Travel sickness, sea sickness, motion sickness – I get them all. In fact, I think the only time I haven’t been sick whilst traveling is whilst flying although air travel is hardly enjoyable is it? In all honesty, the best vacations I have ever had were on a cruise ship. The Caribbean, the Mediterranean, South America… the list goes on! I’m not trying to brag but I am going to show you that it is possible to manage your sea sickness and have the cruise vacation you’ve always dreamed of by following just a few simple tips.
The Ocean and the Motion
Usually when seasickness rears its ugly head, you are on a speedboat or some other small vessel. The modern cruise ships of today are a lot more stable and I have experienced cruises where you could not even tell you were on the sea – the sea was that flat! However this isn’t always the case so what can you do to stop the motion of the ocean ruining your holiday? There are a few options:
- Before you travel check the average weather conditions of your destination. Some seasons are better than others and can mean the difference between smooth sailing and rocky waters.
- Choose your destination with care. The Caribbean is renowned for having calmer seas whilst the North Atlantic and the Eastern Pacific are often more precarious than not.
Preventive Measures
Before we get into describing the preventative measures you can take – I recommend that you don’t take anything like Dramamine unless you really think it is necessary. I took this once on the first day of a cruise and I slept for over 24 hours… and this was supposedly the “less drowsy” version. It worked in that I wasn’t sick but I also lost a whole day of my holiday, leaving me anything but impressed. So what can you take?
ü Bonine – this is a similar medication to Dramamine that you can buy over the counter. It does not have the same side effects as Dramamine so you shouldn’t have any problems with trying to keep your eyes open.
ü Ginger candy/capsules – these are my most recommended preventive measure and I have no idea how they work but they do. They are cheap and easy to buy too.
ü Wristbands – you can buy these for all types of travel and they use a form of acupressure to prevent motion sickness. They work well for some people and not at all for others.
ü Queasy Pops – these are used by lots of people on cruise ships and are particularly good if you have a child with you who suffers from sea sickness.
Other Suggestions
If you are still worried about succumbing to mal de mer (the fancy way of saying seasickness) here are a few more suggestions for you:
- If you have the opportunity to choose a specific cabin, opt for one on a lower deck. These are less prone to “sway” than the cabins at a higher level.
- If you do start to feel sea sick, keep your eyes on the horizon – this doesn’t change and can help your brain to focus on something stable. Try to also get some fresh air.
- Try and book a holiday on a larger, newer cruise ship.
- Avoid the Caribbean during June-November – this is hurricane season so you can only imagine what the sea will be like.
The best cruise destination for travelers who suffer from sea sickness is the Caribbean. To compare the prices on some cheap Caribbean cruises visit the Major Cruise website and book your holiday (without fear) today!
