Scared to Cruise.....what to do?

[my3kids]

Dramamine Less Drowsy is less drowsy than origional Dramamine. Gosh....that's deep!

Seriously, it makes me less tired than the origional. Still a dry mouth, but not as sleepy.

 

[lbgraves]

Bonine is the non drowsy form of this medication. There is a generic that is much less expensive too. I get nauseous just looking at the tea cup rides or merry go round & when I take this I am fine riding them with the kids. Start taking it the day BEFORE you get on the ship so that it is in your system and continue taking them for a couple days after you get off the ship to avoid what some people describe as getting your land legs back. On our first cruise last year we had 20-30 foot swells and 15-20 the rest of the time. I was just fine. Last month it was smooth the first 4 days & then the rocking started. Honestly, I enjoyed the motion, especially at night because it rocked me right to sleep.

 

[Dreamer04]

.....and of course, all that stuck in my mind after reading this thread was the 30 foot waves a poster encountered! Oh dear....

BTW, I also have a 3 y/o that has speech delays & he's not yet diaper trained. Would that be a problem for a children's club?

I am prone to motion sickness, too. I took my Dramamine every night, starting 2 days before. I did not get sick at all and was able to thoroughly enjoy our cruises.

Regarding your 3 yr old-you could arrange to stay in the club with him for a while.

 

[TheWog]

You are all so kind to respond. I have another question though.... is it still women & children first?

I'm hoping that the motion sickness meds are non-drowsy now. What's the point of taking a motion sickness med if you're going to end up sleeping the whole time? Would I have to get the patches from my Doctor or can I pick them up at a drug store?

Bonine is the less drowsy version. Meclazine or something is the active ingredient and can be had in a store brand.

SeaBands are also something you could explore. They are elastic bands that are worn on the wrists. They use accupressure to relieve the symptoms. DW swears by them and she was only a little woozy the first night. She started the Bonine the day before and she is not a motion person at all. She loved the cruise and we are going on another this month. So both together, she was more than fine.

The patches are prescription and must go through your Dr. It is strongly suggested to try them out before you leave. People seem to react differently to those and if the side effects are worse than the actual motion sickness, what's the point.

Good luck and I hope you do it. Have fun!!!!

 

[mark & sandra]

yes the cruise is wonderful I was much like you it took my dh and df a year to talk me in to it but finely i said yes . you will feel the ship moving but the best way to explane it is the feeling of when your getting drunk if you can handle it for a day or 2 you will be fine .just think of going out to the clubs till 12:00am without paying for a sitter you and dh can have 4-7 nights out in a row well ds hangs out with the kids in the club its a win win choice you wont regreat it hurry up and book now

 

[Mishetta]

I see I have some friends encouraging me to try a cruise on this board! Hi my dear friends!

So again....women & children first? Is there someone watching out for ice bergs (or whales)? Enough life boats for everyone on board (including Mickey?) Has a Disney ship ever encountered an emergency?

Another dumb questions, do children get sea sick? If so, are any of those above mentioned meds or patches or bracelets suitable for children? (I have a 9 y/o & a 3 y/o.)

 

[my3kids]

Kids can take Dramamine, but not the less drowy version. Check with your pediatrician though because the drug in the less drowsy was prescribed for my daughter when she had vertigo.

Kids are usually a lot more resiliant than their mothers!!!

 

[ann-e-mator]

The ship has more lifeboats than needed for the amount of people on the ship. Plus they also have inflatable rafts... Just incase. And they are very organized... Feel at ease. The people on the ship are very well trained just incase... Enjoy yourself

Nicki

 

[din]

Has a Disney ship ever encountered an emergency?

At the risk of scaring some folks.... Magic did have a fire a couple of years ago....

 

[MarkRG]

I will also give another piece of advice. Motion sickness is NOT an absolutely universal thing. You may be bothered by one type and not another.

I get VERY motion sick on the park rides at WDW.
Dont's on my list are:
Tower of Terror
Rockin Roller Coaster
Teacups
Body Wars
Mission:Space
Big Thunder RR

Iffy are:
Star Tours
Dinosaur!

That said, I have absolutely zero problems on the ships. None. After 6 cruises don't even get the land vs sea legs thing anymore. But still get green even thinking of Body Wars.

Be prepared for it, but don't autmatically think one translates to the other, it may not.

