Sea sick on a Disney cruise?

[oldshovelhead]

My DW and I just booked our first cruise ever on the Disney Wonder to celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary and my 50th birthday. We've been DVC members for a while now and thought it would be a great way to use our points to travel to the Bahamas Disney style. Since we're completely new to cruising, we have no idea what to expect when it comes to sea sickness. Should we somehow prepare for our trip? We're both prone to motion sickness. Aren't these vessels designed with stabilizers to counteract rough seas? Your helpful advice would be much appreciated.:shrug:

 

[Monty]

Cruise ships are much more stable than other vessels. That said, it is always possible to be seasick. See your doctor before you cruise and ask for Dramamine patches, if you find you're feeling the effects they work for the vast majority that have mild seasickness. If you're on board and even the patch doesn't help, ask to talk to the medical staff on board and they can give you something stronger.

Don't be shy about asking for help, the worst thing to do is suffer needlessly on vacation.

 

[mickey7879]

I am prone to motion sickness, but thought I wouldn't get sick while on board. Boy, was I wrong!!!! I was very sick the whole first day/night. Once you get sea sick, there's not much to stop it very quickly! My DH went to the medical center and I wanted him to get me the Phenergan (spelling) shot. That cost like $300! He instead opted for the phenergan supository. Yay! (not really!) I could've killed him, but it did work. It knocked me right out. I also immediately started taking dramamine non-drowsy and by the next day I was much better. I never missed a dose of dramamine until I was off the ship for good. I also got Sea Band bracelets (not the most attractive thing to wear, but they work.). The rest of the cruise I did pretty good. I felt more motion while we were watching a show, so I'd just keep pushing on those Sea Band bracelets and it seemed to help.

The first trip was a 4 night ^ and the next cruise we took was a 7-night. That trip I did much better. I took dramamine a few hrs before I boarded and then kept taking it as prescribed. Wore the bracelets if I started to feel nauseous at all. It's the slight motion that bothers me. The slight sway of the curtains, etc. When we were leaving Mexico, it was very windy and rough. Lots of people on board were getting sick......that's when I wasn't! The rockier the ship was, the better I was!

You can also get meclazine over the counter......much, much cheaper! It's the main ingredient in dramamine.

The second trip we took, we also made sure to get a room mid-ship and one with a verandah. Having the breeze really seemed to help. Plus listening to the waves at night was SOOOOO relaxing!

The good thing is if you already are prone to motion sickness, just take your meds, buy sea band bracelets and ask for help onboard if you need it. They are there to help you and make your trip enjoyable!

Good luck and have fun!

 

[SeaBreeze]

If you're prone to motion sickness, it's best to come prepared. I didn't have issues when I took a cruise, but one night was pretty rough and a lot of people had trouble (it just rocked me to sleep... :lookaroun) Certain times of the year typically have rougher seas than others but you never know what each day will bring. My friend just came back from a cruise and said the Sea Bracelets worked like a charm.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

I'm usually the only one in our group with issues. The first night is usually the roughest as you're crossing the gulf stream. I go to dinner and the show, and then straight to bed.

Sometime during the night the waters are smooth as silk. It's a great feeling.

I start taking dramamine the day before the cruise. I take it every day as a precaution and I don't have any problems after a little queasiness the first night.

My third cruise this past January, was incredibly smooth. I wasn't even queasy the first night.

 

[CatsMeow]

On our very first cruise from NY to Bermuda in 1991, we hit Hurricane Bob. That was fun..... We left NY on a Saturday and the seas were very rough that first night. Some of us had worn patches, but not all and we were not "deathly" ill, but a bit nauseous. We ate a lot of consomme soups, crackers/pretzels/ginger snaps. The ship that left the day after ours on another cruise line had a much worse time than we did; we met up with a bunch of them in Hamilton. I think we were a bit ahead of the storm and they met it head-on.

After that, I guess I got my "sea legs" because my next cruise was through the Panama Canal (12 days) and I was fine even though the seas became a little choppy. I was prepared with Dramamine, but really was fine.

We met the end of a hurricane on our Disney cruise. I was fine, but the rest of my crew thought it was a bit choppy on our first night. On the last night the captain said he would be taking a less "turbulent" route home, but it really was quite tranquil.

