May 13.2006 Eastern

[nutz4dzny]

Just subscribing to this Thread and rated it as EXCELLENT!

 

[Verandah Man]

Thanks for the well wishes!!! I got my DD to the school at 5:29pm, it's a good thing we live just two minutes from her school. My DD is a typical kid I guess, we live close enough to the school that she could walk, which she did the first day of 9th grade, after that day I have been dropping her off every morning before I go to work, and my DW picks her up after school. Do you think she might be just a bit spoiled, LOL!!!

My mom said thanks for the birthday greetings, she has a very busy schedule the week she is up here. She also can't wait to get back to Florida where it is much warmer than it is here, LOL!!!

Haven't even thought of starting to pack around here, but my DW has been getting some of our summer clothes out, and she did buy a new swimsuit on Sunday to take on the cruise. Once we get through these next two weekends, things should start to settle down for us. The school musical is going to be held March 24 & 25, then again on March 31 & April 1. They did give a free performance to the senior citizens of our town yesterday morning, my DD came home so excited, she said, "Dad, we got a standing ovation at the end of the show!"

OK, that's enough rambling from me!!!

 

[DrCavin]

Nutz4dzny:

We gave up even trying to find a chair close to the pools, was never any available. We went up to deck 10 & it was pretty much empty. We could look down at our kids in the Mickey pool, so was no problems. At CC we went all the way down the beach & had no problems finding a place to sit. No one bothered our stuff, granted we left to go grab lunch. There were plenty of chairs near us, so wasnt like people were waiting for them. Closer the to ship, the beach is pretty crowded, so I could see that area having some issues.
If we were going on an excursion I wouldnt leave my stuff sitting around, really this would only apply at CC. When in port you will have no problems finding a seat at the pool, the ship is deserted...

V-Man hope your dd is only tired & not coming down with something. Good luck w/your weekend and her musical..

 

[arndtge]

Dr. Cavin,

I noticed your 2 stages of seasickness quote....we've never cruised before. Do you have any suggestions for preventative seasickness meds? I have made an appt. with my doctor for before the cruise to discuss. Thanks

 

[hooksenemy]

I was just rereading my post about sting ray tour it really was supposed to be about snorkeling with young kids!

In a nut shell I was going to say, save your money on shore excursions for the little ones and snorkel on CC - it is really calm water they can just walk in from the shore and bend over, they may not see much but they will get the hang of it!

We will be taking 2 snorkeling/beach excursions this cruise and snorkeling on CC - I am hoping the kids will be able to hold their own this trip! They wear lifevests but it is still alot of work with the current of the water it doesn't take much to get out far

Hanover, I can't wait for the boys to do the pirate excursion. Our friends just did it last week in WDW and the kids liked it.

Illness - I posted a couple of weeks ago I had the FLU - well seems I was a couple of weeks ahead of everyone, whatever this bug is, it has taken over the school I am at as a nurse, I have had up to 20 out each day this week symptoms have varied from high fevers 104 to a full blown GI crisis in addition I have 3 with pneumonia it is just crazy

Hopefully in control today, it is day 6 of most of their illnesses

Hope your daughter is feeling better V-man

 

[Hanover]

Hooksenemy-Are you bringing the life vests for your kids? I was thinking of bringing our ds5's. He takes swim lessons at the YMCA, but can't really swim and uses a belted flotation bubble at the lessons. We brought his own soft sided swim vest last August to our resort at WDW but they had the same ones and we never used his. From reading a past cruise thread on the subject, it looks like the only ones they have once on board are the blow up ones on CC. My son's doesn't take up much space so I guess we'll pack it just in case. We are doing a beach/snorkel excursion in St. Thomas/St. John but I doubt the kids will spend more than 5 minutes with their masks on and want to play in the sand instead.

About the chair police issue...we cruised with 8 others total last year and pretty much only used one chair that we took turns sitting on and holding our stuff on/nearby. Even first thing in the morning most seemed to have some sort of items "holding" them. We spent most of the time in the water or lounging on the side of the different pools.

The only time we had an issue with anyone being nasty was on CC. After spending the morning at Serenity Bay and the boys being in the clubs, we took them to lunch and headed to the family beach. We spotted a couple of completely empty lounge chairs with no items around them and asked the people nearest to them if they were taken. They said no so we used them. About 30 minutes later a woman comes strutting over YELLING at us that those were her chairs and that her friend was watching them for them. We pointed to the lady that told us we could have them and asked "Her?" and she said "Yes" all fiesty. When we told her that we had asked if they were being used and we were told that they weren't occupied, she huffed off. We ended up moving and telling her she could have them. We didnt' want any kind of tension or stare down from her with her being so close. There happened to be tons of other empty chairs nearby too. I guess we just chose the wrong ones.


