All About Cruises

Tag: seasickness

  • Suffer From Seasickness? Here’s Why

    Suffer From Seasickness? Here’s Why

    Feeling seasick can turn a cruise from a fun vacation to a painful nightmare in just a few minutes. And here’s the thing: there doesn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason as to why some people suffer from it while others don’t. Some people who get sick in cars won’t feel a thing on boats while others who have never been motion sick before will succumb to the motion of the ocean.

    That sounds pretty grim. Luckily, there are a lot of ways to deal with motion sickness – we’ve even got an article on that subject over here. It’s not an unavoidable problem, and most dedicated travelers can learn to conquer it… or at least learn to mitigate the worst side effects of it.

    But there’s another question that exists in the minds of those who frequent cruise ships. What is seasickness, and why do so many people get it? Why do our stomachs hate those big, choppy waves so dang much?

    As you likely already know, seasickness (and all motion sickness in general) is related to the inner ear. But it’s actually a bit more complicated than just that. It has to do with the inner ear perceiving different motion than the eyes. When you’re inside a ship, you’re viewing a relatively stable scene; your balance-sensing inner ear, however, feels that your body is actually moving a lot. Your inner ear and your eyes not agreeing causes your body to freak out, and the nausea follows that stress.

    To be a bit more specific, the reason why your inner ears are so important in sensing motion has to do with fluid-holding canals and sacs inside your ear. This fluid gets sloshed around to give your brain a sense of how your body is moving. When your eyes don’t sense the same level of motion, your brain gets confused. It’s actually a good survival mechanism, but it’s definitely not convenient while on a boat.

    Motion sickness can occur on non-seafaring vehicles as well, but it’s far more potent on ships. There are a few reasons for this, but one is due to factors outside of the body. Boats have a lot of scents that can make nausea worse: saltwater spray and diesel fumes don’t exactly settle most stomachs. This combined with the fact that boats naturally move more unexpectedly than other vehicles makes them cause much more intense motion sickness.

    Seasickness isn’t the end of the world, but it can make a cruise much less enjoyable. If you’re worried about motion-related nausea, take some steps beforehand to make sure that your stomach stays settled.

  • The Best Ways to Deal with Seasickness on a Cruise

    The Best Ways to Deal with Seasickness on a Cruise

    Dealing with seasickness is, to put it lightly, the worst thing ever. Not only is the feeling itself just terrible, but it’s even worse to think that you’re being forced to not enjoy your vacation because of something as arbitrary as motion sickness. Nausea begone, dang it, we’re trying to have some fun here! How can you really enjoy a five-star meal while gazing upon the ocean if you’re feeling ill the whole time? Well, luckily for those who suffer from this awful condition, there are a few handy ways to help alleviate some of that nausea.

    Calm down a bit

    The first step to not worrying about seasickness, is, well, to stop worrying. A lot of ships today are actually built in a way such that they won’t trigger nausea quite as easily as you might expect. Firstly, they’re so big that it often doesn’t even feel like you’re on a ship at all. Secondly, most major cruise ships have stabilizers on them that help reduce any type of rocking motion that might end up making your stomach (or inner ear, if we want to be more specific) go a little crazy. By remembering facts like these, you can cut down on your anxiety, another major source of nausea or an upset stomach. If this doesn’t sound convincing enough, though, you may want to look into some other methods.

    Use medicine

    There’s no shame in treating seasickness with medication, and cruise lines are very aware of this fact. Even if you don’t remember to bring medication with you, a lot of big cruise lines have medicine on-board to help treat the symptoms of seasickness. If you’re concerned ahead of time, though, the best option would be to see a doctor. Doctors can prescribe medicine that may be more appropriate for your specific condition; they can even give you a patch to wear that can help cut down on motion sickness.

    Eat right

    While we know you probably think we’re crazy to suggest that eating cures nausea, it kinda does. There are some caveats, though. You don’t want to eat too much, and you definitely want to avoid foods that usually make you feel sick. Greasy, spicy, or acidic foods can all upset your stomach, so that’s a no-go. Small snacks are also key, so make sure to bring some to have throughout the day. Oh, and did we mention water? Staying hydrated is just as important as staying well-fed, so focus on that too!

    Or, try lots of different things

    There are many suggestions for what you can do to cut down on the effects of seasickness. Some work for some people, others don’t. You’ll need to experiment to see what is truly effective for you. Some of the tried-and-true remedies, though, are keeping your eyes on something steady such as the horizon, and avoiding looking down at your phone or a book. Fresh air is also said to help people (it works in cars too; try rolling down the windows!). Standing in the center of the ship is also supposed to cut down on symptoms, as it will move back and forth less than the sides.

