The thought of being seasick can put a lot of people of a cruise experience.
Although I am lucky that I am not susceptible to the problem I know a lot of people that are, including my wife, but only in really bad weather.
The Cause
Seasickness is really motion sickness, that occurs on a boat.
It happens because your brain gets confused because your sense of balance and your eyes tell it different things, and with constant motion it doesn’t have time to adjust..
Here are a few thoughts on the problem
Things Are Improving
Modern ships with computer controlled stabilisers roll much less than cruise ships of the past.
Better weather forecasting means ships are more likely to avoid really bad weather
When You Book
There are a few things you can do when you start to plan a cruise holiday
- Outside cabin are best so you get a good view of a stable horizon, which reduces the brains confusion.
- The closer to the middle of the ship your cabin is the better, as it will move less.
- Larger ships will be less affected by the waves.
- Consider cruises with more port days, rather than days at sea.
On the Ship
There are a number of tips also designed to help you acclimatise yourself to sea life:
- Spending plenty of time on deck, and look at the horizon not at the waves .
- When inside try to be close to a window, and again watch the horizon.
- Stay in bed for a day as lying down can help.
Drug-free Cures
I’m not a fan of taking drugs so here are a some drug-free remedies that many regular cruisers say work including:
- Sea-Bands These are acupuncture-inspired wristbands, which have a plastic bead that presses against a pressure point on the inside of your wrist.
- Chewing gum
- Ginger Either in tablet form or just chewing a stem of fresh ginger.
Finally avoid others who may be suffering: as the sounds and smell of them being sick could set you off.
Medical Cures
Most ships will have range of over the counter drugs that help reduce seasickness including:
- Scopolamine
- Meclizine
- Diphenhydramine
If you’re taking any of these drugs it’s important to check any side effects particularly as you may be drinking alcohol.
