Cruises and VERY prone to motion sickness.

[ErinsMommy]

Many many years ago I cruised on one of the smaller Royal Caribbean ships and it was a miserable 8 days to say the least. Hubby and I both are reluctant to cruise again because of this but I hear such awesome things about the Disney cruises, I don't want to miss out if the ships have changed/gotten more stable, etc. (PS: We are not interested in Land/Sea packages at all...we've done WDW 4 times in 4 years and have had our fill.)

Also there are cruises that now depart out of NYC but it appears to be Disney's older and smaller ship (Disney Magic). Is it worth it to fly to a different port?

Lastly, which cruise is the best scenic/adventure wise for a girl turning 9 in December. (I'm thinking of a Fall 2016 cruise.)

TIA!

 

[labdogs42]

I take Bonine every day of the cruise and I'm usually pretty good. Although, we had high seas on our Fantasy cruise last February and I did spend one day not feeling so hot. I recommend a cabin with a balcony (when I'm seasick, I need to be outside), either Bonine or the patch, plus sea bands if it gets really rough, and trying the Dream 5 night cruise before a week long one. I love the Disney cruises so much, I'm willing to risk the seasickness. But, taking a cruise from NY isn't the best option for someone prone to seasickness. Those waters are rougher than the Caribbean.

 

[wilkeliza]

Talk with your doctor about getting the patches. I get sea sick off and on (different than motion sickness) and use seabands. Some people said they are just a placebo but I think they work. I know people who use the patches and they say they are fine until they get on dry land. It is possible to get "sea legs" after being on the boat for extended periods so you feel dizzy walking on land. I got it after our last cruise but it was with out any sea sickness but just a very very choppy 7 days.

 

[Justacruiser]

I get really sea sick, but was prescribed a medication, which is fantastic. the medicine is

PROMETHAZINE HCL 25MG TAB

I start taking it the morning we leave and take it every 6 hours during the cruise. I stop taking it the evening after we get home. The medication can cause drowsiness, but I don't have that side effect.

 

[disboo]

I also get motion sick fairly easily. I find that ginger is the best for me. You can get ginger candies or ginger tablets. I get sleepy with Bonine, but ginger is good (even though I don't like the taste). That being said, I have not noticed a difference between the larger and smaller Disney ships in how seasick I get. Good luck!

 

[wilkeliza]

I get really sea sick, but was prescribed a medication, which is fantastic. the medicine is

PROMETHAZINE HCL 25MG TAB

I start taking it the morning we leave and take it every 6 hours during the cruise. I stop taking it the evening after we get home. The medication can cause drowsiness, but I don't have that side effect.

I will have to remember this! I can't take Bonine or Dramamine as they make it worse but maybe this won't make me even more nauseous.

 

[ErinsMommy]

Thank you all! Thinking we may start with a small 3-4 day cruise and see how that goes. =)

 

[southerngirl528]

My DD#2 has had really bad motion sickness since she was very young. Her pediatric specialist suggested Bonine (Meclizine is the generic name) for her and it has worked very well for her. It doesn't make one drowsy nearly so much as Dramamine. Labdogs42 has some very good info as well in their post.

I do not like the patches because they can make you pretty drowsy. The key with Bonine or any other similar medication is to start taking it the day BEFORE your cruise and to take it routinely every day of the cruise. Many report very good results from using the Sea Bands and/or ginger tablets along with the Meclizine.

I agree that a cruise out of NYC would likely not be the best choice. The Caribbean is typically calm. I would choose a shorter cruise to try, and select a stateroom that is on a lower deck, midship if possible as these cabins will feel the least motion if there is any to be felt. If you want a balcony, it will not be on a lower deck.

 

[ErinsMommy]

thank you so much everyone! =)

 

[Barbydoll8]

I get sick in the car if you go in reverse too fast. I am extremely sensitive. I have tried sea bands, bonine, dramamine etc. They don't work. The patch however does. It does not make me drowsy but it can cause dry mouth and slightly blurry vision (it dilates your eyes slightly). The drug mentioned above is an antihistamine and one of it's uses is for people with insomnia. I would not take this for motion sickness personally. I would use the patch.
I also recommend a shorter cruise and if you are doing the Bahama/caribbean, stay away from the month of Feb. Traditional high winds due to the jet stream changing that time of year. I learned this first hand last year on the Wonder.
I will never cruise or fly w/o the patch again. It was a miracle drug.

 

[MunFam]

I get really sea sick, but was prescribed a medication, which is fantastic. the medicine is

PROMETHAZINE HCL 25MG TAB

I start taking it the morning we leave and take it every 6 hours during the cruise. I stop taking it the evening after we get home. The medication can cause drowsiness, but I don't have that side effect.

Lucky you! From the website it sounds a bit more intense.

"Promethazine is used to treat allergy symptoms such as itching, runny nose, sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, hives, and itchy skin rashes. It also prevents motion sickness, and treats nausea and vomiting or pain after surgery. It is also used as a sedative or sleep aid."

Yeah, I would not wake up from that! Haha. I get sleepy just from Advil. I use a fan to help combat my seasickness, so I always pack one or 3. Handheld for in the dining rooms and at the shows and a plug in for my room. I have also hung a handheld from a string/magnet from the ceiling.

