For all of you who take seasick medicine...

[Time4disney]

This is what I was wondering..........
For my past 2 cruises to the Bahamas (taken late May/early June) I have taken Bonine and felt fine............but luckily, during both cruises the water was pretty calm.

I guess my question is........if I know the water is calm with no storms around, etc. and the boat is not rocking at all do you think I would be okay without the Bonine?

As far as me getting motion sickness, I don't ride Mission Space and I have felt really bad after riding in the back row of Star Tours at DHS. I rode ToT once and never again.

So is there anyone who usually takes seasick medicine but may have decided to brave it, take a gamble and felt fine without the medication?

 

[sayhello]

This is what I was wondering..........
For my past 2 cruises to the Bahamas (taken late May/early June) I have taken Bonine and felt fine............but luckily, during both cruises the water was pretty calm.

I guess my question is........if I know the water is calm with no storms around, etc. and the boat is not rocking at all do you think I would be okay without the Bonine?

As far as me getting motion sickness, I don't ride Mission Space and I have felt really bad after riding in the back row of Star Tours at DHS. I rode ToT once and never again.

So is there anyone who usually takes seasick medicine but may have decided to brave it, take a gamble and felt fine without the medication?

I have the same issues you mention (not riding Mission Space, felt bad in the back row of Star Tours, plus I get seasick on small sailboats, like snorkeling excursions). That said, I have never taken medication while on the cruiseships, and have never had an issue with seasickness. But all my cruises so far have been pretty smooth sailing; I'm not sure what would happen if we hit rough seas. And, unfortunately, once you start getting seasick, it's too late for Bonine. I've found that SeaBands really do help, though.

Sayhello

 

[glindamood]

I would never take the chance, personally. You never know what the seas are going to be ahead of you and, once you begin to feel ill, there isn't much you can do to get rid of the feeling. DH feels the same way. But, YMMV so you need to do what you feel is best for you.

This is what I was wondering..........
For my past 2 cruises to the Bahamas (taken late May/early June) I have taken Bonine and felt fine............but luckily, during both cruises the water was pretty calm.

I guess my question is........if I know the water is calm with no storms around, etc. and the boat is not rocking at all do you think I would be okay without the Bonine?

As far as me getting motion sickness, I don't ride Mission Space and I have felt really bad after riding in the back row of Star Tours at DHS. I rode ToT once and never again.

So is there anyone who usually takes seasick medicine but may have decided to brave it, take a gamble and felt fine without the medication?

 

[Bobo912]

This is what I was wondering..........
For my past 2 cruises to the Bahamas (taken late May/early June) I have taken Bonine and felt fine............but luckily, during both cruises the water was pretty calm.

I guess my question is........if I know the water is calm with no storms around, etc. and the boat is not rocking at all do you think I would be okay without the Bonine?

As far as me getting motion sickness, I don't ride Mission Space and I have felt really bad after riding in the back row of Star Tours at DHS. I rode ToT once and never again.

So is there anyone who usually takes seasick medicine but may have decided to brave it, take a gamble and felt fine without the medication?

I don't get sick on Mission Space, Star Tours or ToT, and I've been on cruises on smaller ships where the ride was bumpy and didn't get sick, but I got very seasick on the Wonder when the seas were rough. I brought sea bands on the trip but they didn't help. I was sick all the first evening and up into the night. I picked up some Meclizine from guest services the next morning and was fine for the rest of the trip. Personally, I wouldn't risk it. I initially didn't want to take anything because I was afraid I would be sleepy the entire trip, but I was fine with the Meclizine. But given the choice between sleepy and nauseated, I would definitely choose sleepy.

 

[musicgirl]

Personally, I never go without it good, bad or ugly. Once that feeling hits, it is so hard to get rid of it. I just wouldn't want to miss out because I didn't want to take the medicine.

Obviously doing what you feel is best for you is the way to go.

Personal history.....my motion sickness was so bad at one point that I could drive around the corner less than a mile and get sick. And that was with ME driving.......

I also use the electronic wristband on the ship. It the one that sends a pulse through certain fingers when it is placed correctly. I only use it when the seas are rough.

 

[godalejunior]

Are there any OTC remedies for motion sickness that do not cause drowsiness?

 

[jiminyC_fan]

I would never take a chance either. Why risk a day or two of a vacation? We take Bonine whether we need it or not. On the PC cruise back in 2005 we very unexpectedly encountered Hurricane Hilary during the night. So many people woke up sick and that was including CM's. We were just fine and I think it is because we had Bonine in us. It's hard to play "catch up" once the sea sickness has struck.

Bonine (meclizine) does not make you sleepy. I buy mine at Target. It is named "travel sickness pills" and is behind the counter. I get a bottle of 100 for 5.00. The brand name bonine on the shelves is MUCH more expensive.

 

[shellcruiser]

I've heard several times that ginger tablets are beneficial. I know when I got motion and elevation sickness in Ecuador a local restaurant brewed a ginger root tea that really helped (that was after I was already sick).

Personally, I use presciption scopalamine patches, but I don't recommend that for everyone due to side-effects.

