A Landlubber's Guide to Avoiding Seasickness

Annette Miller
3.20.21

Motion sickness is a fact of life for me. This was the major factor that kept me from cruising. Experienced cruisers told me that you generally don’t feel the ship moving, but I couldn’t imagine spending money on a vacation where I spent my time feeling terrible. I finally decided to give it a try – choosing the shortest cruise possible until I knew how I would feel.

In preparation for my first sailing, I read up on tons of suggestions for how to avoid seasickness. I put together a few options (in case one didn’t work) that I thought would work for me and set out to test them. Here is what worked well for me…

Room Location

I read that choosing a stateroom on a lower deck and as close to midship as possible would provide the smoothest experience. For my first sailing, I choose this type of room and it seemed to work well with minimizing the sense of motion. On my second sailing, I chose a room with a balcony (which meant a higher deck) – and I’ll never look back. The fresh air does amazing things to settle my motion sickness and restore my soul. However, I highly recommend a midship or slightly forward stateroom - the sensation of motion seemed to be greater the farther aft (toward the rear of the ship) I traveled.

Fresh Air

If you have an interior stateroom or one with a window that cannot be opened, make a point of going up on a deck where you can get some fresh air. Cruise lines are great about providing open-air spaces with dining and entertainment, so take advantage of them!

Sea Bands

These simple bands work on a pressure point in your wrist and offer a drug-free option to keep you feeling great. They look like sweatbands with little buttons on one side. Line up the button with the correct location on your wrist (about 3 fingers width from your hand and between the two tendons) and forget about them. Since they are drug-free, you can leave them on throughout your cruise and don’t have to worry about repeat doses or drowsiness.

Ginger

This one is a little hit-or-miss for me. I take candied ginger with me when I travel (my favorite is pictured below), and it seems to work well if taken before I begin to feel ill. Once I begin feeling unwell, it doesn’t seem as effective for me. Ginger ale is another common go-to for those feeling the motion, and most cruise lines have ginger ale readily available.

Photo Credit: Amazon

Green Apple

This one was a surprise to me. When I began feeling unwell during dinner, my server brought me some slices of green apple. It worked fabulously to settle my stomach and is now at the top of my list of go-to remedies.

Ports

Take advantage of every port of call! Even if you don’t book a shore excursion, just spend some time walking around the port. It will give you a chance to get some fresh air while spending time on dry land. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to experience a new place, meet new people, and immerse yourself in another culture.

A note for first-time cruisers

Prior to my first cruise, I anticipated a rolling up-and-down motion from the ship. I was surprised to find that the motion I felt was side-to-side – like a fish tail. The motion was always more noticeable at the back of the ship, so be prepared for changes from one area of the ship to another.

A note for sailors from Port Canaveral

Hurricane Michael (2018) changed the seabed off the Eastern coast of Florida. This means that the waters are a bit rougher than in the past. Things seem to calm down once the ship passes Bermuda, so you may experience more motion on the first day of your cruise. (You will likely sleep through it on the way home.) Use this as an excuse to explore the ship, get some fresh air, and enjoy a green apple or some ginger ale.

If you would like to chat about taking a cruise or how to avoid the wrath of Davy Jones, please feel free to reach out. You can contact me by email at annette@wishesfamilytravel.com or by phone/text at 734-262-5307. You can also find me on Facebook and Instagram.