Seasick much??

[Softservekid1]

So, what's your go-to seasick prevention? Bonine, Dramamine, Ear Patch, Wrist band? I've been seasick snapper fishing and a little bit on a RCL cruise in the 1990's.

[mikayla73]

My mom used the bands and they work well for her. In all my cruises, I have only once or twice taken bonine. I normally don't need anything, but I still carry some bonine with me in my medicine kit. For me it seems like the rocking ship doesn't bother me, it's being high and forward on the ship that does, but only if the ship is rocking a lot. So I just avoid that if there's rough seas.

[heymikey2016]

The crew recommended green apples to my wife.

[ProgRockCruiser]

The one time we were on a cruise with significant (and I mean significant) swells, 20 to 25 ft, though there was no roughness to it, we knew beforehand there might be such issues and made sure we had & wore the wristbands.  We also had Bonine as a backup.

 

Most of the ship seemed to suffer from seasickness, including an older traveling companion (and while the Bonine helped, it wasn't 100% solution), but my wife and I were just fine, thank you very much, didn't need the Bonine, when the decks and bars were empty of pax.  Don't know whether we are just natural sailors, but we had no issues, and happily drank our fair share of alcohol.

 

In general, from what I gather, using the ear patch works quite well, and it doesn't hurt to have the rest as backups.

[CruisinArn]

Use to take a Bonine at night, and that worked great. But anymore we really do not need it, love when the seas are a bit rough. Cruise more! 😄

[Bollycats]

Always use Bonine, every morning to prevent.

[babygrljaz]

I use Motion Eaze. At least 1 day of every cruise i need it at night. It works within minutes for me.

[bg2310]

Bonine or dramamine (non-drowsy kind!) for me! Always does the trick, I take one each day at least. Sometimes 2 depending on the movement of the ship.

[nc762shooter]

My wife has had good luck with the wrist bands. A crew member also recommended green apples. Anything with ginger also helps, you can get ginger ale or ginger beer from most of the bars. They also make hard ginger candies or soft ginger chews that will help. 

 

I do wonder how many people use the ear patch or take bonine or dramamine for the whole cruise that don't actually need it. I've lost track of the number of people when asked how badly they get seasick respond with "Oh I don't know, I've always just taken whatever just in case so I don't get seasick."

[trudster57]

I normally just use the wrist bands as we get on the ship.  I also carry the ginger candies in my pocket as well as the MotionEaze.  As a backup I use Bonine when I start feeling the motion.

 

 

[DeniseTr]

Def. Better to buy ahead of time, prices in gift shop are outrageous

[rxnrn]

Pharmacist here with many cruises under the belt. Bonine(meclizine) and ginger capsules(for queasy stomach) is all we use. When we first started cruising we would use Transderm Scop patch, but we felt worse wearing those due to the side effects(dry mouth, drowsiness, fatigue).  

[Old Fart Cruisers]

My wife has had good luck using ginger root capsules.  They help with nausea without any drowsiness. 

[Airbear232]

Fortunately, I don’t get seasick, but do have family that does.  For them, we get scopolamine patches at the local big box store’s pharmacy. 

[audcc77]

I use ginger root pills taking 1  once per day starting a day prior. I also bring 4 mini cans of Seagrams ginger ale which is the only REAL ginger ale.  I use the bands, motion sickness pills,  I bring Emitrol which is for nausea, taken by children and pregnant women.  Then I eat green apples if needed.  
 

One time I asked the lady at the dietary podium in the buffet to ask someone else for green apples since there were none on the buffet.  They actually went down into storage and found me one.  

[MBP&O2/O]

16 hours ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

The one time we were on a cruise with significant (and I mean significant) swells, 20 to 25 ft, though there was no roughness to it, we knew beforehand there might be such issues and made sure we had & wore the wristbands.  We also had Bonine as a backup.

 

25 feet isn't that much in the grand scheme of swells.....but it is dependent on your stomachs pov😁

[DeniseTr]

So are ginger pills more potent than fresh ginger? I love fresh ginger and it's easy to pack.

[Hlitner]

2 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

25 feet isn't that much in the grand scheme of swells.....but it is dependent on your stomachs pov😁

Agree, but many cruisers (especially those who stick to the Caribbean and Alaska) have never experienced big swells/waves.  A little over a year ago we were on a HAL ship (Westerdam) that did a week crossing from Yokohama to Kodiac, Alaska.  For 6 straight days we had swells that were in the 22-30 foot range.  The Captain had to order the pools drained (several of the hot tubs were able to function).  As is typical of longer HAL itineraries, those onboard were well "seasoned" cruisers and most did fine.  But we met some who seldom left their cabin!

 

But it is not just about the size of the long swells, but also involves the direction (in relation to the ship's course) and prevailing wind (cruise ships are like large weather vanes).  When the swells are on the bow, there is not much that can be done (stabilizers do little to deal with pitch) and, at times, it feel like being on a roller coaster.  Many "seasoned" sailors can handle the motion, but maintaining one's balance while moving around the ship can be a challenge.

 

While DW and I do not normally get sea sick, when the going gets really rough we do take precautions with a daily Meclizine Hcl (Bonine) pill.  That is the same drug normally dispensed by the ship's physicians (on some lines they simply give it out at Guest Relations) and is often sold in one of the ship's shops.  Many years ago, we tried the Transderm Scop patches, but found the side-effects not to our liking.  

 

Hank

 

 

[Greg4502]

I use the patch. I only use half, as a precaution. As with any of the meds, you have to take it before getting on the ship. I have also noticed that depending how I am sitting. If the bow is going up and down, and you are sitting face the bow or stern sit the opposite way, facing the side of the ship. 

[Heidi13]

DW uses the sea bands for anything but smooth sailing and they work for her. When the wind/swell picks up to moderate 20ft + she applies a Transderm Scop Patch, re-applying every 3 days. She does not experience any significant side effects.

 

I concur with P&O 2/O, 20 - 25' seas are hardly significant, in the marine industry. In all her years of cruising, I believe DW has only experienced 1 or 2 significant storms, where they started wetting the table cloths to prevent plates sliding. She handled those days well with the patch.

 

She has not experienced a severe storm, where the galley only serves cold food and we have to remove the mattress from the bed and prop it on the deck with lifejackets. Mind you, not too many cruise ships experience that type of weather and movement, especially these days. My only experience of those was on cargo ships.

[nc762shooter]

9 hours ago, DeniseTr said:

So are ginger pills more potent than fresh ginger? I love fresh ginger and it's easy to pack.

I have no idea which is more potent, probably depends on how concentrated the particular pills you have are. If you like fresh ginger I would probably just stick with that especially if it works for you and is reasonable cost wise. The pills are probably a good option for those who find actual ginger too spicy.

11 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

25 feet isn't that much in the grand scheme of swells.....but it is dependent on your stomachs pov😁

I agree, I enjoy feeling motion, otherwise I might as well be on land in a hotel.😁I actually find the bigger movements are slower and more predictable and less bothersome than quicker, choppier movements. Luckily for me I've always been able to envision the ship's motion in relation to the horizon in my mind so what I feel and what I "see" match up and I don't get queasy.

[Softservekid1]

So you take a hunk of fresh ginger on the ship, slice and eat !!!???

[9tee2Sea]

i take a chewable bonnie or dramamine , although not as often as I used to.  When I do feel queasy, I keep my head straight, don't look down, don't look out windows, and get plenty of fresh air.  If it's real bad , which hasn't been for a awhile, I will lay on the bed, cover my eyes with a pillow and breath heavy to put me in a trance-like state.

[DeniseTr]

On 8/8/2024 at 5:25 PM, Softservekid1 said:

So you take a hunk of fresh ginger on the ship, slice and eat !!!???

Ginger "tea" is awesome, especially when sick.

Just dice up or crush and add hot water. I'd assume same for seasickness.

[shipgeeks]

Heidi's mention of wetting the tablecloths brought back to me my first experience at sea, crossing the Pacific on a cargo ship. We had a number of consecutive days in which all meals were served on wetted tablecloths, we were tossed out of bed at night, etc. Of the 13 passengers (one couple had a child, plus another one on the way), only one lady ever missed a meal, or otherwise excused themselves from the usual day's routine.  As far as I know, no one took any seasickness meds or had any nausea or other discomfort.

I know that 13 is not a representative number for statistics, but when someone claims that "everyone should take meds before and during every cruise", and "everyone will get seasick any time the seas are rough", I will be the first to disagree.