 

[disney1990]

We use Ginger tablets -- start taking a day in advance. We also have Sea Bands, but never had to use them.

 

[Aquachick0410]

They do make a non-drowsy version of Dramamine. I always wear the patch behind my ear because I do not want to take a chance of running into bad seas. But I also pack a bottle of Dramamine and the non-drowsy version just in case the seas do get bad. Luckily I've only had to use it once and it was during dinner that I got sea sick so I took the version to make me sleepy so that I passed out for the night and woke up perfectly fine the next morning and ready to go!

 

[hgon76]

Bonine didn't really make me drowsy. & I didn't take it unless I started to feel queasy. Even then it did the trick. I only took it a few times during our cruise. The seas reaaly weren't rough, but there were a couple of instances when I really "felt" the motion of the ship. Whenever I went into the Walt Disney Theater was one of those times. But, again I took it as soon as I started feeling that way & it worked.

 

[RLP817]

My first cruise I didn't bring anything with me and ended up feeling sick and got Bonine at the Pursers desk. The next cruise I brought it with me and packed it in my baggage. BIG MISTAKE. My luggage didn't make it to my room until after we set sail. I was sooo sick. Spent the entire evening in the bathroom while my husband took my daughter to eat. I finally got my luggage and took the Bonine and went to bed. Woke up feeling fine and Kept taking it and had no more problems. Since then no more taking chances. Bonine stays with me in my carry on and I take it no matter what. Sea-sickness just is not the way to spend a vacation.

 

[quentina]

We all wear the patch however....first sign of illness, we go and get the shot. That clears up everything (only had to do it 1x).

My DH can't even sit in a passenger seat (must drive) and he has no issues while wearing the patch. Only problem I have with them is the price....they are expensive!

 

[DisneyJenn23]

I get pretty bad motion sickness. My first Disney cruise I forgot to get the patch and so I went without and was fine. No problems at all. I take something just in case, because I have been on other ships where the boat has made me so sick I could not get out of bed.

I have heard the wrist bands work really well. I never tried them, but have friends who have and love them. (They make really cute ones too)

I have tried the patchn but on my last seven day I was on day 3 and my vision got very very blurry. I could not read the menus at dinner. I thought I was having a problem with my contacts. Changed them... still the problem. Took the patch off and was fine!

Perscription Meclizine is what works best for me, and I never feel drowsy with it.

 

[caribear]

I have always taken Meclizine (generic Bonine) when I cruise. I cannot ride the teacups at Disney or any other ride that goes in circles and spins you around. On one cruise I decided to see if I could make it without the Meclizine as the seas were very calm. I made it through dinner on the 1st night...went to the theater...and soon felt miserable. I went back to the room early, took Meclizine and woke up feeling like a new person the next day. Since then I have not chanced it....or tried other natural products such as ginger or the SeaBands (sister uses them and says they work for her)...I just do not want to take a chance and miss any precious days of my cruise!

I start taking Meclizine the night before my cruise...and then each night thereafter. I always sleep so sound on cruises...and feel great in the morning!

 

[NancyIL]

Bonine is not cheap, but a bottle of 100 Meclizine pills (the main ingredient in Bonine) from the pharmacist is usually under $10. I also take one every day - even when seas are calm. Even with the pills, there was 1 night on a Transatlantic cruise in September that I couldn't make it through dinner. I didn't get sick to my stomach, but I just wanted to go to bed.

 

[Gigi22]

DH and I have been on 30 cruises. We experience seasickness on very rare occasions only. What we have found is that if you start wearing seabands before you get on the ship, you can then judge if the seas are too rough for you once the ship is out of port, and take whatever medicine you need then.
We live in Canada, there is an antinauseant called Gravol (not sure if this brand is available in the US, but I am sure there must be a couple of similar medicines) that now has a natural source non-drowsy variety with 500 mg. dried ginger root in a chewable lozenge form. This has worked for us.
We usually sail with nearly all the nausea remedies known to man in our hand luggage--seabands, ginger root medication, and the regular anti-nausea medication (also Gravol)! Darned if I will lose a cruise day due to seasickness! We don't take the patch with us--there are just too many possible side-effects for my liking.

 

[travelbug24]

Another meclizine user. Tried not to use it this last trip and I was sorry I didn't. My motto will forever be always be safe than sorry.

My eye doctor has been trying to talk me into bifocals for a couple of years and I won't even try them because I am afraid they will give me motion sickness.

 

[tinkmom2]

I wasn't trying to brave it on our last cruise but we were at Castaway all day and I forgot to take the free sea sickness pills you can get from Guest Services. (I brought my own but they only last for a few hours) That night during the play and right after dinner I started to feel ill. The pills you can get on the ship last for 12 hours. For me it's a sure thing for me to take them.

 

[denegate]

They do make a non-drowsy version of Dramamine. I always wear the patch behind my ear because I do not want to take a chance of running into bad seas. But I also pack a bottle of Dramamine and the non-drowsy version just in case the seas do get bad. Luckily I've only had to use it once and it was during dinner that I got sea sick so I took the version to make me sleepy so that I passed out for the night and woke up perfectly fine the next morning and ready to go!

What is the the "patch"?