Ways to Avoid Seasickness

As much as people enjoy cruising (And I'm sure you can tell by all of my detailed cruising blogs that I, too, greatly love cruising.), there are some things that happen onboard which make some people quite uncomfortable, and other things that make some passengers quite ill.

What are some of the best ways to avoid seasickness?

If you get motion sickness in the car, try a very short cruise, such as a 2-day cruise to nowhere, or a fast 3-day cruise to the beautiful Bahamas. If you think the ocean waves will make you ill, look into river cruising on the Mississippi or Europe.

Don't be embarrassed if you do have the misfortune of getting seasick onboard. Even the most experienced cruisers and the heartiest sailors get seasick once in a while.

One of the best ways to avoid getting seasick is to start preparing before you even set sail. That means when you book your cabin. Book a cabin in the middle of the ship, rather than the front or the back, and on a middle floor, rather than the bottom floors or the top floors. The front and back of the ship and the top decks onboard both have more noticeable movement when the ship is as sea. Noticeable movement. Not "so bad you'll fall overboard" movement. (And, if the waves are truly dangerous enough for that (which is EXTREMELY rare), the staff will block off the dangerous decks and advise you to do what is in everyone's best safety interest.)

Don't look out the windows. Just seeing the waves and the up and down motion of the ship will definitely not make you feel any better.

Sometimes children are prone to getting seasick if one of the parents become of that bad form. Keep the kids at the children's areas for the entire day if you have to. The feelings will pass.

Motion sickness pills are available onboard, and in your local drugstore. Pills such as Bonine and Dramamine, and probably many more I've never heard of, are great for keeping things in order when the boat is on slightly rougher seas. And they're also great at keeping you from feeling ill when the seas aren't quite as rough. Although great, they often make people sleepy, so take only half a dose so you can still enjoy the activities. Also, take the dose about two hours before the ship is scheduled to set sail. This will give them ample time to get into your system.

Some even choose to wear a specially-medicated patch behind their ears. Your doctor will be able to help you acquire those if he feels that you may need them.

Ships today have great devices called stabilizers, which are huge paddle-shaped extensions at the front and back of the ship that extend to each side. They keep the ship from bobbing up and down all over the place when the waters do get a little bit rough. So, it's really a lot less noticeable than your toy boat in the bathtub. That kind has no stabilizers. Besides, when you're onboard, you likely won't even feel the ship moving around much, anyways. I have yet to feel the front and back rocking like I feel on smaller boats, but I do notice the slight, slow, side to side rolling nearly every day onboard. And that's really not all that uncomfortable.

Don't read, write, or do much of anything that involves looking down. This actually focuses your attention on the floor and lower things, such as the waves, and you feel and notice the motion of the ship a whole lot more if you do.

In fact, instead of doing anything that keeps you still, such as lying down in bed, keep active. This will keep your mind on other things, and you won't notice the boat moving around when you yourself are moving around as well.

Finally, don't overdrink or overeat. You don't want more in your stomach than has to be there. And the motion of the ship will make what's there move around anyways. This means, especially when you begin to feel sick, don't drink anything (even water). And eat a few dry crackers or bread.

After all this, do you really want to book a cruise? I tell you, once you go on a cruise, you are 85% sure of getting hooked on cruising! And if you're one of the 85% who love to cruise, let's book your next one today at www.kingarthur.myttn.com and have another vacation that you will never forget!