Seasickness-when does it occur on a cruise?

[subwife81]

Hi everyone,

First time cruiser!

I am reading these threads and it appears that sea sickness is really prevalent. I am really confused. My DH told me that cruising is different than being on a boat-he said the ship does not really rock and so even though I get motion sick on a small boat, it shouldn't be a factor on a big ship.

So coming from people that have cruised-do you really feel the ship rocking? Is it only when it is storming or do you feel it every day?

I am sorry if this question has been asked before, but I would really appreciate the input!

TIA!:D

[bluegirlum]

I think it really depends on the person, unfortunately. I really feel the boat move, but some people don't feel it at all. Sometimes the waves are big, sometimes they're not as big. Overall, the boat is very stable, and is built so you won't feel it. Some people are just more prone to seasickness. If you think you might be, bring something. You ARE on something that is moving, but it's not like a train or a car. Sometimes you will notice it more than others.

[RedHeadTexan]

I only notice the ship rocking when it's stormy, especially when we were skirting Tropical Storm Olga a few years back. I do, however, take a Bonine every day since I am notorious for getting sea sick on small boats. As you can see in my picture below, I am a diver and have to get on small dive boats at each port. So the Bonine takes care of that as well.

 

I would bring something with you to take just in case, but other than that don't worry about it.

[zacc]

It really is not a question of the ship moving or not moving. You are at sea....of course it is going to move...more so in bad weather. However there is a major difference between the motion on a fishing boat vs. that on a ship. On a fishing boat motion is very abrupt, up and down, rocking, dropping from the tip of a wave to the bottom leaving that empty feeling in your stomach. The motion is constant and jarring. On the cruise ship any regular motion is slower, more of a gentle rolling action. In is truly much easier on anyone who may be prone to seasickness. Being prepared will be your best defense. I read an article in a medical magazine several years ago the reported as many as 70% of all seasickness cases were actuall mental rather than physical. I am on a ship-it is rocking-I should probably be seasick-I am seasick. You will be fine....go and enjoy your cruise!

[JanineM]

I have a really sensitive inner ear - I feel things moving when no one else does. I can tell if a plane is banking, or when the ship starts to turn. My husband never feels these things (unless it's a dramatic turn).

 

It's my belief that some of us are much more sensitive to inner ear movement - so we will feel motion when others do not. In my case, that means I get motion sick on a dock, in a car, on rides, or on a ship that has very little motion.

 

Unless you get motion sick on rides or in cars, you probably won't have a problem. Ships have much less motion that a row boat or a canoe or even a ferry. Most big ships have stabilizers that limit the motion. You are more likely to feel motion at the very front of the ship or the very back. So sitting in the theatre or the dining room you will feel motion, but if you are in midship, you'll feel less. And unless you are susceptible to motion sickness, the motion won't bother you. A lot of people like the slight motion in calm seas - they say it rocks them to sleep!

 

If you do get sick then plan to take something - there are many choices. Do a search here and you'll find a ton of opinions.

[uppitycats]

Definitely you'll feel the ship move if you happen to be in a storm, or you'll notice the waves particularly high and choppy. Otherwise, it's pretty smooth going, not at all like on a small boat.

 

We've been on several cruises and it wasn't until this last one in October, coming down the eastern seaboard, Halifax to New York, that one day -- for just a couple of hours -- we felt the ship rocking, and felt a bit queasy. That passed pretty quickly and we had no problems after.

 

I think if you anticipate that you'll get seasick, you'll almost guarantee that you do! If you just go and have a good time, you'll likely be fine.

[sillysailor 1955]

:)The first cruise we ever went on was on the HAL Rotterdam (25+ years ago to Nassau/Bermuda) - Unfortunately we skirted Hurricane David - Everyone was terribly seasick. :(Since then I have been on 4 more cruises (Caribbean and Mediterrean on NCL and HAL). No Problem.... these cruise ships have such good stablizers - you won't even know your moving - Enjoy every moment - You will love it - have fun!!

