Seeking some advice for a "reluctant" cruiser

[margojay]

I am trying to convince my husband that he will not get seasick on a cruise! He often got motion sickness as a child (he's 66 yrs. old now) and never forgot the horrible feeling. I think that I have finally persuaded him to give it a try by taking a short cruise from a port in Florida. (4 days would be ideal.) I am looking for some suggestions for an mid-priced cruise that might help to convince him that cruising is GREAT!

Thanks for your help.

[GottaCruz]

Margojay, So glad that you found the site and glad to have you as a member. I'm also in Florida. I don't know which port you are closest to but we are in South Florida. We only do the 3 and 4 day cruises out of Ft. Lauderdale or Miami and , for you and hubby, those short cruises would be perfect to try it out. Between November and March, we sail on the Liberty of the Seas from Ft. Lauderdale, their 4 day cruise and when that ship leaves for the season, we do the Majesty of the Seas from Miami , the 3 day cruise.

Please tell your husband that the ships nowadays have stabilizers that prevent the seasickness from years ago. Some people also get the seasickness patch for behind the ear that you can get a script for from your M.D. Also, they have the dramamine pills that I always take with me, just in case. The ships now are so very different than they were when he was a child. Once he gives it a try, he 'll probably be crazy about cruising , just like we all are.

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask away.

[Jan115]

Good question, Margojay!

GottaCruz is absolutely right. The short cruises in the Bahamas or the Caribbean would be an ideal way for your husband to try out your sealegs. Book an inside cabin, low in the center of the ship, where there will be the least amount of movement just to be on the safe side. If he's brave, try an outside cabin with a window.

If it makes him feel better, tell your husband that it took my brother 61 years to finally go on a cruise. As a kid, he was prone to motion sickness, mostly in cars, and would never get on any kind of a boat. Last summer, I finally convinced him to come on a cruise around Ireland & Scotland. It wasn't even an ideal cruise for someone testing their seaworthiness, either. It was a smaller ship with some choppy surf. But you know what? He was perfectly fine and had the time of his life. He brought several kinds of remedies just in case but never used any of it. In fact, he and his wife are joining us again this summer in Alaska.

So tell your husband he has nothing to worry about. He'll love it!

[WeCruiseToo]

Motion sickness is fairly uncommon on today’s cruise ships. New cruisers are actually more likely to worry themselves into feeling ill than to experience symptoms due to the motion of the ship. Encourage your husband to embrace whatever little thing he thinks will make him feel better. Some good ones have been mentioned above; we have one friend who swears by Sea-Bands and another who insists that eating ginger makes them feel better – everyone’s a little different. The most important thing is to relax and enjoy your trip. He’ll probably be talking about your next cruise before the first one is finished!

[cruisetarp]

Welcome Margojay. You have gotten some great advice here. Try a short cruise to begin with and enjoy.

[DebbieandJerry]

Margojay, you have gotten some great advice and I totally concur. The folks that we saw that got "sick" were the ones wearing the patches and drinking until they couldn't stand up. So was it alcohol or was it motion sickness??

Yes the ships do rock and sometimes they can rock and roll. The captain makes every effort to stear away from the storms, but we have always found that the ride back to the states had a little more motion than the ride to the Caribbean. Nothing to get us sick, though.

One of the things that I notice when I get home from a cruise is my sea legs. The body still feels as if it's moving. I remember the talks where they told you about them, but until you feel it ... then you get it.

Our very first cruise was a 4-day. We were hooked as soon as we stepped on to the ship.

Glad you found us. Let us know when you make your first booking.

[Sarge6870]

Just to give a little personal insight, back in 1992 we sailed aboard a ship called the Celebrity Meridian which was the flagship of Celebrity cruise lines. It was an older ship that was originally built in the early 1960's so it didn't have stabilizers. We sailed to Bermuda from N.Y. and the Atlantic crossing to the Island was a bit choppy. Many were wearing those patches behind their ears but my wife became very seasick. She went to the doctor onboard and he gave her a shot and a few Dramamine tablets in case she needed them for the way home (which she didn't). After the shot, as she was told, she went and napped for about 2 or 3 hours and was right as rain for the trip AND the return trip home. But just to reiterate what other posters have said, the newer ships have stabilizers that compensate for the roll of the vessel. He'll be fine!

[CaroleB]

I get car sick and sea sick on small boats. I have never taken any OTC or Rx for seasickness on any cruise and have never gotten sick. They are so stable that even when we experienced really choppy waters with alot of pitch and yaw, I never got sick.

I have heard that Ginger works, plus the patches behind the ears, but I don't know first hand. I can tell you from someone that can't ride in the back seat of car without getting seriously nauseous that I do great on ships without any aide of any kind. As stated before, the ships have stabilizers that keep them from doing alot of movement. I also do better in a balcony that on the inside cabins. I can look at the horizon and get that "stabilization" too. :)

[ametrinel]

Staying hydrated (with water, not booze!) helps. Also, my brother swears by the Sea Band. Staying in a cabin in a lower deck, mid-ship is a good place for those prone to seasickness.