Motion Sickness

I suffer from motion sickness and in preparation for my upcoming trip I know that I will need to get something to help deal with it. Though I don't think that I need to go super heavy duty as it is a cruise to Alaska (fairly sheltered waters) on a somewhat large boat and I don't have a problem with the larger ferries from Nanaimo - Vancouver. It is quite possible I will be able to get away without taking anything, but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot by not taking anything.

The thing is, as part of the cruise I have the beverage package with HAL. I am not a big drinker by any means, I cannot even fathom having more than three drinks (likely one a night, some nights nothing, but 3 at the top end seems safe as I'm looking forward to trying new drinks I don't need to pay for), so I need something that will not interact.

Does anyone know of a med they can take for two weeks that is safe to drink with?

I will be talking to a pharmacist and quite possibly making an appointment with my Dr, but I like to have a jumping off point or a medication to research on my own. At this point I am thinking Gravol, ginger candies and seabands but I'm really open to other ideas.

Many passengers I have spoken to over the years swear by ginger tablets from a health food or supplement store, and eating a green apple a day.

I suffer from motion sickness and in preparation for my upcoming trip I know that I will need to get something to help deal with it. Though I don't think that I need to go super heavy duty as it is a cruise to Alaska (fairly sheltered waters) on a somewhat large boat and I don't have a problem with the larger ferries from Nanaimo - Vancouver. It is quite possible I will be able to get away without taking anything, but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot by not taking anything.

 

The thing is, as part of the cruise I have the beverage package with HAL. I am not a big drinker by any means, I cannot even fathom having more than three drinks (likely one a night, some nights nothing, but 3 at the top end seems safe as I'm looking forward to trying new drinks I don't need to pay for), so I need something that will not interact.

 

Does anyone know of a med they can take for two weeks that is safe to drink with?

 

I will be talking to a pharmacist and quite possibly making an appointment with my Dr, but I like to have a jumping off point or a medication to research on my own. At this point I am thinking Gravol, ginger candies and seabands but I'm really open to other ideas.

Welcome to HAL.

I can only speak for myself but I only have motion issues the first evening sailing out of Vancouver. Ginger gum/candy and sea bands do the trick. For the rest of the cruise my body is adjusted and I need no other help.

The ship will provide meclizine (motion sickness tablets) for free if you need it.

Talk with your doctor. There are many remedies which will help you. I suffer from vertigo and was really worried that being on the ship, I would have problems. We have taken 6 cruises now, the first I was queasy but so were most of the passengers (one night was rough) the scopalamine patch, antivert (meclizine) worked well. This last cruise I didn't take any meds (had them with me) and did just fine. So talk with your doctor and they can help you work out something so you may have a great cruise and even a drink if you wish! Good Luck:)

You could take a ginger tables or the patch.

We take bonine and still drink.

We are experienced cruisers so we don't take it very often.

If we are concerned about the first day we will take it proactively. The key is to take it early and to take it before feeling nautilus and by doing this we can drink. You are allowed two in 24 hours. We take one. If we think we need it the first day we take it a few hours before departure. Other times we would take it is if the captain calls for rough seas. We just try to take it at least a few hours before we would have a drink and do not have a problem.

You could consult your doctor. As a test, you could take the pill at home and a few hours after have a drink and that way you can tell whether or not it bothers you.

Each of us are different.

Keith

I favour the raw ginger lumps that you can get from Health stores. You just chew a few as and when and then swallow. They taste very strongly of ginger but no drugs involved.

Regards John

I tend to get motion sickness too but surprisingly enough while on the Navigator didn't feel sick once. For the first 2 nights I took meds before bed just in case but the third night tested it out and didn't need them. But put me in a car and I will get major sick.

Bring and wear Sea bands, take some crystalized ginger and Ginger tablets (blackmores make a good one) and get some green apples from the buffet when on board.:D

I have never been seasick or otherwise. You can eat 2 slices of Yeats bread early and your stomach will stay settled all day. We had 12-20ft seas on Diamond Princess and only had noticeable roll walking down 500 ft long passageways. You could see the people toward the other end walk toward the other side. It was funny as most did not even notice. I loved being rocked to sleep. Ships have stabilizers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stabilizer_%28ship%29

I take a Bonine every day and it is half the strength of most Dramamine so I don't get as sleepy. I get carsick and vertigo but the Bonine has really helped. The patch (Scopalamine) made me too sleepy and the sea bands were ineffective for me. I can drink without a problem with Bonine.

I noticed that you mentioned that you are going to see your doctor and ask what he recommends. VERY good idea. He knows you better than any one here on CC.

Fortunately we have never gotten sea sick and we have been on some mighty rough waters. Never have taken anything.

Besides eating green apples -- do not eat greasy foods.

Best idea is to talk with your doctor. :) My DD gets motion sickness and finds the Seabands work well for her. Everyone's different.

You mentioned you probably won't need anything because it's a cruise to Alaska, but if you're sailing into Prince William Sound, be prepared. That was the roughest sailing I've ever experienced on any cruise! But, it was a one-way so we were going all the way to Seward. It's not always like that--done that route twice and only once was it really bad--so bad that the dining room was almost empty; we were at a table for six and I was the only one of the six who made it to dinner that evening! LOL. Just pointing out that just because it's an Alaska cruise is no guarantee of smooth sailing. :o

I suffer from motion sickness and in preparation for my upcoming trip I know that I will need to get something to help deal with it. Though I don't think that I need to go super heavy duty as it is a cruise to Alaska (fairly sheltered waters) on a somewhat large boat and I don't have a problem with the larger ferries from Nanaimo - Vancouver. It is quite possible I will be able to get away without taking anything, but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot by not taking anything.

 

 

 

The thing is, as part of the cruise I have the beverage package with HAL. I am not a big drinker by any means, I cannot even fathom having more than three drinks (likely one a night, some nights nothing, but 3 at the top end seems safe as I'm looking forward to trying new drinks I don't need to pay for), so I need something that will not interact.

 

 

 

Does anyone know of a med they can take for two weeks that is safe to drink with?

 

 

 

I will be talking to a pharmacist and quite possibly making an appointment with my Dr, but I like to have a jumping off point or a medication to research on my own. At this point I am thinking Gravol, ginger candies and seabands but I'm really open to other ideas.

I would recommend you talk with your physician. If they are not helpful, get a different physician.

I have used seabands to help with motion sickness while driving, and they are amazing. Also dramadine.

If you're from Canada (assuming you might be based on your post) ... then gravol is available at the pharmacy and is your best choice without a prescription.

I'm from the lower mainland and take the ferry that you mentioned on a regular basis. I have never been motion sick on it and I get motion sick at the drop of a hat! (just driving to Squamish is cause for being green)

We did HAL to Alaska and there were 2 nights where my daughters and I could feel a bit of movement .... we were not sick, but we could tell there were some swells. When I mentioned it to other family members that were on the same cruise, they looked at me like I was crazy. BUT, I did hear another passenger mention it as well (so it wasn't just us).

I've been on 4 cruises and have yet to be sick! (amazing!). I pack along gravol, sea bands, ginger/gravol candies that you suck on, etc. I have seen people on the ships with little bandaids behind their ears that help with motion sickness.

1 thing I always remember is to be able to find something on the horizon (fairly simple to do on this trip) and focus on the land.

Good luck, and enjoy!

(we've only done HAL 1x - and that was the trip to Alaska, it was the PERFECT ship to take to Alaska because it is "traditional". Teak floors, brass embellishments. It has that flair that just bodes well with the scenery of Alaska. (which, to tell you the truth, isn't all that different then travelling via ferry through the Southern Gulf Islands ... but it's neat to hear other passengers ooh and ahh).

I suffer from motion sickness and in preparation for my upcoming trip I know that I will need to get something to help deal with it. Though I don't think that I need to go super heavy duty as it is a cruise to Alaska (fairly sheltered waters) on a somewhat large boat and I don't have a problem with the larger ferries from Nanaimo - Vancouver. It is quite possible I will be able to get away without taking anything, but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot by not taking anything.

 

The thing is, as part of the cruise I have the beverage package with HAL. I am not a big drinker by any means, I cannot even fathom having more than three drinks (likely one a night, some nights nothing, but 3 at the top end seems safe as I'm looking forward to trying new drinks I don't need to pay for), so I need something that will not interact.

 

Does anyone know of a med they can take for two weeks that is safe to drink with?

 

I will be talking to a pharmacist and quite possibly making an appointment with my Dr, but I like to have a jumping off point or a medication to research on my own. At this point I am thinking Gravol, ginger candies and seabands but I'm really open to other ideas.

I don't take ginger candies, I take ginger tablets ...

The best is bonine and it is "over the counte".No side effects

The best is bonine and it is "over the counte".No side effects

What is your source for claiming Bonine is the best?

I suffer from motion sickness and in preparation for my upcoming trip I know that I will need to get something to help deal with it. Though I don't think that I need to go super heavy duty as it is a cruise to Alaska (fairly sheltered waters) on a somewhat large boat and I don't have a problem with the larger ferries from Nanaimo - Vancouver. It is quite possible I will be able to get away without taking anything, but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot by not taking anything.

