Stateroom for the seasick

[northshoremama]

midship, lower deck...is that the best location for a person who gets seasick? Inside or verandah?

Any thoughts from folks out there who sometimes feel a bit queasy on the boat.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

The lowest decks (decks 1 and 2 on the classic ships and deck 2 on the Dream/Fantasy) don't have verandahs, only ocean view and inside staterooms. Verandahs start on deck 5. Personally, I prefer verandahs for the ability to get fresh air. But some people do better with the lower deck even with the trade off of no verandah. Generally, seasickness is aggravated when your body senses motion that is not confirmed by your eyes. Some people find having a porthole so they can see out and see the movement of the ship is better for seasickness than an inside room where you won't be able to see the motion.

 

[northshoremama]

The lowest decks (decks 1 and 2 on the classic ships and deck 2 on the Dream/Fantasy) don't have verandahs, only ocean view and inside staterooms. Verandahs start on deck 5. Personally, I prefer verandahs for the ability to get fresh air. But some people do better with the lower deck even with the trade off of no verandah. Generally, seasickness is aggravated when your body senses motion that is not confirmed by your eyes. Some people find having a porthole so they can see out and see the movement of the ship is better for seasickness than an inside room where you won't be able to see the motion.

Good point about seeing out. I wonder if the magic porthole on the Fantasy will do??

We are a family of 5 (with younger DDs 11,10,6). I currently have 2 inside staterooms on deck 2 of the fantasy. For about $100 less, I could get a deck 6 verandah midship. I was thinking more square footage and the 2 bathrooms would be nice for the 7night cruise, hence the 2 inside staterooms. But now I'm second guessing myself. I've been on a repo cruise and got sick pretty badly. Had to miss dinner one night...but I wasn't prepared. I figured I'll either have the patch or dramamine handy.

This is our first family cruise and I want it to be perfect. Didn't quite realize picking the perfect stateroom would be so difficult!

 

[Marc D]

Good point about seeing out. I wonder if the magic porthole on the Fantasy will do??

This is our first family cruise and I want it to be perfect. Didn't quite realize picking the perfect stateroom would be so difficult!

After reading this board a while, you'll notice that seasickness/stateroom location answers are VERY varied and it is impossible to get a definitive answer. I presume that the specific motion of the ship, based on the direction of the waves, will have more impact than the location of the room or the access to a verandah. Anyway, if you are willing to use a patch, do it. My wife wears one constantly onboard and she has not been seasick on our last 12 cruises.

Meanwhile, two bathrooms will surely be quite convenient with the five of you.

 

[Uncleromulus]

In line with what Mark said, if this thread goes on long enough, you will find folks who have gotten sick on EVERY part of the ship!!

And have tried every known remedy!!

 

[Mil leech]

In line with what Mark said, if this thread goes on long enough, you will find folks who have gotten sick on EVERY part of the ship!!

And have tried every known remedy!!

I completely agree!! I get horribly motion sick, so I took a pill every night before bed, I slept off the initial effects and was fine the whole next day. If you go for the meds get it in your system immediately and don't be a hero and not take it one day since you have "felt fine"... lesson learned the hard way.
My DD6 got sick this last cruise and trying to get it under control instead of preemptively taking care of her, was really difficult.

 

[jeepnjudy]

Lower decks, midships is the best location to avoid/decrease motion sickness.

 

[cixel_SID]

Ship Motions

At the risk of boring you to tears ... here's the simplified view of a former naval architect (an engineer who designs ships) regarding ship motions (trying my best to avoid engineering jargon):

The motion of the ship is a combination of three linear components (surge, heave, sway) and three rotational components (pitch, yaw, roll) (see definitions below). The center of motion for all six of these components is the center of gravity of the ship. Assuming that the ship is a rigid body and doesn't significantly flex (not precisely true but it's OK for this discussion) the three linear motions act equally at all locations on the ship. That is, the ship heaves (up and down) as though you held a piece of lumber in your hand and moved it vertically up and down ... the entire piece of lumber moves an equal amount vertically regardless of your location on the lumber.

