My family has never done a cruise. We are planning to try the Disney Wish next summer. Considering these factors: traveling in beginning of June (unsure if waters are calmer or rough), 4 nights, and staying in the front of the ship.
Are we doomed for motion sickness? If so, does it subside after a day? I’ll take any tips you all have to offer! My daughter and my husband get very sick on planes, small boats, and rides such as tower of terror/guardians/dumbo (dramamine does work for them though).
Just did our first cruise, ever. 4 nights on the Allure of the Seas. I took a half a Meclizine (aka, Less-Drowsy Dramamine, aka Bonine) each day.
First evening, I could definitely feel it. And I think I might have been better to have taken a full pill. The remainder of the cruise was fine. Seas weren’t too rough. The rest of our group could hardly tell the ship was moving at all, but I could feel it, for sure!!!
I only felt the very slightest bit queasy (or, more like on the verge of queasy?) that first evening. The rest of the time, even though I could feel the ship’s movement, the half pill was enough to keep me feeling just fine.
I should add this: Sea-bands and the like don’t actually do anything other than offer the placebo effect, so I wouldn’t recommend trying those. BUT, I saw a LOT of people on the ship with Scopalamine patches behind their ears, which supposedly work well for people as well based on studies. I’ve never tried it, since Meclizine works for me…but something else to consider.
ETA: I also get motion sickness on certain rides, and planes (if I close my eyes).
Tagging @Jeff_AZ and @FOMOm_VA because they likely have good, specific advice. I know my brother gets terrible motion sickness but managed cruises with the patch. For him it subsides after the first or second day.
I hope you find a good solution that works for your family.
So if you can, move to midship or aft and the lower decks are better. I like to send clients to deck 7 midship but some folks go down in 1-2 so they feel even less motion. Front is where you’ll feel the MOST motion.
My hubby gets sick every time he tries to deep sea fish and both my kids get car sick but none of them have ever had a problem on a cruise.
That said, get your doc to write an rx for a scopolamine patch and start wearing it a day or two before so it’s in your system and working before the motion starts. Weather is hard to predict but I think early June SHOULD fare better than hurricane season and winter. And the Wish has the latest stabilizers and is so much fun.
Yall will have a great time.
Thank you for all the replies. We are going with a group and everyone’s doing concierge. I’m unsure why they put all those rooms in the rockiest part of the ship. So moving mid ship is probably not happening, since we all want access to activities at the same time as our group.
I will look into the prescription patch, hope it works for folks with extreme motion sickness!
To be honest, it wasn’t in my cabin (which was further forward, deck 7) that I felt it worst, but when we were out and about, in the dining room, in the Royal Promenade, which are all more mid-ship, or more aft (deck 5). So, I’m not sure how true it is that you feel it most at the front of the ship.
For you
Everyone is different and the only way you can know for sure is to give it a try.
My experience with motion sickness on a cruise is that I experienced mild motion sickness the first day and any time there was especially choppy water. But it was not severe enough or memorable enough to detract from my overall experience.
I took a regular Dramamine each night before bed (including the night before my cruise) and took half a less-drowsy Dramamine any time I felt symptoms coming on (once or twice a day max). Going up to the pool deck, getting a soda, or looking out a porthole usually helped.
My motion sickness on rides is much worse than my motion sickness on a boat. Airsickness has also typically been more acute than seasickness for me, though I don’t always feel anything on a plane.
I hope you have a good experience! Good luck!
I don’t think there’s a big difference most of the time. Who knows.
I’ve read a bunch of studies. Sea-bands only provide a placebo effect. It works no better than a placebo because it doesn’t actual do anything.
Other studies have shown drugs such as Meclizine ACTUALLY prevent motion sickness MUCH better than a placebo.
I didn’t read all the responses, but wanted to say that location matters a lot too. Like, if you are going to Alaska and you do an Inside Passage it’s known for calm waters, but if you do round trip from Seattle it’s known for some rougher waters. That’s just one example I’ve heard a lol listening to You Tubers about cruising.
My one cruise I was terrified of sea sickness and never had one problem. I brought 2 kinds of OTC motion sickness pills, sea bands, and ginger candies with me—but never had to use any of these. I had strongly considered asking my dr for the prescription patch and was glad I didn’t go that far. But, I have typically never had motion sickness issues so this was mostly a worry and not a historical fact for me. I did a 10 day Canada / New England from NYC to Quebec City. I could see the curtains in my room moving often, and sometimes necklaces for sale—but it never once bothered me.
I will add that I specifically chose to be as close to midship as possible. When I booked I was able to get mid Aft, and that worked. I was on 10th floor I think. It was Caribbean Princess. I would worry more if I go with one of my kids who is prone to motion sickness, from roller coasters and even once from seeing Hamilton, b/c they have the turning around in a circle stage. I have considered a cruise as a whole family trip but wonder if that child would not have a good time.
I found that sea bands worked wonders for me when I was pregnant. I’d use them to cut down on the nausea so that I could eat, then eating would make the nausea better.
When I had general anesthesia for surgery and I told them beforehand how it makes me throw up they put one of these on before the surgery and I didn’t throw up so can confirm they work. I also love me some Dramamine. Less drowsy for days I want to have some energy like park days but full regular for when I’m sick. (Pepto does nothing but Dramamine works for me for all nausea).
I don’t ever say “sea bands don’t work”…rather, they don’t work any better than a placebo. There is nothing magical about the sea bands. They merely act as a distraction technique as any other placebo effect would do. But the placebo effect is real.
Point is, I would NEVER recommend them because studies have shown them to not really have any statistically significant help, where as drugs such as Meclizine and Scopolamine patches do. If I’m going to recommend something to someone, it will be something that has been proven to work significantly for folks.
I’m like this. I went deep sea fishing and had to take Dramamine. Star Tours and rides like this make me sick. Sailing on smaller yachts makes me sick but cruises im fine. The stabilizers make a big diff and we even skirted the easy side of a hurricane once. I can 100% feel the boat moving but it doesn’t make me sick.