 

The thing is, as part of the cruise I have the beverage package with HAL. I am not a big drinker by any means, I cannot even fathom having more than three drinks (likely one a night, some nights nothing, but 3 at the top end seems safe as I'm looking forward to trying new drinks I don't need to pay for), so I need something that will not interact.

 

Does anyone know of a med they can take for two weeks that is safe to drink with?

 

I will be talking to a pharmacist and quite possibly making an appointment with my Dr, but I like to have a jumping off point or a medication to research on my own. At this point I am thinking Gravol, ginger candies and seabands but I'm really open to other ideas.

Not a problem I've had but Mrs Gut swears by

Green Apples and Gunger

Ginger pieces

Ginger candy (must be real ginger in it)

Ginger ale

Ginger beer

Chic coated ginger

And her preferred

Ginger tea.

I don't take ginger candies, I take ginger tablets ...

 

Yep the lovely Mrs Gut likes that one too.

If you are VERY prone to motion sickness, I would ask your MD about a scopolamine patch. It looks like a very small bandaid that you place behind your ear.

I seem to be getting more and more travel sick recently, possibly due to the bucketload of other meds that I also take. Cruising really is the best way for me to travel, I can't fly, but the sea sickness was really spoiling it for me. I have tried wrist bands, ginger and both OTC tablets but non of them did the trick.

For our last cruise (from Southampton to Copenhagen and Hamburg in January) I tried the patch that goes behind the ear and am delighted to say that I experienced no untoward nausea. We had force 9 seas for much of the time but the ship didn't move much so I don't know if the meds can take all the credit - and I don't really care, all I know is that I felt OK :) I did drink alcohol too...

Everybody is different, and different kinds of motion affect us differently. My hubby resisted cruising until I browbeat him into it. He had been sick on small bush aircraft, catamarans, fast motorboats going through rough waters. He was sure he would be deathly sick on the cruise ship. We brought along every remedy anyone has ever suggested.

He was never sick on the ship, and went through some of the roughest seas I had experienced on seven previous cruises. Why? Different kind of motion on the ship - it didn't bother him. He did get carsick on a taxi tour through the mountains though.

Bring every remedy and take something at the first sign of a problem. Get outside and breathe the fresh air if you feel queasy. Run away from anybody who is talking about being sick. And don't assume your other kinds of motion sickness will follow you onto the ship - don't make it a self-fulfilling prophecy.

What is your source for claiming Bonine is the best?

I cannot speak for the OP, but in my experience bonine worked much better for family members that had motion sickness than either dramamine or sea bands. It is a different active ingredient, so perhaps it works better for some than others? I have no medical basis, just our own experience. I will note, though that bonine has significant warnings for those with diabetes.

If I recall, instructions for dramamine require you to take them at least an hour before, and I remember being told it can possibly even worsen symptoms when taken after the onset of said symptoms. This latter info came from cruise personnel many years ago (~1985?) while sailing through a pretty severe hurricane. I will never forget seeing little bags taped up ALL over the ship - on every stair railing, the atrium seats, etc. Even though I am prone to motion sickness in a car, I didn't get sick even as my parents and I stood on deck watching the waves break over the bow of the ship (yes, many years ago, when much of the main deck(s) were quite open). My then-DH, however, was so nauseous he required a shot to recover!

Much has changed since way back, and overall cruise ships don't rock nearly as much as they once did. In fact, they are so much more stable I tend to miss the rocking - I always found it enjoyable and generally soothing. Weather forecasts are also better, allowing for earlier or more precise route adjustments to avoid more of the turbulence.

I cannot speak for the OP, but in my experience bonine worked much better for family members that had motion sickness than either dramamine or sea bands. It is a different active ingredient, so perhaps it works better for some than others? I have no medical basis, just our own experience. I will note, though that bonine has significant warnings for those with diabetes.

 

If I recall, instructions for dramamine require you to take them at least an hour before, and I remember being told it can possibly even worsen symptoms when taken after the onset of said symptoms. This latter info came from cruise personnel many years ago (~1985?) while sailing through a pretty severe hurricane. I will never forget seeing little bags taped up ALL over the ship - on every stair railing, the atrium seats, etc. Even though I am prone to motion sickness in a car, I didn't get sick even as my parents and I stood on deck watching the waves break over the bow of the ship (yes, many years ago, when much of the main deck(s) were quite open). My then-DH, however, was so nauseous he required a shot to recover!

 

Much has changed since way back, and overall cruise ships don't rock nearly as much as they once did. In fact, they are so much more stable I tend to miss the rocking - I always found it enjoyable and generally soothing. Weather forecasts are also better, allowing for earlier or more precise route adjustments to avoid more of the turbulence.

That only means that Bonine is best for you, not that it is the best. Ginger works great for me, but that doesn't mean ginger is the "best".