Any tricks of the trade for seasickness?

[emobelle]

Hi! My boyfriend and I are considering going on a Disney Cruise, which would be my first cruise on a real cruise line, and I'm kind of worried because I get really seasick. As you can understand, we don't want to spend a fortune on this vacation only to have me spend it all driving the porcelain bus!

So here's my question--have any other really seasick people been on the cruise? What have been your experiences? What products have you used to curb the nausea?!

Let me further illustrate my motion sickness. I get nauseous during the following activities:

-dinner cruises
-driving on mountain roads
-Mission: SPACE
-Expedition Everest
-Rock'n Roller Coaster
-Mad Tea Party
-Magic Carpets of Aladdin

...you get the picture! Any advice would be greatly appreciated

[MandaBella]

I don't get seasick at all, but my DH has the inclination at times. When we called to book our stateroom, we were put in the middle of the ship to help. He was fine. It was after the cruise and walking down the hallways of the BoardWalk Resort is when we ran into problems. It took us a couple days to get our land legs back.

Have you looked into over the counter meds? Do any of them help you?

[the7thAve]

I have never been on a cruise, but I go out into the gulf all the time on smaller boats. I get seriously seasick unless I take Dramamine. here's my strategy for taking the Dramamine:

-take one the night before you are to go out
-then take one at breakfast the next day
-take another about an hour or hour and a half before you board.

after that, take as needed, according to the specifications on the box. from what I have heard, on most cruise ships you can't even tell you are on the water because they are so steady. of course, I don't know how much that is true when a storm comes up! I would suggest stocking up on Dramamine (the non-drowsy formula), then try it sans medicine for a day or so, to see if you are ok. then make the decision as to whether or not you should start taking your medicine.

[Tinker Bell]

I have been on a couple of cruises, the first one I didn't have any trouble. The second one, first night I was fine but then woke up really green. I took some Gravol and that knocked me out for an afternoon. I slept it off and then when I woke up my first thought was "where's the buffet!" I was fine the rest of the trip. Cruise ships have stabilizers but when it gets rough, those won't help you. The last cruise ship I was on was rockin' and rollin', literally swaying from side to side, enough to sometimes roll you out of bed! It wasn't for the whole duration, just some rougher seas because of some storms nearby. Some passengers had little prescription patches behind their ears, others had special bracelets for seasickness, maybe look into those as well. Cruises are so much fun!

[disney fanatic]

Ginger Pills!

[firemedic]

Dramamine (non drowsey) works well for that sort of thing. But, if you already have a prescription for Promethazine (Phenergan) or even Benadryl. Take those along too. The last two drugs work VERY well, but they may knock you out for most of the day.

[tasha36]

Eat little and often. Low blood suger really increases the feeling of nausea, whilst a big meal is likely to make you feel worse.

[mini-V]

My daughter and husband were worried about taking a cruise because both had gotten sea sick on smaller, shorter boat rides. As it turned out, neither have ever had trouble on a cruise ship. However, neither of them have even been on a cruise that was as rough as Tinker Bell described. Be prepared for the worst case scenario and be pleasantly surprised when you feel fine. You may find that once off the ship, you "feel" as though you are still bobbing on the sea.

[miss minnie]

I know this is really late but to anyone else who needs this advice


If you don't want to takes pill for motion sickness when you are on a cruise, then ask about the bracelets that people wear. It targets your pressure points on your wrist and makes you stabalize better. My aunt uses them all the time and never has a problem.

[iwannabeminnie]

My son, the captain, told me to get Bonine before our cruise in November. He said to take it BEFORE getting on the boat. It does not make you sleepy like Dramamine.

I told him I wasn't usually prone to motion sickness, so he also suggested trying it the first night without the medication. If I get sick to get OFF the boat in Key West, take the medication BEFORE returning to the boat that afternoon and then to take it as directed on the box thereafter.

He also said the best medication for sea sickness is the patch, but you must have a doctor's prescription to get it.

[disneydame2004]

I swear by Bonine - it has been my friend for years. A little harder to find than Dramamine, but it works so much better. The directions do recommend taking it before your travel begins, which I always do before flying or getting on a boat of any kind, or if I have to be the passenger in the car. Makes the ride oh-so-much-better.

[dzneynut]

The Disney cruise ships shouldn't be a problem, even in rough seas. The stabilizers on their ships work wonders (pun intended!)
We went through Hurricane Hilary, with up to 20 foot swells, on the Disney Magic during our Panama Canal cruise, and we didn't need any medication. Unfortunately, we missed our stop at Cabo San Lucas.
The rest of the cruise was so smooth, we hardly knew we were on a cruise ship! The patches work very well, but you must start wearing them in advance, and they do give you a 'dry mouth.' We brought them as a precaution, but never used them!

[LockShockBarrel]

they did a motion sickness thing on mythbusters and the only thing that worked was ginger! i've taken ginger for years because the stuff like dramamine utterly kicks my butt. you can drink ginger tea, eat candied ginger, or take a ginger capsule (thats what i use) Oddly enough, ginger ale has no real ginger in it so you're better off with the real stuff.

[Cinderella2]

I got so sick on Mission:Space last time. I was the dummy who didn't heed the warnings, and there were many.
Anytime I fly or sail, or usually ride in a car I take Bonine. You can get it at Walgreens. Dramamine makes me sick. I also wear the arm bands that others before have mentioned. They are hideously ugly- but then again, so am I if I am throwing up. You can also get those at Walgreens. I always even have a spare pair. They work wonders.

[iwannabeminnie]

Mr. iwbm is wondering if Ginger Spice would keep him from seasickness. Hmmmm, he might not get seasick, but he could experience a premature death.