I’ve Tried Every Seasickness Remedy – Here’s What Actually Works For Me

I took a Transatlantic crossing onboard the last Ocean Liner at sea, Queen Mary 2, in winter.

That probably wasn’t a very sensible plan, as I know that I get seasick when things get rough.

I had always wanted to take this iconic voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, and the very reasonable fares they offer in the winter months were too much for me to resist.

There were days and days when we could see nothing but rough Atlantic seas. I was very grateful I was on an Ocean Liner, not a regular cruise ship.

It is an experience I will never forget, but I certainly won’t be rushing to book another transatlantic crossing any time soon!

I am prone to seasickness when the seas are rough. I’ve tested a ridiculous number of remedies, and in this article, we look at what actually works for me – and what definitely doesn’t!

What Actually Helps…

There are lots of things you can do to help yourself – from choosing the right cabin, managing your daily routines, learning what to eat and what to avoid – before you even think about reaching for the seasickness medications.

#1.Plan Ahead

With some careful planning, you can lessen the chance of getting seasick before you even step onboard the ship:

• Itineraries.
  • Ideally, pick cruises with no or few consecutive sea days.
    • There is nothing worse than knowing you are days away from land, and you are unlikely to feel better soon.
  • Avoid stormy seasons and notorious routes if you are worried about seasickness.
    • Avoid transatlantic crossings, the Bay of Biscay, Drake’s Passage, etc.
• Choose Your Ship Carefully.
  • Newer ships handle rough seas better.
  • They will have the latest technology onboard, and stabilisers to keep the ship as stable as possible.
  • Older, smaller ships with retrofitted stabilisers are unlikely to handle rough seas as well.
  • Even the Queen Mary 2, which was built for rough seas, may still rock during a rough transatlantic crossing in winter.
• Cabin location.
  • Choose a midship cabin location on a low deck to feel the least amount of movement.
  • Avoid very forward or very aft positions, and those with very high decks if you’re sensitive to the ship’s movements.
• Be flexible with your daily schedule.
  • If the forecast turns rough, plan to visit more low-down venues on heavy-swell days.
    • I remember being in the buffet of P&O’s Ventura, and the cups sliding across the table. The buffet was at the top and at the back of the ship.
    • The coffee shop in the middle of deck five on the same ship felt hardly any movement at all…

Have a look at that rocky Christmas cruise on P&O’s Ventura here:

#2. Onboard Habits That Genuinely Help Me

These are the things I do if I am feeling seasick:

• I find that getting outside to get some fresh air and looking at a steady, fixed horizon helps.
  • If the outside decks are closed for safety reasons, I will find a seat by a window on a lower deck.

If I have a balcony, go out onto that to get some fresh air – or maybe borrow the balcony of someone else in your cruise party, if you don’t have your own!

• Gentle walking often helps.
  • If I can’t get outside on the Prom deck, I will walk around the public areas on the lower decks.
• If all else fails, I will go back to my cabin, lie down with my eyes shut and try to sleep.
  • I usually wake up feeling better.
  • I avoid staying up for late-night shows on rough days.
• I don’t read much or stare at screens.
  • I find close focus work doesn’t help me at all!
  • I switch to audio (lectures, podcasts) instead of reading.

#3.Food & drink: What I Actually Reach For

I know what to eat and what to avoid if I am feeling seasick – I have had years of practice!

• I eat little and often.
  • I avoid large meals that make me feel unwell, but I need to eat something because having a completely empty stomach doesn’t help either.
• Ginger biscuits or green apples help me with nausea.
• I drink water or peppermint tea, rather than anything alcoholic.
• My safe foods are things like bread rolls, fruit, crackers or bananas.

#4. Venues And Activities That Make It Easier

Choose your venues and activities carefully on rough days:

• I prefer to be in low-down lounges, pubs, or midship cafés.
  • I avoid high-up panoramic observation lounges on rough days.
• Planetariums and theatres are fine, as they tend to be located on lower decks (even though theatres are often situated at the front of the ship).
  • If I’m not staring down at a daily schedule or phone, it helps.
  • I sit at the end of the row by the aisle so I can make a quick exit if necessary.
• I try to do a bit of light exercise, like a promenade deck walk.

