Seasickness? At night (while sleeping)?

[Melissa R]

I have never been seasick or car sick, so I need some input from those who do. I have two boys who both get car sick, so I'm trying to prepare for potential seasickness onboard our cruise this fall.

Do people get seasick at night in bed? Or is it only when you're up and awake and feeling the motion? Do I need to treat the boys around the clock?

And even when I give them meds and they wear wristbands in the car, once in a while, they will still get sick (and vomit). So I'm trying to prepare for the possibility that they will be sick even if I treat them and we think we're prepared. I'm trying to think of the worst possible scenerio here - what if one of them gets seasick and throws up in bed? Is there a number to call for stateroom service in the middle of the night even? Or could I possibly request an extra set of sheets and an extra blanket to have on hand just in case? Can I request extra towels at the beginning of our cruise to have just in case we need them?

As you can tell, I'm a bit worried about the potential nightmare that we could be facing if one or both of our boys get miserably seasick. We're only doing a 4 night cruise instead of the 7 that my husband would have preferred because this is our first ever cruise and I don't know what to expect from the boys as far as seasickness.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I have never been seasick or car sick, so I need some input from those who do. I have two boys who both get car sick, so I'm trying to prepare for potential seasickness on-board our cruise this fall.

Do people get seasick at night in bed? Or is it only when you're up and awake and feeling the motion? Do I need to treat the boys around the clock?

And even when I give them meds and they wear wristbands in the car, once in a while, they will still get sick (and vomit). So I'm trying to prepare for the possibility that they will be sick even if I treat them and we think we're prepared. I'm trying to think of the worst possible scenario here - what if one of them gets seasick and throws up in bed? Is there a number to call for stateroom service in the middle of the night even? Or could I possibly request an extra set of sheets and an extra blanket to have on hand just in case? Can I request extra towels at the beginning of our cruise to have just in case we need them?

As you can tell, I'm a bit worried about the potential nightmare that we could be facing if one or both of our boys get miserably seasick. We're only doing a 4 night cruise instead of the 7 that my husband would have preferred because this is our first ever cruise and I don't know what to expect from the boys as far as seasickness.

Hello,

Everyone is different so you could only get a 'general' one size fits all answer, and maybe be different for your family.

Firstly the ships have great stabilizers and most people do not suffer on the ship, they do suffer on the little boats and tenders.

Seasickness occurs when the inner ear and the eye give different messages to the brain, and usually sorts itself out over a day or so. At night with eyes closed and a gentle rocking sensation, often it helps you to sleep and there isn't any sickness when asleep, but if you have been sick during the day, 'getting' to sleep might be the issue.

Everyone recommends getting as much fresh air as possible and looking at the horizon as much as possible the widest perspective that you can get, IE from deck 9 or 10 or deck 4. Usually your brain then will work it all out and get used to it, so much that when you get off and walk on land you still feel the sea (land) move under you!.
Medication suppresses the 'balance' issues in your body and some need to be taken well in advance.

My DD gets bad car sickness and also is sick on small boats tender boats etc, but she is fine on the ship, and in our stateroom, the only place she felt sick was on the lower decks 3 etc when we were going through the back end of hurricane Wilma in 2005.

Do not eat to excess, reasonable liquids water etc best, or natural juices, not too much soda, and not fatty food, so care on the big breakfasts cereal is best, and fruit, not greasy stuff.

 

[nzdisneymom]

I sailed on Carnival once in a lower-deck inside cabin and woke up seasick one morning - we were passing through a rough part of the sea and the nausea woke me up. So it can happen if the seas are especially rough and depending on your cabin location.

As for what to do in the middle of the night should you need a change of bed linens, I'd suggest talking with your cabin steward when you first go into your room. S/He will likely be in the hallway and around so you'll get a chance to meet them ... they have a card on the desk by the ice bucket that will have their name on it - you get to fill the card out about if and when you want ice for your room, so your steward will be by during the afternoon check-in time.

And hopefully you all will have smoothe sailing!

 

[cdndizzylizzy]

My DD11 gets car sick if we drive in a car - every time. That's why we own a minivan. As long as she can see the horizon from the back seat and doesn't read a book or look down for too long, she is fine.

We have been on 2 cruises so far, and she wore the wristbands for the first few days and that was all she needed to be just fine. No vomiting, and never a problem while sleeping at night.

This past cruise, when we took the ferry at Cozumel to Playa Del Carmen on the mainland (for an excursion), we gave both kids Childrens' Bonine and they were absolutely fine while others were suffering.