    While seasickness is super nasty, it’s actually pretty manageable. There are lots of ways to prepare for it, and there’s even more you can do once you’re on the ship. If you’re worried about it, know what to do beforehand and you should be totally fine!

  • How to Overcome Your Fears and Enjoy a Cruise

    How to Overcome Your Fears and Enjoy a Cruise

    For many people, cruises can be idyllic getaways from the daily grind. When you’re on a giant ship in the middle of the ocean, far away from home and work and all of your worries, it’s pretty hard to be stressed. This isn’t the case for everyone, however. For those that suffer from fears of the ocean, or seasickness, or are simply always jumping to the worst possible solution (we’ve all seen Titanic…), cruises can seem like a nightmare. Luckily, there are plenty of ways that the cruise-averse can conquer their fears and learn to appreciate the unique travel experience for what it can offer.

    Book a cruise with frequent stops

    While some may think of cruises as non-stop sailing escapades filled with nausea and non-stop water, this is not the case for all cruises. There are many excellent options with frequent stops where the cruise itself is mainly a method of getting from port to port. During the days, you’ll be enjoying exotic locations and adventure; during the nights, you’ll either be sleeping on the ship or busy with festivities to the point where you’ll hardly be aware that you’re at sea. Looking specifically for trips with many stops will help avoid seasickness and cabin fever alike, so be mindful of the at-sea time of your trip when booking if this describes you!

    Believe it or not: cruises are safe!

    While this may be a hard thing to believe for those with ship-phobia, cruises are indeed a very safe mode of transportation. While TV and movies love to dramatize the dangers of the open ocean, cruise ships are specifically designed with safety in mind and are inspected often by both the Coast Guard and the crew on board. If anything were to go wrong, there are people on board tasked with solving any problems quickly and efficiently. There are plenty of figures out there that even point to cruises being much safer than flying on a plane (and don’t even get us started on how much safer it is than driving a car). If you are someone afraid of catastrophes, just keep this in mind!

    The power in your hands

    While it may seem that the terrifying nature of a cruise is inescapable once on board, this is not entirely true. For those horrified of seasickness, there are plenty of good over-the-counter medications available. For those scared of something as outlandish as falling overboard, you can rest assured that you would have to go out of your way to make that happen. For those who are afraid of going crazy from being stuck on the sea for too long, remember that cruises are designed from the ground up to be fun! Do a little research beforehand and you’ll find that all cruises have more than enough options on them to keep you more than sane.
    Cruises, much like airplanes, can sometimes seem an impossible fear to overcome for some people. If you are looking for a way to push those fears aside and take the relaxing trip of a lifetime, remember the tips above! Try to remember that your fears have a source, and if you can identify that source, you can work towards finding the solution.
  • Don’t Let Sea Sickness Ruin Your Cruise

    Don’t Let Sea Sickness Ruin Your Cruise

    Being sea sick is certainly not how you hope to remember your cruise. Sea sickness is another name for motion sickness and it is an issue that affects about one third of the population. But the good news for all of those people is that there are many ways to treat sea sickness and to lessen the impact that it has on your body and your ability to enjoy your cruise.

    Sea Sickness Medication

    One of the most common remedies for motion sickness is wearing a Transderm Scop patch behind the ear. These patches can remain effective for up to three days and should be applied about eight hours prior to boarding your cruise. The most common over the counter oral remedies  for motion sickness are Dramamine which is in a swallowable form and Bonine which is a chewable form. Refer to the specific package of any over the counter medicine to ensure that you are taking the correct dosage and following all of the manufacturer’s directions.

    Non-Medication Remedies

    There is also an acupressure inspired wristband available at most drug stores which has provided relief for many who experience sea sickness. The wristband gently presses a small plastic bead against the inside of the wrist but uses no medication. One major benefit of this product is that it is available in both adult and child sizes and can even be used by pregnant women without any complications. A natural remedy for nausea, which is the main characteristic of motion sickness, is ginger. Ginger can be consumed in a powder form, in tea, as a pill or even in candy in an effort to relieve nausea.

    Other Tips to Avoid Sea Sickness

    Getting used to the motion of the ship is best done outdoors where you can focus on the horizon to help you maintain your equilibrium. For this reason, an outside cabin with a window is helpful as it allows you to see the horizon when indoors. In addition, selecting a cabin at the middle of the ship will reduce the motion as that is the natural balance point of the vessel. And when considering the size of the ship for your cruise, larger vessels will handle rough water with less pitching and rolling than a smaller vessel. In addition, be sure to keep hydrated as dehydration can intensify the nausea of motion sickness. Each person’s body will handle the motion of the cruise ship differently. For that reason, it is always wise to pack one or two remedy options just in case you find yourself feeling a little queasy.

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