Travel Guides Cruises
Rachel Finn
If you’re someone who’s prone to motion sickness, you may be dreading your upcoming cruise and wondering how you can avoid the nausea and dizziness that can come with travel. Seasickness on a cruise occurs when there is a conflict between what the balance mechanism in your inner ear senses and what your eyes see. Your inner ear senses the movement of the ship on the water, while your eyes register a stable scene in front of you. This disconnect can cause unpleasant symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.
If you’re someone who suffers from motion sickness at sea, the good news is that it’s often temporary. According to the National Ocean Service, most seasickness usually occurs during the first 12 to 24 hours after the ship sets sail and will disappear once your body gets used to the motion. That being said, if you do suffer from motion sickness, you’ll probably be looking for ways to reduce it as much as possible. You can do this by being selective about which cabin you book for your cruise.
Use strategic room booking to prevent motion sickness
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Preventing motion sickness on your cruise can start from the moment you book your room. As motion sickness is caused by a disconnect between the movement you feel and the movement you see, you’ll want to choose a room that moves as little as possible. On most cruise ships, these will be the cabins closest to the center of the ship on the lower decks.
People on Tripadvisor recommend these center and lower deck rooms as they will usually move less than the outer, higher rooms. Meanwhile, Reddit users recommend the lower cabins due to their lack of movement. In terms of rooms to avoid, if you’re prone to seasickness, you might want to avoid a room with a balcony or one towards the front of the ship. Everyone is different, but cruisegoers on Reddit describe experiencing motion sickness when getting a room with a sea view or an outside room nearer to the bow of the ship.
Other ways to prevent motion sickness on a cruise
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If you’re unable to book the room you wanted on your cruise (or are already on one!), there are a variety of other steps you can take to reduce seasickness. For more serious cases of motion sickness at sea, pharmacies will sell over-the-counter Dramamine or Bonine pills to help you feel less nauseous. Cruises will have on-ship doctors, who may be able to prescribe anti-nausea medication if they think it’s appropriate for you.
For those who prefer natural remedies, ginger is a well-known natural remedy for seasickness and can help reduce nausea and dizziness. Some cruisegoers on Reddit also swear by acupressure seasickness bands that are worn on the wrist to help reduce nausea. While you may feel sick when first getting on a cruise, it’s important to remember that many cases of motion sickness are temporary. Sometimes getting some fresh air and walking around the ship so your body can acclimatize is all that’s needed to feel at ease.
