Seasick
 

Never been on a cruise before primarily because my father and I get seasick just looking at waves much less being on them. However the fam really wants to try one. Any ideas for locations, I have hear alaska, where its totally calm? Also among the top lines RSSC, Cunard, Seabourn etc...any thoughts in terms if quality?

RE: seasickness. Have you tried any of the many otc and prescribed medicines? Check with your health care providers first. The trick is to start the medicine before you board the ship.

To pick a luxury line, you should check out the different lines on CruiseCritic.com, then report back to us! I have sailed on all 3 above-mentioned lines. Alaska is a good choice for a multi-generational family cruise. That narrows it to Regent, and they have great kids programs during the cruise. Seabourn(200) doesn't go to Alaska nor is it for children at all. Cunard is huge(2700 ) and there is a lot to do as well. The smaller ship the better in Alaska, since it can go into different areas. Also check the Alaska BB on Cruise Critic. It's a wealth of information.

I don't think any cruise can promise to be 'totally calm'. You need to be prepared. Cruising is a wonderful holiday.

Newer, larger ships usually have better stabilizers and the motion of the ship is nearly unnoticeable (except, of course, for rough weather).

I've cruised Bermuda and both the Eastern and Western Caribbean. The only queasiness I ever felt was leaving Bermuda and heading back into the open water. I've heard that if you are going to feel motion, that is the place you will feel it. The ship set out 'bags' all along the hallways and I took one but fortunately did not use it. I did have to miss dinner though (couldn't take the smell of warm food emanating from the dining room).

In my experience, if you are prone to seasickness, AVOID getting an interior room. You do feel the motion more there. Get at least a window if not a balcony. And try to get a stateroom in the middle of the ship; the back if you must. The front half of the ship tends to move more.

Bonine is the best pill to take; ginger works too.

Have a wonderful time, wherever you choose to go. I think you'll be surprised at how little movement you actually feel on the ship.

I have horrible seasickness. My first cruise I was so sick I vowed to never cruise again. However, I have always wanted to go to the French Polynesia. A friend was willing to go with me on a cruise with RSSC. We went for a week. There was not a single time that I felt ill from the motion.

I have tried numerous tablets, the wrist things and ginger, but nothing has ever worked.

In the FP, you are very port oriented rather than sea oriented, so I was
thrilled because I spent no extra time in bed and participated in all the activities while on this trip.

I get motion sickness, too.

I had read a fellow FTers trip report(bocastephen), which included a section of a sightseeing cruise out of Seward, Alaska. Bocastephen had done some research on motion sickness medicine and found Scopace(a pill form of the scopolamine patch) had worked fabulously for others. It also worked great for Bocastephen and travel companions on their cruise. Based on what the FTer posted, I got a prescription for it. Before we went to Alaska, I tried it out at home. One of the things that makes me most sick is trying to read in a moving car. So I figured I'd give it a go, and took a book along while the Mrs. ran some errands. My brain kept telling me that this isn't good, but my stomach said "eh, whatever, I'm good."

When we went to Alaska, we wanted to do a similar sightseeing cruise out of Seward, in addition to a float plane excursion in Juneau later. We used the Scopace on the sightseeing cruise. Mind you this was on a not very big boat and included a full buffet shortly after departure. When we got to the mouth of the bay/sound(entering gulf of Alaska), 50% or more of the passengers were running to the bathroom. Thanks to Scopace, we were not included in that group of people.

The swaying of our full size cruise ship later in the trip didn't bother me, though, so I guess I'm not extremely susceptible. But Scopace has allowed me to do things I never thought I could without getting sick. I highly recommend it.

Other than that, as others have posted, try to get on a newer ship which should have the most current technology for motion control.

On the cruise a couple weeks ago people were lining up at the front desk for whatever two pill packets they were giving away like candy. I never even noticed very much chop at all. They were also recommending green apples and crackers.

