Sea Sick??

[realestatemomma]

I'm going on my first cruise, the Star on Dec. 23, and am afraid that I will be sick the whole time. I got an outside cabin with balcony on the 10th level. I was told that would be a good place for me since I get sick...we are more towards the middle of the boat. I was thinking of going to the doctor to get a patch or something to help me out but I tend to get drowsy with everything that I take. Anyone have the same problems and know a solution?

[swoosh2005]

get the relief band through http://www.drugstore.com it works! Worth every penny spent-if you feel queasy you put it on and set it and all nausea disappears. Read the reviews there by folks who have used it.

Denise

[Lib0007]

REMomma, I had the same worries before my first cruise seven years ago. I am so prone to motion sickness - I even get sick riding in the car. However, I was pleasantly surprised that I never felt queasy at all. As a matter of fact, on all of our cruises, I've never gotten sick, even going thru a really bad storm.

 

Certain places on ships you can feel the motion more than others - especially in the large theatre and some of the dining rooms. But for me, it wasn't enough movement to make me feel bad. I do suggest that you take the motion sickness at night to prevent drowsiness during the day. For the last few years, I have been taking ginger capsules when we go boating and they really help - and all natural, no side effects. I even give them to my dog :p

 

Good luck, and don't worry too much - I think you will be fine. Enjoy your first cruise!!

[smiggy]

Also good are ginger pills. Like the band, they won't make you drowsy.

 

My husband has always suffered from motion sickness and was very nervous about it prior to our first cruise. His dr. gave him an Rx which he never used.... he start taking ginger pills a couple of days prior to leaving and continued to take them twice a day for the duration of the cruise.

 

By the way... the purser's desk will give you free dramamine or meclazine.

 

Melissa

[HollyT]

I use the patch and I swear by it - though I've never experienced any side effects.

 

(I get motion sickness with EVERYTHING - even watching waves on t.v. ... honestly! I was so sick on my first cruise - the Norway - I didn't leave my bed for 3 days ... that was pre-patch.)

 

I would recommend trying the patch a few weeks before setting sail to see if you experience any side effects.

[WazAnOkie]

Here's another vote for the patch (Transderm Scop - scopolamine). I have had the affliction of motion sickness since a child. Cars, boats (even on a calm lake), amusement rides, even some movies that had a lot of motion.

 

That was the biggest reason I put off going cruising for so many years. It finally came down to my wife was gonna go on a cruise with or without me, so I checked into the patch. Have not had any side effects at all, other than I dont have to worry about motion sickness. Even riding inside the tenders on a hot day (beleive me, that would have done me in previously!!!).

 

Usually put it on the morning we are going to cruise, and then enjoy the trip.

 

Now I am the one planning the cruises. I booked our last cruise while my DW was at work. When she got home it was: 'Guess where we are going?'.

 

There are lots of 'remedies', just as there are lots of degrees of motion sickness. Like most other medicines, they may or may not work for every person. But after many years of eating dramamine like candy, and sometimes not working, I would recommend the patch after discussing with your doctor, as it is by prescription only.

[richtersl]

Relief Band works great and does not make you drowsy. It looks like a watch and transmits a pulse through your skin that interferes with the nausea signal between your stomach and your brain. The only side effect is the pulse you feel on your skin.

 

The nausea relief is instantaneous. There's no waiting for it to "kick in".

 

It was originally available by prescription for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Now it's available off the counter at the web site mentioned in one of the responses.

 

If you want to read more about the Relief Band, go to http://www.reliefband.com

[Tomct]

We use bonine, and have not had any problems in three cruises, including others travelling with us, as many as 6 of us. For the record, I do not normally get seasick, so took it as a precaution. This summer, while sportfishing in Cape Cod Bay, for the first time I can ever recall, my stomach was doing some flip flops in the 6 - 8 foot waves, and I had never even considered taking bonine. I will next time, however.

 

I just checked the drugstore website mentioned previously, and the reliefband is listed at $79.99, so I think we will stick to bonine pills. I may consider the ginger, as some of the women on our cruises have mentioned some drowsiness. I've felt a little drowsy some nights, but I burn both ends of the candle, so the long days, a little alchol and the bonine, it isn't surprising.

