Seasickness prevention tips

[Jack E Dawson]

David, I just had a glance at the QM2 deck plan and noticed that your cabin is is on the inner row of inside cabins, directly over the keel. This location will ever further reduce what little motion there might be on the ship. Also, remember that the main dining room, Queens Ballroom, Royal Court Theater and many of the other venues that you will spend much of your time in, are all located on Decks 2 and 3. You and your TA have done well in planning your first voyage. Don't forget to register with your Cruise Critic Roll Call and attend the gathering on the morning of the first full day. It is usually held in the Commodore's Club. This is a great way to make life-long cruising friends. 

 

Jack

[David rut]

Thanks so much for the insight. It all seems to have worked out quite well in that regard.

 

looking forward to it. 

 

Thanks again.

 

david 

[Tonopah]

4 hours ago, David rut said:

Thanks so much for the insight. It all seems to have worked out quite well in that regard.

 

looking forward to it. 

 

Thanks again.

 

david 

Please report back after your journey. It would be most helpful for those of us who suffer, however occasionally, from mal de mer. 

[David rut]

I will definitely do that 

[alibabacruisers]

Just to add to what others have said.  I experienced seasickness on my first few cruises but finally found Avomine in Australia which is  once of the meclizine medications.  Phenergan is also used by the ships medical department.  The information that I learned after the first time and what I always do now is take the tablet one hour before bed and that helps you sleep as well as decreases the drowsiness the next day.  For me, I just take it for the entire cruise because as another person said once you get that feeling it is more difficult to get rid of it so prevention is the better choice, in my opinion.  We just got back from a 27 night cruise and I took it the entire time and had no problems.  Before I found this solution, I had tried the bands, ginger candy, ginger tablets and none of them worked for me.

 

The location of your room sounds like a good choice and I hope you have a great cruise!  Cruise Critic is a great place to get information to help you when planning a cruise!

 

[babs135]

Some people say lemon and ginger tea helps with motion sickness.  We had some particularly rough weather on a recent Queen Elizabeth cruise to such an extent that I only went into dinner in the MDR to keep DH company (he doesn't suffer) on one night.  When our wonderful waiter came to take his order and I told him why I wasn't eating anything he disappeared and came back with a pot of lemon and ginger tea which, he said, would help.  

 

It did.  Although I do wonder if some of it is purely psychological;  you're told it will help, etc, etc.

[T5LHR]

I was quite hopeful that I would not suffer from sea sickness, but on my first TA, off the south coast of Ireland, our first sea day, we were in a big storm and I was suffering... 

 

I bought the Dramamine tablets from the Pursers desk and used them. Put me right as rain and I took one before bed each night so it minimised the effects of the drowsiness, and they work great for me. 

 

I will have them on my back to back too, just to ward off any feelings of sea sickness just in case. All be it, I will buy them before I board like I did last time, save a penny or two! 

[socialdancer]

On 5/8/2019 at 4:57 PM, Underwatr said:

DW worries about seasickness but she wears Sea Bands on her wrists and claims they do a great job. 

 

 

 

Sea Bands really work, when onboard I keep them in the bedside drawer as the very rare occasion when I have felt queasy, it has always been at night. They are also useful to have with you if you are doing excursions which involve a lot of coach travel. I don’t like taking medication of any sort, and find the Sea Bands invaluable.

[VintageCCG]

A few pointers, David, that you may find helpful:

- For many people, motion sickness is equal parts physiological (the inner ear) and psychological (the inner brain). Fretting about being sick will only make matters worse and become a self-fulfilling prophecy, while distractions can often tide you over.

- It often takes several days to become accustomed to the ship's motion i.e. "get your sea legs". By all means investigate the precautions mentioned in previous comments, but don't panic if you experience brief moments of queasiness, especially in the first few days at sea. Instead, take it easy during those times and have a lie-down if necessary until your stomach settles down. 

- As mentioned, the QM2 is one of the most sea-kindly ships afloat. She is long and deep, with the hullform of an ocean liner rather than a cruise ship, and she features effective stabilizers that greatly reduce any roll. The captain and watchkeepers are also very conscious of their passengers' comfort, and will often modify the course and speed slightly to minimize discomfort.

- Other than periods spent lying down in your cabin, it's best to avoid being shut in without a visual reference of the horizon. Time spent on deck or the balcony with fresh air and an open view is the best.

- There are various medicinal and homeopathic "cures" for motion sickness. None are absolute but many can help. Consult your physician in advance and the ship's medical staff while on board. Beware of side effects, and avoid alcohol. Scopolamine patches in particular provide powerful medication but can lead to distorted vision ("tunnel vision"), dry mouth and other undesirable effects. Gravol, Dramamine etc. are various brand names for Dimenhydrinate, an anti-emetic. As mentioned elsewhere, it's most effective to take them before nausea sets in. Expect drowsiness to result, so taking them before bed is indicated, or when a nap can be taken.

- non-medicinal anti-emetics include real ginger (note that Ginger Ale only contains insignificant traces) and vitamin B6. Acu-pressure wristbands can be used. Peppermint smells can be helpful (peppermint hard candy or a tissue with a dab of peppermint oil).

