How to prevent seasickness on a cruise

One of the most common concerns for first-time cruisers is seasickness. No one wants to spend their vacation feeling sick and miserable, so it helps to know a few tips and tricks to prevent seasickness before your cruise.

It’s entirely possible to get seasick on a cruise ship, especially if you’re sailing through notoriously rough waters, cruising on a smaller vessel, or if you’ve chosen a cabin at the front or rear of the ship.

The good news, however, is that seasickness isn’t nearly as common as you might think, and many passengers barely notice the ship moving!

Here are our top ways to prevent and relieve motion sickness on a cruise ship so you can enjoy your cruise vacation as much as possible.

In this guide:

What causes seasickness on a cruise?

Seasickness occurs when there is conflict between your senses while driving. When your eyes, ears, muscles, and joints send mixed signals to each other, your body can become confused. This disrupts the inner ear, where the body’s balancing mechanism resides, and causes dizziness and nausea.

On a cruise ship, you can sometimes get seasick as the ship moves through the sea while everything on board seems to stay in one place.

Is Seasickness Common on Cruise Ships?

While it’s entirely possible to get seasick on a cruise ship, it’s not very likely. Royal Caribbean’s ships are huge ships, a far cry from a sailboat or kayak. In fact, you can almost forget you’re even on a ship once you’re on board!

Related: Things you don’t have to worry about on a Royal Caribbean cruise

Cruise lines are doing everything they can to reduce the movement perceived by passengers. Modern cruise ships are designed with stabilizers — fins that jet off the ship’s starboard and port sides — to counteract the movement of the ocean, so there’s less turbulence felt on board.

The ship captain will do whatever it takes to avoid strong winds and rough seas too, whether that be sailing fast, escaping a storm, going around a place sailing in circles, or changing route altogether. This ensures that your cruise avoids hitting the high seas whenever possible.

Related: How fast can a cruise ship outrun a storm?

Which itineraries are most common for seasickness?

Cruising in sheltered waters can result in a lower chance of getting seasick compared to the open ocean. Transatlantic and transpacific cruises, as well as itineraries with extended open sea stays, may mean rougher seas.

If you’re prone to seasickness, consider a port-intensive itinerary with little open water time. For example, on a cruise to the Greek Islands or the Adriatic, you’ll spend almost every day in port and some time sailing the (usually) calm, sheltered waters of the Aegean and Adriatic.

Related: Ultimate Cruise Guide to the Greek Islands

Certain waters, including the Bay of Biscay across Spain and the Gulf of Alaska, are prone to strong currents and strong winds that can cause seasickness in many passengers.

Additionally, cruising out of season can sometimes mean you will encounter less favorable weather, which can lead to a higher chance of feeling seasick, such as during the summer. B. late fall in Alaska or hurricane season in the Caribbean.

Related: When is the best time to cruise to Alaska?

Will I feel less movement on a newer, larger cruise ship?

Newer ships have more advanced technology and stabilization systems, which means that in theory you should feel less movement on a larger ship than on a small cruise ship.

However, this is not always the case, as many factors play a role in seasickness (weather, location of the ship, location of the cabin, etc.).

In fact, Matt from the Royal Caribbean Blog got seasick while sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, even though that ship is the largest cruise ship in the world!

Related: 12 differences between Royal Caribbean’s big and small cruise lines

In most cases, however, choosing a larger vessel over a smaller vessel on the same route should help prevent seasickness. If you’re worried about getting seasick on a cruise and choosing between, say, Symphony of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas would be a better option.

Travel sickness medication

One of the most foolproof ways to avoid getting seasick on a cruise is to take motion sickness medication. Be sure to pack Dramamine or Bonine pills for the cruise, even if you don’t expect to feel sick. If these drugs make you drowsy, consider purchasing the non-drowsy version of the drugs.

If you have forgotten motion sickness medication, you can purchase pills from an onboard shop or ask Guest Services for free motion sickness medication packs.

You may also consider getting a prescription for a seasickness patch (scopolamine patch) before the cruise. These patches work by slowly releasing scopolamine into your body over several days.

Watch the horizon

Looking at the horizon can help keep the ship balanced. If you’ve booked a cabin with a balcony or exterior view, spend time gazing at the horizon if you get nauseous.

If you have an inside cabin, head to a public area with windows onboard (preferably somewhere midships) for a view of the horizon as you sail through the choppy seas.

Additionally, many passengers find that sitting facing the same direction as the cruise ship travels can help negate the feeling of seasickness. Instead of sitting backwards or sideways as the ship moves forward, find a chair that faces forward.

Eat ginger and green apples

Ginger is one of the best natural remedies for seasickness because one of its active ingredients, 6-gingerol, can help you feel less nauseous and dizzy.

Consider bringing ginger tea bags, ginger candy, or ginger supplements with you in case you’re feeling seasick. Ginger ale is available in bars and restaurants onboard, which can be an easy way to relieve your seasickness.

Green apples are another natural remedy for seasickness, as the pectin found in apples helps settle the stomach. Green apples can be found at most onboard cafes and restaurants including Windjammer, Café Promenade, Park Café and more.

acupressure bands

Medication aside, some cruise lines find that wearing an acupressure band helps combat seasickness. These bands apply pressure to stimulate the P-6 pressure point on your wrist, which can help reduce nausea.

Choose a location in the middle and in the lower cabin

One of the best ways to combat seasickness is to book your cruise cabin in a midship position. Because ships tend to sway and rock in the water, a position in the center of the ship can be the “balance point” on the ship.

Related: What is the best location on a cruise ship?

Cabins on the lower decks typically feel less movement than those on higher decks. So if you’re worried about seasickness, consider a cabin on decks 2-4 instead of 12-14!

While it’s still possible to feel movement in a location midships, you’ll definitely feel less movement than if you select a cabin at the very front or the very back of the ship.

Remember to eat

While you may not feel hungry on rough sea days, it’s important to eat something small every few hours. Crackers, bread, soups, bananas and other simple foods are recommended.

Avoid eating greasy, greasy or spicy foods and dairy products as these can increase stomach problems if you are already unwell.

Finally, don’t forget to stay hydrated throughout the day to avoid dehydration.

Avoid reading books and staring at screens

While reading a book can be a pleasant pastime during your cruise vacation, it’s one of the worst things you can do when it comes to preventing seasickness.

Many cruise lines are finding that reading (whether a physical book, e-reader, or phone) can increase feelings of seasickness and nausea.

While you probably won’t have a problem on calm-sea days, you’ll want to put the book down if your cruise ship is navigating rough waters.

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