Scared! Will I get seasick????

[colleenbean]

My boyfriend surprised me with a cruise for Xmas-RC Enchantment of the Seas -2/3/07 -which I am so EXCITED about. But I have this weird fear of getting seasick....Any tips or stories of others.. I have never cruised before....don't want to spend it sick.... ps..these boards are awesome, I have been lurking on here for a week, and finally decided to post. Thanks for any advice you guys have!!:)

[Katrinamp]

You are not weird at all! I have the same fear and it is taking over my excitement about my first cruise. There is good information in a thread below labeled sea sickness remedies.

Good luck!

[melika091900]

try meclazine, thats the best one ive used, it doesnt make you drowsy, and you can take the 1st pill 1 day before you leave, and then you will get use to it, Over the counter its also called bonine,,

its the best

 

have a great cruise, you will get hooked

 

melissa

[samtig]

I am very prone to motion sickness. Bonine/meclizine works best for me too. I read on cc that you could get the generic meclizine from your druggist (behind the counter) much cheaper than Bonine. I got a bottle of 100 tabs the other day for $5.88 vs. Bonine at $8.99 for 8 tabs. We are going on a cruise with 2 other couples so have enough for everyone. I start taking it the day before the cruise and take 2 a day. Went through 3 days of rough seas on last cruise & didn't have any problem.

[DonLou]

The Enchantment of the Seas is a fairly large ship at 80,000 tons. There shouldn't be a lot of motion, relatively speaking. If you don't get sick taking a car along a winding mountain road or going long distances, then the movement of the ship shouldn't make you sick either. Relax and enjoy the cruise.

[pcur]

I agree with all of the above. Bonine is very good, and we use it also.

 

We take 1/2 tablet about 12 hours before we sail, usually on the plane. Then another the first night. After that, we only take more if we feel the need.

 

See, my philosophy about seasickness is if I am "aware" of my tummy and how it feels, then I need to take some Bonine. Usually, your tummy is along for the ride anywhere you go, and you feed it when it's hungry. With seasickness you are literally thinking about your stomach, and that's the first clue to take the Bonine.

 

Some people keep taking Bonine after the cruise, too, to avoid the "motion on the ocean" feeling you get when you're on land again. You're accustomed to standing on something that is gently swaying, and suddenly the swaying is gone. Helps the equilibrium if you have the motion thing after the cruise.

 

With the med in your system before you sail, you're going to be fine. The ship's motion feels like a rocking cradle when you are laying in bed. Otherwise, you don't really notice it walking around or sitting. The Enchantment is a nice ship, and as stated above, a big one, too.

 

Enjoy your first cruise!

[Cuizer2]

I get sea sick easy and I have never been sea sick on a cruise ship. However, on my last cruise I did take ginger (once in the morning and once in the evening - with water) and never had a problem even though we were not in calm seas (a storm was following us south from Port Canaveral).

[Seago2]

Welcome! I have been seasick in my life but never on a cruise chip. Take ginger or bonine at first and then try it without it. You'll be fine. You really can't even feel these big ships move. Try to spend some time above deck looking out at the sea. Fix a point on the horizon and just look at it for a while. Do this any time you get queasy and you'll find it helps. FYI: I've never seen a seasick person, or heard of one, on any cruise. That doesn't mean there weren't any, it just means there were very few (I tend to strike up conversations with a lot of people).

 

Good luck!

[chasetf]

Large cruise ships are much more stable that small boats or small ships. It may surprise you that you will not get seasick. My wife cannot be on a sail boat but does fine on ships even in rough weather. Just be prepared as previous posters suggest.

 

The trip you have planned (Western Caribbean) should experience calm seas, but of course it is not guarenteed.

[on board]

You don't have to feel stupid about your fear of getting motion sickness. Believe me it can put a damper on your vacation if you don't prepare for it.

All that has been mentioned is great, about the ginger, be sure you try it before you leave. It can be hard on your stomach and it does cause gas and heart burn in a lot of people. It may not in you, all meds. affect people differently.

I take Bonine and I also take a prescription from DR. I would also try Bonine before you leave to see how it will affect you. If it causes you to be sleepy just cut it in half and take the other 1/2 3-4 hours later.

Good luck

[Tmeister]

In addition to taking Bonine or other medication, book a room in the center of the ship on one of the lower decks. The higher up you are or the farther forward or aft, the more you'll feel the motion.

[Happy ks]

Welcome to Cruise Critic :) , it's a great place for planning, especially your first cruise!

 

I'm very prone to motion sickness and I have gotten seasick a couple of times, no fun at all :( .

 

My last cruise, I tried Meclezine and, quite frankly, I felt like I was sleeping through the whole cruise, even though I took it at night at bedtime. I happened to have some of my less-drowsey Dramamine along in the first aid kit, switched over to that and then felt great the rest of the week.

 

The Meclezine I purchased was the generic type that so many people recommend on this board. I'm not saying at all that it will also make you drowsy, but whatever method you use, try it for a few days well in advance of your cruise. That way, you can test it out on yourself.

 

I also will use the elastic seabands, they work great for me, but again, not for everyone. It takes about a half hour to notice relief from these bands. I'll also drink a ginger ale if my stomach does start to feel a bit queasy. I've tried ginger tablet, they made me have heartburn, ginger candy (yuck, I hated the taste), but those may also work well for you.

 

You can also get a prescription patch from your doctor, it's worn behind the ear and changed every 3 days or so. I've never considered these as I have every side effect known to man from medications. I like to read and I've read that the patch can blur your vision. I enjoy wine with dinner and the patch says no alcohol use with the drug. (of course it says that with the OTC stuff as well, but the meds are taken about 20 hours before I have dinner, the night prior).

 

So, have no fear, try a few methods to see what works best for you.

 

It's true that you will feel less motion low-midship, but who wants to stay in their cabin all week??? Book your cabin where you want (it's probably already booked) use preventive measures and enjoy your first cruise adventure!

 

Now, get to the important stuff, like, what will you wear :)

[on board]

Happy KS gave great points like everyone else but for myself I never got sick in my cabin I always got sick when I was in the Dining room in the evening.

She also experienced same side affects as I did with most that she took. I swear by Bonine and hopefully what ever youchoose it will work for you.

[sunlover5]

You can get ginger capsules at Walmart, probably a drug store or supplement store. I take one in the a.m, one at night. I get seasick and this works good. You will love the Enchantment. Great ship!! I didn't take ginger when I was on her and luckily no rough seas but one night really felt it swaying, I just always start the day before my cruise and take it no matter. Have a great cruise!

[agabbymama]

On my recent 11 day New England/Canada cruise on Constellation, I had a package of about 8 Non-Drowsy Dramamine, so decided to buy a package of Bonine. Took one Bonine about an hour before boarding the ship. At dinner, our table was aft looking out the windows. I felt quite a bit of motion and didn't feel too well. The next day I switched to my Dramamine, taking it at night. I took it each day, I didn't wait to see if I was going to be sick again, as if you wait until you are sick, it's usually too late for the medication to help. I did run out of Dramamine, and had to take a Bonine the last night. But I never was sick again the whole trip. Be sure to buy it here in the U.S. as other Countries may not have it. Canada for sure doesn't sell Dramamine, they only sell Bonine, and I won't buy that again.:p

[cruisienewbie]

I agree with most of what everyone else has said. The trick is prevention. Once you're seasick it's really not easy to feel better with just taking meds. I usually start Bonine a day or so before I get on the ship. I have a funny story about my first cruise. I didn't know anything about cruising or these boards. One night there was a little bad weather so the waves were kind of rough. We still tried to continue with dinner and the festivities on board. Well we went to the show and it seemed liked my friends wanted to sit right on the front row. The room was spinning and I was holding on for dear life :eek: . Everyone thought I was drunk! Well the performers were singing and dancing to YMCA and wanted audience participation. The room was still spinning so I wasn't moving. What did I do that for!! I was an easy target sitting on the front row not dancing and singing. The guy dressed as the policeman comes over to me tears off his shirt and proceeds to perform what I can only refer to as a lap dance! I was green from the seasickness and red from embarassment!:o

[In the Pink]

My husband and I are both very prone to sea-sickness (but I don't have problems in the car) so we were very concerned about cruising also. We have always used the TransdermScop patch you wear behind your ear (Rx from your Dr.) and have never had a problem--not even on the cruise where we had 20 ft seas for 2 full days and about 1/2 of the ship (including crew) were sick. I do also take ginger tablets with me just in case, and you can also get ginger ale on board which also helps.

[Aidansmommy2]

I'm the queen of motion sickness and i've never gotten sick on a cruise (well, except for the time I ate too many cookies at tea...lol:rolleyes: ). Unless its very choppy, you probably won't even feel the motion of the ship. I do find that the non-drowsy version of Dramamine always worked well for me when I fly (which isn't very often). Non-drowsy Dramamine is the same thing as meclizine, so if you can get this cheaper do it. Good luck and don't worry about getting seasick, it probably won't happen.

Happy Cruising :)

Barb

[Aidansmommy2]

ooops...double post.

[4everonvacation]

I don't get seasick but will sometimes just feel a little "off" if the swells reach about 15ft or higher so I take dramamine the morning before we board, the morning we board and then every night during the cruise.

 

My DH gets seasick very easily and dramamine does not work for him. He did use the TransdermScope patch for one cruise but it affected his vision as far as trying to read anything. For our second cruise he tried Bonine, taking it the day before we boarded and every morning and right before bed during the cruise. He didn't get seasick and didn't have any side affects.

 

Take otc with you, if you decide to NOT take it unless you feel sick and find that you need it then take one and take a nap while it kicks in.

[wingcorider]

I've had motion sickness problems my whole life. But, loving to travel, just dealt with it. One cruise I used the patch-after 3 days I couldn't read because my vision was so bad. Used motion bands-an accupuncture type wrist band, didn't help the sickness except to make me think of how numb my arms were. I used drammamine and even prescription meclizine-I slept through one entire 3 day cruise!!

Then, I ordered the Relief Band from drugstore.com (they are currently $89.99) and it really, really, really, works. Did I mention that it works? :) It looks like a watch and has no drug side effects at all. I wouldn't fly without it or take a cruise. Saying that, I will also say that I still use it on airplanes but since the ships have become megaships, have only needed it as a "safety blanket" on the last 4 cruises.

The bottom line is, if you really are prone to motion sickness, it would be worth it to buy it to have just in case. And if you do need it, I could almost guarantee that it will work without side effects. (The initial cost is high but I've never changed the batteries; I've used it several times a year for the past 5 years.)

Hope this helps, and have a great cruise.

WIngcorider

[critterchick]

I'm backwards - I have no trouble with bouncing around on a small boat, but rolling swells + cruise ship = distress for me. "Less-drowsy" dramamine knocks me out, so I'm going to try Bonine (or its generic equivalent) this time - I've been seeing some nasty-looking waves on the ocean this week. I'll take it in the morning and see how I do.

 

If you are on any prescription meds, especially blood thinners, check with your doctor before taking ginger (or anything else, actually, but I've read that ginger, which has worked for me in the past, can interact with some meds and over-thin the blood).

[waterbabe40]

I believe in homeopathic remedies and the sea bands, worn on the wrists, use an acupressure point to alleviate nausea. This has worked for me and my children with no side effects like medications can have. Don't worry about wearing them because chances are you will see other passengers with them also. Highly recommended for morning sickness too!

[samtig]

FYI, Meclizine is the generic for Bonine.

[cindersue]

:) Wingcorider (Hope I spelled it right) advised Relief Bands! They are the BEST!!! And worth EVERY PENNY!You can shop around for prices...

No Drugs No side effects...just a watch band that delivers a tiny shock to the inside of your wrist (you control the intensity). It tells the nerve center in your brain not to be nauseas... It's used with pregnant women and chemo patients. It's safe and won't interfere with any medication or alcohol like some of the other meds do... It works in cars planes ships...Even nondrosy Bonine put me to sleep or made me feel miserable... Relief bands saved my cruise even in the high swells!:D

PS This post isn't a commercial even though it sounds like one...It's just the 1st thing that ever really worked with my Sis and I who both get motion sickness:D