Seasickness

[sjde]

I have not cruised many of the areas you visit on a world cruise. I've been to Alaska, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and Canada near Quebec. As someone who gets sick on rough seas ( but I can read in a car-go figure!) , I didn't need a daily patch, just took meclizine when it was rough. So I'd like to ask those of you who've done a world cruise if you had a lot of rough seas. 

[Heidi13]

Discussing the affects of sea state is highly subjective and weather varies significantly year by year. The port of origin and start date can also affect weather experience in some areas.  From my perspective both our WC's were reasonably smooth sailing, but DW has a contrary opinion. Therefore, I will focus on DW's opinion.

 

2015 WC - R/T Sydney, May to Sept

Departing Sydney, we went South across the Great Australian Bight into the "Roaring 40's" We had fresh winds and goods seas all across the bottom of Australia. We then experienced a Tropical Revolving Storm heading to Dubai. Across the North Atlantic and South Pacific we also experience considerable movement, possibly up to gale force, but never storn force winds.

 

2020 WC - L/A to London, Jan t April

For the first 8 days to French Polynesia we had fresh winds of about 25 to 30 kts and constant pitching. We missed Cook Islands due to the first Tropical Revolving Storm (TRS). We went well north, but still experienced a rather rough couple of days.  After New Zealand, we experienced a regular depression, with winds 45 to 60 kts and fairly rough seas. After Hobart, we missed Melbourne, heading directly to Sydney, with our 2nd TRS causing very rough seas and speed reduced to about 10 kts. Aound Darwin we experienced the edge of our 3rd TRS.

 

DW brought a healthy supply of patches, which we can purchase over the counter. She applies one about 12 hrs before rough weather is expected. She brought 30 patches and used about 1/2 of them.

[rkacruiser]

As Heidi13 said, weather and sea state for any ocean cannot be predicted with any certainty.  Hope for the best; plan for the worst.  (I am a good sailor and have never experienced more than a feeling of "I am not quite feeling right and another glass of wine would not be a world class idea".)

 

The roughest seas that I have experienced was a trans-Pacific crossing from Vancouver to Russia in early Fall.  

 

The Tasman Sea has been "bumpy" each time I have crossed it.  Drake's Passage was the same, but did not live up to its reputation thanks to our Captain who kept the Zaandam in the lee of some fjords of South America before we began our crossing in order to permit a bad storm to blow through the area.  Sailing from Sydney to Perth, we were under the influence of an Antarctic low pressure area for much of the time after we sailed from Melbourne. 

 

The sea between Iceland and Norway can also be rather bumpy at times as well.  

 

Everyone who sails probably has their own opinion as to what to do to prevent mal de mer.  Mine is:  keep a full stomach.  When one embarks on a cruise, what is always the main activity available for guests after they board?  LUNCH!  Why do cruise lines feed us so well as soon as we board?  Well, OK, it's probably lunch time.  But, if my theory is correct:  a guest with a full stomach is less likely to experience the actual effects of seasickness than one whose tummy is empty.  

 

(Is there a mental component to seasickness?  Yes, I think it is for some.  I remember seeing more than one guest over the years being "sea sick" and the ship was still tied to the dock!)

 

Always, I do have some meclizine with me.  I have decided to use a pill or two on occasion--just in case.  I do have sympathy for those who have a tendency for seasickness.  A traveling companion has been a good sailor--mostly--but, for some reasons, at times, Nadine has found the need to stay in our stateroom with a diet of crackers, chicken soup, and green apples. 

 

(Never have understood why green apples are always recommended for such a condition.  On HAL ships, there is always a bowl of them on the desk of the Front Office when the seas are being unpleasant.) 

[2552phxcrzr]

Not only is it hard to say whether there will be rough seas or not, but what you consider rough may not necessarily be rough by my standards or vice versa.  It would be unlikely that there wouldn't be some degree of rough seas when you're traveling for 4+ months.  The size of the ship and whether it is able to deploy stabilizers would make a difference as well.

 

We've got nearly two year's worth of days accumulated on ships.  The worst sea conditions we've seen were in the Drake Passage; crossing between Iceland and Greenland.  Though we've earned our sea legs, we always travel with sea sickness meds ... just in case.  Most ships have them readily available as well for those who might need them.

