Reassure me...seasickness

[briehon]

My traveling companion cruised out of New Orleans about 5 years ago on a smaller Carnival ship. She was terribly sea sick the entire time. The only time she felt relief was when she was on deck. She has agreed, and actually it was her idea, to try another cruise. This time Alaska on the Ovation. She got a prescription for the seasick patch. Any tips or reassurances? I don’t want her (or my!) trip to be ruined. We cruise May 24.

[MCC retired]

Sounds like she is now on a larger ship and has taken seasick measures .

Worse place to be when seas are ruff is your cabin . Walk around , on outside deck is good and above all keep eating.

[payitforward]

I was VERY seasick on my first cruise, and it was a shock because I was literally raised on the water. That said, when I finally went to guest services and got Meclizine, I was perfectly fine. That was 15 cruises ago.

 

[briehon]

7 minutes ago, payitforward said:

I was VERY seasick on my first cruise, and it was a shock because I was literally raised on the water. That said, when I finally went to guest services and got Meclizine, I was perfectly fine. That was 15 cruises ago.

 

What is that medication? And is it OTC?

[Sitzmark]

5 minutes ago, briehon said:

What is that medication? And is it OTC?

it is an antihistamine sold under the brand name Bonine.  It is OTC, you might want to google it.  You can also use Dramamine which is also OTC.  You should be able to get either one at most drug stores.

[ger_77]

I second the "Meclizine" or "Bonine" - I still get motion sick in cars, airplanes, etc., but take Meclizine before we leave and have not had an issue on any of our  cruises.  The patch isn't without side effects; if your friend finds her vision blurry, etc., have her remove it immediately.   Something that helps with the queasiness is candied ginger (brand names Gin Gin or Chimes Ginger Candies) are always good to keep with you.

 

Smooth Sailing!   🙂🙂🙂

[GUT2407]

Meds help, but my wife swears by ginger (in any form) and green apples,

[zqvol]

2 hours ago, briehon said:

My traveling companion cruised out of New Orleans about 5 years ago on a smaller Carnival ship. She was terribly sea sick the entire time. The only time she felt relief was when she was on deck. She has agreed, and actually it was her idea, to try another cruise. This time Alaska on the Ovation. She got a prescription for the seasick patch. Any tips or reassurances? I don’t want her (or my!) trip to be ruined. We cruise May 24.

 

The size of the ship doesn't really have anything to do with the motion that could cause seasickness, however since she has the patch there is nothing to be concerned about. I would also suggest that OP take some Bonine in case OP has any issues.

[zqvol]

2 hours ago, Sitzmark said:

it is an antihistamine sold under the brand name Bonine.  It is OTC, you might want to google it.  You can also use Dramamine which is also OTC.  You should be able to get either one at most drug stores.

 

You can also order it from Amazon.

[cb at sea]

Listen, a ship, no matter HOW big, is floating on an ocean that has a mind of it's own.  If it's rough, you'll feel it....even on a behemoth of a ship!  There are so many medications to negate that effect of rolling and dipping.....and they work in almost all cases.

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, cb at sea said:

Listen, a ship, no matter HOW big, is floating on an ocean that has a mind of it's own.  If it's rough, you'll feel it....even on a behemoth of a ship! 

 

Concur.  There is NO guarantee of smooth sailing on any ship or on any itinerary.  Even the little boat in your bathtub (sitting next to the duck) can find rough water.  If you absolutely don't want the risk of some rough seas, cruising is not for you.

 

Also, the efficacy of any medication is dependent upon both the medication and the individual taking it.  There is no universal "cure" or "prevention" of motion sickness.  Further, the use of medications may be contra-indicated because of other medications you are taking or pre-existing conditions.

 

It's like the folks who are upset when there is rain during their vacation.  If they absolutely must have a dry vacation, I always suggest the Atacama desert in Chile.

[sanger727]

I get horrible motion sickness and sea sickness. I’ve used both the patch and bonine to cruise successfully. I slightly prefer bonine because I don’t need a prescription for it and I get dry mouth with the patch. But for me, both are good options. She will feel the motion, and when it’s rough she may still get a little woozy. For me, going out on deck helps and I tend to just go to bed early and sleep it off. But most days of most cruises are enjoyable with meds.

[briehon]

Thank you all so much. Question for those that used the patch...how long before the cruise did you put it on? She told em she tried s9me oral meds on her last cruise but it didn’t help at all and someone told her that was because she was already motion sick and it was too late to take something.

[Dmdmom2011]

seabands and zofran and motionease behind ears first crusie no one got sick

[jagsfan]

I’ve been taking meclizine since 1984. 

I can’t ride rides at a theme park or watch kids on a swing. I am very motion sickness prone! 