[JDinWA]

It's very individual. I don't suffer from seasickness at all, and I really enjoy "lively" waters but you don't feel them enough on a cruise ship for my taste. My daughter, on the other hand, does get seasick, and she was much more sensitive to the ship's motion than I was. What we discovered was that being in enclosed rooms, such as the lounge where they do the shows, made it worse for her; if we stayed where she could see the horizon, the motion didn't make her ill. So, we skipped the shows and she wore her motion sickness bracelet and took the pills and was fine.

 

My completely unscientific theory, at least for my daughter's case, was that seeing an apparently motionless room while experiencing a feeling of movement threw off her inner balance sensors and made her ill.

[Daveag]

To repeat you will feel the boat move, sometimes up and down, somtimes side to side, if the seas get a little rough probably a combination of all of the above. Don't forget as large as it is compared to the ocean it is in the ship is still just like a cork bobbing in the water. But to alleviate your fears, I have a history of getting very sea sick on small fishing type boats, I use the ear patches evertime I go out on one for the day. But only on our first of 9 cruises did I use the ear patches, half way through the cruise when my eyes started getting blurry and I could not even read the dinner menu I took it off and have never used anything since. Yes I feel the ship move but it is not enough for me to feel the least bit queasy!, and believe me if anyone is going to feel sick it would be me! If they are predicting good weather than I might take Bonnine for the first day or so and then once you have your sea legs give it a try without it. You can always start taking it again if you need to. Or don't take it at all but have it just in case. Have a great trip!!:)

[GeckoGirl]

Speaking from experience, just because you get sick on small boats does not mean you will get sick on a cruise ship.

 

I avoided cruising for many, many years because I get sick on boats, ferries, some theme park rides and sometimes car sick on winding roads, I was terrified I would be sick the whole cruise and it would be a waste of money.

 

So my first cruise I took everything with me..Patches, Bonine, Dramamine and Meclizine. I didn't need anything, I was fine the whole cruise and we were on the Empress of the Seas which was the smallest ship in RCCL's fleet.

 

I rarely felt the boat move even when we had a little storm brew up. Recently on the Mariner we had rough seas our first day following Ike and the winds were 40 mph, I still had no problem even though I could definitely feel the boat moving. This actually surprised me since I am so motion sensitive.

 

So it's hard to say whether you will have a problem or not but if I were you, I would still bring something just in case.

[cb at sea]

I'm not "motion sensitive", but I can feel the ship moving on the ocean--after all, in the scheme of things, the ship is pretty damn small compared to what it's floating on! It's never made me feel ill, tho....I just don't get motion sickness! But, you can feel it, even in fairly calm seas. Anything above 6-8 ft swells, and the ship does move a bit!

[noobcruiser]

small boats are no problem, cars are no problem, planes - I take something because of unexpected turbulence.

 

My first cruise (on disney to the carribbean) was our honeymoon. Embarkation night, sitting in Paolo on the tip top of the ship...we placed our orders...5 minutes later I was running at top speed to the bathroom...and never made it...I was sick as a dog for 12 hours.

 

At some point in that 12 hour haze, I had my wife put the scopalmine (spelling?) on me. I used the patch for the remainder of the cruise. no probems..

 

Hawaii in 2006, I took 1 24hour dramamine per day...no problems.

 

For Alaska...I will be taking 1 dramamine per day.

 

Regardless of how rough the seas could get or how calm they might be...the memory of those 12 hours was enough for a lifetime...dramamine for me for every cruise from here on out.

[jamers22]

I get motion sickness in cars, on fair rides and small boats. Always have.

