Cruise Seasickness

[mpoppins217]

So I'm taking my first cruise in a few months (and it had to be a Disney cruise, of course!) and was wondering about seasickness. How likely is it for someone to get sick? And how long does it normally last? What do people recommend as ways to alleviate the nausea? Are there any ways to predict how I'll react (I've never been on a ship/boat of any sort before)?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Phonedave]

So I'm taking my first cruise in a few months (and it had to be a Disney cruise, of course!) and was wondering about seasickness. How likely is it for someone to get sick? And how long does it normally last? What do people recommend as ways to alleviate the nausea? Are there any ways to predict how I'll react (I've never been on a ship/boat of any sort before)?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Do you get any sort of motion sickness. Do airlines bother you, how about any sort of rides, what about cars ?

It's really hard to tell if you will be seasick or not. If you do get seasick there are certain cabins that are better, but that is moot because you allready have yours.

I dont get seasick, so I cannot tell you what works to alleviate it, but if I was in your shoes, I would take along some drammimine. I know some people have luck with ginger or those pressure point wrist bands.

-dave

 

[mpoppins217]

Do you get any sort of motion sickness. Do airlines bother you, how about any sort of rides, what about cars ?
-dave

I've never gotten any sort of motion sickness except for a few times in the car when I had eaten too much! :ROFLOL:
But otherwise, I'm one of those crazy spinners on the teacups, love simulators, etc.

Thanks for the advice about using dramamine!


Edit: My mother, on the other hand, is horrible when it comes to simulators. She gets ridiculously sick on those, but on all other rides she's fine. Will she have problems?

 

[Phonedave]

I've never gotten any sort of motion sickness except for a few times in the car when I had eaten too much! :ROFLOL:
But otherwise, I'm one of those crazy spinners on the teacups, love simulators, etc.

Thanks for the advice about using dramamine!


Edit: My mother, on the other hand, is horrible when it comes to simulators. She gets ridiculously sick on those, but on all other rides she's fine. Will she have problems?

I am going to guess no, she will not.

Unless you get into some rough seas, its a large ship and it does not move that much. They are really very stable, especialy with the bow bulge (I forget its technical name, forgive my nautical failings )

I have been on some ships where fully 90% of the passengers were thowing up and laying on the floor (Catching the end of a hurricane while crossing from Nova Scotia to Maine on the auto ferry). But in those cases the ships was MOVING. The Disney cruise ships (at least to me and my kids) are very stable.

-dave

 

[Gig 'Em Mickey]

My wife is a daredevil but gets sick and small boats. The big ships are usually OK as long as the seas are calm. The motion normally is actually less than you feel in a car. You have a sensation that you're moving, but not strong. Also the ships have horizontal stabilizers that limit side to side sway. I would still recommend non-drowsy dramamine before you even get on. Take that until you have a good sense of how you can handle it. And if you do get sick, fresh air is best. I'd recommend going to the promenade deck though. Since your lower to closer to the center og gravity of the ship, therefore less sway. Also if you :hurl: over the rail it's less likely to land on someone's balcony. I think you'll probably be fine.

DO NOT use the ear patch for motion sickness.

 

[disneydiva72]

Taking Ginger pills (the ones from the health stores) have been proven to work.

DO NOT use the ear patch for motion sickness.

THAT is VERY good advise!! I used those once and was so dizzy, it affected my vision and I couldn't walk straight....and that was AFTER I took it off!

 

[Disneykidder]

On a cruise that I went on, I also brought along dramamine. I took it before we embarked and kept taking it every few hours on the first day until I was stabilized. The first night, however, I was kind of nauseous. I didn't throw up but I was kind of dizzy and needed to lay down for the evening. The first full day and from then on I was fine.

Keep in mind that when you come home from the cruise, you may still feel like you are moving. Kind of a weird experience. So, if possible, take it easy the first few days when home. It was kind of like stepping off of an elevator and still feel like moving but for a couple of days.

You never really know how you will feel but I say to take some meds with you just in case. It is also cheaper at your local store than on the cruise ship. EVERYthing is much more inflated there.

Have fun!!:wave:

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I'm not sure why there's all the hate for the patch. :shrug: I've used it a handful of times and it saved my life.

What people have said is right... Usually it's not too bad, and most people don't get sick. And that's coming from someone that does get motion sick. BUT... If the seas get a little choppy and the motion does get bad and you're not prepared... It can literally wreck a day or even two of your trip. And when you only have a handful of days for vacation anyway, that entire day is made that much worse, knowing you're wasting time.

