luvstiggertoo -
As everyone has said, we all react differently. I have an inner ear problem that gives me problems with motion sickness even on land and without being on anything that moves, so I need to have possible remedies available all the time.
Some of the most active waters you'll encounter on the Wonder are starting within an hour of leaving Port Canaveral and when returning again. It happens as the ship enters and crosses over the Gulf Stream. So even if the ocean and winds are very calm, you might encounter some turbulence soon after the cruise starts. It seldom lasts beyond 9 or 10pm. One of the times that I am most sensitive to it is while walking to and from the restaurant for dinner on the first evening or to the show and looking at the water through one of the large port holes along deck 3 and 4. It seems like the ship has more motion as you look down at the water, especially if it's after dark with the lights of the ship. I find it very relaxing to look out over the ocean as we sail along, provided that I'm not walking and looking straight down at the waves.
Some remedies that I take and you could consider are Bonine (called Bonnie in Canada and other places), a natural supplement called Ginger Root, and some inexpensive wrist bands. I have heard that many others do fine using Benadryl, even at a half dose.
I take a Prescription version of Bonine called Meclizine 25mg about 30 minutes before boarding the ship, which would be about noon. When driving to the Port, I have water ready and take it soon after the first time I see the ship from one of the bridges when I see it from the highway. I take another dose between 5:30 and 6pm, soon after the ship leaves Port at 5pm. If I still feel motion at bedtime around midnight, I take another one, and from then on, only as needed. The non-prescription Bonine works well also.
For about one week before the cruise, I start taking the ginger root capsules, one in the morning and one in the evening, and I continue taking them for at least 3 or 4 days after the cruise, as a precautionary measure. Ginger root is known to promote a calm stomach and has very few known side effects. It's available at health food stores, major drug stores, and places like
Walmart and it isn't expensive.
I bought some inexpensive wrist bands that put pressure on the inside of your wrist and often help with sea sickness. I bought mine for about $10 at the local
AAA office. If I still have problems after taking the ginger and the meclizine, I use the wrist bands, and that's only been on one occasion for a short time.
One of the tv channels in your cabin has information about the wave heights on the ocean the wind speed and direction, as well as the speed of the ship and the weather. You can keep yourself informed by watching those channels as the cruise progresses.
During one cruise, our adult DD was with us along with her family. She had problems with sea sickness late one evening. We ordered plain crackers from room service for her, and she said that helped her too. Drinking soda pop also helps, especially ginger ale or sprite, although I don't recall if ginger ale is available on the ship.
Since the cruise is an expensive and exciting adventure that we can't do every week, I think it makes good sense to try to prepare for making the most of it, and for many of us, that might mean a trial of sea sickness remedies.
I would recommend that you try out the remedies (whatever you choose) before you board the ship so that you can tell if you have any problems with them before you have to rely on them. For instance, you could try one half of a Bonine tablet on the weekend and see if it makes you drowsy or dizzy or whatever. You could also try ginger root capsules for several days before your cruise.
If you wait until after you notice symptoms, it takes longer for the medication to work. In the extreme case, you could be too ill to keep a pill in your system long enough for it to work. In that case, you would have to ride it out, or go to the health center and ask if they have an injection for nausea. You would also have lost some of your cruise time feeling ill.
hope that helps
