1st time on DCL…worried about Sea Sickness!

[Polynesian27]

Hi All, so my wife and I and three kiddos are set to go on our very first cruise for 3 nights on the Wish. I’m really nervous about getting sea sick and thought I should turn to the experts for your best advice on how to prevent getting sick! As a first time cruiser this is my biggest fear and never being on a cruise before I have no idea of how my body will react! Can you even feel the waves? Any advice you can share on medication and stateroom locations with the least amount of movement would be so appreciated!! Thanks so much!

 

[catsrgr8]

I liked 1/2 tablet Bonine at dinner time, starting the night before the cruise and using SeaBands to help. Bonine is non drowsy but I tested it at home a few weeks before the cruise with 1 tablet at night and was SO drowsy the next day. I tried it again and a 1/2 tablet was much better for me.

Mid ship you’ll be less likely to feel the motion compared to the front and aft of the ship.

 

[tvguy]

If you start feeling ill, go immediately to the Medical Center for motion sickness drugs. Don't let it ruin your trip

No way to tell how individuals are going to react to the motion of the ship. Modern ships have stabilizers, and have little motion compared to ships without stabilizers. My first cruise was on a small, 450 passenger ship in very rough seas. There were 12 of us in my group, 2 were bothered by the motion, the remaining 10, including myself had no issues

 

[i2ndshenanigans]

My wife and kids get sea sick. Every time we went out on smaller boats they were miserable. I grew up in the north east and spent some time out at sea on fishing boats so I almost never get sea sick. Really only get sea sick when I’m already sick and go out on a fishing trip and it’s always just minor nausea.

We did our first cruise at the end of June and had everything to prevent seasickness. Neither my wife nor kids had a single problem. Lots of folks I talked to said most don’t get sea sick on larger ships since they have stuff to counter the rocking.

We showed up with ginger candies, the wristbands, the patch and Dramamine. Didn’t have to use any of it. From what I was reading the sea bands are very popular and the patch is too. Some folks did have issues with the patch making them or their kids sick.

 

[dreamer17555]

Whatever you take try it out on land first. The patches made myself and my daughter very sick. We have done much better with nondrowsy Dramamine and pressure point bracelets similar to see bands but a little more stylish.

 

[JoeFromSeoul]

My wife and daughter both suffer from motion sickness, but my son and I don’t. Every cruise all four of us start the day with a Bonine, beginning one day before. They are chewable and taste like raspberry. We have had smooth cruises, so I don’t know if the lack of problems was due to the smooth sailing or because of the Bonine. Either way, I’m a believer.

 

[Karin1984]

Question first: do you get motion sick on rides at Disney, or on long car rides?

If your answer is no, then you are less likely to get seasick. Still no guarantee, but it might ease your anxiety.

 

[Marc D]

Only 10% of cruisers get seasick under normal conditions. Like PP said, they are probably the same people that are susceptible to get motion sickness on land, in cars or theme park ride.

There are some zones and weather conditions that will make the ship move more than usual. The captain tries to limit those situations by going around bad weather or going slower but it is not always possible. For those occasions, always bring medication that you have tried out before on land, like Bonine, and use it the second you feel you might get sick.

I truly believe that having anxiety about motion sickness is a major risk factor. If you can, don’t talk about it too much in front of the kids, outside of simply mentioning to talk to you if they feel queasy.

I also believe that stateroom location has little impact on you getting sick or not. If the ship hits bad weather, you will feel the extra movement all over the ship, at any time of the day. The logic is that a central and low location will result in you feeling less movement if you are in your room, but the downside of staterooms in that location is that they are oceanview and inside staterooms, without access to a balcony.

 

[Geomom]

On our first cruise (Alaska) we discovered our then 16 yr old got seasick. We used the free meclizine chewables from a bin outside of health services to help her. I used Dramamine naturals--ginger pills the first couple days until I had my sea legs. My 12 yr old and DH were fine. Second cruise (Baltic Sea) my oldest started taking Bonine (meclizine) the night before we boarded. Third cruise (Western Caribbean), same thing. I also needed a Bonine in the first couple days (and ginger some other days) and by day 3, my 18 yr old also needed it-- lots of teens around us at dinner felt motion sick after leaving Cozumel. My kids wear seabands às well. Bonine works great, and is non drowsy, but we try to take it at night just in case it makes anyone a little drowsy. If anyone is motion sick on the ship, ask for green apples as they help calm the stomach.

