Sailing across the high seas on board a luxury cruise ship is a thrilling way to visit different parts of the world, but for some the fear of sea sickness may be off-putting.
Sea sickness – or motion sickness – isn’t just limited to travel by boat as it can also strike when travelling in cars, planes or trains.
It can make you feel dizzy and nauseous, and you may also suffer from a headache, sweating, feeling cold and turning pale, and being physically sick in some cases.
The sickness is caused by repeated movements when travelling, like going over waves in the ocean, which prompts the inner ear to send different signals to your brain from what your eyes are seeing, and these mixed messages can then cause you to feel unwell.
It’s possible to combat the sickness with some over-the-counter medications, patches, or acupressure bands, although the latter doesn’t always work for everyone.
But major cruise company Royal Caribbean, which is the second largest cruise line operator in the world, says the size of ships today means sea sickness is “rarely a problem”.
Dr Benjamin Shore, Chief Medical Consultant at Royal Caribbean, explains that innovative design and engineering now allows cruise ships to safely navigate around bad weather, so journeys are less likely to be rocky, and ships also use stabilisers to reduce side-to-side motions so passengers rarely experience any motion sickness.
That’s not to say sea sickness won’t occur at all, but the cruise line has shared the ‘ideal’ location for where to stay if you’re worried you might feel unwell while onboard.
Royal Caribbean says: “Your location onboard and in proximity to the water can also help. The lower you are to the water line, and the closer you are to the center of the ship, the less movement you will experience. When looking out at the water, keep your sight on the horizon line.”
As such, it is best to choose a cabin that is close to the center of the ship and on a lower deck – close to the water line – to help minimise the effects of sea sickness.
In addition, all Royal Caribbean ships have motion sickness medications readily available at the dedicated Medical Center on each ship, completely free of charge.
Dr Shore recommends that guests who are prone to sea sickness consult their doctor prior to departure as they may be able to prescribe a patch to wear onboard. Alternatively, there are lots of other natural remedies available that can help alleviate symptoms,
He adds: “Anecdotally, ginger seems to be helpful, and some people find various aromas, like anise, basil, chamomile and peppermint, or eating dry crackers, even after the onset of seasickness can help.”
If a few sips of ginger ale doesn’t do the trick then Dr Shore suggests going for a short walk to the centre of the ship, as this area is the most balanced area on board and therefore least likely to produce sea sickness symptoms.