Newbie Cruise for person who gets mildly seasick

[tracyasu]

Have always chosen River Cruising but now considering ocean.
I get mildly seasick with motion. Would a Mediterranean Cruise be a good option?
 

[sanger727]

Have you tried any seasickness meds? I get extremely motion sick but can handle most any cruise in a large ship with meds. The only time it really got the best of me was a tiny ship in the Galapagos. But yes a med cruise will have less motion than a transatlantic or even a long trek through the Caribbean. I would always bring meds though.

[MBP&O2/O]

In my humble opinion ...

The Med can be like a mill pond one day and vile the next.

Variables include when are you travelling?

What ship(s) / itinerary are you considering?

Scroll back through a few pages as there are numerous sea-sickness threads.

Don't talk yourself into it, as many appear to do🙄

[mom says]

Motion sickness,  like many other chronic conditions, can be managed (with and/or without pharmaceuticals). If yours is mild, then don't let that deter you from an ocean cruise. But be proactive. Learn what preventative measures you can take. There are many threads on sea sickness on this forum, so do a search. My motion sickness is rather pronounced; yet I've been able to enjoy cruising for a few decades now. Unfortunately, no one can guarantee smooth seas anywhere in the world on any given day.

[GeezerCouple]

1 hour ago, tracyasu said:

Have always chosen River Cruising but now considering ocean.
I get mildly seasick with motion. Would a Mediterranean Cruise be a good option?
 

Speak with your physician, and well before your cruise.

That's in case there are any meds recommended, so that you can TRY THEM BEFORE YOU GET ON THE SHIP!  (Sorry for the "yelling", but this is so important.  It's important before any trip, but when one is on a ship, one can't "just leave or go home" right away, etc.)

You want to double check if you have any side-effects, etc., before you leave home.

 

And try to get a cabin that is mid-ship and on a low deck.

The "middle" of the ship will have less motion than either "end" or the higher decks.

 

Then... ENJOY!

 

GC

[crystalspin]

3 hours ago, tracyasu said:

Have always chosen River Cruising but now considering ocean.
I get mildly seasick with motion. Would a Mediterranean Cruise be a good option?

Alaska Inside Passage that does not go north of, say, Hubbard Glacier or better Glacier Bay NP. Not across the Bay of Alaska that is. You want to sail out of Vancouver BC not Seattle WA, unless the Seattle cruise goes to Vancouver before hugging the coast of British Columbia.

[sanger727]

I keep hearing mid ship cabins are best. That assumes you either get motion sick while in bed or face motion sickness by going to bed. I get TERRIBLE motion sickness. Bed is the least of my worries. 90% of the time you are outside your cabin. I’m a huge fan of meds. But I do agree w trying them ahead of time. Bonine is my favorite. Twice a day works well for me w no side effects. I’ve done the patch, for me it doesn’t have side effects other than dry mouth; but many more people have side effects from the patch.

[GeezerCouple]

22 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

I keep hearing mid ship cabins are best. That assumes you either get motion sick while in bed or face motion sickness by going to bed. I get TERRIBLE motion sickness. Bed is the least of my worries. 90% of the time you are outside your cabin. I’m a huge fan of meds. But I do agree w trying them ahead of time. Bonine is my favorite. Twice a day works well for me w no side effects. I’ve done the patch, for me it doesn’t have side effects other than dry mouth; but many more people have side effects from the patch.

 

If someone is dreadfully ill with motion sickness, it only seems logical to me to hope that wherever one is sleeping or spending "down time" is going to have any additional/ongoing effect that is as minimal as possible.

🙄

 

How does having a cabin location that makes things worse than they might have been in a cabin located elsewhere (e.g., midship, low) make sense IF one could select the better location to start with?

 

GC

[sanger727]

1 hour ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

If someone is dreadfully ill with motion sickness, it only seems logical to me to hope that wherever one is sleeping or spending "down time" is going to have any additional/ongoing effect that is as minimal as possible.

🙄

 

How does having a cabin location that makes things worse than they might have been in a cabin located elsewhere (e.g., midship, low) make sense IF one could select the better location to start with?

