I really really really want to try a cruise, but...

[zebrastreyepz]

I get motion sickness.

Now, I've read some wonderful threads where people have talked about having things with them that help with this issue so I'm wondering if I could be brave enough to try with some recommendations so I don't feel like I wasted a bunch of money and ended up in a stateroom the entire time.

My experiences:

Went on a small dolphin watching boat tour in the Gulf of Mexico in 2008 and swore NEVER AGAIN. Was fine when we were in the harbor area but once we hit open water, it was all I could do to not be sick.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind makes me dizzy, but not sick. Star Tours makes me very sick. I can handle Rise of the Resistance. I can't read in a car at all and only for about an hour on a plane.

So, any advice for a first time cruiser regarding ship choice, room choice, length of itinerary and what to pack to help with motion sickness?

 

[LindyDis]

We went on a cruise last summer.. If I remember correctly, there is less motion in the center of the ship and the lower decks. My daughter use to get pretty bad car sickness and ginger helped her.

 

[Lesverts]

I had issues on small whale watching/fishing boats growing up. Like hanging over the side of the boat bad. Cruise ships have not been an issue. One of the few cruising YouTubers I watch has a motion sickness problem and she manages very well with the various patches and sea sickness medications. My SIL is also someone that doesn't handle motion well and she was fine on the Wish after taking the meds for a day (key is start a day or two early if you know it is going to happen).

I'd say give it a go, book a 4/5 day cruise with only 1 sea day and just try it. Be prepared, speak to your doctor about motion sickness and prescriptions they can give to help and pay the little bit extra to be centered in the ship for your cabin. Go on a larger ship (Fantasy/Dream or higher).

 

[DCLMP]

I get motion sickness and I've been on 33 cruises. The only time I need to medicate with Dramamine is if big swells are predicted. I take Dramamine at WDW and Universal and it works great for me. I'm not big on medication, but if it's for short-term enjoyment I'm all in. The side effects are minimal and long-term side effects are non-existent.


Being on a small ship at sea is so much different than a cruise ship. My teenage son who never gets motion sickness on a rollercoaster or 20-foot swells on a cruise ship was hanging his head over the boat on a small boat whale whale-watching excursion in Cabo. My other son gets car sick, but waves and roller coasters don't bother him a bit. We're all different ...I would give it a try.

If it makes you feel better I do get nauseous on Galaxy of the Guardians if I don't take something. Like I said I've been on 33 cruises and have only had to take medication when we've had extreme weather and that doesn't happen often.

 

[Tonberry]

You might want to try a Halloween on the High Seas 3-night cruise. There's no day at sea, so if you don't handle motion sickness well, then at least you're not stuck on the ship the whole day. There's only 2 stops, then it's back to port. If you handle it well, you can book another, longer sailing. A great excuse to go again!

Room wise, definitely get mid ship and either a lower level or middle level room. Front and rear of the ship and higher level rooms sometimes have some more noticeable movement.

 

[cmph]

You sound exactly like me! I take meclizine, beginning 24h before boarding, and I've always been fine. The only time I felt seasick on a cruise was when I was much younger and stupidly stopped taking meds halfway through, thinking I'd be ok. Of course that's exactly when we hit rough water, and the only one in my family who felt fine was my mom, who hadn't missed a dose. I also take meclizine for the parks, too. It doesn't help enough with the 3D stuff (like Star Tours) but it actually does help me with regular ride motion.

 

[Flcruising]

Well you repeated "really" 3 times. If you are that passionate and you don't go then you will have regret to deal with. So basically you have 2 choices. I'm not trying to be unkind, just putting forth your situation as you describe it.
1. don't go - quit thinking about going. Quit talking about it, move on and live with the regret.
2. Go and have a good time. Maybe get sick maybe not, maybe just a little. As you said there is a lot on the internet concerning motion sickness. People who get sick go on cruises all the time.

In my opinion the cost of a single cruise with maybe some possible motion sickness is minor compared to living with regret the rest of your life.
Again not trying to be rude. Truly hope you go and don't sit home living with the regret since you really really really want to go.

Ps...peppermint candy, it actually affects the smell more than taste which can shock your system out of motion sickness.

 

[holula]

I get really bad motion sickness. Guardians makes me dizzy too. Star Tours I can handle once but it does make me nauseous. Same with Rock N Rollercoaster. I can’t be a passenger in a car at all.

I don’t get motion sick on cruises. It’s a totally different type of motion to any of those things.

My mum gets motion sick badly on small boats and she also doesn’t suffer on cruises.

I would try a short cruise first. Personally I would not recommend that short cruise be Bermuda as we had some incredibly rocky seas.

 

[LoveDaisy]

I get motion sick in cars, on rides (including star tours), and on small boats. I’ve never had an issue on a cruise ship. Get a room in the middle of the boat and bring motion sick meds in case but unless you try it you will never know. I last cruised a month ago with no issues (out of northern NJ and was worried with the cold water it may be rough but it was fine) You could do a shorter cruise if it makes you more comfortable.

 

[JoeFromSeoul]

The Boss Lady and our daughter both get terrible motion sickness. On seven cruises we all take a Bonine every morning, starting the day before. Neither of them have ever been sick on any of our cruises.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

Thank you all for the encouragement!

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Small ships like whale watches etc. are different from a large cruise ship. I would speak to your physician if this is something you really want to do. And start small. Try a 3 day cruise. You may be pleasantly surprised. At least you will find out if cruising will work for you

 

[unrequited23]

I never got motion sickness until I was pregnant, now elevator rides up one floor can make me queasy. For theme parks, I start Bonine the night before and through the entire trip, so I can't tell you which rides effect me because none of them do while medicated.

I brought, but did not take any medicine on our first cruise. We were on deck 7 midship. I could definitely feel the motion at dinner and waiting for the evening shows. Honestly, it felt like everything was moving while I knew I was still, sort of like laying in bed after a few too many cocktails. If I focused on the sensation it would get more intense. If I distracted myself, it was fine. My oldest needed to use seabands, my youngest was fine.

After the cruise, the entire family felt like they were still on the ship for a couple of days. Apparently, land sickness is a thing.

For our next cruise, DS11 and I are starting Bonine the night before. I'm packing one set of sea bands, kids dramamine for DS9 and ginger candy.

I've read that the water can be rougher travelling from Galveston or New Orleans across the Gulf versus departing from the FL ports and travelling in the Caribbean.

 

[msmama]

Star Tours kills me. No issues on Rise of the Resistance, but once I hit 40 I started taking Bonine before a day at the parks, honestly.

I have felt sea sick on a cruse once, and I think it was mostly my fault because I let myself get dehydrated. A cruise ship is going to be VERY different than a small boat in the gulf of Mexico. But, just like at the parks, I use Bonine and I feel 100% and I've crossed the Atlantic twice, sailed down the Pacific Coast and done the North Sea. LOTS of ROCKING and I've never had issues (oddly, the one time I had issues was around the Bahamas which is relatively calm, but like I said, dehydrated).

My theory (completely unproven) is the second you start to feel uncomfortable in another way (whether it's illness or my dehydration or something else), the sea sickness comes on. If I take care of myself, make sure to eat vegetables at every meal, wash hands religiously, drink lots of water, exercise has never been an issue on a cruise ship as I easily meet 10,000 step goals just existing, I am totally fine.

 

[Calantha]

My mom is super motion sick and some of our strategies include - midship room on Deck 2, she wears a patch, and we don't do an Eastern Fantasy (the run from the Bahamas to the Virgin Islands is something else, even I feel it sometimes). She was okay from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas and back. We're sailing to Cozumel next week, so we'll find out if that bothers her or not.

 

[Peaseblossom36]

I get very motion sick too. I can’t even swing in a swing set without feeling sick.

You want to be mid ship and lower deck. Also, ask your doctor for scopolamine patches they really help and I will never cruise without them again. The last few days of the cruise I never felt sick and when I went to Disney I was even able to ride the teacups with a patch!

Before the patches I used a combo of the natural non drowsy Dramamine and sea bands which did help, but when things got rocky weren’t enough. Start the Dramamine a couple days before the cruise or wear the patch starting the day before.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Alaska has land on both sides of the ship for most of the cruise = smooth sailing. Water is much calmer. Also, the cruise ships have stabilizers to help keep things from rocking.

 

[bakerworld]

You notice that you've lots of company on the motion sickness train. We start taking Dramamine (24H non-drowsy) a day ahead. My SIL uses bands. DH gets head floats so he takes an antihistamine starting 24H ahead and 24H after back on land. Dramamine has always controlled my ambient motion sickness very well but I still avoid things that go round, like Swirling Saucers or Tea Cups, because nothing stops that. We've done 8 DCL cruises successfully. The DCL ships are very stable - especially the Wish.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Here is my experience. I used to get very car sick and still will if I ride in the back. I cannot ride roller coasters anymore or flight simulation rides like Star Tours.

However, I have been on 11 cruises with Disney, in both Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the Caribbean Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea and the Inside Passage. I have enjoyed motion sickness free experiences.

My secret is to start taking Bonine (active ingredient Meclizine, non-drowsy) the day before, every morning and every evening of the cruise. The ships have stabilizers which help smooth out the motion of the waves. On those few occasions where I feel the motion, I use a ReliefBand. It does help. I wear it in the parks for some of the rides I still enjoy going on. Sometimes taking Sudafed helps for me too. I have never used the patches.

The secret to avoiding sea sickness is to take medication before you actually start feeling it. You have to be proactive and not reactive.

These things work for me, but your mileage may vary. Starting on a short 3 or 4 day cruise might be a good idea and if you do well, go for a longer cruise.

 

[MonaMN]

Both of our cruises (January and early March) have had some pretty rough seas, especially the first day as you're leaving Port Canaveral but also if there's other weather along your path.

I'd be prepared with meds and start small.