 

[Mishetta]

I had a boss who had a 50 ft cabin cruiser & I went out on it once & to say the least, I did get sick. Also, years & years ago, there was an amusement park on Bob-Lo Island in the Detroit area. You had to take a boat to get there. I got sick on that too. I also came back from Bob-Lo Island late at night once & I just happened to look out at the water & it was so pitch black that it freaked me out. I had to stay indoors & not look at the water. I think the cabin cruiser was the last time I went out on a boat. I have never been on a ship though, so I know it would be a little different.

Oh...why can't these cruises happen on land???

 

[chasbos]

I am leaving in less than 3 weeks for a 4 night cruise and I am taking drugs!! I also got sick on the Chi-Chi Mon which takes you to Manitoulin Island in Ontario. So I am very nervous about being sick as a dog on this cruise. But I just had to try it and I hope I did not spend this kind of money to be sick for 4 days. I justified by saying we would be on land for the 1st day and the 2nd day and hopefully by then I would be adjusted to the motion! Lets hope it works!

 

[kikipug]

DH is actually threatening to stay in Nassau and fly home from there if the motion is too bad!

No one in their right mind would want to stay in Nassau one more minute than absolutely necessary!!!!

 

[Mishetta]

chasbos ~ have a great time & please let me know how it went for you when you return.

Bon Voyage!

 

[HookedonDCL]

Boblo Island....I remember that It's been a long time.

I just want to jump in here and give you my two cents for what it's worth. My DH and middle DD are very prone to motion sickness. We went whale watching in Maine and they were sick the whole time (I can still hear the captain shouting "over the rail"). Plus they both have issue with riding in a car. Maybe this part is just my driving. Anywho they had no problems on the ship. Thank goodness. Since we made it through the 3 day we have booked a 7 day for this April. I can't wait.

As far as being afraid of boats that is where I come in. I was in a boating accident when I was in my early teens (Huron River). After that I was always the one standing on shore waving to all those out on the boats. Granted there is no comparison between a boat and the size on these ships . I never once felt afraid. I loved it!! More than likely you will too.

 

[MrShiny]

Since the black water thing freaked you out, do stay away from the rails at night. Now on the Disney Cruise this is easy - you have to go out of your way to really get a good look at the water! Also, I think staying in large open areas like the atrium might be helpful if you start to feel iffy.

I'm sure you'll do fine! Please let us know how it went. Just don't think about how bad it could possibly be in the worst case:

a) it probably won't be that bad because the worst case won't happen
b) even if things are not as good as them might be, your imaginaton is predicting you to feel much worse than you actually will.

Relax. Concentrate on how you feel, not how you might feel. Go to the spa.

 

[jrabbit]

First: I feel the ship move all of the time - Gilligans Island type of motion - especially when I first get on the ship and she's still firmly tied to the dock at port canaveral. Even on our roughest sea day (with 24+ foot waves) the ship was easy enough to walk on. Yea, you bumped into the walls a lot in the hallways and in more open areas you couldn't walk in a straight line. The motion was actually enjoyable - once the wave calmed down, I missed the motion.

Second: I get very motion sick in cars, smaller boats (anything under 600 feet in length ) and at Disneyland/WDW on the rides. I take dramimine every day at the theme parks. I also start the cruise with the med's in me (start taking them two days before hand). The funny thing is on every cruise I stop taking the meds a few days into the cruise and never have had a problem except on shore excursions that involve a boat ride and snorkeling. I usually have to sleep for a couple of hours to shake the effects of the trip.

Third: There's lots to do on board that will keep you busy from the time you get up to WAAAAAY past your bedtime

Finally, heres the rundown on motion sickness remedies.....

Motion Sickness Information

This information was posted by Hydster 9/20/2004. It is the most complete information that I have seen (and I agree with all of it - especially the part about trying the meds out at home BEFORE you leave on your trip)
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So I revised my motion sickness stuff and added a few tips given from WVMD (it was his idea and a darn good one at that)and so now here is the new REVISED motion sickness information.

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. 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.
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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/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!
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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. 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.
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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.
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[Mishetta]

Wow, what a great informative post! Thanks so much! Now the only thing I'll have to worry about is if I can take any of that stuff with High Blood Pressure! My Doctor won't even let me take a decongestant when I have a terrible sinus or allergy attack due to my blood pressure.

 

[my3kids]

Oh...why can't these cruises happen on land???

Okay, if the tag fairy doesn't pick that one up, she don't know what she is missing.

 

[Mishetta]

Okay, if the tag fairy doesn't pick that one up, she don't know what she is missing.