It's a totally personal thing. There are many things available over the counter that the people who use them swear by. Bonine for example is one name you see quite a bit of.

Don't ever assume something is totally calm. Wind could be an issue, if the ship can not get to a dock and you have to go to port by small tender ships that could be an issue, etc. I think you would be much better on the inside passage of Alaska then the west coast of Mexico, but be prepared just in case should you be one of the people affected by it.

Before the ships leave, at least the one I was on, we had a meal. I really wasn't hungry, but a seasoned traveler told me to fill my stomach to keep from getting sea sick. Thought that sounded strange, but I did and my stomach didn't act up at all. Never needed my pills.

I never had any luck with the pills but I've found that the Scopolamine patch works perfect. It requires a prescription and each patch is good for 3 days.

You can search the internet on it and find people that love it or hate it so your mileage may vary. I'd definitely recommend trying it out for side effects before you start a nice vacation.

It's effect on me is that I can't tell the ship is moving even if it's rough seas on a non-stabilized ship. When I take it off though there is a few hours where it feels like the ground is moving but I wouldn't go out to sea without it now.

Good luck!

just not transatlantic.

btw, if you do feel sick, ask crew to get you OTC meds. at least on seabourn they get them free. first time i got them myself, and had to pay.

I've been lucky. 10 years Navy. 7 years submarines, 3 years aircraft carrier. Not seasick once. Refuse to cruise, I did my time on the pond. :)

I was seriously concerned about getting sick when we first looked at cruising. I get/got motion sickness in a car unless I was driving, and don't even think about getting me on a carnival ride :-)

But based on information I received on Cruise Critics we took our first cruise (Canada/New England) and I took Dramamine (non-drowsy) pills. We took one the day we were leaving, and one the following day, and then stopped - I never felt sick. We have now done 5 cruises, and the Dramamine has worked fine. On our cruise last year (14 days through the Panama Canal) I also got a bottle of Ginger capsules - just in case - but never needed them.

We have only been on larger ships (all Princess) and they have good stabilizers so you rarely feel any motion. But after he second cruise we actually started looking forward to the motion at night (when you're normally out to sea) - it made for great sleeping :-)

The Alaska cruise we did out of Seattle (inside passage) and only once felt any motion - the first day when they go out more and go faster to get to the first port. But I never got queasy.

I hope you decide to go - and hope you find something that works well for you!

Seasickness can happen to anyone-- even a Ship Captain.
I remember having a conversation with the Captain's wife, who said that this malady can occur unexpectedly; even to the most seasoned cruisers & even the Captain.
Fortunately, I have never experienced seasickness (even after 20 +cruises on Sea Goddess..now "Sea Dream." The roughest seas I have experienced was on the QE2 from the UK to NYC. This was a T.A. crossing in December. We loved it; sadly, many pax were quite sick on that North Atlantic crossing. OTOH, I have sailed from Spain/Portugal-U.S. and the ocean was like a lake.
The only time I felt queasy was when getting a massage in a small room. If considering a TA Cruise, I would strongly recommend a cruise which originates in Spain or Portugal and terminating in the Caribbean. Would also advise NOT using the gym (which may not have windows).
Fresh air is your friend. When all else fails, there is always Fernet Branca.;)

Ah, you have some problems on the cruise ship. I realize where my mom got some seasicks during the cruise from SAN-SJD-MZT-PVR-SAN during Mexican Riveria cruise for 8 days on Holland America. I am not have getting some seasicks at all. So it was incredible time where we have a nice family vacation. Where we came to Arizona back in late-2003. I remember where I explorer around on the cruise ship but, I don't really understand how I hear the fire drill as case of the emergency. Is that reason why the evacuations to have review how to prepare the cruise ship is sink. So can you tell me where you can figure it out how exactly I learn to be on the cruise ship.

We cruised Alaska's inside passage last September, and it is not totally calm. Doesn't compare to the north Atlantic from what I've heard, but some days and some places we felt a lot of motion. Not being prone to seasickness, we found it kind of fun.

