Motion Sickness - Where on the ship?

[Miss Kelly]

What is the best deck or rooms or location for those of us who are prone to motion sickness?

Thanks!

 

[4407mark]

I'd recommend mid-ship personally. I believe they say the forward portion of the ship feels the most movement with it being less in the aft end. We've sailed mid and more toward aft and haven't had a problem. First night you feel a little more movement as you cross the current but after that it was very nice (June and July cruises). Enjoy!

 

[Princess49]

We were about the 4th room from the front of the ship- about as far forward as you get! & the motion we felt in our room was pretty much the same as anywhere else. We had to have a mental conversation with eachother & agree that just becuase we took dramaminw doesn't mean the ship will not move, it just means that we won't feel sick from the moving!!! It was kind of bizzare but the only time we REALLY felt it was the first night when we went out into the "big ocean" as one CM described it. There was a definate rocking sensation so between that, the alcohol & dramamine we were taking we never slept better, we called it coma induced naps!!

 

[mickeyfan1]

The worst movement seems to be when you cross the Gulf Stream. It can be really bad, or really mild, depending on time of year. Rather than dramamine, you can get a patch from your doctor, or actually a perscription for it, Transderm Scop, it looks like a little bandaid, you put it on behind your ear, it lasts about 3 days. My mother, who gets seasick watching documentaries on ocean waves, uses them every time we cruise, and she has never gotten sea sick. Some people swear by seabands, kind of like accupressure on yout wrists. I think the lower you get on the ship, the less you feel the movement. But often times fresh air helps. There is much less movement on the larger ships then the smaller older ones. But if you really want to rock and roll, try sailing the Pacific Bay in Alaska in September, or south America sailings in the fall. That's some kind of fun!

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

you should feel some side to side the first few hours after you leave the port. after that is should be smooth sailing.

 

[Miss Kelly]

Thanks!

We just got our stateroom numbers 6134 and 6135. They are aft so I hope I will be okay. I tend to get motion sick very easily. I have been on a cruise before but we were mid ship. Like you guys have said, the first day was the worst. I missed my first dinner because of feeling bad. I had medicine in me too.

Thanks again!

 

[Ellay]

The 'experts' say that you need to be low down and in the centre of the ship to experience less movement - think of a see-saw. I've just come back from a 4 day Wonder (2 May) and was located very near the rear of the ship and felt plenty of movement.

 

[BALAMAV]

We just got back. What I noticed was not front or back it was what deck I was on. The lower I was like deck 3 and 4 for restuarants and the Disney theater. I noticed it alot. But in our rooms on deck 6 aft and up on deck 9 where the pool was and up at Palo's I didn't notice it at all. Miss Kelly my mother and fater in law had room 6634 last week. It was really nice. You have a nav. veranda but it is almost a full one. I think 6635 is across the hall it has no windows. Have fun. Brenda

 

[TheWog]

Midship and lower are the best bet. As said above think of a see-saw. Try seabands if you are prone to sickness. DW swears by them.

 

[hydster]

Very prone to motion sickness here and we had rooms 8504/8506 and the pitch and roll were awful there! We also felt really crummy in the Walt Disney Theatre (some of that probably was because the stage curtains kept moving side to side) and we also didn't feel very well in Parrot Cay. Also here is some information about ways to treat sea sickness--it's ruined more than 1 of my cruises in one way or another.

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.

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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. 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/ and 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.

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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/digestive/mn_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.com/_buy_meclizine.php

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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.

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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.

Heidi

 

[Miss Kelly]

Thanks for the information Heidi! Very informative.

A BIG Thank you to everyone else who replied also. I'm very appreciative.

 

[JulienK]

Oh my! This is one of my worries! Never been on a cruise before, but did go whale watching last year. Now I never get motion sickness, i can go on any kind of coaster and love every minute of it. But my two kids get car sick just going to the nearby stores! So I was prepared with the bands for the kids. Figured that i wouldn't need anything, being so tuff! Well the kids were fine, even took the bands off and were having a great time. Me??? I was put to the back of the boat with the other sickies, given a trash bag to (you know what) in. My kids would come back there every now and then to give me advice (and to snicker at me i think as well). DH later told me that i was literally green. The bands didn't work by the time i first felt sick...you have to put them on before hand for them to take effect.

