Seasickness and Cruising

First time cruisers often wonder if they will get seasick. For the majority of Passengers, sea sickness is not a problem. First, the sea cannot make you sick, is not a virus and therefore you cannot catch it. It is the motion of a car, plane, train, ship or amusement park ride that can make some experience sickness, the symptoms are the same and the cause is the same. The real name is motion sickness. Motion sickness happens when the body, inner ear, and eyes all send different signals to the brain, resulting in confusion and queasiness. It is a problem generally attributed to disturbance in the balance system of the inner ear. Your sensory perception gets out of synch as these nerve fibers attempt to compensate for the unfamiliar motion of the ship moving through water.

The good news for sufferers is that the condition often disappears without medical treatment within a few days. As your brain learns to compensate for the swaying and pitching of the ship you will get your “sea legs”. If you do feel sick and don't want to wait a few days to get your "sea legs", there are several remedies available, both medicinal like Dramamine, Dramamine II, Bonine and patches (Dramamine II and Bonine are non-drowsy formulas) and non-medicinal like Sea-Bands that are worn around the wrist, and they usually do the trick.

Almost all ships are designed with stabilizers that minimize side-to-side roll. When choosing a cabin, think about what is important to you. If you love the water, as I do, you will want a cabin with a balcony or at least a window. If you are susceptible to motion sickness, a cabin on a lower deck toward the middle of the ship is your best bet. The closer you are to the ship's center of gravity, the less motion you will feel.

Remedies must be taken before setting sail. Medication can be obtained from Pharmacies, and even in the ship stores - usually at a higher price, which help most people by sedating the balancing organs. These can cause drowsiness and instructions for their use should be read carefully and they should be taken with care. Ask your pharmacist for advice if you are not sure. At lunch on the day of the cruise before the ship leaves port, both my wife and I each take 1 Bonine tablet and that usually is all we need for a cruise.

Some people find special wrist bands effective and the Sea-Bands are sold in many pharmacies and luggage stores. There are also stick-on patches that can be worn on the skin behind the ear, but these are obtained by doctor's prescription only.

Don't let Seasickness keep you from taking and enjoying a cruise.