The ships do have stabilizers but it does really make sense to be prepared and bring something with you in case things get interesting. Dramamine worked well for me, but it can make you sleepy. The patch is great from what I hear, but I think you are supposed to curb drinking alcohol while wearing it. Ginger pills work for some people. I made sure to pack salted crackers and pretzels and mints; they do wonders to calm stomachs. On our first cruise, I found it helpful to walk on deck and breathe in some fresh air instead of the recycled air in our cabin. Really helped a lot. If you are fortunate enough to have a verandah room, that will work well too. Prepare for it, but try not to dwell on it. Have a great time!

 

[Pioneer Hall]

My mom gets bad sea sickness and uses the behind the ear patch. However, since you haven't done this before I would suggest it. I would bring Dramamine so you are ready in case you aren't feeling well. I don't know if I would suggest taking it before hand, since it isn't a great idea to load your body up on something like that if you don't need it. However, like others said, once it starts it will take a few hours to kick in and make you not feel queasy.

 

[Gig 'Em Mickey]

I'm prone to Motion Sickness, but never been sick on a ship. It's a pretty gentle motion. But I also took dramamine as a preventative the night before. Someone earlier mentioned a patch. My wife used the behind the ear ones once and it caused temporary blindness. Rare side effect I know, but it still sucked.

But just go expecting to have fun. Chances are you'll have calm seas and will have a great time. If you have a choice of cabin, lower and to the center is best for least motion. The higher you go and forward or aft, the more you'll feel the motion.

But really the Disney ship is the smoothest I've been on. Large horizontal stabilizers and the rounded bow hump really help to reduce the wake and stabilize the horizontal motion.

 

[IMPoppins]

This thread brought back some memories! My DH and I were on the Disney Magic, on our honeymoon, in October 1999 We hit Hurricane Irene. Nothing helped. You couldn't even walk a straight line down the halls. We were bumping into the walls Most people missed dinner that first night. We were all issued an on board credit which thought was nice. We were sitting in the movie theatre, watching a movie about hockey. I was getting sick watching the puck move on the screen. Also, water was pouring in the theatre near the screen I went to bed, but it didn't help. Everytime we hit a wave, the bed would move like a waterbed:hurl:
Although I was hesitant to cruise again, we went on one in Dec of 02 and it was smooth sailing the entire trip!

 

[TTFN-Tiggger]

What time of year? In the fall during hurricane season the seas can be a bit more rough. I would come prepared just in case -trying to buy medicine on board is spending. I have been on 4 cruise and all have been different experiences as far as how much motion you feel. It is really dependant on the weather you have out to sea. My last cruise we had LOTS of wind which gave us more motion to the boat - so much we missed Grand Cayman and kept going. The seas were too rough to drop anchor and tender to the island - not safe for us or the ship. I do LOVE cruising though - there is SO much to do on the ship you forget where you are. I actually enjoy the day out to sea a lot - and I am NOT a boat person at all. Have a good trip.

 

[oldshovelhead]

Thanks!

Thank you all for your replies to date. I really appreciate the advice! I booked our cruise for May 30th 2010 for two reasons. I was hoping to avoid the hurricane season by traveling May/June, and May 30th is actually our wedding anniversary. Now here’s the icing on the cake…when I said this will be our first cruise in my original post, I wasn’t exaggerating. I meant our first luxury vacation cruise, but…

I spent 5 years in The Coast Guard running small boats for search and rescue. While the normal day to day operations found me healthy and happy, there are several vivid memories still tucked away in the back of my mind, or better yet in the pit of my stomach concerning seasickness.:hurl: When I was under the gun with many things on my mind and I was trying to save a life while keeping my crew safe, I was able to bark orders and take care of business without getting sick because I wasn't thinking about it. When the case was over and we were on our way home in rough seas it was a different story. I think your mind has a lot to do with it.

I really want to try the wrist bands, and we will see our family doctor for a patch prescription prior to sailing. The other ides so far have been helpful as well. My wife is sensitive also. I know this from her reaction to some of the rides at WDW. I just want her to have the best time she can possibly have. Thanks Again!!!

 

[Mickey-Mommy]

Since you'll be celebrating on board, make sure to have them note that on your reservation. You can also order flowers or other special things/gifts to have waiting in your stateroom for your wife. It would make it that much more special for her! My husband sent me flowers when we were there celebrating our anniversary.

 

[Gig 'Em Mickey]

Eat a dinner at Palo, very nice.

 

[oldshovelhead]

Hmmm.

Eat a dinner at Palo, very nice.

I was thinking about Palo on my 50th birthday...we'll be between Castaway Cay and Nassau that evening...:slurp: