How to Prevent Seasickness / 10 Natural Ways
When you research how to avoid seasickness, most sites will suggest taking Dramamine. Everyone claims how helpful it is and how it cures nausea in a few short hours. However, what happens if your body doesn’t react the normal way to Dramamine? Andrew will literally feel like he got hit by a bus and will be knocked out for hours after taking just one pill – I can remember one time when he fell asleep during dinner, eyes shut, brain a million miles away. As a result of his reaction to Dramamine and Bonine (another seasickness med), we’ve had to improvise and figure out different ways to deal with seasickness while aboard the ship. This post couldn’t come at a better time either because we’re headed to the Caribbean once again this weekend, this time cruising with Celebrity! So without further ado, here are 10 all natural ways to prevent seasickness.
HOW TO PREVENT SEASICKNESS
1) avoid alcohol & caffeine
I know, I know. Asking someone to abstain from alcohol during a cruise is asking a whole lot. After all, most people cruise TO drink right? And what about that much needed dose of morning coffee? While abstaining 100% might not be completely realistic for you, try limiting yourself to only 1 drink per day, whether you choose alcohol or coffee. The very first cruise we took, Andrew was drinking 3 cups of coffee a day because he loves the stuff. This was the cruise he felt most nauseous and dizzy on. For the second and third cruises, he had maybe one drink the entire week and both trips he was able to avoid seasickness for the most part.
2) eat green apples
This trick is a bit strange. I read a little about the science behind it and to summarize, green apples contain a lot of potassium which is great for dealing with seasickness. After discovering this tip, I kept on noticing all these bowls with green apples scattered about the ship.
3) take ginger capsules
One of the best things you can do to prevent seasickness throughout your cruise is to keep your body pumped with ginger. Ginger naturally helps your body deal with seasickness and the nausea you might feel. While I was never overly seasick throughout our first cruise, I did have a constant dizziness that made it annoying to walk around and function. In fact, it stayed with me for about 2 weeks after we returned. I took ginger capsules on the second and third cruises and felt 100% fine after hitting solid ground.
4) drink mint or ginger tea
Mint tea was our après dinner treat while we enjoyed dessert. Mint is supposed to be another all natural treatment to nausea and while we can’t definitely say it helped, we will definitely be employing this tip again because why not?
5) avoid spending time in your cabin – stay atop
We made the mistake of hanging around our cabin way too long during our first cruise. I would take too long to get ready or we would catch up on emails. One night, I took extra long to get ready for formal night and Andrew sat and read, waiting for me to finish up. He was so sick that evening that we decided spending time in the cabin was always a bad idea unless you were going to sleep or you had a balcony that would give you fresh air and a view of the sea.
6) reserve a cabin on deck 3 or 4 and stay in the back of the ship
Everyone has different ideas on where the best cabin locations for avoiding seasickness are on a ship but I would recommend deck 3 or 4 and the back of the ship. You feel the least amount of sway in those areas IMO. I would also highly recommend splurging on a window or balcony room; it’s amazing how much that stream of light helps.
7) get enough sleep
It’s hard to not party all night but lack of sleep definitely exacerbates seasickness. I feel dizzy on dry land when I don’t have enough sleep so I’m sure you can imagine the sway I feel when I don’t get proper sleep out at sea.
8) minimize overexposure to the sun
It’s kind of difficult to abide by this rule when you’re cruising the Caribbean but I think at the bare minimum you should wear a hat throughout the day. The last thing you want is heatstroke and sun poisoning in addition to seasickness.
9) stay hydrated
This tip goes hand in hand with the tip above it. Make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the week. Staying hydrated is so important; you’re perspiring more and it’s easy to forget to drink when you’re having fun exploring a new place every day. The ships always have plenty of water available so take advantage of that!
10) limit time indoors
Indoors is defined here as being anywhere without fresh air: dining room, cabin, theater, etc etc. All of these places will make you feel sick at some point if you’re not careful in limiting the time spent in each one. Make sure you’re continually stepping out on deck for some air.
*Read this: Planning a Cruise for tips on planning for your next cruise vacation.
PIN FOR LATER….
I really have to get some ginger capsules. I have problems with motion sickness not just on boats but also in busses, trains, trams… I don’t think there’s a moving vehicle besides my bike which hasn’t made me feel sick yet. It comes and goes. Sometimes, there are days when I don’t feel sick at all and on other days, I get sick when taking the tram for two stops. And being stuck on a cruise ship without the possibility of escaping the movement is my biggest nightmare.
However, there are places that can only be reached by boat. And I actually love ships so sometimes, I would love to go on a ride on one of them. I agree that being outdoors helps a lot. Indoors is one of the worst places to be when you feel sick. Besides that, I usually try to do all the things you mentioned on your list, but I still haven’t bought any ginger capsules. I would love to try them. A guy once gave me ginger candy on a bus and that was amazing. And I will definitely try the green apples. I had no idea that was even a thing, but next time I have to go on a boat, I will eat a green apple before we leave.
Thanks for this great post!
Oh that’s so hard! I can’t imagine having it that bad. Definitely try ginger capsules; I really think they make a huge difference. And what’s great about them is there’s no harm in trying even if they don’t work!