Reassurance about sea sickness

[seminolepharmd]

I've been on 2 cruises so far. The first cruise was a 5 day cruise and we had an interior stateroom at the bottom/middle section of the ship. I did not get sea sick on this cruise at all.

 

On our second cruise (our honeymoon cruise!), which was a 7 day cruise, we booked an aft suite very high up on the ship and I felt a lot of motion in the room - so I took Bonine as often as the package recommended. I ended up getting VERY sea sick on the first day at sea....so bad that I had to get a shot at the infirmary and I had to take phenergan for the rest of the cruise.

 

We are contemplating taking a short 3-night cruise in February, because we enjoyed our first cruise so much, which is the one I did NOT get sea sick on. :o I am considering trying out the Scopalamine patch for the potential next cruise.

 

I am looking for some reassurance from anyone who has been in this situation - from anyone who has gotten sea sick before and has tried cruising again, perhaps with the ear patch, and I'd like to know how your experience turned out.

 

Thank you very much.

[I'm on holiday]

There is nothing worse than being seasick, unless of course it's morning sickness. :eek:

 

I suggest booking a cabin mid-ship. Forward and aft cabins tend to feel more motion, should the seas get rough. A few days prior to sailing, start taking ginger root tablets, and continue taking them 2-3 times a day while onboard. If necessary, pop a Bonine at bedtime only, as you don't want to be drowsy during the day, or in the evening. This works like a charm for me! :)

 

Oh, and IMHO, the larger, newer ships are better designed to handle high seas.

[Morecruisesplz]

I am looking for some reassurance from anyone who has been in this situation - from anyone who has gotten sea sick before and has tried cruising again, perhaps with the ear patch, and I'd like to know how your experience turned out.

 

We've been in some pretty rough seas but have never experienced sea sickness, knock on wood. Before our first cruise I was sure I would get sea sick. Our travel agent, who has a daughter-in-law who gets terribly sea sick recommended a product I purchased but have never used. She swears by it and tells me her daughter-in-law and now cruise comfortably with the family using this product when nothing else worked for her. It's an oil that you simply dab behind your ears as needed. The name is MotionEaze - all natural motion sickness relief. 1 bottle is 40 applications. motioneaze.com or 888-212-5503. I hope it helps you!

[espmass]

I have been on many cruises for many years and up till about 3 years ago I never got seasick. All of a sudden 3 years ago I got very seasick on a cruise. Then the next two I was fine, then sick again. I'm not sure why but we had a cabin in the same area each time so it wasn't the location and I have been in very rough seas and not gotten sick. I find that even the non drowsy Bonine and Dramamine make me feel drugged and the patch leaves me useless. I guess what I am saying is there is no rhyme or reason why I get seasick and it might very well be the same for you. This time I plan to try the wrist bands as a precaution since people seem to have luck with them. Don't give up trying cruising!

[Jean17]

I have used the patches and only experienced some extra thirst. My sister used them and had symptoms of sea sickness after she was back from the cruise.

 

I find that if I do feel sea sick the best thing is to get some fresh air and stare at the horizon. Don't stay inside if you are feeling sea sick.

[happy to be sailing]

Well i am a fan of the sea bands. I have been on 7 cruises & some in very rough water & have never even came close to being seasick. i beleive in them.Being seasick is not fun. I only had it once & that was enough. Go for the bands.

[cb at sea]

Hopefully you've booked as close to mid-ship as possible. Just like a see-saw, the ends of the ship move more than the middle. And the higher you are (deck-wise), the more you can move!

Good luck and here's wishing you smooth sailing!

[dixieva]

I think the biggest mistake most folks make is waiting until they are actually sick or starting to feel sick before taking any motion sickness meds. I was using the patch but it made me feel horrible-not really sick but not really good either. I am very prone to sea sickness. I start taking Bonine the day before the cruise leaves and take it morning and night during the whole cruise. I know it makes some folks sleepy but does not affect me that way.

 

I have a great doctor who gives me Phenergan to take along on my cruises just in case. Once you get sick it works great and saves a trip to the on board doc. I haven't had to use it on a cruise since taking the Bonine.

 

Try any meds before the cruise to see how it will affect you, especially the patch.

[TifTif]

I get motion sickness very easily, so I always use the patch. Works great.Well with 1 side effect.After the 3rd day my vision gets blurred. I have started taking the patch off on day 2 if the seas are calm and replace it on the other side after a day or so.That works for me much better.They really are easy, and you won't get drowsy.

