I'm surprised no one has mentioned Sea Bands -- available from pharmacies and the like for about $10/pair. They are elastic bands placed on each wrist at a specific spot, and they've worked for me for 15 years.

Before I discovered Sea Bands or their generic equivalent, I did the whole range of medicines from Dramamine to Transderm Scope -- all with side affects.

In the last year we've done Alaska cruises twice and had a rough sea each time for a day and I never had a problem, even enjoyed eating, thanks to the Sea Bands. These have no side affects. I put them on when the ship leaves port and leave them on for the whole except when showering or when in port.

They really work for me and now seriously we are planning a Rome-Fort Lauderdale repositioning cruise on Holland America, plus the Panama Canal from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale.