Going on Cruise in T-Minus 20 Days... And Kinda Worried!?!?!

[AnthonyAllShore]

We are going on our first cruise. I chose the short 3 day cruise on the Wish because it was only 3 days. Alot of it I do have under control, as we love to watch youtube videos on Disney Cruise Line and such. My two big concerns are:
1. Sea Sickness. I think I do know everything that we can do to help... Dranamin (sp?), green apples, ginger, those sea bands on your wrist. My two big concerns with sea sickness lies in that we decided to do concierge as a splurge on such a short cruise BUT the rooms are on the top floors. From what I understand that means you feel more movement. I figure IF the worst case scenario does happen then either we could try and sleep it off OR go to the bottum floors toward the center of the ship and just kinda hang there for a while? Is there that big of a difference on the wish between the top floors and or the bottum floors when it comes to movement? We are staying in room 13026.
2. Covid is still a thing for me. I look at the numbers every day. To give you an idea I never missed a day of work and I just recently had some blood work done (for a life insurance thing) and I was able to request a check to see if I ever had it and according to the tests they said I didnt have it. My wife tested positive once (because of one of my kids brining it home) and the blood test said she also had it one other time... BUT, i am a kinda typical 45 year old, 6 foot over weight guy who just kinda has that nag in the back of my head. I do wear masks when I go shopping and we do not eat out alot (except for disney, which again is kinda my splurge). How concerned should I be? I have the option of wearing a good mask if i want. Are there any stats as far as how many people get covid specifically be either being on a plan or a cruise ship? I am NOT asking for political views on this, I guess I am just asking if there is any actual stats... like do 20% of the people walk off a cruise with covid or is it 0.02%?

As per usual, thanks for all of the support!

 

[kcool]

I don’t know answers to most of your questions, but we did our first cruise over Christmas. I was fine until we went and saw the first show and then I started to feel off and it went from there. I skipped dinner and went to our room and started the Dramamine every 4 hours. I used the regular one, not the non drowsy. Worked wonders. I was the only 1 of the 4 of us that felt sick, but I am also the one who has issues with some rides. We had very rough seas according to others (left from Galveston right during the big cold spell). It did not ruin my trip and will cruise again.

 

[BrokeMack]

I don't think they publish stats. It certainly happens though. Disney is good about sanitizing and making guests wash hands before meals, but you might still request a private table in the MDR.

 

[auntlynne]

 

[Mommb]

When I have noticed the movement of the ship, it has been in the dining rooms more than in our (high on the ship) room. Maybe that’s because in the room I just lie down if I feel tipsy, and I find the motion of the ship soothing. So I wouldn’t worry excessively about being on a top deck. As you said, if it does bother you, you can hang out on a lower deck.

If you are concerned about Covid, wearing a mask on the plane and when you are in crowds (muster drill, theater shows, maybe deck parties) and requesting a private table at dinner are reasonable ways to reduce your concerns.

 

[Mango7100]

It’s pretty hard to tell how many people get covid on the cruise ship or from their travels associated with the cruise (flights, pre cruise Disney trip), etc. Rapid home tests arent logged and a lot of people don’t test because they chalk it up to allergies or a cold. Our last cruise in July (different line) had about 40 % of the FB group tested positive for covid within 5 days of getting off the ship (sample size of about 400, this was back when everyone had to test beforehand). If you are wearing a mask shopping at home, then I would definitely bring one. Sitting in a theater for 2 hours shoulder to shoulder or at muster drills may be unsettling for you (No judgement, I’m the same). We wore our masks to Disney over New Years trip because I didn’t want to get sick during a week long trip. With your cruise being only 3 days, you would be off the ship before you would test positive for covid if exposed on the ship, so that may be helpful.

 

[Chaitali]

We tried to wear a mask whenever we could inside on the ship and we had asked for a private table at dinner. But we were still seated with two other couples, it was fine, we rolled with it. Thankfully we did not get sick. But it feels like is is really just luck at this point.

I know I get sea sick so I had a motion sickness patch I put on the night before the cruise. the ship was really moving a lot on our last night and I know several people mentioned feeling sick that night.

 

[Travel60]

I don't get seasick so can't help you there. Standing on deck taking slow deep breaths helps some people.

I can say I went on 5 cruises (3 DCL), two land-based trips and 7 college football weekends last year. Fully vaxed/boosted and almost always wore mask indoors and crowds outdoors (it's just a habit). Did not get sick nor did any travel buddies. Maybe I'm just lucky but I'm not pushing my luck. Do what you are comfortable with.

 

[Marc D]

Seasickness shouldn’t worry you so much, unless you are prone to be sick in cars and other means of transport. On a regular day - meaning regular wind and waves - only 10% of cruise passengers still sometimes feel queasy. The cruise industry wouldn’t be as big as it is if it was a more common occurrence. Be ready by bringing the required meds, but you probably won’t need them. If the ship is moving, the entire ship is, and you don’t know what type of movement is triggering for you. That’s why some get sick in the theatre (low forward), the MDR (low aft or mid) or in their stateroom (that could be anywhere).

 

[SleepyDeb]

We worry about Covid too. We are fully vaxxed but we had it in May. It was the sickest we've ever been and it was a 4 week thing. We were thankful we were vaxxed bc we would have been hospitalized if it was any worse. On the other hand, my fully vaxxed 82 yr old mother with COPD who passed it on to us, was sick for 5 days and bounced right back.

