To whom rest, and to whom suffering: how to avoid seasickness during a cruise

This summer will be remembered by everyone as a very expensive holiday season. Flight prices have skyrocketed and many are being delayed or canceled entirely. Hotels are also expensive and there is a huge labor shortage. And going somewhere by car with such and such gas prices is not a cheap pleasure. The only exception to this list is cruises. How it happened, the publication told The Washington Post.

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Cheap cruises

The phenomenon of cruises is that they are still cheap. And all due to the fact that the industry has not yet recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Fares are among the most affordable in recent memory," said Chris Grey-Faust, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic. "It's hard to find land travel that's more affordable or convenient this summer."

Four- and five-day Carnival Bahamas cruises in August and September cost as little as $25 a night on select travel sites, including Priceline and Cruises.com. Taxes and fees are not included, and in some cases exceed the fare.

You can book a seven-night Mexican Riviera cruise on Carnival in August for $40 per night, or if you want to take the same cruise in September, it's $36. A seven-day Royal Caribbean cruise in September costs $92 per night - and that's if you want a room with an ocean view.

Also, cheap deals can be found outside of the Caribbean and Mexico. For a seven-day trip to Northern Europe with Royal Caribbean in August, with stops in Norway and Denmark, an ocean view room is $97 per night, and a balcony room is $109 per night. A room with a balcony on the Princess Cruise in France and Italy costs $123 per night.

“We have heard from many cruise companies that they are not going to raise prices significantly in the short term,” Grey-Faust said.

How to deal with seasickness on a cruise

And if many of you are not going on a cruise because you are afraid of seasickness, then the special cruise correspondent AFARMore Fran Golden has been on dozens of cruises in her life and told how she struggles with it.

“I am a correspondent, writer, seasick. But out of about 170 cruises I’ve been on in my life, I’ve only gotten sick twice: once in particularly strong waves off the coast of Corsica and once when the Pacific was “misbehaving” off Baja,” explains Golden.

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According to her, she managed to avoid motion sickness due to the fact that she took with her the best medicines for seasickness, as well as knowledge of the factors that contribute to poor health.

Seasickness starts when your brain receives conflicting information from your inner ear and eyes.

“For example, in the cockpit of a rocking boat, the inner ear picks up acceleration changes both up and down and side to side as the body sways with the boat,” says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “But since the cockpit moves with the passenger, the eyes fixate on a relatively stable situation. Agitated by this perceptual mismatch, the brain reacts with a cascade of stress-related hormones that can eventually lead to nausea, vomiting and dizziness.”

Here are some proven tips for avoiding cruising sickness.

Choose your ship and destination carefully

The motion sickness drugs currently available are quite strong, but even they may not always be able to help if you choose a ship that sails through rough waters.

“Recently, I felt only mildly uncomfortable as we crossed the infamous, rugged Drake Passage between Cape Horn and Antarctica,” Golden said.

However, you can get a smoother ride by following directions with relatively calm waters. Popular cruise itineraries tend to go to places that are less chaotic, like the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and the Alaska inland passage.

But if you ship deep into the Atlantic and the Pacific, you never know what will happen.

On most river cruises, you will experience little to no seasickness. An excellent option for those who fear this condition are the mostly calm inland waters that are traversed by riverboats.

Modern cruise ships have stabilizers for a relatively smooth ride wherever you are. On large ships with thousands of passengers, you usually feel almost no movement. Smaller ships may be more mobile, but there will likely be stabilisers.

Next-generation expedition ships from brands such as Lindblad Expeditions and Aurora Expeditions feature an inverted bow, known as the X-Bow, for a smoother ride.

Choose the right cab

If you are worried about seasickness, do not book a cabin at the very bow or bow of the ship, at the very back of the ship or on the upper deck.

These cabins often feel the most movement. It is better to find a "blind spot" in the middle of the ship, in the most stable zone. Also, make sure to book a cabin with windows so you can watch the horizon as the ship begins to sway - while this may not work for everyone, watching the horizon can be a stabilizing effect.

The best travel sickness cures for cruises

If you are concerned about seasickness, bring appropriate medication with you. For example, dramamin (dimenhydrinate) or bonin (meclizine). These medications also have a downside: they can cause drowsiness.

“My rule of thumb is to take half a tablet when I first go aboard and until I feel like my body has adapted to the movement of the sea. This can happen after a couple of days on the water, says Golden. “If you have children who get sick in the car, you can ask your pediatrician about drummamine for children.”

“I listen carefully to the captain's daily messages, which usually include the next day's weather forecast. If it is predicted that the waves will be high, then I will definitely take a medicine for motion sickness, because the reality of medicines is that they do not help when you already feel bad, so plan everything in advance, the journalist advises. - If you forgot to take your medication and you are not feeling well, contact the guest service or the medical center - they most likely have the medication and the pills are often free.

What to do if the situation worsens

“If I’m on a route known for inclement weather, like Antarctica, I swap my over-the-counter pills for a Transderm Scop (scopolamine) prescription patch that fits behind the ear and delivers medication consistently for up to three days. It's strong and not for everyone, so ask your doctor if it's right for you. The disadvantage of the patch is that it can cause intense thirst. The patches are not cheap and may not be covered by your health insurance,” Golden emphasizes.

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At worst, if you're suffering from rough seas, the ship's medical team can give you an injection that will keep you from getting sick, but doesn't always make you feel bad.

Homeopathic remedies

Acupressure bracelets, ginger lozenges, and candied ginger are non-drug treatments for seasickness, and some people only take them.

It sounds completely counterintuitive, but you'll feel better if you're not hungry, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recommends eating small meals frequently to prevent motion sickness.

Fortunately, finding food on most cruise ships is not a problem. The CDC also recommends avoiding dehydration by limiting your intake of alcoholic and caffeinated beverages.

“Sometimes it helps to be on deck in the open air, but my own fail-safe remedy, if I feel bad and nothing helps, is to lie down, close my eyes and either sleep or listen to music or TV in my cabin,” says Golden. .

Why do you still feel dizzy after a cruise?

Some people feel like they are still moving when they are already on land. According to the Cleveland Clinic, this is completely normal, and most symptoms disappear within a day or two. Otherwise, you may have a rare syndrome known as Mal de Debarquement (MDD), which is still being studied. The clinic recommends consulting a physician if symptoms persist.

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