Seasickness on a cruise!
Some people are prone to it, others get sudden bouts of it but one thing everyone who cruises has heard about is Seasickness.
We don’t normally suffer from it, but saying that there have been a couple of occasions we have felt a little rough, our most notable time was on Queen Elizabeth during a January cruise to Hamburg.
The seas were rough, but I think our main issue was our choice of cabin – oh and the vast amounts of Gin we had consumed the previous night! If they must provide a cocktail list, we must try them all!
How to diagnose Seasickness: Initial symptoms include Pale Skin, cold sweat, dizziness, increase in saliva and vomiting. Some people may experience rapid, shallow breathing, headaches, drowsiness and extreme tiredness.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Doing some digging for this post, I came across quite a few recommendations for those that do suffer, have a read and give them a go if you can as it may make your cruise more enjoyable should you start suffering.
Room Choice
Many say choosing the correct room can be key. The best rooms are low down in the middle of the ship. Have a room high up at the front or back and you will feel the movement much more as the ship rocks and rolls.
Get some air, relax and look after yourself.
If it’s rough, some decks may be closed or you might not have a balcony, but try and get to an open deck to take in some fresh air. If you can, sit down and try to relax. It’s a good idea to look at a stable object and try counting from 100 to 0 or concentrate on your breathing. Keep hydrated (alcohol doesn’t count!) and stick to small meals.
Ginger
This natural remedy has been used for centuries and although it doesn’t work for everyone, quite a few find it very effective. Being easily available and cheap, it’s worth a try! You can use raw ginger or buy it from health food stores such as Holland & Barrett (Genius Ginger 250g @ £5.99) – make sure research or check with your GP that ginger or ginger supplements won’t affect any other medication you are taking
Medication
Some recommend you start taking medication in the couple of days running up to your cruise. Pop to your local pharmacy and speak to the pharmacist about Stugeron, Kwells or Avomine; they shouldn’t cost more than £4.
If you are already on-board, most cruise ships will stock herbal anti sea sickness tables or wrist bands in their on-board shops, these may help.
We have found Avomine tables work well for us, on P&O and Cunard these are available art reception and cost about £4, other cruise lines may also stock them.
If you are really bad during the cruise, speak to Reception as some medical centres on-board will also offer an injection, these will cost you upwards of £60.
I know we are all old enough to know better, but when taking medication always seek medical advice on how it should be taken and know the possible side effects.
I hope the suggestions above help make your cruise more comfortable if you tend to suffer or are worried about your first cruise. If you have any other recommendation’s for combating sea sickness please get in touch and I will add them to the suggestions above!
