Sea sickness

[Suejess]

Hello. I'm going on a cruise across the North Sea next July and I wondered if anyone has any tips on preventing sea sickness. Thank you. :)

[jimneycrkit]

Sea bands and ginger capsules is what I use and never have any problems anymore.

[Paul NH]

Your location on the ship can play a big part on how much you feel. We were in Cabin 5006 near the bow and felt the pitch of the ship a lot during heavy seas. It bothered me during brief periods (seconds), but my wife was very sick from the motion. So, if you can choose your cabin, choose the middle of the ship. If you end up with a cabin near the stern or the bow anyway, spend your time midship in the lounges.

 

All of the above assumes a vulnerability to motion sickness in the first place. For many, the motion is not a problem no matter where you spend your time during heavy seas.

 

Nothing to worry about. If it ever gets bad, they have a shot that does miracles.

 

Paul

[tumeroll]

Try the sea bands. I used them last Spring on a particularly rough sail and within the five minutes that the package indicated it would take to notice a difference, I felt fine. They are made from a fabric and have a bit of an elastic to hold them on your wrists. each one has a small plastic "button" that applys preasure to the inner wrist. This is what does the trick. No drugs, no side effects.

 

They are available in most all drug stores.

[Suejess]

Thank you all for you suggestions. I might give the bands a try.

[Mickb]

I would suggest you get some tablets called Stugeron. They can be bought from Boots or any other chemist. You take a couple about 2 hours before embarkation and then one every 8 hours thereafter until you feel have your sea legs. My wife takes them and never has any side effects.

Enjoy your cruise!

[Druke I]

Ginger ale and saltine crackers work for me when I am feeling queasy.

[sfo-john]

I'd say if you do end up feeling seasick, don't stay in your cabin. People tend to do that and I think that it's better up in one of the larger lounges. We had one particularly rough day on the QE2 during last December's crossing and at one point while in my cabin I was feeling worse and worse. As soon as I made my way up to the Queen's Room or the Crystal Bar areas I was fine and it also helped for me to take a walk on the boat deck.

[cusyl]

If I start feeling queasy (sp?) I go up on deck in the fresh air. Do not look down, but look on the horizon. This works great for me. Sometimes I take Bonine if I think the weather is going to be rough. However, I have never actually gotten seasick by doing this.

[starbug]

Hi,

 

How rough is it likely to be on the North Sea in July anyway?

 

Hopefully, not very, but if anyone has any experience with the North Sea in July, please could they let us know what to expect.

 

starbug

[PeterB]

Hi,

 

How rough is it likely to be on the North Sea in July anyway?

 

Hopefully, not very, but if anyone has any experience with the North Sea in July, please could they let us know what to expect.

 

Assuming that you are sailing on one of the two Cunard ships then yopu should not experience much motion as they are very large compared to the likely wave length and height. Never say never, but you should be OK.

[Suejess]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I felt quite bad when I was on the QE2 in October going through the Bay of Biscay, so I want to try to avoid it happening again. It didn't spoil the cruise though, it was the most amazing holiday I've ever been on. I didn't want to leave the ship! :)

[tandemtourer]

How rough is it likely to be on the North Sea in July anyway?

 

Hopefully, not very, but if anyone has any experience with the North Sea in July, please could they let us know what to expect

 

I don't know if this is much help but we traveled by ferry from Esberg, Denmark to Harwich, England in early June. It was a very smooth trip. However, a couple we met onboard who had circumnavigated the globe in their own sailboat commented that we had been fortunate because the North Sea is sometimes quite rough.