Just remember that whatever pharmaceutical you choose to take or have on standby, do check with your health care provider and pharmacist to be sure there are no interactions if you are on other medications or have health issues.

THEN before you leave take a dose of medication to be sure you don't have an untoward reaction ot it and you can tell how it might make you feel. This is particularly important with the scopalomine preparations.

Seizure medication for seasickness
 

I get terrible motion sickness, and OTC medications (Bonine, Dramamine, etc.) do not work for me. Last summer, I took a cruise to Bermuda -- straight into a hurricane (Hannah, IIRC). Before pulling out of port, the captain warned of rough seas, so I headed right to the infirmary.

The doctors prescribed me Dilatin (since then, I have learned that Tegretol is also used for motion sickness). It actually worked. I still got slightly nauseous, but nothing like what I normally experience, and the ship was being tossed around like a toy boat.

Hope that helps...being sick is never fun, especially on vacation.

Is there a typo and you mean Dilantin, the anti-seizure medication?

http://www.scuba-doc.com/moresea.htm

Thanks for sharing...

Bonine and ginger is what I constantly recommend^ Ginger helps with upset stomachs as well...

Someone mention that you should take the medication before the cruise.
I think he has a point there but be careful about the medication. Or better yet ask a professional about it.:cool:

I know I'm replying to an old thread, but I was just wondering about this. I would have thought that an interior room would've been better because the lower you are on a ship the less movement you feel, and the higher you are the greater the movement?

Yes, that works for me too, although I've never been really seasick too much. (Never been on a cruise bigger than an overnight-ferry trip anyway). So, whenever on a ship, I always eat - not too much, not an empty stomach, and a little bit every so often.

The real trick with seasick remedies is you have to take them BEFORE you need them. They have to be in your system at least 24 hours ahead of when you might be affected, which you will not know. Some trips can be perfectly calm, others unexpectedly rough.

Alaska Inside passage does have some notorious rough patches. The Mozambique Channel between Madagascar and South Africa in Feb/March was deadly - relentless up, down, side to side "corkscrewing" for days on end. Yet we have found the Malaaca Straights from Singapore to Malaysia to be 100% like glass each time so far even at different times of the year Jan-April. Southern Caribbean in January again was almost 100% like glass. Mexican Riviera in December was very smooth.

So you have to decide if you want preventive use of these product because they will not help much after the fact.

The best combo I have found is starting Bonine and crystallized ginger chunks a day before and then a Bonine at night and munch on ginger chunks throughout the day. It is the most benign combo for me, though there is some daytime drowsiness the first few days. That is why I take it at night when drowsiness can be welcome.

Be sure Bonine, even though it is OTC is okay for you to take. Try some out before you go to see what side effects you might feel. I wear contact lenses and worried about dry eyes but this was not a problem. Even ginger can cause some stomach upsets. I don't like the capsules myself but find I like the crystallized ginger chunks even in their own right.

If my baggage and weight allowance allows it, I also pack along some bottles of the very wonderful Australian Bundaberg brand ginger beer. Ginger ale is worthless, but occasionally in some parts of the world ship will carry Schwepes Ginger Beer which is also quite good.

Another definite vote for ginger in any form, crystallized ginger is the easies one to consume.

Ginger beer is definitely good, ginger ale less so. The only issue is that many commercialized ginger ale is not made with 100% ginger. Schweppes is one of the more authentic brand, then there is Vernors form US.

If you are cruising the Caribbeans authentic ginger beer is easy to find. It should have a gingerly bite to your mouth and lips after you take a sip. If not try another brand.

[QUOTE=
If you are cruising the Caribbeans authentic ginger beer is easy to find. It should have a gingerly bite to your mouth and lips after you take a sip. If not try another brand.[/QUOTE]

I believe the 'bite" to ginger beer comes from the addition of cayenne and not a part of brewed ginger. Try the Australian brand Bundaberg to see what the finest of ginger beer can taste like (Cost Plus World Markets carries it).

