I am trying to persuade friends to plan a cruise with me. One is very excited, the other is afraid to take a cruise because of severe motion sickness. Does anyone have any experiences or suggestions with motion sickness on a cruise?
There are several different things one can do for motion sickness. Everyone is different in their sensitivity to motion. Remedies can be as simple as eating ginger or green apples, keeping food on the stomach, and when up on deck focus on the horizon. They may speak with their Doctor about a medicated patch which is placed behind the ear. Some people take the Bonine motion sickness pill. There also are some wrist bands you can buy which put pressure on pulse points.
The ships all have stabilizers. You may want to go on one of the newer mega ships. I can hardly tell they are moving. You may want to book a cabin midship on a lower deck also.
If you click the "Find" tab at the top-left of the page and enter "motion sicknes" you will find many threads with good information on the subject.
For someone prone to motion sickness I would suggest two things: get a perscription from a doctor for a patch that can be worn around-the-clock; there are many good over-the-counter remedies, but for a severe case I would consult a doctor. Next, book a cabin on a low deck and near the middle of the ship. The motion of the ship will be less noticeable there than anyplace else.
But assure your friend that the very large and modern ships today, with their stabilizers and gyroscopes, have very little motion. Most of the time you are not even aware you are on a ship. And in the rare case when you encounter severe weather or high seas, the patch should keep you very comfortable.
Bonine is a "less drowsy" medication that cures motion sickness for a full 24 hours. I get severe motion sickness (on the flight, in a car, the ship is just a given) and it is the best. It was recommended to be my the ship's doctor on my second cruise--as he was peeling off the patch and throwing it away. I got a very disdainful "you Americans and your patches" as he tossed it in the bin, and then a run down on the superiority of the medical community in Sweden, along with a week's supply of Bonine. I have stuck with it ever since!
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Laurie
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Spoheat,
Boy am I with you on this. The patch was a big mistake for all four of us. It took us a few days to realize why we all had cotton mouth, feeling not very well, and my daughter and husband complained of blurred vision..1 of the side effects not to mention swollen ankles that was some bad stuff. Bonine is very good
You actually don't even have to buy the Bonine brand. They have the generics at Wal-Mart. The active ingredient to look for is Meclizine. I've only had to use it a few times during rough seas, and it does work. Most people I've spoken with that are prone to motion sickness recommend taking it before hand.
The normal movement of the ship doesn't bother me very much. As a precaution I've been taking the Ginger pills/supplements that Wooddon suggested in the prior post as a "just in case" measure the last 2 cruises. They really do seem to help prevent that feeling from even starting with me. I usually start taking them a few days before the cruise.
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