Recommendations

[Grammie65]

Hello. I have never taken a cruise before but am very interested in doing so; however, my biggest concern is the fact that I have vertigo and am scared to death to take the plunge to cruise in fear of my vertigo acting up while I am at sea. Also, I am trying to get some suggestions on what cruiseline to sail? Can anyone offer any suggestions. We are looking at going next March, 2019.

 

Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you.

[Keith1010]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

Not knowing anything about you it is really hard to recommend a cruise with so many lines to choose from.

 

My suggestion is to find a Travel Agent who specializes in cruises to help you with this. Per Cruise Critic rules we cannot offer recommendations so I would ask friends who cruise if they have a recommendation.

 

Keith

[paul929207]

Welcome to cruise critic.

 

Some opening questions would be:

Where do you live or want to sail to?

Number of people in your group?

Age group?

[Grammie65]

Hi Paul,

 

I live in Tennessee so I guess I would prefer to leave out of Cape Canaveral area. I think we really want to cruise to the Caribbean. I would be cruising with my sister and my nieces (17 & 14) and my grandson (13). We are looking at going in March, 2019.

[thinfool]

I have a workmate who complained of vertigo before he went on his first cruise. Seemed like he wasn't sure he should even take a cruise.

 

Short story...he and wife went on a cruise (Princess)....two things...

 

1. They had a fabulous time

2. The word vertigo was never mentioned when they returned.

[WisconsinFan]

I agree to get with a local TA that you trust and specializes in cruises.

 

The Caribbean Sea in general is quite nice to sail on. If you want to minimize the motion pick a cabin on a lower deck and in the center of the ship. Physics dictates that you will find limited motion in this area of the ship.

[Tapi]

Welcome to Cruise Critic Grammie65!

 

First, I would recommend that you check with your doctor to get his opinion about your vertigo on a cruise ship.

 

But you would be surprised at how stable modern cruise ships can be. A lot of people who’ve never cruises before envision being bobbed around like on a small boat. Reality is much different. In calm seas, it almost feels like you’re on dry land. Yes, you can experience some motion in choppy seas, but it probably won’t be nearly as bad as first time cruisers may think.

 

About itineraries, and since you mentioned Port Canaveral, I would probably start with a short cruise to the Bahamas for various reasons.

 

- First, you can give cruising a try for a shorter amount of time and see how well you do. If you realize that you had no issues, then you can book a longer cruise for your next one!

 

- Second, short cruises to the Bahamas means that you won’t be sailing long distances, which means that you won’t spend as much time at sea traveling at faster speeds to get to your ports of call. Hopefully this will minimize your exposure to any motion that may trigger your vertigo.

 

Several cruise lines sail from Port Canaveral, and Royal Caribbean and Carnival operate 3-4 night itineraries from there. Disney does as well but at considerably higher prices. Both Royal and Carnival offer a similar product on these short itineraries. Carnival tends to be a bit “livelier” and the ships decor tend to be a bit bolder, but you may find more similarities than differences. I’ve sailed on both Carnival Liberty and Enchantment of the Seas and I wouldn’t hesitate to sail again on either one.

 

I do agree that contacting a local travel agent (even better if it’s someone that you can talk to in person) may be a great suggestion for someone who has never cruises before.

 

Whatever you choose, enjoy!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Edited March 15, 2018 by Tapi

[mom says]

Good suggestions so far about finding a TA to aid your search.

Regarding your vertigo, you really need to consult the doctor who manages your care for this. They will be best able to advise you on any measures you may need to take. If you take Antivert for your vertigo, this, in its generic form or under the name Bonine, is one of the most commonly used seasickness medications.

[Sea Hag]

I also suffer from vertigo, but it's never acted up on a cruise. No idea why, but there it is.

[pattycake1939]

Hi potential new cruiser.......welcome to our wonderful world! I get awful motion sickness, back seat of cars, buses, etc and was really scared to take that first cruise but my sense of adventure and curiosity won out and I took the first one at the age of 61 with a grandson, Disney, 3days, and fell in love with a way to vacation! I am now booked on #18, so I'll try to give you some tips. Someone else said low and center and that is true. Also the larger, newer ships feel like you are on land. I take meclizine with me (that's generic Bonine), also ginger capsules help too. Time of year is also important. I have never gone in March, that is spring break time and those short cruises are for partying. If you are coming from Tennesee you are either flying (expensive for 4 people) or driving......loooong ride, so if you can manage it, I wouldn't do less than a 7 day. My 3 day was Disney so no booze cruise there but your kids are older so might be bored, plus you can get a 7 day on other cruiselines for the price of a 3 day Disney. Our favorite month for Caribbean cruises has been May....a little cheaper than in season or the summer and the waters are calmer then. For your kid's ages my recommendation would be one of Royal Caribbean's big ships for activities and entertainment. This is just one old ladies opinion but we have tried 5 different cruise lines and going on 18 different ships (don't like repeating) so maybe it counts for something! LOL........Patti

[Annabanana1234]

My girlfriends husband has vertigo and ringing in his ear constantly, they enjoy cruising. I would recommend taking precautions like a prescription patch for motion sickness. I don’t get motion sickness but my son gets car sick and first cruise we took we had rough seas in the Gulf of Mexico and it ruined our day! He spent the day in the room feeling miserable and sleeping. So it’s best to take it and not need it then to Wait until you need it because it will ruin your entire day! I agree with what everyone said, bigger ships you don’t generally feel the movement if your mid ship and low. I will say to pay attention to the time of the year because my first cruise was in September of 1998 and there was a hurricane heading toward Miami and the captain went around the storm but the sea was very choppy and our table of 10 for dinner only had 4 people show up....everyone was getting seasick! Plan accordingly since you know your have vertigo, cruising is so much fun! Enjoy!