My husband and I went on one cruise 18 years ago and I got pretty seasick so we have not tried it again. I was wearing a scapolimine (sp?) patch which didn't do much good. This was a on a pretty small boat (one of the now defunct "Big Red Boats") in June and the waves were pretty bad (others were sick too). I've wanted to try another one - but certainly don't want to waste our time or money. Some of the boats appear to be 2x to 3x bigger than the one we were on and some have told me this will make a world of difference? Opinions? We certainly have other vacation options but I have always wondered if trying it one more time might be worth it....

Ships today have stabilizers that really do the job as so much
has changed for the better in 18 years.

However, a couple of caveats: Always book a cabin midships;
not the bow or aft.

Ironically, the 'better' cabins, suites & private club rooms
are always at the very top where there WILL be sway...one pays
much more for this. If you stick to a cabin lower down you will be infinitely more comfortable. (Ex. I am trying a 18-deck ship for the itinerary and was upgraded to deck 9 altho I booked deck 5)...we shall see how the comfort level goes.

Beyond that, do not book in hurricane weather for the Carib.
& look for ships that are in the small to medium pax range
which is what I normally do.

Hi Ill,

As noted, a lot has changed in 18 years.

One cruiser told me that her motto for choosing a cabin was "Low and Inside". That's the most stable area of the boat. It's also the cheapest.

Another thing to consider about the big ships is that they are small cities - The Oasis of the seas is 220,000 tons and carries 5400 passehgers.

Good luck in your planning.

I get seasick thinking about water and have successfully cruised about 5-6 times. If you like the idea of a cruise, then go for it for reasons mentioned above. Talk to your doctor before going - there might be better options for you than the patch - and if you go with an arsenal of remedies you will feel safer.

Great cruise deals out there these days.

Thanks everyone! There are some good deals on cruises right now - thus my thinking about it again. I think we will try one in December leaving from NOLA - since that is a favorite destination as well...

I get sick, and the trick is, as others told you, in choosing the right cabin location. Divide the ship in 3 parts length-wise, you want to be in the middle part only.

Now, divide the ship in half for lower and upper halves, you want to be in the lower one, but not on the lowest level, not the first one they sell.

Bring medicine with you, just in case. I take ginger pills, start 1-2 days before the cruise, during the cruise, and take them 2-3 days after to avoid "sea legs." Also Bonine (meclezine) is non-drowsy.

And of course, cruise on a large ship that takes approx. 2,000 people or more.

Some great advice from a lot of people here. One thing to add: you might also consider the itinerary. For example, if you sail to Aruba, the day-long slog back is always very choppy. Look for itineraries that don't cover as much open sea and you'll do better.

Watch the drugs. Some excellent drugs are available to control seasickness, but you would not want to take them - drugs from the phenothiazine family, such as Compazine and Thorazine, but you wouldn't want to take them as they have rather alarming side effects in some people. They are available over the counter in some places. If you need a med, go to your family doctor and get advice, and ask a few questions. Other wise all the standard advice holds. Select proper cabins on calm routes in larger ships.