So I guess i'll be wearing my bands for a day before and never ever ever take them off. That sea sickness is the absolute worst feeling...Can't imagine having it while on our only cruise!

Thank you for the info hydster. I feel your suffering!!!

 

[mickeyboat]

I also felt a lot more motion in the Walt Disney Theater and in the restaurants. I wonder if it is because you are not able to see the horizon.

Denae

 

[gizfish]

If you are prone to getting seasick, odds are, not matter where you are in the ship, if you don't take something to prevent it, you will get sick. People who get seasick can feel ill on the tiniest fishing boat to the largest and most stabilized oceanliner. Also, you won't be spending that much time in your room that the motion in there should be such a concern. You are more apt to feel the motion in the public rooms anyway. IMHO, I think the cruise industry capitalizes on our motion fears by having so many categories of room that are all exactly the same except for location and price, lol.

 

[hydster]

If you are prone to getting seasick, odds are, not matter where you are in the ship, if you don't take something to prevent it, you will get sick.

Actually I don't think that's completely true! WHen we were up on deck 9 or 10 able to look out at the ocean OR on our balcony we were NOT seasick one bit but the minute we would go in our room or go to the theatre or dinner we would start feeling ill. I think the fresh air and being able to see the horizon does wonders for seasickness! If I hadn't had a balcony to sit on at night I would have been in the bathroom (if you catch my drift). I don't get sick until I hit the big ship in the ocean and then watch out! I love roller coasters, small ski boats, and everything else related to motion! We didn't think we'd be spending much time in our cabins either but we did thanks to sick kids! It's not a given that you won't be in your cabin though most of the time you "could" be doing something else. We felt the most motion in our connecting staterooms, Walt Disney Theatre and Parrot Cay..other than that we had no idea we were moving! I definitely think the mind does have something to do with it but I also think the motion is stronger in some places than others! We have done SEVERAL cruises and this cruise is one of the worst I had for motion. I took about 2-4 Meclizine this cruise but have usually never needed more than 1.

JMHO
Heidi

 

[bridegirl]

Heidi I was really interested that you said it's eaier to prevent it than to cure seasickness. We went on the 4 day wonder in 2000 and poor poor DH was seasick THE WHOLE Trip. Missed AP, Missed Palo's, crawled around CC ( the only time he felt a little better).

Now he's obviously worried about being seasick again. When you took the once a day pill starting before you left, did you still feel a little sick? Or not sick at all?

Thanks so much

 

[2kidsmom]

We were on the 5/1 Eastern with Heidi. I agree that the rocking and pitching of the ship is worse when in WD Theater and Parrot Cay and AP. We found while in AP when we were facing out into the room we tended to feel sick. I guess it had something to do with black and white checks and all that. We found that it was much better for us to face the wall. We were fine on 9 and 10. I guess, like Heidi said, being able to see the horizon was calming. While I never actually got sick, you could definitely feel the rocking the more aft or forward you were.

Our cruise was rocky the whole time, not just from the Atlantic to the Carribean. I take that back, it was calm for three days. When we were DOCKED!

Anyway just be prepared because you never know.

Julie

 

[jrabbit]

Heidi,
Thanks for posting that info re: motion sickness meds. It's more detailed than what I post when this question comes up. One of the reciently mentioned "cures" for motion sickness is eating green apples. Have no idea if this works or not or why it should, but others on this board have mentioned it.

Best advice: Try and motion sickness medications at home well before leaving for the cruise. This gives you the opportunity to try something else out if the side effects are "nastier" than the motion sickness

You cannot compare being on a whale watching boat or fishing boat to the Magic/Wonder. There is no comparison to the amount of motion that the boat has (a lot - you're a little cork bobbing in the water) vs. a modern cruise ship (small city being moved just a little by the swells).

I firmly believe that more people get sick in the restaurants on deck 3 & 4 and in the Walt Disney Theater than in their rooms higher up on the ship. The reason is that you usually are not in your room to long at a time (except to sleep - which helps you feel better after becoming motion sick). Or if you are up on deck 9 & 10 you are outside which is has the fresh air which once again helps you overcome the motion sickness.

The two worse places to get sick on DCL are in the WDT before the shows start. Looking at that curtain moving back and forth is a BAD thing. The other is Animators Palette. I think that all of that black and white, "checkerboard" look and all of those "black dots" really seem to move when the ship is rocking and rolling.

Happy sailing