Best location on ship if prone to seasickness???

[JCarangal]

As many of you know by now (since I have been asking so many questions about everything - LOL), we are planning a Disney cruise for next May on the Magic - we are planning on a total of 6-8 cabins.

The members of our group are now trying to decide on categories of staterooms and such. My questions is -- where is the best place to be (in terms of cabins) if someone is prone to seasickness? I am assuming the middle of the ship would be best? How about deck #? Are you better on a lower deck (1 and 2) or a higher deck (7 and 8)?

TIA!

 

[AnnMorin]

Now on whale watches or smaller vessels it has been a bit hairy for DH and DS at times but the ships are SO big they were never bothered. That said- some people still have trouble. My best advice would be to get a veranda room. That way if you are feeling queezy you can get fresh air and if god forbid you get sick you can do it in the trash can out on your veranda instead of stinking up your cabin
Seriously.. a veranda is a must for us.. when I had an ear infection last year it was wonderful to just sleep the day away on the veranda and still feel like I was on vacation while the men in my life played. If I didn't have it I think I would be miserable.

 

[newhampshire4]

Definitely a verandah for the fresh air if you are prone to sea sickness! The only time that really bothered me was that first full day (Eastern), especially that night going to the theater and watching those curtains sway... couldn't make it through Hercules. I think if I had taken the bonine as a preventative like I did for the rest of the cruise, I would have been fine (and will be taking from day one in a few weeks!)

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

On our 3/29 cruise (which one of the bartenders told us was the worst he had ever been through in the 4 years he'd been with DCL) we heard that there were people from the upper decks and some from the forward & aft cabins actually sleeping in the hallways on decks 1 & 2 midship! We had a Cat. 8 room on deck 6 midship. While it was rough - it was bearable! I think you are better off being anywhere that is midship - the lower down the better. Imagine a teeter-totter with the middle of the ship being the pivot point...less movement there.

That said - most of our cruise you could not even feel much motion. The exception being the first night when we crossed the gulf stream and the 2nd night when we went through the storm. (We had 20+ ft. swells with 50 mph winds!)

Hope that helps!

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

where is the best place to be (in terms of cabins) if someone is prone to seasickness?

Be at least as far away as spitting distance...

 

[albiats]

As others have said, theorectically, the best location would be midship to minimize any possible up and down motion. The best location to minimize left to right motion would be lower in the ship, such as deck 2. So the best location would then be deck 1 or 2 and midship.

However, if you want the ability to step outside on a veranda, the lowest deck would be deck 5, but they are only in the aft section of that deck. That leaves Deck 6 midship as the best location for a veranda cabin, for avoiding any potential motion.

We have been on decks 5, 6 and 8 and always try for as close to midship as possible. Our adult DD was in an adjoining cabin on deck 6 with her family last year and she did have problems with sea sickness, but we thought it was a pretty smooth ride. My DW and I have never been bothered by motion sickness on any of our five DCL cruises.

Again, as others have stated, on the first evening when the ship passes over the Gulf Stream, you are likely to notice a little more turbulence. It's inconvenient because it's also during the first couple hours of the cruise when people are adjusting to being on a ship, some for the first time. It's usually over by 10 or 11pm at the latest.

The Disney ships seem to have very effective stabilizers and usually minimize the turbulence on the water for most people. I was on one of the Carnival Fun Ships a couple years ago and with the wave heights reported to be approximately the same size, we noticed a lot more motion than when we were on the DCL ships, and on all of the decks, but especially the higher ones.

I would recommend that anyone that was susceptible to motion sickness take Bonine daily as a precautionary measure. If you would be more comfortable, you could try using half of a dose instead of a full one. I would also recommend that you try using it a week or two before the cruise so that you know if it causes you to experience any side effects, before you have to depend on it onboard.

You could also try using Ginger Root capsules or an inexpensive pair of the wrist bands if you want an alternative to Bonine.

A cruise is relatively expensive for most of us and something we can't experience every week. For people like me that are susceptible to motion sickness, I feel that a little preparation to protect an enjoyable time is worth the trouble.

hope that helps

 

[JCarangal]

Thanks everyone!! DH and I have cruised several times and have not had any problems, but we are cruising with some people who have never been on a cruise before and I am trying to provide them with the best info out there! (which of course comes from all you Dis-ers!!)