However, the rotational motions, which are also centered at the ship's center of gravity, are characterized by increasing movement the further you are located from the center of that rotation. The further from the center of gravity, the more you feel that motion. Think of a carousel ... the further from the center the faster you are moving. Now if the carousel were designed to frequently reverse direction you can imagine how much more that would affect you the further from the center you were located. If you don't like that comparison, think of a see-saw ... near the pivot point you don't move very much; the further away from the center, the more you move up and down.

Now, the motion that you feel at any point on the ship is the combination of all six motions. Again, the three linear motions are felt equally throughout the ship. But, the three rotational motions (pitch, yaw, roll) are all felt more the farther that you are from the center of gravity. So, the lowest total motion is felt at the ship's center of gravity and the combined motion increases with increasing distance from the center of gravity.

Although the center of gravity location can vary somewhat, for the purposes of this discussion you can assume with pretty good certainty that the center of gravity is located as follows:

fore/aft location = about midship
port/starboard location = on ship's centerline
vertical location = several feet BELOW the waterline

With this information, and the understanding that nearly all ship passenger staterooms are located above the ship's waterline, we can deduce that the lowest ship motions are felt on the lowest possible passenger stateroom deck, closest to midship and nearest to the ship's centerline. This would indicate the advantage of the inside cabin for lower motions.

However, the way that any individual responds to those motions can vary greatly between people, and as a previous poster noted, some feel better in an outside cabin because they can focus on the horizon and minimize the confusing messages that their eyes and ears independently send to their brain.

Lastly, the response of the ship is dependent upon the size of the waves and the frequency with which the ship encounters those waves. This encounter frequency is a function of the wave frequency, ship speed and ship heading relative to the waves. And, no two seaways are precisely alike. Hence, any anecdotal reports on the amount of motion at any particular location on any particular day cannot always be generalized. In other words, the seaway that you encounter on your cruise is somewhat unique. Although the general idea of staying amidship at a lower deck will result in lowest overall motions, it does not guarantee that you won’t get seasick. It just means that, all other things being equal, you will experience lower overall motion and have a lower chance of becoming seasick in this location.

I hope that this helps by providing the technical reasoning that leads to the "conventional wisdom" which was provided by a previous poster.


Some definitions:
Linear motion: Movement ALONG an axis
Surge: A fore and aft motion along the longitudinal axis
Sway: A port and starboard motion along the athwartship axis
Heave: A vertical (up and down) motion along the vertical axis

Rotational motion: Movement AROUND an axis
Pitch: A rotational motion around the athwartship (port and starboard) axis
Roll: A rotational motion around the ships longitudinal (fore and aft) axis
Yaw: A rotational motion around the ships vertical axis

 

[SpaceSquirrel]

It's all about the bonine.
I get motion sickness in 3D movies, I can't ride in tha backseat, and suspended upper levels make me sick. I'm saying this to say not many people suffer worse than me.
The patch makes me very ill, learned that the hard way.
If I start taking bonine every evening (starting 2 nights before sailing) and then start 2 pills a day (one at bed time and one late morning (so about 12 hrs. apart) AND wear my seabands non-stop (I bring 2 pairs so I have a wet pair and a dry pair) I'm good to go.
Motion sickness is much easier to prevent than to cure once it sets in so trust me on the bonine and seabands
Also, bring ginger candy just in case you start feeling a little queasy and don't take hot showers (crazy but true).

 

[SpaceSquirrel]

Oh, my rant about preventing the motion sickness is because you'll typically be eating at either end of the ship. Entertainment is at the end of the ship too so you'll want to be sure you're good to go no matter where you are on the ship. For me motion sickness is almost instant by my spouse doesn't start feeling effects until a couple days in, better safe than sorry.

