You often hear tales of seasickness on cruises with symptoms such as nausea, stomach cramps and vomiting. It can certainly put a damper on your cruise fun. Motion sickness is thought to be caused by the visual disorientation resulting from being on an object in motion (the ship) competing against our body’s natural inclination for balance. Whatever the technical cause, the majority of cruisers are familiar with how rough, rocking seas can leave us feeling less than our best.
Scientific studies have shown that some folks become seasick by suggestion. They simply convince themselves that being on a ship will make them ill. On the other hand, for those who can forget about it, it’s often smooth sailing. Some people are more prone to motion sickness and will undoubtedly suffer more during rough seas. Medical professionals state that seasickness is more prevalent in children and women. On the other hand, children under 2 seem to be immune. Elderly people it seems are less susceptible to motion sickness. If you fear you might be prone to motion sickness or are concerned that you might develop symptoms, take some measures before hand to ensure you don’t and then enjoy your cruise thoroughly.
There are different medical and non medical items you can try. There are patches which a doctor can prescribe, or use a 12 or 24 hr over the counter decongestant to open up your inner ears Eustachian tubes. Some people swear by applying a Sea-Band wristband the minute you embark. They are an easy to wear, acupressure inspired product that has a plastic bead that presses against the Nei-Kuan pressure point located on the palm side of the wrist.
Other tips to consider are the following:
To acclimate yourself to shipboard life, it is good and enjoyable to spend as much time on the deck, using the horizon as a point to maintain your equilibrium.
Booking an oceanview cabin centered in the middle of the ship — the natural balance point — is another option. Having a window will also give you consistent view of the horizon point .
It is also not a bad idea to take port intensive cruises. These have fewer days on the open seas and try to avoid itineraries where the ocean is bound to be rough such as North Atlantic crossings or the Caribbean during hurricane season.
Another suggestion enjoy your cruise on board a large, modern ships — not a difficult proposition with the cruise industry trends of building larger and large ships. Anyone who’s sailed on a relatively new mega-ship, perhaps of 100,000-tons or more, knows that stabilizers are used when needed to provide the smoothest ride possible.
It is not a given that anyone will get sea sick on a cruise. What some people might call sea sickness may be a virus they might have caught before their cruise vacation started. So take precaution, but most of all take a cruise and relax and rejuvenate yourself for the rest of the time when you can’t be on a cruise getting pampered and having fun.
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