Seasick????

[iheartmickey]

Ok ... so we're thinking about a cruise. I've been doing my usual research ... reading up on it all the time. (DH says he's lost me to the Disney planning again! LOL)

The one thing I'm scared of is SEASICKNESS. :sick:

We've never cruised before and I don't want our first cruise to be ruined by feeling ill the entire time. I also don't want to have to drug us all unnecessarily either.

So what do first time cruisers do?

How do we know if we're going to be sea sick?

[Hope0277]

Unfortunately there is really no way to tell if someone is going to be seasick. The best indicator is probably if one is prone to motion sickness/car sickness.

In this case, I would come prepared with medications to help control sea sickness. For those in your party whom are 12 years of age and older, there is a product named meclizine. It is over the counter and can be found generically or by the brand name of Bonine. This is a non-drowsy formula. For those under 12 years, there is a product called dimenhydrinate, available generically and by the brand name of Dramamine. This can make a person drowsy. Another option is a product called Sea-Band. It is not a medication, rather two bands that get placed on your wrists...using accupressure.

There is also a prescription patch that your physician can prescribe called Transderm-Scope. It's a patch that gets placed on your neck behind the ear and lasts 72 hours.

Hopefully, you will not have any problems. However, it is best to come prepared.

I hope this helped a little. Best of luck!!!

[TammiMcMan]

It's really hard to predict if being on the cruise is going to bother you. My oldest daughter suffers from car sickness, but had zero problems on the cruise. My husband has experienced some motion sickness on certain Disney rides, but again, no issues with being seasick.

If you don't think you're prone to it, then I'd suggest something non-medical like the seabands. You can certainly bring along Bonine (definitely preferable to Dramimine), but it should be taken before you even get on the ship. If you wait until you start feeling seasick, you can pretty much guarantee your first night on board will be ruined.

To be honest, the only time I can notice the movement of the ship, is on the very first night. It can get quite bumpy around 6:30pm, which I'm told is about the time the ship passes out of the port waters and into open ocean waters. After a few hours, I couldn't even tell you that we were on a ship.

[iheartmickey]

Thanks for the info!

Is Dramamine really safe for kids? DD is only 5 (would be 6 by the time we cruise).

I know if she gets sick it'll ruin it for at least one if not both myself and DH. I certianly don't want to medicate for no reason, though.

Gosh, this is a hard decision ... how do people choose?

[TammiMcMan]

Is Dramamine really safe for kids? DD is only 5 (would be 6 by the time we cruise).Personally, I wouldn't give Dramamine to my child. Bonine has chewable tablets just for kids aged 6-12. You should check with your own family physician though about what's best for your children. If you lean more towards homeopathic remedies, you could try ginger candy.


Gosh, this is a hard decision ... how do people choose?Talking to your doctor may help you. The childrens Bonine lasts 6-8 hours, so it's feasible that one dose an hour prior to boarding will get you past the rough waters. After that, the ginger candy or cookies might be fine.

You could try the family out on a whale watch cruise or something like that, just to see if there are any issues with being out on the water. Not exactly the same as the cruise, but I imagine that a sensitive belly is going to show itself.

[sisterdisco]

The Disney ships are really well built w/ excellent stabilizers--meaning you feel minimal motion. Hopefully it will not bother you. We felt less motion on that ship than others we have been on.

[iheartmickey]

Thank you again for the help.

I'm going to try to get some info from our pediatrician ... I'm gonna go get some crystalized ginger and see if DD will eat it (she's picky) so hopefully we could try that.

I think the most passive course (maybe sea bands) unless we "need" something more. I will of course pack the other stuff with us JIC.

We're looking at cruising in Sept or Oct ... is their a difference in the waves then rather than during other times?

**Sorry for so many questions. :blush:

[TammiMcMan]

We're looking at cruising in Sept or Oct ... is their a difference in the waves then rather than during other times?

**Sorry for so many questions. :blush:We love the questions, so don't worry about that ;).

Unfortunately, sailing in September and October, your still running the risks of hurricanes and other tropical weather. While they will definitely chart a course around the roughest weather (or cancel the cruise completely), you could still experience some high seas. The ships stabalizers are great, but high seas are high seas. I've seen photos taken by guests, when the ship has been rocking so badly that the pools look like half the water is gone. That's rare, but it is best to be prepared.

[iheartmickey]

Tammi, are the rough seas a reason that the cruises in Sept and Oct are half the cost of the ones in April through June?

I'd love to try a cruise but the cost :faint: ... we're trying to keep it down, since we don't even know if we're cruise type people! LOL!

Really this is just an excuse for me to be around Disney ... Mickey ... and experience the Magic all guised as a relaxing vacation for DH! LOL! :thumbsup:

[TammiMcMan]

There are a couple of reasons for the lower cost on fall cruises. One is definitely the weather risk and the other is that families typically do not take kids out of school at that time of year.

Definitely invest in the insurance if you are sailing at that time. A few years ago, the hurricanes wreaked havoc on the cruise business, but they've been pretty lucky lately. You just never know.

[adoptionislove]

I was so afraid of it. We cruised in March and I had all of my backup meds and seasick bands, patches, ginger. Nothing really worked. I just kept my tummy full (oh, darn)! We did hit a bad storm the first night and I went to bed EARLY to avoid any motion. Down at the ships doctors office there is seasick tablets available but only take 1 or you will be asleep before you get to your cabin!!!

Also, if you can swing it, get a verandah...it really helped me to look out at the horizon. Have fun!

Michelle

[LilBugsMa]

I have horrible, horrible seasickness, and love cruising.

My motion sickness is so bad that I get seasick in the swimming pool in my back yard! (True, no joking). In normal waters, I just make sure to eat light foods (try to limit grease - that seems to make it worse, and pick things like fresh fruit and lean protein), sip ginger ale - and wear the arm bands.

In bad waters - I add dramamine/antivert (prescription)/bonine - what ever I have. They all seem to work equally well for me - and I just have to make sure that I avoid alcohol for the evening - other than that - its fine. I agree with the poster that said go someplace where you can see the horizon - it also helps me to feel the breeze.

I love cruising - seasickness hasn't been able to stop me yet!

[dmosher]

To be honest, I have gotten a little seasick when we were racing a hurricane on the DL some years ago and have experienced it since.
I have found (and this was verified on an episode of MythBusters) that the best and only real cure, (short of medication/drugs) is Ginger or Ginger Pills. These really do work and have been a lifesaver for me. They taste OK, don't make you drowsy or have any side effects that I have seen.
:pipes:
D

[ElenitaB]

:exactly:

I saw the ginger pills tested on Food Network's new show and they were proved to be very effective. While I've never used them for seasickness, I've used them for other types of nausea and give them the :thumbsup: :thumbsup: There's a reason why ginger ale is considered a tummy tamer. If the capsules are a problem, you can purchase liquid ginger at some health food stores (of course, you'd need it in small TSA-compliant bottles).