AK and Seasickness

[lucia1024]

I will be on the Pearl on May 20th. I was just wondering if I should look forward to some rough waters? I am leaving from Seattle. I want to know what medications or remedies would be best if I am going to encounter this. My DH is sensitive to rocky water.

 

I would appreciate any experiences that you guys have had.

 

Thanks

[goawaywinter]

We've done southbound Alaska cruises in '03 and '05. The only time you're out into the open ocean on that route is the first night. Even then I never noticed any rough seas. The rest of the time you're cruising the relatively protected "inside passage". Very calm, within sight of land, kind of like river cruising.

 

I assume you're going round trip from Seattle, and I think you're in for a very smooth trip.

[Toyz711]

in that area, you could get smooth or you could get rocky.

we had a little rocky leaving the sound and going around vancourer island.

left seattle at 4pm sunday, got into very smooth waters by 11am monday. i didn't think it was bad at all, but some of the folks from our roll call were a little green. the capt said there was a storm 1000 miles out to sea? that was last sept.

our family had their pills, some had the patch..you even saw some with the wrist bands. i had some mints and some ginger pills with me..didn't need them. i do have to say this was a smoothest cruise i had been on.

[cruisequeen10]

I never leave home without my seabands or ginger capsules. The seabands work on the pressure points on your wrists so they don't have any medication in them. The ginger capsules are from the health food store. The seabands are not very fashionable, but they do work. I have had other passengers ask me all the time if they work.

[UpYonder]

I will be on the Pearl on May 20th. I was just wondering if I should look forward to some rough waters? I am leaving from Seattle. I want to know what medications or remedies would be best if I am going to encounter this. My DH is sensitive to rocky water.

Thanks

I get seasick very easily and was worried about getting sick on our first cruise (alaska):( . I read on this board about bonine - worked like a charm! I started taking it the day before getting on the ship (1/2 pill in the morning - the other half at night). We hit some rough water on the way back to seattle and I felt great!:) Took a whale watching tour and our boat rocked quite a bit - I felt great.:) Gone sailing twice since that cruise - felt great.:) I'll be taking bonine again on our next cruise.

[sarahruth23]

I should change my screen name to SeaSick, I'm so prone to motion sickness. This morning, I got nauseous rocking my new niece in a la-z-boy lounge chair! I don't know anything about the seas in Alaska, but when I cruised the Caribbean last spring, I was sick almost all the time. I put a prescription patch on well before I got there, ate lots of ginger ale and ginger snaps, and wore the SeaBand. Honestly, the only one that really worked for me were the wrist bands. I thought they were hokey, but I wanted to take everything I could. When I was wearing them, I was fine. As soon as I took them off, I started to feel sick... I put them back on, and I was good. I know they're ugly, but they're so awesome!

[Budget Queen]

If you are prone to motion sickness, definately take precautions. You are bound to get plenty of "smooth as glass" comments on sailing Alaska, but clearly NOT a given and I've encountered plenty of rough sailing and have seen sick passengers every trip. Sailing out of Seattle has way more potential for rough sailing than round trip Vancouver anyway. Take your precautions and enjoy your trip, you do not want to waste a minute being ill.

[kruisecat]

I should change my screen name to SeaSick, I'm so prone to motion sickness.

 

 

I just have to tell you that this made me laugh!! :D I'm sorry you suffer so bad with it! It has just got to make cruising a lot tougher!

 

I have the opposite problem, no sea sickness, just lots of rocking when I go back on land! I take the Bonine as well. Everyday while on the cruise and for about a week after :o

[sarahruth23]

Where do you get Bonine? Is it a prescription? Looking ahead to August... ;)

[Izzy'smom]

I just have to tell you that this made me laugh!! :D I'm sorry you suffer so bad with it! It has just got to make cruising a lot tougher!

 

I have the opposite problem, no sea sickness, just lots of rocking when I go back on land! I take the Bonine as well. Everyday while on the cruise and for about a week after :o

 

I'm easily motion sick too - tried the Bonine, I take one at bedtime the night before boarding, and then at bedtime every night while on the ship. I stll rock when I get off the ship. Should I keep taking the Bonine for that? Sure don't want to end up with disembarkment syndrome!:( Saw that on one of those news programs last week.

[lucia1024]

Hi

 

Thanks for all of your help. I will make sure to take precautions. By the way you can get Bonine in any drug store.

[LarryF]

I have taken bonine on all 14 cruises we have sailed as well as dozens of small tour boat excursions and catamarans. I was on one deep sea fishing exposition in rough seas and had taken no precausions and was very sea sick.

 

You can buy Bonine over the counter at most any Pharmacy. It's located in the same area as dramamine. I take one each morning. My wife who is only 4'10" and barely weighs 100lbs takes just a half of the pill each morning. She used to get sea sick every now and then, but since taking Bonine she never gets sick. She does say it makes her a little drowsy, but I don't feel any drowsiness at all. My son tried the wrist band, but it didn't work for him. He is very prone to motion sickness and the patch works great for him. The patch is prescription only.

