All you new cruisers - listen up!

[ASchwa]

Is ginger ale readily available on the ships? Or only through room service?
We will be on the Wonder and my son is prone to motion sickness.
He did okay on our Alaska cruise, but I am worried about the Bahamas.

I did the WBPC on the Wonder in 2014. I was in Palo with a friend, she started to feel queasy during the meal. I asked for ginger ale for her and they readily served it. She was able to have the chocolate soufflé for dessert. Since we were sitting down there was no charge.

 

[cgolf]

Just FYI, Bonine is meclizine hydrochloride. Meclizine is a prescription drug and Bonine is available over the counter.

Just confirmed with my Wife that she gets it over the counter from Target, I will have to check and see what she is actually getting some time.

 

[Starwind]

The thing about any seasickness advice is that it's all dependent on the individual. Some people get it, some don't. It changes throughout your life. Some people respond well to some drugs, some don't. And so on. I think the best thing to do is, if you're worried about it, talk to your doctor before hand, and then bring anything you might want to try -- ginger, prescriptions, over the counter meds, sea bands -- with you on the cruise. Yes, they sell some of them in the shops, but in some cases for a LOT more (says the woman who spent a small fortune on Dramamine last cruise).

I definitely second talking to your doctor and bringing what you think you will need with you.

For example, the generic meclizine that is available for free on the ship, at least when we previously cruised with Disney, may include an ingredient you cannot have. In my case, the chewable tablets contained aspartame, which I get a severe adverse reaction to.

I get motion sickness on ships and boats and sometimes in land vehicles and on certain rides (no spinning teacups for me).

My personal solution for cruising, refined on our last cruise:

I am not willing to try the patch because after reading the potential side effects (both common and the less common) *I* was not willing to use it. Plus, I get bad rashes from adhesives and had no desire to spend the cruise and some time after with an unhappy rash. My sister does use it. Talk with your doctor and make your own choice if it is an option.

I wear SeaBands, 24/7 except for showering, from the day before the cruise until a few days after we get off the ship. I use the original brand name ones, as they have been clinically tested to be effective. I do note that wearing them all the time the skin beneath the "ball" can get a bit irritated. I found that if it is too bad taking the band off briefly and massaging the area can help, but I have not yet found a long-term solution to that issue. usually I find the time I take them off for a shower coupled with massaging the area during that time is mostly sufficient. Note that when they are off the motion sickness symptoms may be stronger.

I take Dramamine Less Drowsy (active ingredient: Meclizine HCI 25mg; see info at http://www.dramamine.com/motion-sickness-medicine/less-drowsy/ ). I take one tablet each night starting the night before we board the ship and ending a few days after we get off the ship (I also have motion issues once we are back on land). I can add a second tablet if needed. Since I am Canadian, you cannot buy this (or any meclizine) in Canada, but I pick it up when I visit the US, where it is OTC in many stores; just check the expiry dates on the containers. I have found that by taking it at night the worst of its side effects (for me potentially some sleepiness) happen when I am sleeping; I have previously taken it in the morning and at home for other reasons have taken it in the daytime and find I notice the side effects more when I do.

I take Dramamine® Non-Drowsy Naturals (active ingredient: Ginger,1000mg; see info at http://www.dramamine.com/motion-sickness-medicine/non-drowsy-naturals/ ). I take one capsule each morning and each night. It is easily increased if that is not enough to the maximum indicated on the label. In Canada, Gravol has two equivalents - gel cap or tablet, with slightly different doses: http://gravol.ca/en/products/natural-source/gravol-®-natural-source-ginger-liquid-gel-capsules/?cat=5 and http://gravol.ca/en/products/natural-source/gravol®-natural-source®-ginger-tablets-ages-6/?cat=5 they also have lozenges but there is an ingredient in them I cannot have; Gravol has a webpage with more info about ginger in general and their products specifically: http://gravol.ca/en/resources/about-ginger/ ).

I had initially looked at other ginger products, such as ginger candies and such, but ran into a couple problems: (1) there is no dosage control, so you don't actually know how much ginger you are getting; and (2) I have numerous food allergies and could not find any that were safe (one company I wrote to was really great, explaining their product would not be safe for me and why, but referring me to a competitor's product they thought MIGHT be; alas it also was not safe). I usse the dramamine/gravol ginger products at home for other types of nausea so am comfortable using them and know they help.

I bring Ginger snap cookies that have proven their worth at home. I prefer Shasha brand ginger snaps ( http://www.shashabread.com/products/original-ginger-snaps and can be ordered through many retailors including Amazon) which I find work well, are readily portable, and are allergy-safe for me (they are made in a nut-free and dairy-free facility). Our first two cruises I ate a lot of them; this last cruise I did not even open the two bags I brought... Next cruise I think I will just bring one bag.

I bring Ginger Ale bottles. My preferred brand is Canada Dry and there are some brands I really do not like the taste of. We brought 6 bottles this time and we pack them in our carry-on to bring them on board. I did not need to use all 6.

Ginger Ale is also available for free in the MDRs at all meals. There is nothing wrong with drinking ginger ale for breakfast (and FYI, it mixes nicely with cranberry juice if you want to convince yourself you are not drinking ginger ale for breakfast).

I have "normal" Dramamine/Gravol as a backup in case it is needed because the above do not work well enough. It DOES make me drowsy, so I reserve it for when the alternative is less desirable than possibly having to take a nap. I also have Benadryl on hand as a less effective (than normal Gravol/Dramamine) but also less drowsy-making (for me) backup. If possible I reserve those for nighttime when sleeping won't matter and it is also IME usually when the ship motion is often worst.

Sleeping position: one night on our second cruise the seas were rather rough. I accidentally found that if I lay perpendicular in the bed (i.e. head at one side of the bed, feet at the other, as opposed to the normal head at the head feet at the foot) that the motion was less severe. I slept that way that night and it seemed to help. So, experimenting with sleeping position might be helpful (or e.g. switching to sleeping on the couch bed, which is usually perpendicular to the main bed).

YMMV. Speak with your doctor and pharmacist -- they know your situation best and can provide tailored-to-you professional advice.

SW

 

[Starwind]

I'll have to take issue with this comment. There are many side effects. Not everyone will get them, or even one of them, but they can be quite debilitating.

• eye pain or redness, seeing halos around lights;
• blurred vision and increased sensitivity to light;
• confusion, agitation, extreme fear, hallucinations, unusual thoughts or behavior; or
• urinating less than usual or not at all.

Less serious side effects may include:

• drowsiness, dizziness;
• dry mouth;
• dry or itchy eyes;
• feeling restless;
• memory problems; or
• mild itching or skin rash.

http://www.rxlist.com/transderm-scop-side-effects-drug-center.htm


Yes, there are cases of people wandering the ship disoriented.

Most common side effect is extreme dry-mouth. But blurred vision is fairly common, also.

These side effects were why I was not willing to take it, myself. Plus it has an adhesive.

SW

 

[Flipflopgirl27]

Is ginger ale readily available on the ships? Or only through room service?
We will be on the Wonder and my son is prone to motion sickness.
He did okay on our Alaska cruise, but I am worried about the Bahamas.

I know they also sell ginger ale at the theatre. While it cost money, it was a lifesaver during the shows. I had trouble being in the closed room trying to focus on the show.

Also, I highly recommend bringing something preventative for your first cruise. I never ever had problems and I thought I was fine until 6pm the first night...
That's when I started rocking and praying for relief. For my next cruise, I'm bringing a little bit of everything. I figure if I don't use the over the counter medicine, I can return it when I get home.

 

[BruinEd03]

If you get drowsy from dramamine as an Adult, take children's dramamine instead (that's what I take). I would take one the night before you board so that it starts getting into your system. The ship rocked a lot on my past trip this December so I took a few one day (spaced out as recommended). It made me slightly out of it, but not as bad as a normal dose of dramamine. The next few days, I also took it, but it didn't make me out of it at all. The cost of dramamine is relatively small compared to the cruise. Just bring some on board. If you don't use it, you don't use it. They usually have a good shelf life, too so you can save it for the next trip that you have.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Personally we will ONLY take meclizine which is the active ingredient in Bonine. Bonine is readily available on the shelves in drug stores but is expensive. However, the cheapest way to get meclizine is to ask the Target pharmacy for "travel sickness pills". Yes, that is exactly what it says on the bottle. NO PRESCRIPTION NECESSARY! You get something like 100 pills for 5.00. We were on the first EBPC in 2005 and Hurricane Hilary decided to change paths and we encountered some very rough seas and high swells. It hit during the night and continued on for most of the following day. We did not get sick, period. In fact, it was honestly the highlight of that cruise. Like someone else said earlier it takes awhile to play catch up once you are sick. We take it whether we need to or not beginning on the first day of the cruise and continue everyday. Those that didn't take anything before Hurricane Hilary suffered most of the day until the meclizine got into their system. We do not have any side affects. NONE. My suggestion is to try it at home to see if it affects you if you are worried about side affects.

 

[ilovetexas]

A couple of comments here made me think to tell y'all, if you're cruising out of the east coast of FL (which most of DCLs cruises do) you have to go through the Gulf Stream that first night. I often find that I have more problems with those than cruises out of Gulf Coast ports. Just make it through that first evening and you'll probably be fine!

 

[Starwind]

A couple of comments here made me think to tell y'all, if you're cruising out of the east coast of FL (which most of DCLs cruises do) you have to go through the Gulf Stream that first night. I often find that I have more problems with those than cruises out of Gulf Coast ports. Just make it through that first evening and you'll probably be fine!