I tried ginger beer where ever I could find it on our Caribbean stops and found it all singularly undrinkable, muddy tasting and/or overly hot - all very off flavors.

Some of the best hand-made ginger ale was at a hotel bar in Kerela, India. Macerated ginger, simple syrup and sparkling water - this was a soda, not brewed ginger beer, but the freshness of the flavors made it sparkle.

The bite of ginger is different from the bite of the peppers. I should re-comment on the bite for I can tell the difference between them. I am an Oriental foodie so my palate is different.

A good ginger ale will help alleviate the nauseous feeling from motion sickness whether you are on planes or ships.

There are dried ginger with a real bite that really works that I get at Chinese medicine shops. It is translated as "old raw ginger". No need to bite or chew, just a piece in your mouth like a cough candy.

I've had really good experiences with Scopace, the pill form of the scopolamine patch. I'm pretty susceptible to motion sickness, can't do anything in a car besides look out a window. A couple of years ago we took a boat tour out of Seward, AK. It was supposed to go to Kenai Fjords but due to rough seas, we got a tour of resurrection bay instead. The tour started out with a quite good prime rib & salmon buffet. About halfway through, we had to cross the bay, where it meets the gulf of Alaska. At least half of the passengers lost their lunch. I was fine because I took scopace before we departed. I can now also do 'heads-down' tasks in a moving car, like read a book or play with a smart phone.

I first read about scopace in a flyertalk trip report. I'm pretty happy to have found a 'cure' that works for me.

I hear you about the bite of "old raw ginger", but if you google search ginger beer and cayenne, you find a raft of recipies that all include cayenne with is the more common addition to cheaper ginger beers or ales. Most likely this cayenne short cut was an attempt to replicate the real thing using less authentic ingredients.

I hope you can find some Bundaburg Ginger Beer because this search for a really good packaged ginger beer has way more losers than winners and happy to have found it as well as the hard to find Schwepes Ginger Beer. Vernor's doesn't do it for me, but I understand that is about the closest more natural concoction.

It was fairly easy to find bottled good stuff across the Indian Ocean under various brand names, but here in the US there is a lot of really bad stuff out there, mislabeled as far as I am concerned. BevMo! carries the worst but at least over-prices their stock Bundaberg, Trader Joe worthless, and the winner for price and availability is Cost Plus World Market.

+1 about the best ginger beer found around Indian Ocean

I'm relatively new to cruising. I sailed on the Celebrity Solstice in April '10 and the Celebrity Summit in July '10. During rare rough periods, the swaying, occaisonal quick vibrating bumps and looking out the window seeing the waves never bothered me night or day. Both cruises were overwhelmingly calm. Its just like a giant, moving hotel building that you get used to.

It was strange but I had no symptoms - until the cruises were over and I was off the ship! Then I would feel nauseous. I would see walls inside and buildings outside swaying due to my brain still thinking it was on a ship. It took about 24 hours after the cruise ended for the symptoms to go away.

So for some, the seasickness happens after the good times are over!

All we did was take a 24 hour NON drowsy Dramamine each day! That was perfect!

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.

i was on a cruise once... however in my experiece unless i looked out the window i couldnt tell the boat was even in water.... unless...

I stood still next to a wall i could tell... but as far as walking around hinging out... dont forget a cruise ship is what? 1,000 feet long? even big waves the ship is so big, and soo heavy, it rides on top of the big waves...

however one thing i wish i could have done was go up to the bow like in the movie Titanic, that would have been cool...

Btw if your ship sinks lol rest assured any US vessel with in like hundreds of miles will come to your recuse... even the US Navy...

Usually what I will do onboard is not to stay on the deck and stare out towards the water too long. Usually this is good enough for me to prevent any substantial uncomfortable feelings without having to rely on medication. If I stare too long, it is easy for me to get seasick.