Arndtge- I am very prone to motion sickness. I used a seasickness patch behind my ear on our last cruise 2/05 after still getting sick using Bonine on a Carnival cruise 11/04. I'm sure half of it was my fault for not taking the Bonine as much as I should have. The patch worked well for the sea sickness, but I did get a dry mouth/nose the first 2 days and blurry eyes after putting on the 2nd patch. It was well worth not feeling ill though and not having to remember to take the pills. Some people will say you only get the blurry eyes from touching the patch and rubbing your eyes, but my husband put it on me and I never even touched it except to take it off. I spoke with our son's doctor last week and she suggested dramamine for them or benadryl. They didn't feel sick at all on the Wonder, but I'm worried about the 2 smaller boats we'll use on our excursions. Our youngest has gotten sick on small boats before. There is a great past thread on the subject and I know that a lot of people swear by ginger products and sea bands.

 

[arndtge]

Hanover,

Thanks for the reply. It sounds like the patch is the way to go. I'll ask my doctor.

On another topic, does anyone know if the kids have internet access in the Oceaneer's club/lab? My DS8 and DS6 love to play Toontown Disney online and were wondering if it was available on the ship. Thanks

 

[littlebunny]

Little bunny, your signs are great. I tried to download a trial of photoimpression 4 but could not. Do you get alot of user with it? I question buying it just to make door signs. I'll just have to go to Michaels and buy paper and stencils.

I totally wouldn't try to buy it unless you use the computer to do your digital pictures. That's what I mainly use it for. Do you have photoshop or anything like that? You could easily do it on that too. Or just going to Michael's like you said.

I think I'll get the girls some snorkel stuff, but have a feeling it won't get much use. Glad to hear the water at CC is calm.

I'm so hoping this sickness everyone is talking about stays away from my family. When we get sick we get REALLY sick!

I'm thinking of getting dramamine for the kids, and myself. Would hate to ruin our vacation because of sea sickness.

 

[Tink2561]

A friend of ours just told us about this thread. What a great idea--we are sailing the May 13th Eastern Carribean cruise and would love to hear from families traveling with kids around the same age as ours.
We have a 13 year old son
and
a 10 year old daughter.
If your kids fall in this age range let us know--this is our 3rd Disney Cruise and my kids tend to make friends towards the END of the trip, wouldn't it be nice to meet friends at the beginning?

 

[DrCavin]

The patch works for *almost* everyone, some people get really dry mouth/nose which seems to gather the most complaints. Seabands work for some, not others IMO dont waste your money on any gadget. Some people swear by ginger tablets, we are having a difficult time finding them. Benadryl is what many peditricians recommend for children.

It is best to PREVENT it, once you get that nausa going it can take some time to calm it down & recover. The ship will have some tablets outside the medical area in case you forget to bring something, not sure what they are since we didnt use them.

 

[DrCavin]

Hanover,
On another topic, does anyone know if the kids have internet access in the Oceaneer's club/lab? My DS8 and DS6 love to play Toontown Disney online and were wondering if it was available on the ship. Thanks

The club/lab will not have internet access, bring the PSP

 

[bxirishrn]

When I was pregnant I had morning noon and night sickeness . A friend told me about crystallized ginger, which I found in upscale supermarkets, or health food stores. It tasted pretty nasty, but it worked great. I imagine ginger capsules can also be found in health food stores.

Dr Cavin are you saying don't buy those battery powered bracelets? On another thread on the DIS boards people raved about them.

When we cruised on the Norway 10 years ago, in August, the only time I felt nauseous was when we were pulling out of port. We had Hurricane Bonnie on our tail coming back, but didn't feel anything.

Has anyone cruised in May? If so, was the water calm? I have patches, but am not crazy about using them after reading what everyone else here has said.

Kathleen

 

[Verandah Man]

A friend of ours just told us about this thread. What a great idea--we are sailing the May 13th Eastern Carribean cruise and would love to hear from families traveling with kids around the same age as ours.
We have a 13 year old son
and
a 10 year old daughter.
If your kids fall in this age range let us know--this is our 3rd Disney Cruise and my kids tend to make friends towards the END of the trip, wouldn't it be nice to meet friends at the beginning?

Welcome Aboard Tink, sorry can't halp you with the kids question as my DD is 15 (closer to 16) but just wanted to welcome you to the DIS and the May 13th cruise!!!