I sailed to Norway “In search of the Northern Lights” on Fred Olsen’s Bolette. In hindsight, taking a trip across the North Sea, on a smaller ship in winter, wasn’t a great idea!

Find out why here:

#5. Things I’ve Tried That Didn’t Help Me (but might help others)

You need to find the things that suit you, and this only comes with practice.

• Some people swear by acupuncture/acupressure/ wrist bands (like Sea Bands), but they did nothing for me.
• Others use wristbands that deliver electrical impulses to the median nerve on the underside of the wrist.
  • Employing “neuromodulation” is supposed to disrupt nausea signals between the brain and stomach.
  • This is supposed to prevent feelings of sickness.
  • Many people swear by these expensive wristbands, but I didn’t get good results with them.

For me, being zapped by what felt like small electric shocks was uncomfortable and unpleasant. Sure, it took your mind off the fact you were feeling seasick – but only by replacing it with something much worse!

#6. Mindset & Expectations

Step onboard with a realistic mindset.

• You can’t totally prevent motion when you sail. Rough days happen.
  • For me it’s still worth it, because the good days at sea outweigh the wobbly, unpleasant ones.
• I don’t plan a full schedule of activities because then I won’t feel disappointed if I don’t get everything done.
  • To me, cruising is about doing as little or as much as I want.
  • I certainly don’t feel like I have failed in some way if I have to go and have a lie down because the seas are rough.

#7. Medications (my last line of defence)

If you are worried about seasickness, it is a good idea to talk to your pharmacist or doctor.

If you are taking a new seasickness medication, it might be best to try some on dry land first, to make sure it doesn’t have an adverse effect on you. (Learn from my mistake, I didn’t do that – and lived to regret it!)

Medications that I have used:

• Stugeron (cinnarizine): works fine for me, although it does make me drowsy.
• Kwells (hyoscine hydrobromide): also works in the same way, and again, makes me sleepy.
• Bonine (meclizine): This works best for me, but it’s not available in the UK.
  • It’s become my personal go-to when I can get it.
• Patch behind the ear (scopolamine): This is the medication I tried for the first time on a cruise – and lived to regret it!
  • It messed up my eyesight so much that my vision went fuzzy, and I couldn’t even focus to turn off my phone’s alarm.
  • It was genuinely very scary, so I will never use patches again – I would prefer to feel seasick.

The Guidance I Always Follow:

• I don’t take more than one medication.
• I avoid alcohol when I’ve taken medication.
• If the Captain says he is expecting rough weather, I take a dose straight away.
  • I don’t wait until I start to feel ill, for me, prevention is better than cure.

What I Pack To Help With Seasickness

When I sail, I always pack:

• Seasickness medication.
• Ginger biscuits.
• A refillable water bottle.
• A jumper and a “Pac a Mac” (lightweight raincoat) for walking around the promenade deck on rough days.
• Earplugs so I can block everything out and sleep when I need to.

I will always want to book cruises, but if I am worried about seasickness due to the route or the season, I will normally try to pick an itinerary with few sea days.

I have to accept that I might have a few “write off days” where I don’t feel up to doing very much.

I plan ahead and pack sensibly, and use my tried and trusted methods to try and keep seasickness at bay.

I don’t think I will be booking another transatlantic crossing anytime soon, seven consecutive sea days just doesn’t suit me at all…

Have a closer look at my Queen Mary 2 transatlantic cruise here:

Before You Go

Find out about some cruises you might want to avoid if you get seasick here:

3 Cruises You Shouldn’t Take if You Get Travel Sick (I Tried Them and Regretted 2/3)

Find out which cabin location you should choose if you want to feel the least amount of ship movement here:

What is The Best Cabin Location on a Cruise For Avoiding Seasickness? (I’ve Tried Them All!)