I do think you'll be fine. Bring Bonine just in case, ginger candies, seabands. No need to self medicate ahead of time if you don't know how you'll react. I think the first day/nt is the worst as your body adjusts to being at sea and the ship is going 20-21 knots to get to the first port. For a 3 nt, the next nt shouldn't be too bad--Nassau and Castaway are pretty close to each other.

Check with the pediatrician as to what they recommend for the kids. Bonine is for age 12+.

 

[MomOTwins]

I get horribly seasick on DCL and never have a problem on rides, planes and automobiles. So I do recommend being prepared—sometimes the ocean is just different. Bonine works really well. Take some with you and if anyone starts yo get woozy take it. Midship staterooms make a huge difference (aft is second best. Forward is the absolute worst for ship motion).

 

[fdefulvio]

On our four night we all took Bonine the morning before we boarded, and also had the partches behind the ear. We took additional Bonnie at least the first day or two, then stopped. It wasn’t until the last dinner that we started getting a little queazy. Every time we looked down at the menu we could feel it. As soon as we looked up, the feeling went away. I went down to the infirmary while we waited for our entrees and they had tablets outside the door. I think it was the same ingredients as Bonine. Took the tablets and felt fine the remainder of the trip.

I’ve already packed Bonine, Seabands and Ginger gum. I think the strategy is to start some kind of treatment before boarding, keep up with it, and treat any discomfort immediately. We had what would be considered calm seas the entire trip and didn’t feel any motion in our room, even at night. We were midship, deck 8.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

My son got sea sick when he was younger. We found the seabands worked like a charm for him.

 

[holula]

I get horribly seasick on DCL and never have a problem on rides, planes and automobiles. So I do recommend being prepared—sometimes the ocean is just different. Bonine works really well. Take some with you and if anyone starts yo get woozy take it. Midship staterooms make a huge difference (aft is second best. Forward is the absolute worst for ship motion).

I’m the absolute opposite - I don’t get seasick (or in a plane) but being in a car is and rides can be really hit or miss for me.

 

[Cheburashka]

Do not take medicine before getting onboard, because you don't know how your body will react to sailing, and you don't want to medicate if it isn't necessary (might cause side effects). A lot of people, including myself, experience motion sickness in other situations, but not on cruise ships, which are huge and have good stabilizers. Bring anti-nausea medication with you, and take it if you start to feel queasy.

 

[racingfandj]

The only thing I can add that hasn't already been stated is when you start feeling it, don't go hide in your cabin. Get outside where you can see the horizon and get some fresh air.

 

[Cheburashka]

Question first: do you get motion sick on rides at Disney, or on long car rides?

If your answer is no, then you are less likely to get seasick. Still no guarantee, but it might ease your anxiety.

I don't know if there's any correlation. I once vomited on a spinning carnival ride, and I can't ride Tea Cups or Mission Space without feeling ill afterwards. However, seasickness has never been an issue for me on DCL. I once felt slightly nauseous at dinner the first night on the Wonder as we crossed the Pacific to get to Alaska, but it was mild and went away on its own quickly without medication. Aside from that, I've never felt seasick, not even during a very rocky Fantasy cruise that we sailed in a far forward inside stateroom on deck 9.

 

[GoingSince1990]

The scopalamine patch works brilliantly for me. Only side-effect is a slightly dry mouth.

 

[indylaw99]

The scopalamine patch works brilliantly for me. Only side-effect is a slightly dry mouth.

I get that dry mouth when I take it and am trying to decide if I want to go with the patch again on my next cruise or just try to tough it out with Bonine. We're doing a B2B so we're really only even moving for a couple of days and nights. Decisions!!

 

[nancipants]

I don’t get sea sick on DCL in “normal” seas. I have gotten seasick during rougher weather and while sailing very fast. I take ginger pills daily and Bonine if I start feeling nauseous.

 

[Marc D]

The scopalamine patch works brilliantly for me. Only side-effect is a slightly dry mouth.

It can also modify your vision in the eye on the same side as the patch.