20 Tips to Prevent Seasickness When Cruising

My husband and I are fairly new to cruising- our first cruise was in 2016.  Prior to that I had never been inclined to go on a cruise since I get motion sickness quite easily, but somehow I got talked into it.  I mean- I can get sick from going too high on a swing or from looking at my phone too much on a car ride!  That first trip I did have a couple bouts of seasickness, and since then I’ve learned a lot about preventing and treating my seasickness so I can enjoy these wonderful vacations.  What I’ve learned are 20 Tips to Prevent Seasickness When Cruising.

If you’re one of the people (like me) who gets motion sickness on an amusement park ride, in a car, boat, airplane, or almost anything that moves 😉 , you might be more susceptible to developing seasickness on a cruise.  Don’t let your fear of getting sick keep you from experiencing the exceptional fun of a cruise!  I remember before our first cruise people would tell me, “You won’t feel the ship move at all”.  Well, I sure did!  And I still do- even with one of the largest cruise ships in the seas.

Your worries about having motion sickness on a cruise are legit!  Who wants to go on vacation and not enjoy all the wonderful food and fun?!  But you can manage and even prevent that nausea, so you can enjoy yourself to the fullest!  Before we talk about the tips, we need to understand why seasickness (or motion sickness) occurs first.

Why Seasickness Occurs

The Vestibular system in our ears holds fluid that helps your brain sense the position of your body.  Your proprioceptive system located in your muscles and joints, sends signals to the brain about position, pressure, movement, pressure and vibration in the body.  And your eyes send sensory stimuli to the brain which helps determine where your body is and what position it’s in.

When you are on a boat and experiencing the movement in your surroundings as the boat sways from the waves, your proprioceptive system and vestibular system are sensing the movement, but your eyes may not be seeing the movement (especially if you are inside the ship).  What happens then is that your brain gets confused from these mixed signals and the result can be seasickness.

People with seasickness can experience many symptoms including: increased saliva, nausea, vomiting, headache, lightheadedness, dizziness or vertigo, sweating, fatigue, irritability, hyperventilation and even anxiety (1).  You can be fine one minute, and then sick the next as it can happen in an instant.  Definitely not a fun experience!

Your Risk for Seasickness

Seasickness can occur in almost everyone, given the right conditions.  However your risk for it increases if you have one of the following factors:

• Family history of motion sickness
• You are female or a child between 6-12
• History of inner ear disorders or migraines
• Hormone fluctuations (1)

But the good news is that your risk for developing seasickness decreases at midlife (2)!  A benefit of getting older!

It’s important to recognize your risk for developing seasickness and prepare yourself ahead of time, to prevent or reduce your symptoms.  It can be done- I’m proof of that with my continued love of cruising.

Many resources state that seasickness disappears within a few days.  I have never found this to be true on cruises, and perhaps it’s because we are on and off the ship all the time at ports of call.  Because of this, I’ve learned to prepare myself with multiple remedies to prevent seasickness when cruising.  These are remedies for prevention and treatment that I have researched, and many that I have tried myself.  You must speak with your medical professional to determine the best options for you as some people may not be able to take certain medications or remedies.