 

[DrCavin]

Dr Cavin are you saying don't buy those battery powered bracelets? On another thread on the DIS boards people raved about them.

Has anyone cruised in May? If so, was the water calm? I have patches, but am not crazy about using them after reading what everyone else here has said.

Kathleen

We cruised in May '04.. we had gale-force winds over the bow & 20' seas ... Our Servers asked us on Monday night if anyone had gotten sick, since the boat had been rocking pretty good. They said it was the worst they had felt in a few months...

Here is the best post I have ever read about seasickness, I think Hydster posted it originally, I just copied & pasted it into a Word doc since it comes up often as a question.. More than you ever wanted to know about seasickness....

Sea Bands and Relief Bands

Sea bands are a terry cloth type band that you wear on your wrist. It has a white knob that if positioned correctly CAN put pressure on the wrist pressure point. Here is a website with a picture of a Sea Band

http://www.etravelergear.com/noqmotdiswri.html

These bands are very cheap but beware that since they rely on hitting a specific spot in your wrist it is possible that they will not work very well. They did not work well on me or my husband as our pressure point is too deep. The spot it is supposed to sit on is called the NeiGuan Pressure Point (P6) if you want to research that pressure point.


The Relief Band is a sort of watch looking contraption that actually shocks your wrist with a shocking impulse that is supposed to help with motion sickness as well. It is quite pricey and in the same sort of category as the Sea Bands where if they work I hear they work great but if they don’t work well you hopefully have another method with you. Here is a website with what these are:

http://www.reliefband.com/

We found them at a local store for about 70 dollars but ended up returning them as they didn’t work for either of us.

These two options are nice if you don’t want to take any medication but please beware that there is a chance that they will not work and make sure you have a backup method.
__________________

The Transderm Scop patch is a patch that contains scopolamine and you put it on behind your ear and wear it continually for 3 days at a time. Can have irritating side effects but, most people complain of a dry mouth. Wear the patch for a day or two prior to going on the cruise to see if you can tolerate it. It is a prescription only medication. Drug clears rapidly from the system - hence the need to wear the patch - so side effects should be resolved in 4-6 hours after removing the patch. You MUST be diligent about washing your hands after they come in contact with the patch and if you accidentally touch it and touch your eye(s) they can dilate your pupils and give you symptoms much worse than seasickness alone! These patches work well for some but have a higher rate of allergic reactions than other forms according to my pharmacist (take that for what it's worth). Their website is http://www.transdermscop.com/site2/

I would suggest that you read the side effects in the patient information section. I didn’t try this out at home before we left on our first cruise and I ended up in the cabin sick with a nasty headache, upset stomach, dizziness, dilated pupils and miserable. Turns out I am highly allergic to scopolamine and didn’t know it! I would suggest if you plan on using this you try it out at home first to make sure that you are not allergic to it. I have also heard that there is a new scopolamine product called Scopace that gives the same benefit as the patch but with fewer side effects. Ask your doctor if you want to go this way if they think it is good for you and your body.
__________________

Then there are the over the counter drugs like Dramamine, Dramamine Less Drowsy, Bonine and the active form of Bonine and Dramamine Less Drowsy which is Meclizine.

Dramamine is a dimenhydrinate and it has the ability to make you really really sleepy! I'd suggest trying these methods out at home before you go as well to see how they react especially if they make your extremely tired and if you drink how you react with alcohol. Original Dramamine can be used in small children although not under the age of 2 but can make them extremely tired and agitated. Here is their website
http://www.pfizer.com/do/counter/di..._dramamine.html


Dramamine Less Drowsy and Bonine are actually Meclizine. You can generally buy Meclizine over the counter (although some pharmacy's keep it behind the counter) but without a prescription and the Meclizine is generally cheaper. We get 100 Meclizine tablets for 8.00 where we get 12 Bonine for 8.00 so the difference is a big deal to us! Meclizine, Bonine, Dramamine Less Drowsy are all antihistamines such as Benadryl. We usually start taking this medication 2-3 days before we leave and continue to take 1 pill every morning until we have been home for at least 2 days. Our pediatrician told us we could give a 1/2 of a 12.5 mg pill to our older kids and my dd needed it but my 2 boys did not. They didn’t suffer from motion sickness at all but my 9 year old did suffer. I would also suggest trying this out at home before you go as well. Better to lose a weekend than a whole trip! Here is an online pharmacy (prices are outrageous) but it has some good information on Meclizine http://www.online-health-pharmacy.c...y_meclizine.php

Antivert - Prescription version of Meclizine - no difference in strength/ingredients - just price!