 

Best recommendation ... if you are concerned with seasickness, stay low on the ship and as close to the middle as possible.  Avoid going to areas that are high or too far forward (as in some of the bow-facing lounges).  Fresh air and keeping your eyes on the horizon will help.  Meclizine or similar often does the trick, especially if taken in advance.  Don't eat heavy food ... don't leave your stomach entirely empty.  Sipping ginger ale is good for settling the stomach.  Some people swear by ginger candy.  For some reason green apples help ... I also like something salty.  There are sea sickness wrist bands that work on the acupuncture premise that friends of mine say work miracles.  I've never really tried them.

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, 2552phxcrzr said:

Though we've earned our sea legs, we always travel with sea sickness meds ... just in case. 

 

We are on the same page with our advice with your entire post!

 

 

[lissie]

Life long motion sickness sufferer here. Avoiding cruising partly because of it for years - until a year ago. Went to PNG on Cunard - the sea was like glass - most movement was inside Sydney harbour. 

 

A few weeks ago we cruised on a small expedition style ice-strengthened ship -notorious for rolling - in the southern ocean - notorious for swell -no land to stop it.  

 

I used this patch https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/medicines/h/hyoscine-patch/ - available over the counter - and the sea-sick prone expedition doctor handed them out to those who hadn't done their  home work.  

 

Normally when I'm sea sick - the throwing up bit is the not the issue -is the extreme nausea which makes me totally miserable for hours and hours.  before and after. The patch removes the nausea. The only problem with that  is that you get little notice on when to exit for the WC. The only clue for me (and its a common one) is that suddenly my mouth would be flooded with saliva (and the patch makes your mouth dry). This is what happend on the first night.

 

Thanks to the patch I got a night's sleep, got up the next day and got on zodiacs and saw amazing penguins and didn't miss any meals! Its like a whole new life has opened up for me! 

 

Later on in the trip day 6 we were  also in fairly rough water and I was up playing cards  on an upper deck, far forward,  it was only an 8 day  trip - but I really felt that I was getting my sea legs. 

 

I did a day trip for snorkeling recently - it was very rough going out - and again the patch made me perfectly happy - I  could feel it blocking out the nausea - and by the time we  got into the sheltered area for snorkeling and lunch I was happy to eat! 

 

I will never be without them again. Bonus points for not making me sleepy and not interacting with booze as far as I could tell. 

 

 

[sjde]

The advice to have a full stomach seems counterproductive if throwing up is an issue. 

 

I guess I'd try the patches-do they make you less drowsy than meclizine? With that,  all I want to do is sleep.

I have found that if I am on the bed reading or watching TV , I am fine, but getting up and walking is when it hits me.

I tried ginger and wrist bands and they didn't help. 

It's frightening to think that a patch might take away the nausea but you'd still throw up?!

[Traveling_Family]

We bought a condo on the Storylines ship and will be continuously circumnavigating so we have purchased ReliefBands for preventing seasickness. We haven't had the opportunity to try them yet but the woman who recommended it to me is a fellow resident who has done around-the world-cruises and swears by these. 

[WESTEAST]

2 hours ago, Traveling_Family said:

We bought a condo on the Storylines ship and will be continuously circumnavigating so we have purchased ReliefBands for preventing seasickness. We haven't had the opportunity to try them yet but the woman who recommended it to me is a fellow resident who has done around-the world-cruises and swears by these. 

I can attest that Reliefbands do work! Have used them for the past few years of travel including cruising the Tasman Sea.  I also wear my band when taking land/bus tours as roads with switchback turns are problematic and I request a seat up front so I can look forward out the window.  We request that our cabin refrigerator is stocked with Gingerale and take ginger tablets with me (Gravol Ginger https://gravol.ca/en/product/ginger-tablets/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwrvR8aqI7wIVjSCtBh1kTAPiEAAYASAAEgJTkPD_BwE as well as regular Gravol). 

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, sjde said:

The advice to have a full stomach seems counterproductive if throwing up is an issue. 

 

Since I am the one who advanced this theory, I can only say:  it works for me.  As I have said--and surely have no data to support my thinking--but I see a linkage between trying to prevent seasickness and the abundance of food available when one embarks up until the Muster Drill.  Then, even before the ship sails, food will once again be available after the Muster Drill.  

[sjde]

If the relief bands are stretchy terry cloth type, that didn't work for me. 😞

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

We bring Ginger and eat a few pieces every day ...

[Porky55]

Very poor sailor here - but so love cruising. My answer to not getting sick is  Meclazine and how I avoid tiredness is I take the tablet before retiring then sleep through the drowsy effects, then am good to go next day/s.
Most 25mg Meclazine are a single 24 hour dose, to my knowledge, so work perfectly for me this way. My personal fave is Bonine.