We have found that crossing is usually the worst part (so you get it on the first and last nights), BUT on the Fantasy one night there were bad storms that could only be avoided so much... THAT night was much worse than the first/last night crossings; things even fell off some of the shelves in the stores overnight; and walking at times was a challenge -- I fell over into a table with stuffed animals piled on it in one of the stores, knocking about half of them onto the ground... fortunately they were stuffies and not broken. After that I just stumbled back to my room and went to bed And there was no alcohol etc involved -- this was purely ship motion making it difficult to stand and walk. The Captain did do a good job of avoiding the worst of the storm, and keeping everyone informed about what was going to happen, was happening, and did happen.

SW

 

[RedSox68]

We use Bonine -- through 15 cruises. Take it first thing in the morning and it lasts all day (for us). If you get seasick, another remedy is green apples, which room service will provide. Also ginger tea. We sailed through a hurricane in 2005 and Bonine did the trick for us. I even take it on excursions so I don't get car sick.

 

[limabeanmom2003]

I was on my very first cruise in November 2015. I get motion sick frequently - amusement park rides, car rides, etc. The over the counter treatments make me extremely tired, so I did some research and ordered Sea Bands for everyone in the family. I wish I would have found info on the patch. I put the bands on before we set sail. As we left port, the captain announced that we would be hitting rough seas until 11pm. I was ok until about 6pm as we were sitting down at Animators Palate for dinner. The room was spinning, I felt horrible. I looked around to see if others were experiencing issues, but it was difficult to tell. I excused myself from dinner and headed to guest services to get medicine, then back to our stateroom and crawled in bed. The meds knocked me out. I slept great and never had any other issues during the cruise, so maybe the sea bands helped with normal motion, but they were useless on rough seas. I will go to the doctor and get the patch for our next cruise.

 

[Meemawto2]

I use Bonine. I take one the morning before leaving and then every morning of the trip. I like the Bonine as it does not me personally drowsy. I do make sure I drink an extreme amount of water while onboard.

I have tried the patches and had quite a few side effects. I had a headache, dizziness and just did not feel well. I was not one of the disoriented ones but will say as soon as I pulled the patch off I felt much better. So it isn't for everyone. I would advise you to try one before getting on the ship and having problems and then having to figure something else out.

 

[goldengophergirl]

We always travel with ginger pills, which we buy from our local pharmacy. They're great for stomach issues and motion sickness.

 

[Kerrigirl]

Any recommendations for children specifically (I will discus this with our doctor, but want to be able to ask him about specific products recommended here). I have a 6 year old that gets terrible motion sickness in the car, I do not want him to be miserable.

 

[MonaMN]

For those of you with experience, what other things in your day-to-day/non-cruise lives do you have motion sickness issues with?

We will try to be prepared, but I am also wondering if there's any way to predict issues ahead of time.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

My husband suffers from motion sickness on some rides and on small boats, for which he takes Bonine and swears by it. He's been on 2 cruises and hasn't needed to take anything. This is the first cruise for my kids and I. We are all fine on rides, etc, but I'm wondering if it's worth trying Bonine while at home just to make sure we all tolerate it well...? Then assuming we do, I'd pack enough for all of us just in case.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

My husband suffers from motion sickness on some rides and on small boats, for which he takes Bonine and swears by it. He's been on 2 cruises and hasn't needed to take anything. This is the first cruise for my kids and I. We are all fine on rides, etc, but I'm wondering if it's worth trying Bonine while at home just to make sure we all tolerate it well...?

That's not a bad idea. Of course, it won't tell you whether you actually need to use it (whether you have motion sickness).

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

That's not a bad idea. Of course, it won't tell you whether you actually need to use it (whether you have motion sickness).

True. Is seasickness difficult to stop once it starts, or does that differ by person as well?? I am thinking about something like migraines... Where if you don't take meds right at onset, it can make it very hard to get rid of.

I guess part of me is tempted to just take it prophylactically rather than take a chance if it is at all tough to combat with Bonine once it sets in!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

True. Is seasickness difficult to stop once it starts, or does that differ by person as well?? I am thinking about something like migraines... Where if you don't take meds right at onset, it can make it very hard to get rid of.

I guess part of me is tempted to just take it prophylactically rather than take a chance if it is at all tough to combat with Bonine once it sets in!

That can differ for each person. Typically it will take about a day for medication to "kick in". So, once you're already sick, while it may feel a lot longer, it really isn't. I think that, if you're on a cruise of at least 7 nights, you could take a chance, and you might lose a day's worth of activities. It depends on whether you want to see if you really need any chemical help whether you think it's worth the chance of having 1 or 2 days of "lost time".

For a short cruise, I think it's not worth it to take the chance that you'll miss any time onboard due to motion sickness. Again, just my opinion.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

That can differ for each person. Typically it will take about a day for medication to "kick in". So, once you're already sick, while it may feel a lot longer, it really isn't. I think that, if you're on a cruise of at least 7 nights, you could take a chance, and you might lose a day's worth of activities. It depends on whether you want to see if you really need any chemical help whether you think it's worth the chance of having 1 or 2 days of "lost time".

For a short cruise, I think it's not worth it to take the chance that you'll miss any time onboard due to motion sickness. Again, just my opinion.

Thanks!! Helps to hear people's experiences.