that empty stomachs are more prone to sea sickness.

Lastly, unless you are in a storm, the worst you will have is like one night of being sick (and sleepy). Don't fret, just enjoy it!

 

:)

[spidybabe]

I get motion sickness and won't sail unless I take a Bonine (they give out free at guest services ), eat pretzels or green apples (found in buffet ). Pretzels help alot. We drink (alot ) when taking them without any problems. Being low and mid ship will help too. You feel more motion forward (worst) or aft.

Safe sailing

Edited May 6, 2016 by spidybabe

[saxon6732]

On my first cruise I used the chewable Bonine tablets. I hated the way they made me feel. On the second cruise I took I ordered Sea Bands. At the first sign of some nausea I slipped the Sea Bands on my wrist and was amazed. Less than 5 minutes after putting the Sea Bands on my wrist the nausea went away and best thing was no medication involved.

[Dayenu]

Hey NCL fellow cruisers, I am new to cruising and have wanted to cruise for a while now but have always been concerned about my issues with motion sickness. Everyone tells me the big ships are not a problem, getting a room with a window for fresh air will help, or getting a cabin midship will help. Any thoughts on this? My family and I are booked on the NCL Jade 11 June cruise and I am super excited to go but a bit concerned.

 

Big ships are not a problem for those who do not get motion sickness!!

 

Window for fresh air? Wrong. You cannot open windows unless you are in a balcony cabin, and those are mostly too high.

 

Pick a cabin (not a guarantee) in the lower half, in the middle of the ship. Get a window cabin (not an inside) - porthole or obstructed is fine too.

 

Try ginger (if you are not taking blood thinners) - start 2-3 days before the cruise, stop taking 2-3 days after the cruise. Take Bonine (meclizine) in case of rough seas.

 

I get sea sick just by looking at the boats, but with the precautions above, I love cruising.

[Lovemygreekgeek]

I get motion sick on ferries/small boats, and I also take a bonine on the first day and again any time I feel the ship rocking. I've had just a tiny bit of nausea while the medicine kicks in but otherwise I've been fine. Going out on deck and avoiding areas of the ship where you can feel the rocking (far forward or aft) helps too.

[BirdTravels]

Hey NCL fellow cruisers, I am new to cruising and have wanted to cruise for a while now but have always been concerned about my issues with motion sickness. Everyone tells me the big ships are not a problem, getting a room with a window for fresh air will help, or getting a cabin midship will help. Any thoughts on this? My family and I are booked on the NCL Jade 11 June cruise and I am super excited to go but a bit concerned.

 

The jade is not necessarily a big ship. The seas, even in the med, can be rough on any day. Just like the weather at home can be stormy on any day. We were on the spirit two weeks ago. Beautiful, sunny days. But t was a bit windy causing a little rough ride.

 

Get your doctor to prescribe you some patches. Then have your secondly remedies with you. Bonnie. Ginger (not fresh).

[cb at sea]

"Windows" don't open on ships....so you would need a balcony cabin for fresh air in the room!

Ships don't move like little boats, or even, ferries. There are medications that can totally abate seasickness...

[MICHLEV1974]

I do suffer from motion sickness just reading my texts in the car! I am Super sensitive to the motion. However, I just completed by 11th cruise and I have only had the sick 'dizzy' feeling twice...and both times were sailing in the Atlantic from NY down to the Bahamas. We booked an inside room on deck 10 forward so that's a no-no in the future. The ship was very rocky and we really felt it on the high deck. I have had zero problems in the caribbean/bahamas with dizzy feelings.

 

Going out to the pool deck to 'recover' was helpful and so was some essential oil peppermint. I know folks will say try green apples, but there were no granny smith's on the ship this time.

 

To limit future risk, i will book a low deck mid ship or aft. I dont think the window or a balcony would help with the dizzy stuff.