20 Tips to Prevent Seasickness When Cruising

1. Antihistamines such as dimenhydrinate and chlorphenamine (3, 4, 5). These are proven effective at treating and preventing symptoms.  The non-drowsy formulas are not effective, unfortunately (1).  These can be easily transported in your luggage, and should be taken at least 2 hrs prior to embarkation to ensure they will work when the ship sets sail.  Cons to this are having to remember to take the medication regularly, chance of side effects like dry mouth/eyes, drowsiness, and sedation.  I have used these but find the sedation side effect very bothersome and the inability to have alcohol while using them is something I really don’t like while on vacation.
2. Scopolamine patch for seasickness that is like a tiny band-aid that goes behind your ear that is effective to relieve/prevent nausea (1, 3, 4, 5). This patch is available by prescription or over the counter depending on where you live.  I find that there are fewer side effects with the patch than with the antihistamines, and you do not have to remember to take it as often.  And what I found with using the patch was that it didn’t last 3 days with me.  So I put it on the night before embarkation, and ended up having to change it every 2 ½ days instead as my nausea started back up prior to the 72 hrs.  Also, the dry mouth and inability to drink alcohol are also cons for this medication.
3. Motion sickness wristbands are an elastic band, or adjustable strap that has a small plastic ball or nub that, when placed correctly, exerts pressure over the P6 acupressure point to decrease nausea. There is evidence that they work in nausea and vomiting in pregnant women (7), so may be effective at decreasing seasickness.  I have used these previously when pregnant, but found them to be very annoying to wear and didn’t end up wearing them long enough to experience any improvement.  There are also new electronic devices designed to provide electrical impulses to stimulate the acupressure point, which I haven’t tried yet but seem promising.
4. Ginger capsules, tea or chewables. There are mixed reviews of the efficacy of ginger in alleviating seasickness (8).  I have used both the capsules and the chewable candies and found slight improvement in my symptoms.  I like taking these as there aren’t any side effects that I have, although some can have heartburn or stomach upset.
5. Green apples. People say that this helps reduce nausea.  I’ve seen them on every cruise I’ve been on in the buffet.  I haven’t found any studies indicating the effectiveness of eating green apples to reduce nausea though.
6. Choose a larger ship- there will be less movement/sway felt than on a smaller ship.  I have found this to be true, but still do feel movement even with the huge ships.
7. Select an itinerary that travels mostly at night while you sleep and one that sails in calmer waters (ie: Inside passage of Alaska, Western Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, River Cruises).
8. Choose a stateroom that is midship and not too high or too low on the boat. Some say that being near the water you will feel less movement, but I find you see the waves more, which makes my nausea worse.
9. Choose a stateroom with a balcony for fresh air and to visualize the horizon. And please don’t vomit over the side!  It may end up on someone below, or back at you if it’s really windy.  Carry a plastic bag if you need to.  This helps decrease your anxiety and worry about finding somewhere to vomit, which can also increase your nausea!
10. If you start to feel nauseated, go outside for fresh air and to visualize the horizon.
11. When embarking, stay on deck instead of going inside to check out the ship. Fresh air helps alleviate nausea.  Give your body a couple of hours outside while still being able to see land and the horizon to decrease the confusion your brain will be feeling.  Sit facing the direction the ship is travelling in as well, as this helps.  If you need to, go to the front of the boat to visualize the horizon for best effect.
12. Lying on a lounge chair or sitting in a high-back chair in the direction the boat is travelling helps (4). It reduces the swaying of our body to help decrease nausea.
13. Keep busy- helps keep your mind off how you’re feeling.
14. Drink lots of fluids to stay hydrated. Dehydration can make the nausea worse.  Some of the medications can dry us out!  Try and limit your alcohol as well, as this can contribute to vertigo.
15. Eat healthy- avoiding foods that are acidic or too greasy.  Eat small and frequent meals.  There’s always somewhere to get food on the ship!  And always try to keep something in your stomach, even if you feel nauseated.
16. Consider essential oils. The inhaled vapour of ginger, peppermint and lavender has some benefit in reducing nausea (8, 9, 10).  You can use them in a roller ball mixed with a carrier oil, or just open a bottle and sniff when you are feeling nauseated.  I find drinking peppermint and ginger tea helps a little too!
17. Breathe and try to relax! Increased stress and anxiety can make your seasickness worse.
18. If you still don’t feel well, go to bed and sleep. You just may feel better in the morning (4).
19. For those of you who have a tendency to easily get motion sickness, you can consider vestibular rehabilitation (11, 12) and/or optokinetic exercises (13) prior to your cruise. Vestibular rehabilitation involves working with a physiotherapist using specialized exercises involving head movements to encourage gaze and gait stabilization to decrease motion sickness.  Optokinetic training exercises help treat visually induced dizziness and vertigo by watching videos with optokinetic moving stripes, increasing in duration as tolerated.  It has been found to be effective without physiotherapist supervision as well.  There are videos available on the internet that you can use.  I do recommend consulting your healthcare professional first as a referral to a physiotherapist trained in these exercises may be required.
20. If you already experience the occasional motion sickness, you might already know what might work for you. I would suggest not relying on one remedy, rather consider multiple strategies to try in case one fails (of course NOT doubling up on medications!).  And if you just can’t alleviate your seasickness, please do see the onboard medical clinic for assessment by the doctor.

I hope that the 20 tips to prevent seasickness when cruising helps you to have a wonderful vacation at sea.  By planning ahead, ensuring you decrease your risk, preventing and/or treating early, you can ensure you enjoy all there is to offer on a cruise.  Bon Voyage!

You might also be interested in my post: 22 Tips to Stay Healthy While on Vacation which you can find by clicking on the link.

Please note that while I am a Registered Nurse, I am not your nurse and my opinions above do not constitute a replacement for assessment, advice and treatment by your healthcare provider(s).  Please consult with them to discuss any questions or concerns you may have.  Also, see my disclaimer here for more information.

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Take care,

 

Resources :

1. Takov V, Tadi P. Motion Sickness. [Updated 2021 Jan 31]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539706/
2. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2020/travel-by-air-land-sea/motion-sickness
3. Nicole Powell-Dunford, MC USA, Alaistair Bushby, RAMC, Management of Sea Sickness in Susceptible Flight Crews, Military Medicine, Volume 182, Issue 11-12, November-December 2017, Pages e1846–e1850
4. Herron DG. The ups and downs of motion sickness. Am. j. nurs.. 2010;110(12):49-51.
5. Spinks AB, et al. Scopolamine (hyoscine) for preventing and treating motion sickness. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007(3)
6. Buckey JC, Alvarenga D, Cole B, Rigas JR. Chlorpheniramine for motion sickness. J Vestib Res. 2004;14(1):53-61.
7. Steele NM, French J, Gatherer-Boyles J, Newman S, Leclaire S. Effect of acupressure by Sea-Bands on nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2001 Jan-Feb;30(1):61-70.
8. Hoffman T. Ginger: an ancient remedy and modern miracle drug. Hawaii Med J. 2007;66(12):326-7.
9. Fearrington MA, Qualls BW, Carey MG. Essential Oils to Reduce Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting. J Perianesth Nurs. 2019;34(5):1047-1053.
10. Karaman S, Karaman T, Tapar H, Dogru S, Suren M. A randomized placebo-controlled study of aromatherapy for the treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting. Complement Ther Med. 2019;42:417-421.
11. https://balanceanddizziness.org/disorders/vestibular-disorders/visually-induced-dizziness/
12. Pavlou M, Bronstein AM, Davies RA. Randomized trial of supervised versus unsupervised optokinetic exercise in persons with peripheral vestibular disorders. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2013 Mar-Apr;27(3):208-18.
13. Maffert A, Aupy B. Optokinetic stimulation efficiency for sea sickness treatment. International Maritime Health. 2020;71(4):249-252.