 

Sometimes it's not the movement you feel that makes you sick. I can look out the cabin window and just see the passing horizon and start feeling woozy (sp?). If I don't look out the window - I'm fine. On deck I can look out over the water and horizon and I'm just fine. It's strange.:rolleyes:

 

If I take Dramamine or Bonine the morning before the cruise and during the cruise I don't have problems... just can't look out our cabin window.:o

On both of my cruises there have been small periods that the ship would rock pretty good (no storms, clear nights) and I never got sick using either Dram. or Bonine. It was actually kinda neat trying to walk around with the ship rocking.:p

 

I hope this helps. Have a great trip!:)

[MoYerclan]

Hi everyone,

First time cruiser!

I am reading these threads and it appears that sea sickness is really prevalent. I am really confused. My DH told me that cruising is different than being on a boat-he said the ship does not really rock and so even though I get motion sick on a small boat, it shouldn't be a factor on a big ship.

So coming from people that have cruised-do you really feel the ship rocking? Is it only when it is storming or do you feel it every day?

I am sorry if this question has been asked before, but I would really appreciate the input!

TIA!:D

 

I dunno... I never experienced a bit of seasickness on board. After the cruise I felt a bit wobbly on land ("sealegs" I hear it called), but it went away in about 3 days.

Try to think positively that you *won't* have it and maybe positive attitude will reward you with seasick free days at sea? Go prepared with a few treatment options but go with a positive attitude also.

[Cuizer2]

Hi everyone,

First time cruiser!

I am reading these threads and it appears that sea sickness is really prevalent. I am really confused. My DH told me that cruising is different than being on a boat-he said the ship does not really rock and so even though I get motion sick on a small boat, it shouldn't be a factor on a big ship.

So coming from people that have cruised-do you really feel the ship rocking? Is it only when it is storming or do you feel it every day?

I am sorry if this question has been asked before, but I would really appreciate the input!

TIA!:D

 

It depends on the condition of the sea. If the waves are twenty feet high, you can bet the ship is going to be rocking. If the waves are just two feet high you may not feel a thing.

 

I get seasick easily, yet it has never happened on a cruise ship (I have been on thirteen cruises). I have been in seas as high as twelve feet. I do take ginger with me, just in case.

 

The cruise ships are big, and thus don't float on top of the waves like a cork. The cruise ships also have stabilizers, which can reduce the rolling motion (the left to right swaying of the ship).

 

Low and center will have the least amount of movement. So a cabin near the water line mid ship will move less than a cabin on the top deck near the bow or stern.

 

Nonetheless, seasickness is caused by a conflict between the ears and the eyes. If you are inside, and cannot see the horizon, but your ears detect movement, then that can cause seasickness in some people. Thus it is best to be in a place where you can see the horizon, and thus both your eyes and your ears will detect the movement, and be in agreement.

 

The exact opposite can also cause seasickness, and it happened to me. I was sitting on my friend's couch playing a video driving game on a big screen TV. My eyes saw movement, my ears didn't detect any movement, and I was soon on my knees reviewing the contents of my last meal.

[WineDarkSea]

Speaking from experience, just because you get sick on small boats does not mean you will get sick on a cruise ship.

 

 

I agree with this. I get motion sickness on the porch swing. That's not an exaggeration, I really do :p I've tried it a few times to make sure it isn't something I ate or whatever, but every time I try to work outside and take my laptop on the porch swing, it takes about five minutes before I feel so nauseated I have to get back inside.

 

I'm ok in cars, though I used to feel crappy as a child when I tried to read on long trips.

 

On cruise ships, so far I have not felt seasick. I was on a 17 night transatlantic last month and it had some quite rough seas at times, but I was never sick. Sometimes when it got really bad I felt a little strange, but I never felt like I was going to throw up.

 

All that said, you really should come prepared! I think the instructions for those pills tell you to take them before you feel anything, so you might never even know whether you get seasick on a cruise ship or not. :p

[PLStype]

you took the words right out of my mouth. Open areas, Fresh air, and wrist bands found at most any drugstore. If the waves get too rough I think the medic hands out free seasickness pills. Rough waters are the exception not the norm so get out there and have a great cruise!