 

[northshoremama]

It's all about the bonine.
I get motion sickness in 3D movies, I can't ride in tha backseat, and suspended upper levels make me sick. I'm saying this to say not many people suffer worse than me.
The patch makes me very ill, learned that the hard way.
If I start taking bonine every evening (starting 2 nights before sailing) and then start 2 pills a day (one at bed time and one late morning (so about 12 hrs. apart) AND wear my seabands non-stop (I bring 2 pairs so I have a wet pair and a dry pair) I'm good to go.
Motion sickness is much easier to prevent than to cure once it sets in so trust me on the bonine and seabands
Also, bring ginger candy just in case you start feeling a little queasy and don't take hot showers (crazy but true).

how about good remedies for my kids? just in case. bonine for kids?

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

Question to OP: Do you get motion sick from other things, or only that one time on that 2-day cruise?

I assume it was a large cruise ship like the Disney ones.

The reason I ask is that what works for motion sickness is usually specific by person, but not by cause. So for instance, I get motion sick from a LOT of things (riding in a car, amusement park rides, airplanes, boats, etc.) but for all these things Bonine (or Dramamine II) works great, but Dramamine I or Ginger or Seabands don't. (I never tried the patch.)

So if you get motion sick from other things, you can be confident that whatever works for you in those cases will work on the cruise ship. Likewise, which coping mechanisms might help you (staring at the horizon, lying down, etc. Cool air helps me a lot.)

For me, a daily Bonine did the trick, even though I am very prone to motion sickness, but having all that practice is how I knew what would work for me. If you don't get motion sick from other things, you could at least consider trying some things ahead of time to see if they give you side effects. That is very personal too. Something that has bad side effects for some has no side effects for others. If you try something and it has no side effects for you, you can be fairly certain it won't have side effects for you on the ship.

 

[RedSox68]

I was always told -- middle middle. Middle deck, middle of ship if you fear being seasick. Keep ginger tablets and Bonine with you and if you really sick, ask room service for green apples.

 

[northshoremama]

Question to OP: Do you get motion sick from other things, or only that one time on that 2-day cruise?

I assume it was a large cruise ship like the Disney ones.

The reason I ask is that what works for motion sickness is usually specific by person, but not by cause. So for instance, I get motion sick from a LOT of things (riding in a car, amusement park rides, airplanes, boats, etc.) but for all these things Bonine (or Dramamine II) works great, but Dramamine I or Ginger or Seabands don't. (I never tried the patch.)

So if you get motion sick from other things, you can be confident that whatever works for you in those cases will work on the cruise ship. Likewise, which coping mechanisms might help you (staring at the horizon, lying down, etc. Cool air helps me a lot.)

For me, a daily Bonine did the trick, even though I am very prone to motion sickness, but having all that practice is how I knew what would work for me. If you don't get motion sick from other things, you could at least consider trying some things ahead of time to see if they give you side effects. That is very personal too. Something that has bad side effects for some has no side effects for others. If you try something and it has no side effects for you, you can be fairly certain it won't have side effects for you on the ship.

it was a holland america cruise. i do get car sick if i read in the car (or look at my cell phone for too long while in the car). i actually felt sick at DCA back in September. rode screamin' for the first time with dd10 and then TOT right after. i started to feel horrible afterwards. i was thinking it was the rides. it was a hot day, so wasn't sure if it was maybe being partly dehydrated. we went back to the hotel to lay down. i took a couple of tylenol and an hour nap...but that didn't really help. i was bummed that i missed out on the WOC dessert party. DH and DDs all went. I tried to tough it out, but coudn't sit straight without feeling like i was gonna throw up. so they packed up my dessert tray and i headed back to the room, while the rest of my family enjoyed the show. i will definitely go to DL prepared next time. i started to feel sick after star tours, too....ugh.

 

[MunFam]

I get sick in hammocks. Its the barely there movement that does it for me. If there is rough seas, I do great because the motion is actually noticeable and not just an equilibrium game.

I always, always pack a hand held fan (battery operated) and a little stationary fan (usb) to keep with me at all times. Wind in the face keeps me from getting sick.