[joand452]

I start taking Bonine the night before I board the ship, too. I only take it a bedtime, as it does make me sleepy. I took the non-drowsy Dramamine during the day once on a ferry trip and slept the whole time.

 

I forgot to take one the night before our second cruise, and within 30 minutes of sailing I strarted to feel ill. I immediately took two Bonine and slept the rest of the night away. Remembered to take one Bonine every night thereafter and was fine.

 

I'll never forget that feeling, so I make sure I pop the Bonine the night before. BTW, I don't like the Bonine chewable flavor, so I buy the Target brand. It's a tiny swallow pill.

[MIDWESTCRUIZER]

Where can you purchase the wristbands? And Bonine is OTC? What is prescription? Sorry - new at this and don't want any seasickness! Thanks

[SANDY823]

I am a big fan of the patch - Bonine, dramamine, all make me too drowsy -even childs dose. Wrist bands don't work for me, neither does ginger..

The patch does have side effects , which are blurry vision and dry mouth - I prefer that over seasickness any day... Just drink extra water -- (or have a few drinks, and not be sure what causes the blurry vision ;))...

 

But you have to use it properly - do not cut it in half. Do not remove it in less then 3 days. It is slow release, and if you take it off too early, you may experience other symptoms- If using more then 3 days, switch ears when you put the new one on. I have severe motion sickness, but now only use the patches if I have several sea days in a row - or are expecting rough seas- I always go for a mid ship cabin, and stay away from the very top if seas get rough.

 

So, its a combo of things to keep from being sick - but 15 plus cruises later - I've yet to be sick on a cruise ship -- now small boats and catamarans- thats a different story !

 

THe patch is prescription only - so talk to your doctor.

 

Enjoy your cruise

 

~Sandy~

[dixieva]

Bonine is over the counter. Most drug stores carry it. I would never cruise without a large supply. Remember to start it before the cruise begins and continue every day. Don't wait to see if you'll get sick. Better safe than sorry.

[Happy ks]

I'm not a big fan of medications and only take what is absolutely neccessary. In the past I've started taking the less-drowsy formula of Dramamine starting the night before the cruise and continue throughout the cruise.

 

However, the last time I took it (2 years ago) it still made me so sleepy I felt as though I was missing most of the cruise, so I stopped. Fortunately I haven't experienced any motion sickness at all on our last few cruises. The seas were not what I could call calm and I didn't experience any motions sickness at all.

 

I don't think it has anything to do with the location of the cabin, since we don't spend a lot of time in there, we're out and about. I think it has more to do with the roughness of the sea, there is no ship nor any stabilizers that can control the ocean movement, although it does help a tiny bit with the side to side movement.

[kellyco]

Where can you purchase the wristbands? And Bonine is OTC? What is prescription? Sorry - new at this and don't want any seasickness! Thanks

 

The bands are available in a drug store, we call them Queezy Bands. They worked for my husband on our cruise and also for my daughter on long car and plane trips. They are tight around your wrist with a "ball" that puts pressure on a point on your wrist that is somehow connected to your equalibrium.

[nilsbyy]

Does anyone know how much the patch costs, and if there is a generic available? I am planning on getting a prescription, just in case.

 

Also, what does the patch look like? What color/size is it? I would rather look silly than be seasick, but I was just wondering. I have short hair.

[Kruzeagain]

Mythbusters (the TV show) just did a bit on motion-sickness cures. Proved a couple of things:

1) Everybody is different and so we respond differently to treatment.

2) Ginger seemed to work best for the fellas in the nausea-inducing spinning chair (YUCK!)

 

The drug name behind Dramamine/Bonine/Bonamine and many many others is Meclizine. You can google it for considerable info on why it works and which brands modify the basic drug in which ways.

 

For an upcoming transatlantic I plan on taking it 24 hrs prior to flight time. Plenty of time to catch some zzz's at the airport in Toronto (darn customs procedures) and at the pre-cruise hotel. Figuring that by the time we board Indy I will have adjusted to the meds and won't have to sleep for...13 nights?

 

Happy Cruising,

Alan

[Mango Tango]

Mythbusters (the TV show) just did a bit on motion-sickness cures. Proved a couple of things:

1) Everybody is different and so we respond differently to treatment.

2) Ginger seemed to work best for the fellas in the nausea-inducing spinning chair (YUCK!)