[printingchick]

This was a concern of mine when I cruised the first time. I get sea sick on ferry rides. I can get motion sickness swinging on a swing set!

 

My first cruise, I fell nauseus on day one - at sea. Of course, I'd over-indulged in drinks-of-the-day upon boarding the previous afternoon, so it could have been a hang-over.

 

My second cruise, I was more careful not to let my excitement over tropical drinks by the pool get the better of me. I still felt a little queezy my first day - also an at sea day. I took a Bonine and was fine for the rest of the cruise.

 

I've been on a total of eight cruises. Those first sea days on my first two cruises, I've never experienced sea sickness again.

[ddonalds]

I think WaterBaby and I are related. I would get woozy waiting to get on the ship.... :eek:. Since you don't know - just take some precautions (any of the above mentioned) - and be prepared. Having gotten seasick on a cruise - better safe than sorry.....;)

[GeorgiaPeach51]

I haven't used a patch in quite a while, but on one early cruise I got sassy halfway through and took the patches off. Then we went snorkeling and were in an area where there was some boat traffic and alot of swells (not the best excursion we've ever done, needless to say). I got seasick in the water....not sick, but just nauseous. Misery. I have since given up on the patches due to the dry mouth that comes with them. Only one incident of seasickness since and it was due to rough seas. Just a warning to be careful of getting too overconfident. Like everyone said, go prepared, then you can back off if needed. Have a great time!;)

[ger_77]

It's my belief that some of us are much more sensitive to inner ear movement - so we will feel motion when others do not. In my case, that means I get motion sick on a dock, in a car, on rides, or on a ship that has very little motion.

 

I fully agree with you - even as a child I could get carsick on straight roads and remember barfing down the side of the car more times than you can imagine. (Too much info, I know!) The one thing I never know is when I am going to get seasick. There are times when we can have relatively calm seas and I start feeling light-headed and crummy for a few hours. Other times the seas can be really rolling and I'll keep on trucking just as if I was walking at the mall. I do know that I keep Bonine in my system at all times and don't focus on anything but having fun on the ship.

 

Smooth Sailing! :):):)

[Livin4Real]

Just slam a couple long islands, that'll give you an idea of the motion. I smile and laugh and sway the same on both :D

[grandmato4]

Your DH is right about the fact that just because one may get sick on a small boat doesn't mean they will get sick on a big ship as there is a BIG difference between the two. I don't do well on small boats with big waves. BUT as everyone else has said, you're still on a ship on the water and you will feel a bit of motion even in smooth waters. More so in the front of the ship and in the aft of the ship. The higher the wave action the more motion you'll feel.

 

We've cruised enough now that my DH doesn't need it anymore, but for our first few cruises DH always needed to have taken some Bonine BEFORE we sailed so he had it in his system to cover him through the first 24 hours while he got his sea legs. Once he was used to the mild motion he was fine unless we hit really rough weather. Now he takes nothing unless we get some major motion. I on the other hand never need to take anything with the exception of the one cruise we had a wild adventure!:eek: There is no predicting what kind of weather you will experience so expect the best and take some medication with you just in case you get an adventure;) .

[jocap]

:eek: My DH is a roller coaster fanatic, but it's the roundabouts that make him ill. He's never felt sick on a cruise until once in the notorious Bay of Biscay, going N. through a W.storm,he was stricken, lying on the bed then announced: "We've turned East!"-which no-one else had noticed- and was IMMEDIATELY OK, and ate a massive last-night dinner!-jocap.

[griffy]

I had a history of "car-sickness" as a child, and so expected to be seasick also. Never had a problem. My daughter, on our 3rd cruise, sat watching the ships wake during dinner. Before the entree arrived, she had to excuse herself. She went to the pursers desk, got a bonine and within a couple of hours was fine again. We've been awakened in the night because the ship was bouncing around so much (during a storm) that the desk drawers were rolling out and slamming back into the cabinet and have never been seasick again. It can sneak up on you. Take a bonine or dramamine and relax.