[swoosh2005]

I just checked the drugstore website mentioned previously, and the reliefband is listed at $79.99,

I was lucky and bought it on sale for $60. Been seasick before so it was worth it to me and mine.

[rebeljohn]

I get sick just looking at a Merry-Go-Round. I have found that a combination of Bonine and ginger tablets get me through a cruise without being sick.

[realestatemomma]

Thanks for all of the helpful information.....I'm not sure which one I will try but I have a variety now. This is a great board and all of you are so helpful!!! Thanks again!:)

[Katzz]

I have been on 3 cruises. The first was so rocky that the slot machines tilted, the second was smooth sailing, and the 3rd, that I just returned from was the boat from hell. I think alot of it depends on how the seas are, how the captain steers the ship (I swear this last one thought he was competing in Nascar), and what the weather is like. I took nothing on the first 2 cruises and was fine, but on this last cruise, I wore a patch constantly, starting as soon as the ship started rocking leaving the port. The patch definitely does help, but even with that I almost got ill when snorkeling in very rough seas with big waves, and then riding on the little boat back to the port. I actually had no drowsiness from the patch and didn't have to keep track of downing medication to make sure I didn't miss a dose. While I am not positive about this, I do know that some cruise ships unfortunately put their restaurants right over the engines and it is real bumpy there. I also had the ginger capsules, but I think I would have spent my last cruise hanging over the side if I didn't have the patch. What you could do is get the bonine/meclazine, and the ginger, and the patch and just use them in order of how bumpy it is. Also, I have found, from my DH on the 2nd cruise that the patch will work after you have gotten sick, so if you want to wait that long, it should still help you out. If all else fails, I hear that the ships' doctor has a shot that stops the erpy in it's tracks (but for a pretty penny). Midship is good and I think having a window/porthole helps also. I wish you luck and a smooth voyage. You will probably be so busy having fun that you won't even notice the ship moving.

[Jessica_2020]

Just got back from the Star 11-5 and it was WONDERFUL! :) You will love the ship it is gorgeous! It was my first cruise and like you I was very worried about getting sea sick, I'm not prone to motion sickness, but I am the worrying kind, *L* and I worry about everything! Long story short, on the ship you can definitely feel the motion, we were lucky enough to have an inside cabin towards the middle of the ship lengthwise and from top to bottom so our cabin was pretty stable. I did a lot of research and decided to take ginger root. I took one capsule twice a day with meals and I was fine for the whole trip except the last day when the ship was really a rocking..:) then I took some bonine (supposed to be non-drowsy) but knocked me out and I slept away most of the day! :) Have a great time!

[Ceramicpro]

I took Dramamine II (less drowsy formula) on my last cruise and it worked great - and I'm very sensitive to medications. I didn't get drowsy at all.

[uneamie]

I get sick very easily. I wore a "drug store" bought band called "Sea Bands" made out of cloth. They cost about $5.00 maybe less. They worked great. Everytime I felt quezzy I put pressure on the disk that is inside the band and then I felt fine. I also took 'ginger tabs' in the morning and at night. This trip I am also going to take some Bonnie because we are going in January and the Atlantic Ocean gets pretty rough in the winter. I don't want to take any chances. I got very sea sick on our first cruise and went to the ship's doctor and got a shot that lasted the entire trip...that was great!

[Atlanta]

Hi there. I've used the "patch", and the only side-affect I've had from it.....blurred vision (which really bums me out, because I love to read, so I ended up doing a lot of people watching at the pool!). I get motion sickness in a car, and I was very worried about getting sick on a ship! But, that patch is wonderful. We had 20 feet seas, and 70mph headwinds on our Alaska cruise, and I got uncomfortable, but never "sick". Another good clue, focus your view on the horizon....helps your "ears" understand you are moving (as your inner ear knows you are moving, but your eyes don't understand that if you're looking at the water). My prescription costs $20 for three patches, each patch lasts for three days. Well worth the cost, so I could enjoy my vacation. I will say, in the Caribbean, I didn't need the patch, except when going out on a small boat to go snorkeling. The cruise ships with their stabilizers do a great job of balance, image what the "older" ship cruises were like. Also, it helps to have a cabin mid-ship, where you won't feel the motion as much as foreward or aft.

 

Pat