I would get a room as low and midship as you can. Our last cruise, a 15 day-er...people were SO sick. They had puke bags hung throughout for the rough seas and down in my room on deck 2 midship, I was fine. If I went up top or to the aft of the ship, it was not pretty. The rooms with balconies offer fresh air, but they are higher up, so the sway is greater as well. Fans give you the air without the swaying of high floor balconies.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Patches are best. My wife calls them her stupid patches. Dr hands 'em out like candy. I told my doctor before I went on my first cruise, and he prescribed them for me, my wife, my kids, my dogs and anyone else I meet on the ship who might need one.

It should be noted the dogs were not going. Neither was the kid.

Okay. Maybe a slight exaggeration there, but not much. Literally he was like "they're harmless, but really help. How long is the cruise?" then he multiplied the number for that by 3 because he said insurance doesn't really care - they are cheap, and that way I have some for my wife and if someone else does need one, I'll have extra.

And they really do work.

 

[anricat]

I get very motion sick. Our first cruise was a 3 night on the Dream and I took Bonine every day. I was mostly okay. Not 100% and especially the first night it was a little rough.

For our second cruise on the Magic, I used the patch and I was fine. After a few days with the patch though, I started having issues with blurry vision when focusing on things close up. The last day, my patch fell off somewhere and I took a Bonine. I was fine. The cruise on the Magic seemed much smoother than the Dream. My DH and DD also agreed. I'm not sure if we just had smoother water overall or if the Magic is somewhat better. Also, while it's true it's the oldest ship in the fleet, she looks like she just set sail yesterday. We were so impressed with the Magic and liked it MUCH better than the Dream. So don't let the fact that's "old" or smaller deter you. If you want to sail from NYC and you like the itinerary, I would go for it.

Anything you get, I would try in advance though. I tried the patches out on a shorter trip to Seattle with an airplane ride and a ferry just to see how things would go ahead of time.

 

[ladypiph]

Thank you all! Thinking we may start with a small 3-4 day cruise and see how that goes. =)

3 or 4 days is the best option to "test the waters" and I would recommend a more port intensive itinerary as well if you do plan to try out a longer cruise that way you can spend much needed time on land. Also I have heard that the mid ship, lower levels are the best options for those prone to motion sickness.

 

[ErinsMommy]

we're thinking of maybe a 3-4 day Bahama day out of Port Carnaveral in late August/early September. Is the weather in that time frame generally good? Or I'm in hurricane season? Any recommendations for indoor/outdoor verandas? Or specific levels? It appears as if the Disney Dream is the boat those cruises go on.

 

[JenPinks]

I plan on taking oral medication starting the night before. Is it wise to take these pills at night if drowsiness is a concern? So take one every night starting the night before the cruise? Thoughts?

 

[Barbydoll8]

August/early September. Is the weather in that time frame generally good? Or I'm in hurricane season?

Yes, you are in hurricane season. Living in FL, I know very well that hurricane season is June 1st through Nov 30th. The second week of Sept is traditionally the peak of the season.
End of Oct and all of Nov are generally very quiet as the waters typically start to cool off leaving room for less storms.

Is it wise to take these pills at night if drowsiness is a concern? So take one every night starting the night before the cruise?

Those are the instructions. The patch tells you at least 5 hours prior to travel or the night before as well.

 

[Tama-chan]

I get motion sickness pretty much all the time since I was a kid and I just took Disney Fantasy Eastern Caribbean and stateroom was 6180/category 6B, balcony. I am not sure this is because my state room is located in Aft, but I did feel vibration/movement when you are in bed or just sitting on couch. However I took Gravol (I think this is only available in Canada but not sure though...) before going to bed and I was fine. And the bonus is...Gravol makes me sleepy so I had my beauty sleep every night

 

[jerseygal]

I take Bonine every day of the cruise and I'm usually pretty good. Although, we had high seas on our Fantasy cruise last February and I did spend one day not feeling so hot. I recommend a cabin with a balcony (when I'm seasick, I need to be outside), either Bonine or the patch, plus sea bands if it gets really rough, and trying the Dream 5 night cruise before a week long one. I love the Disney cruises so much, I'm willing to risk the seasickness. But, taking a cruise from NY isn't the best option for someone prone to seasickness. Those waters are rougher than the Caribbean.

I agree with labdogs42 about reluctance to take a cruise from NY and water being rougher than from Florida. I cruised from NY to Bermuda about 35 years ago on the Holland America Lines. I didn't do well and was sick. I really wanted to try the Disney Cruise, even though I am very prone to motion sickness. Decided to try the Disney Dream, 4 night cruise rather than a 7 night "just in case". I used the SeaBands and felt great, WONDERFUL CRUISE; No sickness at all. I would recommend taking a cruise from Florida rather than NY, large ship like the Dream, and using Sea Bands. GOOD LUCK Erinsmommy and HAPPY CRUISING!

 

[bethy]

I get motion sickness on swings, my kids' trampoline, and even when I'm driving. And almost always on boats. I did a first ever cruise on the Magic for 4 days. I brought along the patch just in case but tried the Bonine first, along with Seabands and ginger. I started the meds two night before the cruise. I could feel the motion of the ship but it never actually made me sick. For comparison, my invincible DD14 swore she couldn't even feel the ship moving and she took no meds.

I found that if I put the Seabands on that I'd feel the movement less. My plan was to bump up to Bonine twice per day but I never needed too. It was kind of fun to be on a voyage and feel the ship move!

We went end of October but in a perfect world I'd go in Spring in hopes of the calmest seas. Our cruise was beautiful and perfect, however.

Finally, after going on a 4 night cruise I would strongly encourage you to avoid a 3 night cruise. It just would not be worth the cost or effort to me. There is a bigger difference than you'd think between 3 and 4 nights!

Good luck!!!