Cruise Seasickness: Will You Get Sick, and What Actually Helps

Most people on a large modern cruise ship feel very little motion on a normal itinerary, and many never feel sick at all. Even so, the CDC’s cruise travel guidance says seasickness affects up to 25 percent of cruise travelers despite stabilizers. It is common enough to plan for, and preventable enough that it rarely has to spoil a trip.

Three decisions matter most: where your cabin is, which route you sail, and whether you take medication before symptoms start. Get those right and the odds of a miserable day at sea fall sharply.

Who gets seasick, and why

Motion sickness is a mismatch between signals. Your inner ear senses the ship moving, your eyes see a cabin that appears still, and your brain cannot reconcile the two. The CDC Yellow Book chapter on motion sickness describes it as sensory conflict.

Some people are simply more prone to it. The CDC notes that:

• Children aged 7 to 12 are the most susceptible, while children under 2 rarely get it.
• Women are affected more often than men.
• A large share of the tendency is inherited. If your parents got seasick, you are more likely to.

Your own history is the best predictor. People who get carsick or airsick, or who felt queasy on ferries and small boats, are more likely to feel it on a cruise ship too.

Most people adapt. Symptoms, when they come, are often worst in the first day or two and ease as the body adjusts. Some people then feel “land sickness,” a rocking sensation after getting off, for a day or so.

The cabin that moves least

A ship pitches (bow up and down) and rolls (side to side) around its center. The further you are from that point, the more you feel.

• Midship beats forward or aft. The bow moves most in a head sea. The stern can also move, and adds engine vibration.
• Lower decks beat higher decks. Roll is magnified with height, so a cabin on deck 12 sways more than one on deck 4. Royal Caribbean’s own advice is that the lower you are to the waterline and the closer to the center of the ship, the less movement you will feel.
• A window helps. Being able to see the horizon reduces sensory conflict. An inside cabin is dark and still-looking, which some sensitive sleepers find worse.

The catch is that the lowest midship cabins are also popular for this reason, and a guarantee cabin can put you anywhere. If anyone in your party is prone to motion sickness, pick the cabin yourself. Our guides to the best cabin location on a cruise ship and inside, ocean view or balcony explain how to read the deck plan.

Calmer and rougher itineraries

Ship size helps a little. In general a large, heavy ship responds less to short, choppy waves than a small one, which is why a 3,000-passenger ship on a Caribbean route feels steadier than a ferry. Against a long ocean swell, though, even the biggest ships move, and the route matters far more than the ship.

Sheltered water and warm-season weather mean less motion; open ocean and winter storms mean more.

Timing matters as well. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and NOAA’s climatology shows activity peaking around September 10, with most storms between mid-August and mid-October. Ships steer around storms, but the swell they create reaches much further than the storm itself. If you are nervous about motion, a Caribbean cruise between December and April is the safer pick. More on timing in the best time to book a cruise.

If you are drawn to one-way ocean crossings, which are among the best-value sailings, be honest with yourself about sea days: our sister site explains how repositioning cruises work, and they often mean five or more days of open ocean.

Seasickness medication: what the CDC says works

Medication works best taken before you feel sick. Once nausea sets in, tablets are harder to keep down and slower to help. The CDC lists these options:

A few points from the official guidance are worth knowing before you choose:

• Drowsiness is the most common side effect of all of these. Scopolamine more often causes dry mouth and dry eyes, and should be avoided by people with glaucoma or prostate problems.
• Non-drowsy allergy pills do not work. The CDC says cetirizine, fexofenadine and loratadine are not effective for motion sickness.
• Children need different treatment. The CDC advises against scopolamine for children because of the risk of hallucinations, and suggests behavioral measures first. Ask a pediatrician before giving any medication.
• Older adults should be cautious. MedlinePlus notes that older adults should not usually take meclizine without advice, and the CDC flags balance problems with scopolamine.
• Do not drink on it. Alcohol adds to the drowsiness, which is one more reason not to assume you will use every day of a drink package.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you travel, particularly if you take other medications. A prescription for scopolamine is much easier to get at home than at sea.

Ginger, wristbands and other remedies

Plenty of passengers swear by ginger candies and acupressure wristbands. The evidence is less kind. The CDC describes the evidence for ginger as weak and contradictory, and says acupressure bands are no more effective than placebo. The NHS is slightly more open, saying ginger may help and that results with bands vary.

They are harmless for most people, so if they work for you, use them. Just do not rely on them alone for a rough crossing.

Behavioral measures have better support. Both the CDC and NHS recommend:

• Looking at the horizon and getting fresh air on an open deck.
• Staying in the middle of the ship and as low as you comfortably can.
• Avoiding reading and screens while the ship is moving.
• Lying down on your back with your eyes closed if symptoms start.
• Avoiding heavy meals and alcohol before and during rough weather.

What the ship does, and what it sells

Modern cruise ships use retractable fin stabilizers that extend from the hull and counter the roll while the ship is moving. They are very effective against side-to-side motion and less so against the up-and-down pitch of a head sea, and most only work while the ship is under way. The captain may also change course or speed to put the swell in a more comfortable direction, and the lines’ contracts allow them to skip or change ports because of weather.

If you feel sick on board, the ship can help, but it will cost you. Carnival says meclizine can be bought at the medical center, at guest services or through room service, that patches and wristbands are not stocked, and that the medical center can give an injection for severe cases for a fee. Princess sells over-the-counter remedies in its medical center and shops. The CDC advises bringing your own medication for this reason. Put it in your carry-on, not your checked bag, since luggage may not reach your cabin until the evening; our cruise packing list covers what else belongs in that bag.

Medical center visits are billed to your onboard account and are rarely covered by US health insurance, which is one reason to consider cruise travel insurance if anyone in your party has health concerns.

When seasickness needs the ship’s doctor

For most people, seasickness is unpleasant and short. It becomes a medical issue when vomiting goes on long enough that you cannot keep fluids down, because dehydration then makes everything worse. That is the point to call the medical center rather than waiting it out in the cabin, particularly for children, older passengers and anyone on regular medication. The ship’s medical team deals with seasickness constantly and can treat it quickly. Tell them what you have already taken, and keep the packaging so they can see the doses.

A simple plan if you are worried

1. Choose a calm route for a first cruise: the Caribbean between December and April, or Alaska’s Inside Passage in summer.
2. Book a midship cabin on a low or middle deck yourself, rather than a guarantee.
3. Ask your doctor about scopolamine, or buy meclizine at home.
4. Take it before sailaway on the first day and before any forecast rough day. The daily program and the captain’s noon announcement usually give sea conditions.
5. If symptoms start, go outside, low and midship, and look at the horizon.

Most first-time cruisers who follow this never need the last step. The first cruise tips guide makes the same point: open sea is usually calmer than people imagine, and preparing before you board is far easier than fixing it once you feel sick.