 

So I guess it can't hurt to be prepared.;)

[pisces1]

Remember, if you have never taken bonine or other druges mentioned, don't wait for the cruise itself to experiment. Buy them in advance and then take a dose one day when you are at home relaxing just to see how your body reacts to the drug. Also,the inital dose might effect you a bit more than when the drug has been in your system for a couple of days. All over the counter meds must be taken before you have symptoms, so it may be tricky when you don't know what kind of seas you will encounter in advance. Cruise ships don't advertise sea conditions in advance but you can get the information. Once I boarded in Southampton, I did ask about expected conditions and they provided me with a report from the bridge. When they said "rough" for the next day or two, I started medicating immediately so that the drugs would be in my system and active. To alleviate side effects (like sleepiness), I often take 1/2 the dose and then the other half several hours later. This works for me but may not with other folks. Also, the shot is great, but it will knock you out for about 8 hours or more. It will last the whole cruise. It is effective once symptoms start, but if you use this as a last resort, find out ahead of time if you can even have it. Many older cruisers cannot take it due to drug interactions or preexisting medical conditions.

[Suejess]

Thank you for that. I think I will experiment at home first with a couple of brands of tablets to see which has less side effects, so I can get them in my system, as I don't want to feel drowsy. :)

[jbailey]

On QE2, at least, there is a table immediately outside of the dining rooms after dinner containing chocolates, but more importantly, plates of candied ginger, which is supposed to be very quieting on the stomach.

 

Tastes good, also. I remember small napkins so you could help yourself to some extra to take back to your cabin for the night.

 

While I don't get seasick, many people say candied ginger helps. It's also a nice, traditional end to an ocean dinner.

[Post Captain]

I never chew gum ashore, but the company that makes/distributes the accupressure wrist bands also makes/distributes a ginger gum that is claimed to bring relief from nausea. When it comes to seasickness, I'm of the mind that you can never take too many precautions, so I sail with a veritable medicine cabinet of Bonine, wrist bands, saltine crackers, ginger gum, and ginger ale.

By the way, Barritts ginger beer, a nonalcoholic "soft drink" made in Bermuda but available in some stores in the U.S., is much more gingery than your typical Canada/ Scheppes/ Seagrams ginger ale, & thus I assume it might have more potent antinausea properties than American ginger ale. In any case, I'm looking forward to testing that theory a month from now on the QE2 winter crossing. If the sea turns out to be smooth, I can always mix the ginger beer with rum (a particular Bermuda brand) to create that marvellous drink, a dark and stormy. (On the other hand, I expect there's a better chance that it's the weather that will be dark & stormy...)

 

For those seagoing chaps & chappesses who buy their ginger beer in the UK, Old Jamaica brand is a fine substitute for Barritts.

[Suejess]

Thank you again for all your suggestions. Bonine has been recommended but I'm not sure if I can get it in the U.K. :)

[Post Captain]

Thank you again for all your suggestions. Bonine has been recommended but I'm not sure if I can get it in the U.K. :)

Hello, Suejess,

 

Bonine is just one particular American brand of a seasickness/anti-nausea medication whose active ingredient is Meclizine (in a dose of 25 mgs per tablet); there are a couple of other brands, but if Meclizine is listed as the active ingredient, they are essentially all the same drug.

 

If you ask a chemist at Boots about "Meclizine" (rather than "Bonine"), I am sure they will know what it is.

 

(I'm often flummoxed by the fact that certain medications that are available "over the counter" [without prescription] in the U.S. require a doctor's prescription in the U.K., while other medications that are sold off the shelf in the U.K. require a prescription in the U.S. Very curious, as the effects of a particular drug obviously are the same whether you take it in the U.S. or the U.K.)

 

Whatever name they choose to call it, I'll soon find out how effective it is in the North Atlantic in winter!

 

Best regards,

 

John

[Suejess]

Hello John,

Thank you so much for your reply. I've made a note of the name Meclizine so I shall ask a chemist when I go shopping next Saturday. Whatever I get I'll take a few days before we go on the Cruise to get it in my system.

I take it you're going soon, so I hope the tablets work for you, let us know how you get on.

Best wishes,

Suejess

[JaneBP]

According to my UK cruising friends, Bonine or Meclizine is not available over-the-counter. It's really cheap here, so if you have some US crusing friends, have them get you some and send it to you. Beware of the scopalomine patches, they, particularly, can really affect you in a negative way. And, as someone recommended, try any medication at home first.

 

I admit that my trip across the North Sea last year was calm as a mill pond.

[Suejess]

Thank you JaneBP. With any luck it will be calm when we go.