Hubby and I got off a 7 day cruise on the Fantasy yesterday. We went bc there has to be a time where we start to get back to normal and we decided this is the time for us. We masked inside in large crowds (e.g., theaters) and on our flights. There were not a lot of other passengers masked, but there were some. We appear to have not picked up anything. Fingers crossed.

 

[Pixarfans]

I start taking non-drowsy (ginger) Dramamine 1-2 days before the cruise. I don’t get motion sick anywhere else, just on a cruise. I stay moderately active the whole time and don’t drink much while on the ship. My first two cruises I didn’t do this and I felt awful the first night or two during dinner and the show. Now I just take it the whole time and it also helps with the land sickness after the cruise.

 

[JoeFromSeoul]

I personally feel very dehydrated with Dramamine. We take Bonine with us and chew our first tablet the day before. We then take one every morning. Never had a bad experience…not even a mild case of wooziness.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

One in our party, our son got sea sick in the past. We used the bands a couple of times. They seemed to help. For future trips we got the patch prescribed from the doctor. That worked the best for us/him with minimal side effects.

As far as covid-you know the risk in taking a cruise. You are exposed to many germs being confined on a ship with a lot of people, not just covid. Handwashing, masking and being up to date on your vaccines/boosters is the best you can do. To avoid the risk for your vacation, you would need to cancel your cruise. You need to do what makes you comfortable with the risk. Wishing you the best in your decision.

 

[MomOTwins]

Dramamine makes you drowsy and the non drowsy version doesn’t work. Take bonine instead—works great! I get very seasick and I will say, yes, the concierge room location is bad for seasickness. It is not so much about high floor and low floor as it is about forward/aft vs midship. Think of a see-saw—the ends move up and down but the middle stays still.

 

[nearlyfallinstar]

I wouldn't want to preemptively take Dramamine unless you know you will get seasick. I've heard of people that consistently get carsick but have no issues on the ships. I usually don't get carsick unless I'm a passenger on very hilly and curvy roads. I have started to get motion sick from fair rides (I didn't when I was younger). I have no trouble on the ships.

I have seen more reports of people picking up Covid from the parks than from the cruise. It does happen, but DCL is very clean. They have attendants for the busy bathrooms that clean constantly. I have also traveled on Carnival and they are nowhere near the cleanliness that DCL achieves all the time. With the exception of my mom, our whole family has had Covid a couple of times, but we all caught it at home.

 

[sponica]

I'm not super prone to motion sickness, but the only times I felt queasy were when we crossed the gulf stream (also watching the air battle of guardians of the galaxy 1 while crossing the gulf was probably not a good idea). For the most part, I couldn't tell we were on a boat.

 

[msmama]

Another recommendation for Bonine. I feel like seasickness is totally impossible to predict (I've been on incredibly rocky seas feeling fine and then water that looks like glass but I feel awful?? Same with my son, but with different kinds of rockiness, it's just weird.) But I think keeping hydrated is VERY important. If I drink alcohol, I double up on the amount of water. It may or may not work for you but it's something I don't see mentioned often.

I've been incredibly careful with Covid. Where did I get it? My first foray out into the wide open world...at Disney World (actually I blame the Orlando airport). Do what makes you comfortable. Wear the mask if it makes you feel better. There was a ton of hand sanitizer on the ship when I was last on one (seriously, we'd pass like 3-5 dispensers from front to back of the ship and I'd sanitize every time, lol). From personal experience, there may be a child hacking behind you in the theatre so be aware of that. Personally, I'm a little more comfortable with the thought of getting Covid now that treatment options are better than at the beginning. I may be sick, but it's probably not going to kill me any longer. It's a morbid thought, but it gets me back into the real world when anxiety gets too much.

Have fun!

 

[1lilspark]

1) not actual sea sickness but I get mild vertigo and Dramamine & hydration helps

2) on my recent cruise I was mildly covid anxious (and in general it’s cold/flu season)… I had a cloth mask with an N95 filter and wore it in the terminal, elevators, theater (when not snacking on popcorn) and kept it on hand in case I was in any other common indoor areas and felt discomfort

I also kept a sanitizer spray in my bag and was spraying it on my hands and arms as if it were body spray (though in all fairness if magic candle company sold body spray well…)

 

[tink1970]

I've been on 20 cruises and have been seasick twice--I get airsick, carsick and every other kind of motion sick. The two times I've been seasick were in 20' waves. Lately I sail exclusively in concierge so that's up high and in the front, where you'll be on the Wish. We sailed on the Wish in November, and I noticed the movement the most in 1923, at dinner, so if you're wanting to take medication as needed v. constantly, you might want to keep that in mind. As a concierge guest, you'll have your own table at the main dining room so requesting one is not necessary, although the tables are close together. There are hand sanitizers everywhere, as well as wipes handed to you before entering the MDRs and sinks for hand washing before Marceline Market. In the concierge lounge, there are also sinks for hand washing and either hand sanitizer or wipes.

 

[lilsonicfan]

Definitely try Bonine over Dramamine or non-drowsy Dramamine. Bonine has a different active ingredient, and I don't find it to be sleep-inducing. I have taken it in the mornings but have also taken it at night, no difference for me in drowsiness, but HUGE difference in seasickness. I actually start it 1-2 days before we sail. If I remember I will also take it before the plane ride. I wish we could buy it more easily in Canada I also totally agree about drinking lots of water.