 

GC

Sure, it’s not worse. But those cabins cost more. And in the realm of things; if I’m miserable outside of my cabin, I’d prefer not to cruise. 
 

what exactly is the point of choosing a cruise vacation if you are sick outside of sleeping. I’m only going to choose a cruise if I can be well enough to enjoy my trip. And it can be done; it doesn’t sound like the OP is more motion sick prone than me. I get sick watching movies with point of view cameras.

Edited December 30, 2023 by sanger727

[Mum2Mercury]

Thoughts: 

- If you're only mildly seasick, you'd probably be just fine with over-the-counter Bonine.  Be sure to get the 24-hour stuff so you don't need to take it over and over ... the fewer times you have to take it, the less opportunity for mistakes. 

- If you've done river cruises, I assume you've been on small ships.  You're less likely to be sea sick on a bigger ship.  I sometimes get seasick on small boats (like shore excursion boats), but I've never had a single moment of seasickness on a cruise ship.  

- Bring along Crystalized Ginger, which is INSTANT but short-lived relief.  I get car sick, and I love that stuff.  Along the same lines, green apples and ginger ale can be soothing to the stomach.  

- If, in spite of your best efforts, you get seasick, you need to go lie down and take a nap.  That's kind of a re-set.  

Edited December 30, 2023 by Mum2Mercury

[GeezerCouple]

3 hours ago, sanger727 said:

Sure, it’s not worse. But those cabins cost more. And in the realm of things; if I’m miserable outside of my cabin, I’d prefer not to cruise. 
 

what exactly is the point of choosing a cruise vacation if you are sick outside of sleeping. I’m only going to choose a cruise if I can be well enough to enjoy my trip. And it can be done; it doesn’t sound like the OP is more motion sick prone than me. I get sick watching movies with point of view cameras.

 

My goodness.

 

I making the assumption that the person IS going to take a cruise.  If no cruise, then... no problem!

 

Not sure if they know yet how they'll be on a large ship at sea, and of course, a lot depends upon conditions during that cruise...

 

But *IF* they go on one, then why not have the best chance of making a go of it?
So selecting a cabin with the best chance of having relative calm in their cabin, why not do that?

 

GC

[edinburgher]

17 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

nd try to get a cabin that is mid-ship and on a low deck.

The "middle" of the ship will have less motion than either "end" or the higher decks.

Top advice.  Mid-ship and low down usually experiences less motion than any other location, and I assume is one of the reasons why the Medical Centers are located there.

 

And if are experiencing illness, try to avoid upper decks, as an example, dining in the MDR which is usually lower down, rather than the buffet which is usually on a higher deck-which assumes you want to eat at all.  if you cannot face a meal, try eating green apples which contain an enzyme red ones do not, and plain crackers.

Edited December 30, 2023 by edinburgher

[SbbquilterUT]

We luckily do not get sea sick though DH has on deep sea fishing boats which does not translate to ships.  For my sweet DIL who were really concerned we advised do not drink right away and spend time out in the fresh air where you can watch the horizon to reset the brain.  Worked great for one and the other did drink and nap in the cabin and did not do as well.  Please be careful and try medications at home - be aware of the combination with alcohol (see folks with a patch behind their ear slamming them down at the bar, please don't).  

[GeezerCouple]

3 hours ago, edinburgher said:

try eating green apples which contain an enzyme red ones do not

 

I never knew the reason people kept recommending GREEN apples.

That's really fascinating. 🙂 

(I had sort of assumed, without much thinking about it, that it was some sort of old tale...)

 

GC

[YourWorldWithBill]

Some studies have shown that ginger works better than the medications. My wife and I take pills called Ginger Relief with us, and they are pretty effective, but she still takes a medication if things get too much.

 

Another note to support what @sanger727said: we always try to have a cabin mid-ship, but since the dining rooms are always aft, and no one stays in their room, it's not a complete solution. But it does help to have a secure place to go to when the waves start. So, stick with mid-ship.

 

My wife used the patch on a couple of cruises, but the dry mouth can get pretty extreme. Some physicians won't prescribe them any more.

