Mal De Mer ~ "Won't I Get Sea Sick?"
Before taking to the high seas, fear of seasickness stood between me and enjoying anticipating the my first taste of Disney Cruise Line. Mal de Mer held the potential of ruining our first child free vacation in years. Not that either of us knew for certain if we would even experience seasickness.
As a kid, I got carsick at every turn practically, but at least I grew out of that and thankfully never got airsick. IMAX movies and the planetarium usually involved large parts where I would close my eyes to make the moving stop. Once I did get pregnant, morning sickness and vertigo became my new best friends.
The one bright and shining spot in my gastronomic fortitude?
Amusement park rides and foods that make others lose their lunch. I gleefully polished off a funnel cake and hopped right on Mission: Space or finished off a cotton candy and hopped into a teacup at the Mad Tea Party. Not the slightest problem.
I hoped my stomach believed the Wonder qualified as a ride.
I packed every conceivable remedy for that first cruise. Aside from seeing your doctor for recommendations on appropriate medications (there are over the counter and prescription pills and patches), what's a cruiser able to do? What should they bring? Can you get help if you wait until you're at sea?
2.) Avoid anything that would make you ill in a car. Leave off the reading, television watching, and texting until you're more acclimated. Actually turn off the texting while you're at sea. That can get quite expensive.
3.) Get moving. Keeping distracted from the sensation of the motion gives you time to acclimate. A walking ship tour not only acclimates your mind to the layout of the ship, but acclimates your body to correcting for the ships motion.
4.) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Water is excellent for your inner ears. Equilibrium is governed by the vestibules in your ears and they cannot function well when one is dehydrated.
5.) Sleep it off. This works wonders for many people.
6.) Avoid spicy or fat laden foods. Aside from new foods, these categories of foods irritate the stomach and encourage seasickness. Wait until you get your sea legs to dive into the four course meals.
7.) Spice it up! Candied ginger, ginger pills, gingersnaps, ginger tea, and ginger ale or anything that contains real ginger helps seasick stomachs. Can't stomach the spice? Try a green apple.
8.) Wear accupressure wrist bands. I say if it works for you, it's better than medication.
9.) Pack your Dramamine, Bonine or the less drowsy versions of the same. I would do a trial run on land so you know what side effects you will undergo. Even the less drowsy formulas force my husband into frequent naps and earlier bedtimes. If you go the medication route, take your pills before you need them as once you feel nauseated, that ship has sailed. So to speak.
10.) If you start getting seasick, check with the medical center for medication and assistance. It is easier to stop you feeling ill at the front end of turning seasick rather than feeling better once you're truly miserable.
After a few dozen days on board, I can say most people don't suffer much from seasickness. My friends who do feel mildly seasick get sea legs in under a day. I (thankfully) discovered, as the Wonder crossed the Gulf Stream in the wake of Tropical Storm Nicole, that I do not in fact get seasick.
YAY!
And discovered that candied ginger is super yummy, so I didn't let that go to waste. Ben opted for taking the "Less Drowsy Bonine" before embarkation on our first cruise, but generally goes medication free on our later cruises. Our kids haven't needed any medication, so far and I hope that continues!
We still pack Kids Chewable Dramamine "just in case" as well as my snack of candied ginger, which Kylee developed a taste for as well.
Is there anything you pack for WDW, DL or DCL "just in case"?
As a kid, I got carsick at every turn practically, but at least I grew out of that and thankfully never got airsick. IMAX movies and the planetarium usually involved large parts where I would close my eyes to make the moving stop. Once I did get pregnant, morning sickness and vertigo became my new best friends.
The one bright and shining spot in my gastronomic fortitude?
Amusement park rides and foods that make others lose their lunch. I gleefully polished off a funnel cake and hopped right on Mission: Space or finished off a cotton candy and hopped into a teacup at the Mad Tea Party. Not the slightest problem.
I hoped my stomach believed the Wonder qualified as a ride.
I packed every conceivable remedy for that first cruise. Aside from seeing your doctor for recommendations on appropriate medications (there are over the counter and prescription pills and patches), what's a cruiser able to do? What should they bring? Can you get help if you wait until you're at sea?
Tricks of the Trade
1) Stay on deck for a while until you settle into your sea legs. The sea air is refreshing and looking out at the horizon is not only peaceful, it is stabilizing. A porthole or verandah view is nice for this as well.2.) Avoid anything that would make you ill in a car. Leave off the reading, television watching, and texting until you're more acclimated. Actually turn off the texting while you're at sea. That can get quite expensive.
3.) Get moving. Keeping distracted from the sensation of the motion gives you time to acclimate. A walking ship tour not only acclimates your mind to the layout of the ship, but acclimates your body to correcting for the ships motion.
4.) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Water is excellent for your inner ears. Equilibrium is governed by the vestibules in your ears and they cannot function well when one is dehydrated.
5.) Sleep it off. This works wonders for many people.
6.) Avoid spicy or fat laden foods. Aside from new foods, these categories of foods irritate the stomach and encourage seasickness. Wait until you get your sea legs to dive into the four course meals.
7.) Spice it up! Candied ginger, ginger pills, gingersnaps, ginger tea, and ginger ale or anything that contains real ginger helps seasick stomachs. Can't stomach the spice? Try a green apple.
8.) Wear accupressure wrist bands. I say if it works for you, it's better than medication.
9.) Pack your Dramamine, Bonine or the less drowsy versions of the same. I would do a trial run on land so you know what side effects you will undergo. Even the less drowsy formulas force my husband into frequent naps and earlier bedtimes. If you go the medication route, take your pills before you need them as once you feel nauseated, that ship has sailed. So to speak.
10.) If you start getting seasick, check with the medical center for medication and assistance. It is easier to stop you feeling ill at the front end of turning seasick rather than feeling better once you're truly miserable.
After a few dozen days on board, I can say most people don't suffer much from seasickness. My friends who do feel mildly seasick get sea legs in under a day. I (thankfully) discovered, as the Wonder crossed the Gulf Stream in the wake of Tropical Storm Nicole, that I do not in fact get seasick.
YAY!
And discovered that candied ginger is super yummy, so I didn't let that go to waste. Ben opted for taking the "Less Drowsy Bonine" before embarkation on our first cruise, but generally goes medication free on our later cruises. Our kids haven't needed any medication, so far and I hope that continues!
We still pack Kids Chewable Dramamine "just in case" as well as my snack of candied ginger, which Kylee developed a taste for as well.
Is there anything you pack for WDW, DL or DCL "just in case"?
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