I saw that show and tried the Ginger capsules on a cruise after seeing that. I am prone to motion sickness and sea sickness and I can tell you that the Ginger really works. I take two Ginger capsules in the morning and two more about 6pm. No side effects like the patch, which I have tried and HATED! :eek:

[ckrobyn]

I have always relied on Bonine...and I start taking it the night before my cruise. A few weeks ago, the night before boarding the Mariner we were staying the night in an airport hotel for a 6 a.m flight. I took the bonine at about 11:30 p.m and went to bed at 12:30....we had to wake up at 3:00 a.m and although I was sleepy, I felt ok. About an hour into our flight I started to feel terrible......I broke into a cold sweat followed by serious nausea :eek: I was sitting in my airplane thinking "I took my bonine, how can this be happening???" I felt awful for the rest of the flight, but slept it off a bit and by the time we landed I was pretty much ok. I think what happened is that I took the bonine so late at night, and didn't have the chance to sleep it off - I was really, really drowsy on the flight coupled with no sleep and no food = bad combo :rolleyes:

 

Aside from the above scenario, bonine has always worked fine for me. As it turned out, this episode freaked me out and I didn't take any more bonine for the cruise and I was fine - even through really rough seas.

 

For me, I think I worry more about "becoming" sea sick, and this is what makes me take the meds. I won't be taking anything in advance for my upcoming Adventure cruise, but the bonine will be packed "just in case!"

[SA Traveler]

I also had and inside cabin my first cruse and never experienced any seasickness. Second cruise I was really sick! I was hooked though so I didn't give up. After 20 cruises I can tell you that what works best for me is the Relief Band. It is a little pricey. Years ago I paid $79 at Drugstore.com. I saw it at $129 in one of those Sky Mall books on a plane recently. It looks like a watch that you are wearing upside down on your wrist and gives you a little shock. It's like accupressure/accupuncture sort of thing. I have no idea how it works but for me it does. If seas get REALLY rough I also take the less drowsy dramamine which is Meclizine - the same as Bonine. Regular dramamine knocks me out but I can function with the non-drowsy formula. You will just have to experiment and find what works for you. I couldn't handle the double vision from the patch.

[MIDWESTCRUIZER]

Does it matter what kind of ginger you take? Capsules...I assume are sold at drugstores? I would like to see a pic of that patch if anyone has it. Does it stay on pretty well when swimming? Thank u thank u thank u!!

[doulaamy]

Thank you for all the helpful advice about this topic.

My husband and son, age 6, suffer from severe motion sickness.

 

We've never cruised before, so it's nice to hear about all the options.

I'm still "shopping around" and looking into all the possibilites.

 

One thing to consider though..

I recently called RCCL to ask them about switching our cabin. Ours is 8th deck aft. After talking to the rep, it all made sense. We really are only in our cabins for showering/changing and sleeping. Realistically, how much difference would it make to move our cabin to the middle? Would a couple of hundred feet really make a difference as to whether they'll be sick or not? Probably not. You're either going to get sick or not. Don't get me wrong, if a midship cabin was available, I'd take it. So far, there's nothing.

 

The point I'm trying to make is that there are a lot of factors to be considered in motion/sea sickness. If you're like me, just plan as best you can. I have a feeling that we will be looking into all of these options.

 

Best of luck!

[joand452]

We always get a midship cabin, and I honestly don't know if it makes a difference, because of taking the Bonine (or meclizine) the night before we cruise. We were sitting in the Cafe Promenade on the Mariner the first time I really felt it (it's low and in the front of the ship).

 

We do keep getting higher (deck-wise ;)) each cruise (started on deck 4 first cruise; we'll be on deck 9 next), but I think our limit will be deck 9. I don't want to be under a public deck.

 

Hope you find something that will work for your son and DH. That sick feeling is certainly no fun!

[canucks4]

The only time I get sea sick is after my 3rd martini :D!

 

Actually, I still get air sick, very car sick, but never sea sick. I'm not sure why, but the very first cruise I had every med with me and never needed one. So now it's in my head that I don't get seasick, so I don't. Mind over matter? I'm sticking with that theory because it works for me!

[ckrobyn]

I do believe that the location of your cabin has something to do with potential seasickness. If I were prone to motion sickness, I would be booking a cabin mid-ship and on a lower deck. Look where the theatre's, dining rooms and skating rinks are - there must be a reason for that?

 

Having said that, if the seas are rough.....it really isn't going to matter where your cabin is located, you are going to feel the motion.