- avoid alcohol and greasy or spicy foods or anything that stresses your digestion. Blander choices are best. It is important to stay hydrated, especially if you have been vomiting and ... to be blunt ... consider that some foods come up less unpleasantly than others. And vomiting on an empty stomach is the worst! This is where Ginger Ale can be a blessing, as well as food such as canned pasta. Treat it like a 24-hour bug and let it run its course.

- Accept that even some hardened mariners occasionally get queasy in certain sea-states (and not always in the roughest conditions!) If this happens then don't fight it; rather relax, follow the prudent steps above, and carry a lined sickness bag as a precaution in case you are unexpectedly caught short in a public area.
And remember not to face into the wind if feeling ill on deck! (the leeward side is your friend!)

 

Best of luck, and enjoy your voyage!

 

[Jack E Dawson]

Great advice VintageCCG. Unfortunately, I believe David has already completed his crossing. Hopefully we will hear from David as to how things went.

As to your last point, I once heard the great America's Cup skipper Dennis Conners say in an interview, that despite a lifelong career on boats, on very rare occasion certain boats and/or wave harmonics have caused him to become seasick.

 

Jack

[candle in the wind]

On ‎5‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 2:31 AM, David rut said:

Thrown out of bed?? That sounds quite scary. Hoping for calmer seas.

 

thanks everyone for all the wonderful pointers. I didn’t realize you had to take the tablets before you wake up so that will no doubt be a big help for us.

 

we can’t wait. Thanks again everyone 

Being thrown out of bed is quite unusual, but rough seas do happen and on my first Transatlantic I had to throw myself onto the bed to avoid being thrown on. To see what the 

[VintageCCG]

7 hours ago, Jack E Dawson said:

Great advice VintageCCG. Unfortunately, I believe David has already completed his crossing. Hopefully we will hear from David as to how things went.

As to your last point, I once heard the great America's Cup skipper Dennis Conners say in an interview, that despite a lifelong career on boats, on very rare occasion certain boats and/or wave harmonics have caused him to become seasick.

Jack

 

I hope he enjoyed his voyage ... obviously motion sickness is unavoidable for some individuals but it is saddening when others obsess over motion sickness to the point they make themselves ill.
I'm told that there are now powerful drugs known as "placeboes" that can be very effective ...

As to your Dennis Conner reference, it's funny but a slow rolling swell once surprised me by inducing queasiness, whereas the roughest sea states were more like a fun ride.
I once sailed with a purser who suffered somewhat frequently ... she joked that she would drink chocolate milk because it would come up as hot chocolate!

[Jack E Dawson]

Would certainly enjoy hearing back from David rut (OP) as to his experience. Did he get seasick? Were any of the suggested remedies put to use? If so, successfully? How was his first QM2 TA?

[broberts]

There are a number of different solutions usually mentioned. It appears that there is no single solution that resolves motion sickness for everyone. Some of the drugs may not be available in particular countries and when available may require a prescription

• Hyoscine (Scopolamine)
• Meclizine (Bonamine)
• Dimenhydrinate (Gravol, Dramamine)
• Ginger (tablets, candies, gum, etc.)
• wristband with pressure point (Sea Bands)
• Electronic wristband
• Green apples
• Fresh air, watching the horizon

I would suggest consulting a family physician familiar with ones medical history. Some of the solutions may be contraindicated.

 

I tried the Scopolamine patch. Did not particularly like using it.

 

Tried Meclizine. It made me incredibly drowsy.

 

Ginger seems to work for me.

[paper tiger]

Speaking as some-one who suffers from terrible travel sickness I second the vote for ginger.I buy ginger chews from amazon called Gin Gins and they really work well.A word of caution though,although safe for most people,ginger should not be taken if you are on blood thinners as ginger can increase your risk of bleeding.

Otherwise its worth a try

[David rut]

Thanks to everyone for all the advice. We did the cruise about a week ago and I am happy to say we avoided any seasickness and had the time of our lives. Met some wonderful people and will definitely be taking that cruise again.

 

i took some preventative tablets but they really were not required. On the roughest day at sea I felt a little queasy but as suggested on here I took some ginger and green apples and it was not an issue at all. 

 

Thanks again for all all the help and guidance from everyone on here.

 

david 

[Host Hattie]

That's very good to hear, thank you for reporting back.

[canoncruiser]

As to food-eat nothing you cannot lift!😉

[Slugsta]

OP, I'm glad you enjoyed your first cruise and were free from sea-sickness.

 

I have become increasingly sea-sick over the past few years and found nothing helpful other than the scopolamine patch. I am lucky that I don't get side effects other than a very dry mouth but I know that could change at any time.

 

I was interested in the mention of 'TravelShades' on the first page of this thread and had a look at the site selling them. I think I will get some to try on our 24 day transatlantic round-trip next month. They have a 35 day money-back guarantee  so I can send them back afterwards if they don't work. It would be nice to deal with my problem in a drug-free manner as I take quite a lot of them for other things!