How to Prevent Motion Sickness before You Set Sail
If you think that you might not be able to cruise due to motion sickness, that is simply a mistake. Good news is that you do not need to give up cruising because of motion sickness.
It’s sad if someone has to stop planning a cruise because of motion sickness.
That’s the reason why I have written a series of articles on it to help you understand the ways to minimize and prevent motion sickness.
Travel agents might tell you that the modern cruise ship is big enough, and most of them have a built-in stabiliser on both sides of the ship under the water. Therefore, you do not feel any movement at all.
My answer is yes and no. Mega cruise ships do help, but when the sea gets really rough, it does not matter.
I am also not certain whether the ship uses the stabilizer. When the ship uses the stabiliser, it slows down the speed and consumes a lot of fuel.
If you may have motion sickness, it is not a good idea to ignore it because the ship is big enough against the waves. Motion sickness is very common and deteriorates your vacation if it gets serious.
However, you should not stop planning a cruise because of motion sickness. You can simply prepare for it in advance.
Please try What to Do with Motion Sickness on Board.
You can be more confident about cruising by reading our cruise tip articles. By preparing in advance, you can minimize and prevent sickness.
In this article, you will find what to prepare for motion sickness, just before you get on the ship. Once you step into the ship, you can start your vacation. Have a great start and embrace your cruise vacation without being affected by motion sickness.
Motion sickness progress
Motion sickness progresses gradually. It is very important to notice its symptom at an early stage and treat it as soon as possible.
- Motion sickness progresses from a feeling of uneasiness.
- Yawning or saliva and feeling uncomfortable with a stomach come up.
- Sweating or dizziness is felt and looked pale on the face.
- Then quickly after nausea or vomiting come up. When this symptom appears, cruising gets tough for anyone.
In order to prevent motion sickness, you can prepare in advance before you get on the ship, by following 9 things.
1. Sleep and rest enough before the night
Make sure you get to rest enough before you set sail. The day before your cruise, you would be excited. Your mind is awake and it might be difficult to get sleep. Or you might be really busy with packing. Lack of sleep could affect you.
2. Avoid excessive alcohol
It is highly recommended not to drink a large amount of alcohol the evening before you set sail. Alcohol speeds up dehydration and does not encourage your body’s resistance to motion sickness. Have plenty of water and keep hydrated.
3. Eat a solid meal before you board
Breakfast is something you must have before you get on board. An empty stomach should be avoided. Try to wake up a little early and start your cruise vacation with a nice breakfast.
On the embarkation day, you could expect massive lines especially if the ship is large. It would be stressful if you did not eat anything from the early morning.
4. What to eat before set sail
Eat light meals. Try to avoid big, acid or
5. Let go tight clothes and belt
Make yourself relax and get off a tight belt or clothes. Once you get on the ship, a life jacket also gives some pressure on your body. It gives you some stress. Take it out as soon as you finished a muster drill on the first sailing day.
6. Stay Hydrated
Have plenty of water. Keep hydrated before you arrive at the departure port and on the ship.
I remember that on my very first day at sea, my beloved manager gave me a big bottle of water, telling me that I could be easily dehydrated on the ship. Dehydration is a definite trigger for motion sickness.
7. Pre-treat with ginger
According to some scientific research, using ginger has an effect to prevent motion sickness (source). At the very least, it can’t hurt you because it is organic. Take one or two grams of ginger half an hour before you get on the ship for the best result.
If you are not certain about ginger, please consult your doctor before supplementing with it.
8. Take a pill before you get on the ship
If you take a pill before you get on the ship, you can prevent motion sickness symptoms. Read the package instructions. Takes the recommended amount of tablet an hour before onboard.
If you never used the pill, you could test it before something a week before or so. You can make sure how you feel about it.
You could also take a motion sickness pill before you wake up. While you are still on the bed, take a pill an hour before you wake up and are up out of bed. This way, motion sickness did not happen to me on the day.
You can have a pill at the ship’s medical centre. Dramamine is the one you can normally get to the medical centre. However, it is unnecessary to visit there and make a queue to see a medical doctor for the pill. Save your precious time for your cruise vacation.
9. Stay at the stable position on the ship
The middle of an airplane over the wing is more stable positions of an airplane. On a ship, you will experience less motion at the lower level midship cabins.
Once you get on board, you could start from being familiar with some lower decks. Then go to the open deck and have some fresh air. Gaze at far ahead and make a balance of your boy by using the horizon as a fixed point for your eyes.
References:
Motion Sickness, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Ginger, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Bonus Tips to Prevent Motion Sickness!
If you are prone to motion sickness, making the right choice of a stateroom is very important. You can also get some ideas which destinations have calm water and which seasons would be good for cruising at how to prevent motion sickness before you buy a cruise ticket. Once you get on board, it is very important for you to act on motion sickness as soon as possible.
You may enjoy reading on:
Next reading >> 12 Things to Prepare before Your Embarkation Day
>> What to Do with Motion Sickness on the Cruise Ship
>> WiFi on Cruise Ships: Onboard Internet Access (Complete Guide)
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