 

[TrySomethingNew]

it was a holland america cruise. i do get car sick if i read in the car (or look at my cell phone for too long while in the car). i actually felt sick at DCA back in September. rode screamin' for the first time with dd10 and then TOT right after. i started to feel horrible afterwards. i was thinking it was the rides. it was a hot day, so wasn't sure if it was maybe being partly dehydrated. we went back to the hotel to lay down. i took a couple of tylenol and an hour nap...but that didn't really help. i was bummed that i missed out on the WOC dessert party. DH and DDs all went. I tried to tough it out, but coudn't sit straight without feeling like i was gonna throw up. so they packed up my dessert tray and i headed back to the room, while the rest of my family enjoyed the show. i will definitely go to DL prepared next time. i started to feel sick after star tours, too....ugh.

Your thought on dehydration is possibly part of the issue. I'm similar to you: motion sickness prone, can't read in car, etc. over time I have found that keeping hydrated is important (although not necessarily during long car trips...too much stopping). When I get to destination I buy mineral water (seems to help) and also will bring packets of hydration powder to add to water if I'm feeling especially dehydrated. So, on our 11 night DCL I brought a collapsible 1L water bottle and added hydration powder and kept in fridge. Also, I took Bonine just before bed every night. However, PP mentioned taking another about 12 hours later- this I would recommend if you really get motion sick. Patches - people love or hate them and you should understand they are a prescription with some distinct side effects (for some people), therefore you may love or hate them. Overall, we had some rough seas. Even with Bonnie and keeping hydrated I felt queasy a couple of times-most likely the additional Bonine tab would have helped, but I laid down and rested for 20-30 min, which helped immensely.

Good luck and enjoy your cruise!!

 

[RedSox68]

BTW -- Bonine is terrific for excursions, bus trips, etc. I take one every morning in port when I know we will be taking transportation so I don't get car sick.

 

[Uncleromulus]

And yet Bonine has NOT worked for some. Nor have the bands. Nor has Ginger Ale or Green Apples.

Best to have a fallback remedy in case your first choice does not do the job!!

And just to add we always are (on the Fantasy) on Deck 11 or deck 12 far forward. Never a problem with motion there--it's always on deck 2/3 near the restaurants and the theater.

 

[disneyholic family]

sea bands
they work for us (and about 60% of people who use them)

they're a miracle for us....completely changed our relationship with the ocean / sea...
now you can't take us off of water

 

[Starwind]

During each of the 4 cruises we have taken (all DCL) I was continually motion sick, and then after the cruise spent the next few days "land sick" where I still felt the former ship motion and sometimes had trouble walking properly as a result. The only question was how severe the symptoms were and how much they interfered with activities. For the most part, with the below "cocktail" I was functional (if a bit drowsy at times) but still aware of the motion sickness -- but it was mostly kept at a level of "annoying".

I use a combination of:
- Dramamine Less Drowsy (meclizine), started 2 or 3 days before cruise and taken daily through 2 or 3 days after end of cruise
- Sea Bands, worn 24/7
- Dramamine/Gravol ginger capsules/tablets (a fixed known pharmaceutical grade dose of ginger), daily not exceeding instructions
- ginger ale (prefer Canada Dry brand, but will take what I can get)
- ginger snaps (Shasha brand is very good, and for me safe for my food allergies)

Backup is Dramamine/Gravol the original version, but it makes me really sleepy, so is only used if I can no longer tolerate the residual motion sickness symptoms, or e.g. am actually throwing up. I also have Benadryl, but try to hold it in reserve for allergies.

As an aside, I also use the above for nausea due to migraine and medication. They work better for those reasons than for motion sickness, for me

One interesting thing I did discover accidently one night when the seas were rough: the angle you lay on the bed can make a difference. So, head facing foward, head facing backward. Lying perpendicular (across) on the bed, or at an angle. That night I had laid down across the bed instead of in line with it. After a while when I got up and moved into the "proper" orientation suddenly the motion sickness got much worse. I spent the rest of the night sleeping laying across the bed Practically, if you normaly are sleeping in the bed, try the sofabed out and see if that makes a difference -- you lay perpendicular to how you lay in the bed. Our sofa bed was occupied so I just lad wonky on the bed (which was all mine anyway).

SW