I chew a Bonine the morning I’m sailing and another around 4pm. After that, one a day works. If it gets really rough, I might chew another one. 

Meclizine used to be prescription only, but now is available over the counter as Bonine. I’ve heard you can buy a large bottle as meclizine direct from your pharmacist or from Amazon. 

I don’t know if anything helps once you start to get sick. Preventive measures work best!

[Nic6318]

Hi

 

If possible (depending where you live), it would be good if she could try the medication she was prescribed. If she could go on a small type motorboat/ferry (preferably on choppy waters), (some cities might have some kind of harbor tour, deep sea fishing, etc...)she could at least get a sense of how she might feel after takin the medication. If she didn't feel good on those types of vessels, then I would hesitate putting out for the cost of a cruise without trying a different medication.

 

The only good thing about the Alaska cruises is that they are port intensive, so you would be able to get to land most days. When looking at itineraries, you could pick one where the longest "sea days" were at the end of the cruise. At least the greater part of the cruise was over. 🤢

 

good luck 

have a great cruise

[Heidi13]

When using the patch, ensure it is applied 8 hrs before required and it lasts about 3 days. DW uses them every cruise. If cruising out of Vancouver to Alaska, you can purchase the patch OTC.

 

To minimise motion stay as close to midships and on lower decks. Ship motion is magnified the further from the CoG.

[MicCanberra]

You will be fine, but if wanting extra protection, wear some Sea bands (around $7 a pair) and perhaps have some crystalised ginger along as well.

[lizp]

I recently posted about my experiences with both the patch and bonine:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2579682-seasick-patches/?tab=comments#comment-56379888

 

As I find with many different types of medications I've taken, if there is a side effect, I will get it!  The side effects of the patch became too much for me and I switched to Bonine and was completely fine!!!  As someone who can get motionsickness from turning around too quickly, it was WONDERFUL!   

[Herfnerd]

I am extremely prone to motion sickness and taking Meclizine is a Godsend.  It makes you less drowsy than Dramamine, works up to 24 hours and you can get the generic cheap  at the pharmacy counter - the brand names Bonine and Less Drowsy Dramamine are pretty pricey.  I was able to get them at Costco Pharmacy counter for around $5 a bottle of 50 tablets.  Prior to that, I had gotten the chewable version at the Target Pharmacy for around the same price.

 

The Scopalamine patch is overkill on cruises, imho.  It makes me extremely sleepy the first couple of days, gives me the worst case of dry mouth and I'm loopy the whole time on it.  And God forbid you scratch or rub the patch and then rub your eyes!

 

[MicCanberra]

Blackmores Ginger tablets are also a non chemical solution.

[Slugsta]

I use the patch with no side effects other than a very dry mouth (some of my other meds cause dry mouth too). I apply it in the morning of the day we board and leave it in place for 3 days or until it seems we are through the worst of the weather - cruising from the UK means we have to traverse the Bay of Biscay for many itineraries.

 

Some people do very well with wrist bands, motionease, ginger etc very good but they don't help me at all. The patch has really been a godsend as it allows me to continue enjoying cruises 🙂

[Capt_BJ]

I strongly recommend if planning to use the patch ... do a test run b4 your cruise.  Put one on at home and <try to> wear it for the full 3 days and see how you react.  These things can really ZAP some folks.  Same goes for Dramamine, do a test run.  And if you are considering drinking while using either, include this in your test run.

 

My father tried the patch once and had two glasses of wine with dinner and became a person we'd never met b4.  Mother woke up at 2 AM and he was no longer in the room having gone to bed earlier (she did nothing but THAT's a different story) .....  He remembers NOTHING of the night . . .

 

{btw there were a lot of discussions last year about non-availability of the patch in the US.  Has this been resolved now?}

 

best preventive for sea sickness is to keep the brain occupied with something else.  Sea sickness is really "just" vertigo.  The brain gets overloaded with messages from the inner ear about balance.  This gets worse if you sit and let it 'take over'.  If you can stay occupied doing something it helps ..... or give in completely and go to sleep for a few hours.  Either way the brain has a bit of time to adjust and MOST will feel better.  When I first went o sea the way I dealt with this was asking to go aloft.  Hanging on the mast 150 feet above the deck kept the mind occupied

Edited January 10, 2019 by Capt_BJ

[MicCanberra]

Not sure if the crew will allow people up the ship's antennas but I get the point. I think this is why they have shuffleboard out on the promenades.

[snowskier]

I stopped taking drugs to have fun after college in the 60's. I learned years ago that when my body says no way, I listen. There just isn't anything about cruising that justifies putting drugs in my body to be able to do it.

 

You can see Alaska -- in fact you will see much more of Alaska -- without getting on a cruise ship.

 

This will not be a popular response on CC but I thank everyone in advance for respecting my post just as I respect theirs.