Take particular care on the first night - you may wish to give your kids something in advance on the first day, as it gets rough almost as soon as you get underway, and if you are in Parrot Cay for dinner it can get a bit dicey. Even if you don't want to give them meds every day, I would consider it for the first day and night so that they for sure don't get sick right off the mark. It usually is the roughest night due to the straits, and is a double whammy since they don't have their "sea legs" yet, as other posters have commented... However, our DD did not take anything, she just wore her wristbands and she sat "facing forward" in Parrot Cay.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

My DD11 gets car sick if we drive in a car - every time. That's why we own a minivan. As long as she can see the horizon from the back seat and doesn't read a book or look down for too long, she is fine.

We have been on 2 cruises so far, and she wore the wristbands for the first few days and that was all she needed to be just fine. No vomiting, and never a problem while sleeping at night.

This past cruise, when we took the ferry at Cozumel to Playa Del Carmen on the mainland (for an excursion), we gave both kids Childrens' Bonine and they were absolutely fine while others were suffering.

Take particular care on the first night - you may wish to give your kids something in advance on the first day, as it gets rough almost as soon as you get underway, and if you are in Parrot Cay for dinner it can get a bit dicey. Even if you don't want to give them meds every day, I would consider it for the first day and night so that they for sure don't get sick right off the mark. It usually is the roughest night due to the straits, and is a double whammy since they don't have their "sea legs" yet, as other posters have commented... However, our DD did not take anything, she just wore her wristbands and she sat "facing forward" in Parrot Cay.

Yes Cozumel to Playa thats where my DD was sick both ways, and she felt unwell in the restaurants on the lower decks like PC and AP, but OK at Topsiders.

 

[Tinkermom3]

I have one word...

BONINE!

I get seasick but I was FINE with the Bonine. I started taking it 2 days before the cruise and continued it all through the cruise. I took one in the morning and one at bedtime.

DS11 gets carsick as well. I waited until we got on board to see how he would do. After dinner the first night he started to complain that he was feeling sick so I started him on KIDS BONINE. He also took one in the morning and one at night. Neither one of us had any seasick issues the rest of the cruise.

We also took the ferry to the mainland from Cozumel. The seas are rough and they were handing out free Bonine and seasickness bags but DS and I were good, no problems at all! DH and our other 2 kids never took anything and were also fine throughout the cruise.

 

[RLccweems]

I have never been seasick or car sick, so I need some input from those who do. I have two boys who both get car sick, so I'm trying to prepare for potential seasickness onboard our cruise this fall.

Do people get seasick at night in bed? Or is it only when you're up and awake and feeling the motion? Do I need to treat the boys around the clock?

And even when I give them meds and they wear wristbands in the car, once in a while, they will still get sick (and vomit). So I'm trying to prepare for the possibility that they will be sick even if I treat them and we think we're prepared. I'm trying to think of the worst possible scenerio here - what if one of them gets seasick and throws up in bed? Is there a number to call for stateroom service in the middle of the night even? Or could I possibly request an extra set of sheets and an extra blanket to have on hand just in case? Can I request extra towels at the beginning of our cruise to have just in case we need them?

As you can tell, I'm a bit worried about the potential nightmare that we could be facing if one or both of our boys get miserably seasick. We're only doing a 4 night cruise instead of the 7 that my husband would have preferred because this is our first ever cruise and I don't know what to expect from the boys as far as seasickness.

I know where your coming from on this. My dd started cruising at the age of 4 and is now 14 still gets seasick on cruises. She had never gotten sick while sleeping...that actually makes her feel better. But then everyone is different. We do the Bonine as soon as we get on the ship. This seems to help her alot....

Also, she said that if she goes to long without eating this tends to set her off. So, don't eat too much and then don't forget to eat as well. Which is an easy thing for her to do. Once she's busy having fun food is the last thing on her mind.

How old are you boys? I wsh you good luck with this....just remember to keep the trash can by the bed.

 

[MarkRG]

Can I toss a piece of logic in here?

Did the kids have some kind of rocking/swinging device they slept in when they were toddlers, as in rock the baby to sleep? No different, possibly even more gentle.

This past cruise, when we took the ferry at Cozumel to Playa Del Carmen on the mainland (for an excursion), we gave both kids Childrens' Bonine and they were absolutely fine while others were suffering.

Smart cookie. The rides to the mainland on the hydrofoil from the port in Cozumel are possibly the roughest ride you can get on the cruise, even people who don't get seasick might on that one.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Can I toss a piece of logic in here?

Did the kids have some kind of rocking/swinging device they slept in when they were toddlers, as in rock the baby to sleep? No different, possibly even more gentle.



Smart cookie. The rides to the mainland on the hydrofoil from the port in Cozumel are possibly the roughest ride you can get on the cruise, even people who don't get seasick might on that one.

Agree on both points, good points!

 

[OntFamily]

I used ginger tablets on our last cruise, to guard against motion sickness. Worked great, with no side effects.