My first few cruises, I did the dramamine thing, and just dealt with any weird feeling I had and fought through it. Then on my next cruise, I decided I would talk to the doc about a scopolomine (sp?) patch. He gave me a few and I was on my way. Outside of a dry mouth, I didn't really have any side effects. But the UPSIDES were amazing. Never before had I been able to snorkel before, even with dramamine, because it made me sick. With the patch, my wife literally couldn't get me out of the water! That's something that people don't think about... It's not necessarily the cruise ship that will cause the problem... It's the tender boats to the islands, or the excursion boats to get to where you might snorkel, or the rum cruises, and things like that. Nobody thinks about that, but lemme tell ya. They can be bad. But with the patch, I felt like I was 12 years old, and ready to take it all on, for the first time in my life. Amazing. And those are parts of taking a cruise that I used to really have to fight through and be miserable. Now, they're the highlights for me!

Also, we had one really bad choppy day at sea, and they said that about 50% of the people on board were in their rooms sick because of it. But there I was, out on the deck, lovin' life.

My advice is to be prepared for anything. Talk to your doc about getting a few patches (each one lasts a few days). Take dramamine. Or ginger pills. Or both. Then hit the cruise ship, and see how you feel. Try the dramamine if you need to. If it works, great. If not... Slap on a patch. There may be a side effect or two... Everyone is different. But if you're like me, if it gets to the point where you'll need it, you'd be happy to have a few side effects if it meant you could still be out enjoying your cruise, or tour, or snorkel, or whatever else it is you're doing.

Have fun!

 

[Gig 'Em Mickey]

The only reason I recommend against the patch is that is was prescribed to my wife. her eyes permanently dilated for several days. Basically her eyes were paralyzed. 3-4 days of sitting in a dark room. It sucked. Yeah it's a rare side-effect, but one I wouldn't risk on my vacation. Maybe try one out first before you go to see how you handle it. Also wouldn't double on medications. Don't combine patch and pill. Pick one or the other.

But if there is some motion it makes for great naps. It feels like you're sleeping in a hammock.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

The only reason I recommend against the patch is that is was prescribed to my wife. her eyes permanently dilated for several days. Basically her eyes were paralyzed. 3-4 days of sitting in a dark room. It sucked. Yeah it's a rare side-effect, but one I wouldn't risk on my vacation. Maybe try one out first before you go to see how you handle it. Also wouldn't double on medications. Don't combine patch and pill. Pick one or the other.

But if there is some motion it makes for great naps. It feels like you're sleeping in a hammock.

Testing one ahead of time is a good idea. Then you know. Just have the doc prescribe an extra one.

I wouldn't suggest mixing meds either... If you took dramamine and it didn't work, wait till after the next dosage time passes, then try something else.

 

[CMTinkerbell99]

So I'm taking my first cruise in a few months (and it had to be a Disney cruise, of course!) and was wondering about seasickness. How likely is it for someone to get sick? And how long does it normally last? What do people recommend as ways to alleviate the nausea? Are there any ways to predict how I'll react (I've never been on a ship/boat of any sort before)?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

I don't have any issues. Although my husband has had issues with rough waters once during our 7 cruises together. I got him seabands. It works like accupresure. Since I bought them we always carry them when we sail. Everyone else has given great tips.

HTH

 

[Audrey9505]

I'm not sure if this is true or not, but for me, it seems the Disney Cruise boats might be built a bit better than the others. I went on a Disney Cruise and felt perfectly fine but went on another, older cruise line and felt sick the first night. Have fun on your cruise!

 

[Gig 'Em Mickey]

Depends. Magic is 10 years old. Wonder is 8 years old. The newest cruise ships have different technologies, but these ships are definitely "new" in industry terms.

 

[charatijennings]

Not to scare you to death or anything, but I got sick on our last Disney cruise which was Thanksgiving 2007. And it wasn't from the motion of the boat. It was the Norovirus that was going around. Remember over the past 24 months there have been lots of news reports about a good number of people on cruise ships becoming ill. My family should have realized that something was up when we were greeted with hand wipes the minute we boarded the ship. By the 2nd day, I was very ill. At one point during the long, long night, my husband opened our room door to let some fresh air in and you could hear people all up and down the halls throwing up through their doors. Yuck, yuck, yuck. I'm hoping that the virus on ships has been controlled by now. Just be careful and don't touch anything you don't have to and keep a little bottle of antibacterial hand wash in your pocket at all times. You can also look online for other preventive measures before you leave. Lots of people confuse this virus with motion sickness, but I had that on my very first cruise 10 years ago. With it, I took nothing and was nauseated on the 2nd day at sea, but after about 6 hours, that feeling was gone and I was fine the entire rest of the trip. Regular motion sickness was not nearly as bad as the virus. And remember you can't "get off" the ship once the cruise starts.