 

cheers to a fun cruise :)

[4774Papa]

Hey NCL fellow cruisers, I am new to cruising and have wanted to cruise for a while now but have always been concerned about my issues with motion sickness. Everyone tells me the big ships are not a problem, getting a room with a window for fresh air will help, or getting a cabin midship will help. Any thoughts on this? My family and I are booked on the NCL Jade 11 June cruise and I am super excited to go but a bit concerned.

 

We have done 14 ocean cruises all over the World in the past 6 years. The vast majority of the time the seas are not rough.

 

Most of the rough seas we have encountered were on two different cruises. The first one was a British Isles cruise and after going through the English Channel south, we had some 20 ft waves, which had the ship moving a bit. The second was the worst, we were out of Copenhagen in the North Sea and a Cat 2 hurricane was moving toward us. While going from Norway, then Shetland Island to Iceland, we had a couple of very rough days. Waves over 40 ft. We were told about 1/4 of the crew and passengers were ill. NCL had barf bags at every stairwell/elevator stop. The second day we were still at sea and spend a lot of the time reading on our beds.

 

I suppose it depends on the person. Some people are affected more than others.

 

You can take ginger tablets and/or wrist bands or so other drug. If you think you are likely to get sick, get the wrist band, and whatever the drug is as well s ginger tablets. Take them before you get ill, if bad weather is moving in.

[punkincc]

The first time I was ever seasick, the sailaway out on deck was great, and then we went inside. No horizion to look at to help my brain make sense of the ship's movements. We were in the MDR but I was afraid to eat and just wanted to head to the cabin. A very wise crew member told me I needed food, and insisted I have some soup, and what do you know, I felt much better.

 

So, I've found it helps to start the Bonine before bed the night before the cruise so that the medication is already in my system when we board, just in case. If it's smooth sailing, I usually discontinue it and do fine. Stay out on deck until your body has time to acclimate, and if you feel anything later, get somewhere you can see horizion. And don't be afraid to eat.

[nhquilter1]

Hey NCL fellow cruisers, I am new to cruising and have wanted to cruise for a while now but have always been concerned about my issues with motion sickness. Everyone tells me the big ships are not a problem, getting a room with a window for fresh air will help, or getting a cabin midship will help. Any thoughts on this? My family and I are booked on the NCL Jade 11 June cruise and I am super excited to go but a bit concerned.

 

We just got off the Star (smaller ship) and had 25 - 30' swells one day. What we do is bring Bonine with us and pop one of those every day. Every day. Doesn't make me sleepy like Dramamine does! (and I tend to get car sick really easily!)We didn't have any problems at all with feeling sick and we were bounced around a bit! Nothing like the Anthem of the Seas went thru, but it was rough! Our Captain really did a great job.

[BruceFan9]

We're going to be in 15104. High and forward. We've never cruised before. Bad choice?

[punkincc]

We're going to be in 15104. High and forward. We've never cruised before. Bad choice?

 

If you've got a really nice cabin I would not change for this reason. You don't even know yet whether you are even prone to seasickness. You won't be in your cabin much during the day anyway. And if it gets really rough, the entire ship will be rocking.

 

But in general, low and center has the "least" movement. You best bet is to take meds to offset the symptoms if they occur. Cabin location really won't matter that much. If you are going to get seasick, you will, regardless of location.

 

Last cruise we were on 11 forward. We had some big swells, not really rough. I absolutely loved going to bed with that gentle rocking motion, so soothing.

[BruceFan9]

Thank you... I was just wondering how nervous I should be. Too late to change now anyway!

[ECCruise]

Smooth seas no problem. Rough seas depends on how rough. Add that to an individual's propensity (or not) to motion sickness and way too difficult to make judgements.

 

There definitely is a misconception that you will have less (or no) problem with "big ships." When the seas are bad it doesn't much matter, cruise ship to cruise ship. The worst incident of problems was with one of the largest ships in the world, Anthem of the Seas, in February of this year.