Feeling seasick while on a cruise is not a fun experience.  If you think you may be more prone to seasickness than others or you just don’t want to take the risk of not being prepared, you can plan so that you are ready to overcome seasickness if it occurs during your cruise.  There are several methods to consider aiding in the prevention of seasickness or to help alleviate sickness after its onset.  These include stateroom location, size of the ship, season, wrist bands, over-the-counter medication, patches, and the combination of fresh air and ginger candy.

Stateroom Location

There is science involved in choosing your stateroom location if your intent is to minimize seasickness.  The amount of motion you feel in your stateroom will vary based on your stateroom’s location.  If you happen to be in rough seas and the cruise ship is bobbing from front to back, the staterooms in the front or rear of the ship will experience the most movement.  In order to minimize the amount of movement you feel, you will want to choose a stateroom with the lowest center of gravity.  This means you will select a stateroom located in the middle of the ship on the lowest deck possible.  Think of playing on a sea-saw as a child.  The major movement was at each end of the sea-saw.  As one child goes up, the other child goes down, and while this is happening there is barely any movement in the center of the sea-saw.  If seasickness is a concern for you, you may find it beneficial choosing a stateroom in this location.

Size of the Ship

Size really does matter in terms of cruise ships and seasickness.  You will find that the larger the ship, the less movement that can be felt.  When researching for your cruise, try to pick one of the larger ships if seasickness may be an issue for you.  In addition to selecting a larger ship, also select a stateroom with the lowest center of gravity as mentioned above.  By using both suggestions you can lessen the amount of movement you feel (at least while inside your stateroom).

Season

The time of year you cruise can impact the likelihood of getting seasick.  You may find varied dates as to what is actually hurricane season, but generally hurricane season in the Atlantic and Caribbean is sometime between mid to late May through November.  During these times the seas may be rougher and therefore the likelihood of seasickness may increase.  If seasickness is a concern for you, planning your cruise outside of these dates may help to reduce the likelihood of you experiencing seasickness during your cruise.

Wrist Bands

My very first cruise was a three-day trip from Miami to the Bahamas.  The ship was small.  Well it was small in terms of cruise ships, but quite large in terms of any “boat” I had ever been on previously.  We were traveling during hurricane season and the ship experienced quite a bit of movement for the duration of the cruise.  I saw some people wearing wristbands and when I questioned them, they informed me they were for seasickness.  The bands have a small pea-sized bump on the underside of the band which applies pressure to a pressure point on the wrist.  This mild pressure was allegedly supposed to alleviate seasickness.  If I’m being honest, I thought these people were “nuts,” but I bought a pair and they worked.

Over-the-Counter Medication

There are a variety of over-the-counter medications that you can purchase to help alleviate seasickness.  It is a good idea to purchase these items before your cruise so that you are prepared just in case seasickness sets in.  I have not personally taken medication for this purpose but suggestions I have received include Bovine and Dramamine.  Of course, if you plan to take any over-the-counter medication for this purpose, it is a good idea to check with your doctor first.  You want to make sure that it will not interfere or adversely affect any other medications you may already be taking.  I am a cruiser, not a doctor, so I can not provide any medical advice.  These are suggestions I have received from other travelers that found relief in over-the-counter medications.

Patches

On my last cruise the Cruise Director shared a question he once received.  He said someone asked him “what religion are the people with dots behind their ears?”  I found this quite amusing because I too wondered what those dots were during my first couple of cruises.  As it turns out, its not a religion at all.  Those dots were seasickness patches.  The patches are small circles about the size of a pencil eraser.  They are placed behind the ear and they are intended to alleviate seasickness.  The patches are available by prescription by your doctor.  If this is an option you are interested in trying, make sure to make an appointment with your doctor early enough to receive and fulfill your prescription prior to your cruise.  I have also seen seasickness patches for sale online without a prescription.  Personally, I would seek the advice of a licensed professional instead of buying medication online.  Remember I am a cruiser, not a doctor.  Seek the advise of your doctor.

Fresh Air & Ginger Candy

If you ship is out at sea and you are feeling seasick, try going outside.  Go to an outdoor deck where you can feel the wind in your face.  Focus on the distant horizon as opposed to the up and down movement of the ship.  I have found this method to be effective.  Additionally, even though I hate the taste of ginger, a piece of ginger hard-candy is effective as well.  I have no idea how this works, but it has worked for me.