 

[Disney05]

.....Keep in mind that when you come home from the cruise, you may still feel like you are moving. Kind of a weird experience. So, if possible, take it easy the first few days when home. It was kind of like stepping off of an elevator and still feel like moving but for a couple of days.

That's the part I hate the most.

 

[mpoppins217]

Thanks so much for the advice! I was kind of nervous that it might get bad and ruin the trip but I feel much better now! I'll just take lots of drugs with me. :sohappy:

 

[Phonedave]

My family should have realized that something was up when we were greeted with hand wipes the minute we boarded the ship.

That's SOP on cruise ships. It is because a ship is such a contained environment that something like the Norwalk Virus that can be spread by person to person contact can spread like wildfire. The other key is that washing with soap (or as you suggest and antibacterial) is not that effective. However disinfectants easily kill the virus.

The hand wash stations, and the CM's handing out wipes at the entrance to every dining room is to prevent an outbreak, not in response to one.

A bit of reading about cruises before going on one would have indicated that outbreaks of various illness are nothing new to the cruise industry.

While the cruise ship industry in total reports that it is follows strict regulations designed to prevent viral contamination and public health challenges, norovirus outbreaks have continued to occur. In December 2002, Carnival Cruise Lines suffered back-to-back outbreaks on its 7-day Caribbean cruises bound for New Orleans. That same month Royal Caribbean also reported that two of its cruise ships had Norwalk-like virus outbreaks.

The CDC reported in its 2002 year-end review that the cruise ship outbreaks of that year demonstrated just how easily norovirus is transmitted from person to person in a closed environment. According the CDC, both the event of outbreaks on consecutive cruises populated by new passenger and the resurgence of outbreaks caused by the same virus strains during previous cruises on the same ship (or on different ships of the same company), suggests that environmental contamination and infected crew members can serve as reservoirs of infection for passengers. It also offered possible explanations for the increase in infection rates, positing that the 2002 outbreaks might have reflected either an actual increase in norovirus outbreaks, or could have been attributable to improved surveillance with an electronic reporting format implemented January 1, 2001. New bio-surveillance systems and the increased application of sensitive molecular assays capture data on cases of illness reported to the ship's infirmary or to designated staff on board the ship.

Emphasizing basic food and water sanitation measures, the CDC recommended control efforts that should include thorough and prompt disinfection of ships during cruises, and isolation of ill crew members and passengers (if possible) for 72 hours after clinical recovery. Rapid implementation of control measures at the first sign of a suspected gastrointestinal outbreak is considered to be critical in preventing additional cases of illness aboard ship. Chlorine-based cleaning solutions are recommended for disinfection. When routine disinfection measures are unsuccessful in interrupting the viral spread, the CDC recommends more extensive disinfection procedures, as well implementation of a waiting period - a sustained time without passengers aboard a ship to facilitate final eradication of the virus.

With no single, easy-to-implement solution on-tap, conventional public health regimens are still considered to be the best method of halting infection outbreaks in the cruise ship industry. A back-to-basics approach that includes common sense personal hygiene routines and safe, effective disinfection practices are viewed as the best defense against a public health foe that continues to ride the waves.

-dave

 

[shoppingnut]

The thing that I've used before when we've hit rough seas is Bonnai (sp?) it's better than dramamine because it doesn't make you tired. Also some of the best advice I had in not getting sick is that you should make sure you eat so you always have some food in your stomach and keep yourself hydrated (no liquor).

The ginger pills are a great way to help reduce sickness because it's more natural with no side effects and it does work.

 

[lac628]

The thing that I've used before when we've hit rough seas is Bonnai (sp?) it's better than dramamine because it doesn't make you tired. Also some of the best advice I had in not getting sick is that you should make sure you eat so you always have some food in your stomach and keep yourself hydrated (no liquor).

The ginger pills are a great way to help reduce sickness because it's more natural with no side effects and it does work.

I believe it's Bonine you're talking about and I agree, it's better than Dramamine.
I have also used the ear patch on a 5 day cruise. It worked VERY well, but at the end of the 5 days, my vision was a little blurry. I would definately take a little blurry vision over sea sickness anyday!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

I do get motion sickness so I take a preventative non-drowsy dramamine every morning of the cruise and have never been sick. Our last cruise had some rough seas, but the ship was very stable.

My parents liked the patch, but the advice about trying it before you leave is great advice.