Claritin = Loratadine - Not as effective for most people - makes very few people drowsy

Any antihistamine has the potential to help with seasickness. Remember if you are already taking an antihistamine - start at the lower doses of meclizine - as there can be an additive effect

Alcohol can intensify the side effects of all of these medications!
__________________

There are also Ginger tablets or candy that you can take with you to help with nausea and generally you can buy them in any health food store. As with the relief bands since they are "natural" and not a drug it would be hard to try them out before you go so make sure you take a backup method as well. Also some people find that mint is helpful as well. I believe these are in the same kind of category where ginger and mint have a calming effect on the stomach. Another short term trick is to eat a green apple. Our servers told us this on one of our cruises and it did help when I was already feeling ill. It kept my stomach somewhat calm UNTIL the meds took effect.
__________________

For children, Benedryl is supposed to help them overcome motion sickness
__________________

As you can see there are many ways to combat seasickness but you need to make sure that you pick the right one for you!! I honestly can’t say this enough but make sure you try whatever medication you can out at home before leaving on your trip so that you can deal with the side effects at home. A trip to the ships' doctor is quite costly and MOST insurance require that you pay for the treatment up front and then submit a claim to get reimbursed. I know my one trip to the ships doctor cost me over 200 dollars because I had to get an anti-nausea shot, diagnosis, more medication and I lost 3 days of my trip! Remember it is a lot easier to prevent sea sickness than it is to cure it.

 

[nutz4dzny]

DrCavin - Wow! Thanks for the great information. But I have one more wrench to throw at you! I take Zofran which is for anti - nausea and vomiting. It is mostly what is prescribed for patients who are having Chemo treatments. I take it for when I am in extreme pain and the pain causes me to get sick to my stomach and have vomiting episodes. (Sorry so graphic!) I am going to my doctor's next week but my question to you and him will be: Is Zofran OK to take for seasickness or do I still have to take Bomine. My pharmicist suggested I use Sea Bands but I am skeptical. His reason was because I am on so many other pain meds that Bomine might interact with these Meds. Your thoughts please.

 

[Tink2561]

When I was pregnant I had morning noon and night sickeness . A friend told me about crystallized ginger, which I found in upscale supermarkets, or health food stores. It tasted pretty nasty, but it worked great. I imagine ginger capsules can also be found in health food stores.

Dr Cavin are you saying don't buy those battery powered bracelets? On another thread on the DIS boards people raved about them.

When we cruised on the Norway 10 years ago, in August, the only time I felt nauseous was when we were pulling out of port. We had Hurricane Bonnie on our tail coming back, but didn't feel anything.

Has anyone cruised in May? If so, was the water calm? I have patches, but am not crazy about using them after reading what everyone else here has said.

Kathleen

Kathleen-

Just wanted to respond to your question about sailing in May.
We sailed the Western itinerary May of last year with no problems, smooth as glass.
We sailed the year prior (2004) in May (Eastern) with gail force winds. It was only rocky the first day and a half. After that it was great. Fortunately
my family did not experience any sea sickness.

 

[bxirishrn]

Thank you DrCavin and Tink 2561 ! I appreciate all the info. I have lots to think about!!

We're now into the 40's I should dig out the luggage and assess what I have versus what I need

Kathleen

 

[bxirishrn]

Tink 2561 my DD is 71/2.
When are you flying in? A lot of people here (ourselves included) are flying down the day before.

Speaking for ourselves, Newark does not have the best on time record overall, so we wanted to ge to FL the day before and not worry about delays .

We're staying at the Radisson in Cape Canaveral, which is just a few miles to the port.

Kathleen

 

[Verandah Man]

We finally got back home tonight, after the school musical, which was fantastic, we went out for a bite to eat. I just want to thank everyone for all the good thoughts and . It's one show down and three to go!!! We will all be sleeping in Saturday morning.


Editing to add a photo of my DD with my mom after opening night of the high school musical, my DD is the one with all the make-up on and holding the flowers, LOL!!!

 

[Verandah Man]

Just 7 more weeks to go until we sail!!!

I put a little photo show together, of other pics I took after the show last night, before finally going to bed at 3am this morning. Several of the people in these pics are the ones that will be on this cruise with us. If you would like to see the brief photo show click on this link: http://photoshow.comcast.net/watch/Gj2hU6fj due to safety concerns, no flash photography was allowed during the show. There was so much talent in these high school kids, the show was absolutely fantastic!!!