 

Also, one of the keys to not getting sea sick is to alwasy make sure you have food in your stomach. Some people limit there food intake thinking that will keep them getting sick, but it is just the opposite. Before going on any small boat excursion, I alwasy make sure that I have good meal in my stomach before I go.

 

Larry

[kruisecat]

I stll rock when I get off the ship. Should I keep taking the Bonine for that? Sure don't want to end up with disembarkment syndrome!:( Saw that on one of those news programs last week.

 

 

That's what I do and it really helps! I asked my doc about it and she's the one that suggested I just keep taking the Bonine. She told me it's a form of vertigo and that it generally subsides a few days after for most people. For me it goes on for about a week. But I find that the Bonine really helps :)

[chewap]

going out of Seattle ,expect rough seas especially in May. I have seen 30+ foot seas and other times calm waters- 4 ft-6 ft seas.

[KnoxvilleSam]

Although I'm not prone to seasickness, I've "heard" that it's useful to keep your eyes on the horizon. This isn't always possible, but for an outing on a smaller excursion boat it might be helpful.

 

Sam

[Toyz711]

here's the wisdom from my dear ole dad:

never watch the waves

never look down

the horizen never moves, keep your eyes on it

start to feel light headed..head for open air, get outside.

and remember to breathe

 

if you are prone to motion sickness..don't watch the motion.

keep your eyes up and out..

[MINIjen]

This is one of my fears too. I never felt any motion sickness until the last two years or so. Generally, I only feel it when I'm in the car with a crazy driver. I've never noticed it when I fly, but then again I'm so light-headed when I'm flying that I think I'd have to actually be vomitting before I'd notice it.

 

 

At any rate, I've never cruised before and I'm not sure if I'll get sick or not. My plan is to take the bonine and get some of those wrist bands. I tried using for nausea a couple years ago (not motion related), but the little knob that puts pressure on your wrist really hurt. Do they come in different sizes?

[coolcat12]

Take seasick precautions. My dh got a bit green on our sailing from Seattle last June. It was rough on the way out but actually smooth as glass on the return. Ya just never know. Our captian did come on the speaker about dinnertime to warn us to take seasickness precautions if prone to motion sickness. I know my hubby wish he had listened to that advice!:rolleyes:

[Izzy'smom]

That's what I do and it really helps! I asked my doc about it and she's the one that suggested I just keep taking the Bonine. She told me it's a form of vertigo and that it generally subsides a few days after for most people. For me it goes on for about a week. But I find that the Bonine really helps :)

 

Thanks Kruisekat - I'll give that a try in August!

[catlove44]

Definitely take Bonine. It is a lifesaver for me as I am also prone to seasickness. We had huge swells 40' + for several days in Alaska last September. The dining room was half empty one night as everyone was sick. I took a bonine every morning and another half before boating excursions and I didn't have any problems. Have a wonderful cruise!:)

[qiangf2]

When ship sails through open sea on 2nd day after leaving Seattle, there is a good chance of having a rough water.. bring medicine and wristband if you are motion sensitive.

[agabbymama]

You might want to buy a tube of each, Bonine and Dramamine. I had heard and read so much on this board about Bonine, I bought some for my New England/Canada cruise in Sept/Oct '06. I started taking it the day before we set sail, and took it the next night too. While at dinner, I still felt queasy so didn't eat a lot. The next day I switched back to my non-drowsy Dramamine for the remainder of the trip.

 

Not sure what the difference between the two is, but I know the Dramamine works better for me than the Bonine.:p

[alaskafirsttime]

Is bonnie available in Canada? If not, what do the Canadians out there take to help with seasickness? The only thing I know about is gravol and it makes me very drowsy.

[Budget Queen]

You might want to buy a tube of each, Bonine and Dramamine. I had heard and read so much on this board about Bonine, I bought some for my New England/Canada cruise in Sept/Oct '06. I started taking it the day before we set sail, and took it the next night too. While at dinner, I still felt queasy so didn't eat a lot. The next day I switched back to my non-drowsy Dramamine for the remainder of the trip.

 

Not sure what the difference between the two is, but I know the Dramamine works better for me than the Bonine.:p

 

Read your labels, IF you indeed DID take the non drowsy Dramamine- once a day pill? They are the EXACT same formula for that and Bonine- Meclizine.

 

It is different if it was the 4 hour Dramamine.

[Terpnut]

Read your labels, IF you indeed DID take the non drowsy Dramamine- once a day pill? They are the EXACT same formula for that and Bonine- Meclizine.

 

It is different if it was the 4 hour Dramamine.

BQ's point just reemphasizes something I always tell my friends: Never buy drugs based on brand names--focus on the active ingredient!

 

Meclizine= Bonine, Dramamine II, non-drowsy Dramamine, etc.

Dimenhydrinate = Dramamine, Travel-Eze, etc.

 

Drug companies will sometimes reformulate a medication product by replacing/switching one or more active ingredients without renaming the brand name so don't ever count on a brand name--look for the active ingredient that worked for you! Some examples of recent reformulation and branding changes are Sudafed and Actifed.