[edinburgher]

5 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

I never knew the reason people kept recommending GREEN apples.

Had to consult Dr Google, but it appears that green apples are high in PECTIN which  helps neutralize acid in the stomach,  also  high in  fructose which boosts energy.😀 And apparently salted crackers are preferable to plain ones. 

 

You could take  a small number of apples and a couple of little packets of crackers  from the buffet to keep handy in your room.

Edited December 30, 2023 by edinburgher

[Ilovesailaway]

1 hour ago, edinburgher said:

salted crackers are preferable to plain ones

ginger ale (when it had ginger) and saltines were the standard home remedy for nausea

[edinburgher]

8 hours ago, Ilovesailaway said:

ginger ale (when it had ginger) and saltines were the standard home remedy for nausea

Think it still is.

Edited December 31, 2023 by edinburgher

[TheOldBear]

For some folks, the phosphoric acid found in Coke products [not found in Pepsi] helps with nausea.

 

As you can see, lots of suggestions but no universal answer. 

[MCC retired]

Been on over 90 cruises , never get motion sickness but put me on a small fishing boat on the ocean and I get sick or feel very uncomfortable every time .

Suggest never retreating to your cabin if starting to feel it . That  is the kiss of death.

Walk around a lot , outside as much as you can , and eat, eat , eat.

 

[GeezerCouple]

1 hour ago, TheOldBear said:

For some folks, the phosphoric acid found in Coke products [not found in Pepsi] helps with nausea.

 

As you can see, lots of suggestions but no universal answer. 

 

Way back (in the 1950s), our family doctor made house calls, as did many back then.  And for stomach problems (e.g., nausea, vomiting), his little black bag contained a small bottle of a very viscous brown syrup that was always called "Coke [as in Coca Cola!] syrup".  It did not taste good, but I still associate that taste with those visits.

 

And whether it is related or not, for me, it is definitely Coca Cola that soothes an upset stomach.

It's hard in hospitals to try to explain that I want Coca Cola and *not* ginger ale, which has never seemed to do anything for me.  I don't particularly care for it no matter where I am...

 

I suspect a lot of this particular effect of Coca Cola is some sort of placebo effect, but probably *not* all.

 

And I'm very intrigued by TheOldBear's comment about the difference between Coke products and Pepsi!

 

GC

[new_cruiser]

If it's mild, you may not be bothered by it on a ship (unless conditions get really bad). The ships have stabilizers.

 

I used to get mildly sea sick on small boats at times. On ships, I would take bonine and ginger the first day or two of a cruise and then be fine without it once I'd acclimatized. More recently, I don't need it even if it gets kind of rough.

[lynncarol]

I too am prone to sea-sickness. In addition to the above remedies/meds mentioned, chose the correct venue. The bigger ships are more stabile as are cabins in the midship.  Also, NEVER take your first cruise on anything that goes out into the Atlantic.  Thirty years ago, for our 25th anniversary, my husband surprised me with a cruise from NYC to Bermuda. It took him another ten years to talk me into another cruise after that.  For what it is worth, I have found that as the years pass, my motion issues while cruising have declined significantly.

[JudyD0114]

I am grateful to see this topic on cruise critic. Up until now, when I would talk about my anxiety concerning seasickness, everyone would poo poo it, or tell me to just not think about it. It is a huge concern for me. We are leaving in 1 month on a Panama Canal cruise from Ft. Lauderdale. I will have the patches. Another big concern is getting sick during the cruise. We read all the time about illnesses going through cruise ships like wildfire, since everyone is in close proximity. Does anyone know if the patches also work for the noroviris? (Stomach flu) Thank you for not laughing at my questions/concerns. 

[mom says]

13 minutes ago, JudyD0114 said:

Does anyone know if the patches also work for the noroviris?

No drug can prevent norovirus, and there is no vaccine. The Scopolomine transdermal patch is used as a preventative for motion sickness. While (-if already being worn) it might mitigate the severity of the severe nausea and vomiting, it would have no effect on the accompanying diarrhea, stomach cramps, muscle aches or fever.