Sea Sick?
 

My husband and I will be traveling in September to the UK and Ireland. Portions of our trip will include taking a ferry from the UK to Ireland and back to the UK. We have reservations for ourselves and the rental car with Irish Ferries. Can anyone tell me about Irish Ferries? How rough does the Irish sea get and do we need to take anything for motion sickness? Seeing that we have never taken a ferry, any information would be helpful.

Hi Deb-- <BR> <BR>I don't know the Irish Sea, but I too have heard that it is rough. I hope someone else can help you with the ferry question. <BR> <BR>I thought I'd pass along my husband's favorite seasickness strategy. We sail a lot, and sometimes he needs a little help. Rather than taking medication when you board, he believes firmly in taking Bonine the night before, and sleeping on it. These medications tend to make you drowsy, so this method gives you a good balance between still having the stuff in your system, without feeling like you can barely hold your eyes open. <BR> <BR>The other thing is to stay where you have fresh air, and where you can see the horizon. This may mean staying on deck-- worth it even if it's cold! <BR> <BR>Of course, you may have smooth seas-- all the better!

No matter how smooth the seas, you can succumb to seasickness, if you're prone to it. <BR> <BR>I've used them, and other travelers swear by them as well: Transcop (sp?) patch

Hey, Deb.....My husband and I did took the ferry from Wales to Ireland two years ago......the sea was very calm and the ferry is kind of fun.....they even have a restaurant on board. I guess if you tend to get motion sickness, you might want to take something just in case, but I bet that you will feel fine. <BR> <BR>By the way, if you don't already have a place to stay that first night, you might look at the Clonard House, highly recommended by Karen Brown. We stayed there and loved it, also enjoyed the beautiful grounds. Just down the road a bit (to the right as you leave Clonard house) is a busy hotel and restaurant(on the left)...can't remember the name, but it is the first one (and last one for quite a bit) well, that restaurant has excellent food and the desserts are out of this world. The web site for Clonard House at Karen Brown's is: <BR> <BR>http://www.karenbrown.com/ireland/clonard.html <BR> <BR>Enjoy your trip and let us know the details when you come back! <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Here's the URL for a comprehensive list of European ferries: <BR> <BR>http://www.evasions.com/ferries.htm <BR> <BR>I haven't ferried over the Irish Sea, but the ferry across the Channel can certainly get pretty rough. I'd be prepared andhave some motion sickness pills (or patch, or whatever) on hand.

Sorry, Deb, meant to tell you that Clonard House is in Wexford, just a short drive from the ferry and it is very easy to find. When you call or email the owner, she will give you very good directions. About the ferry, you will wait in lines to drive aboard the ferry onto one of the levels where you will park your car. REMEMBER which level you parked in (we didn't and it took forever to go through all of them until we found our car). Then you will go up to the main floor which has a few different rooms. Bring something to read or cards to play.. the ride lasts awhile and once you have eaten and walked around, you have only the sea to look at. Also, we found that the other people aboard are very friendly for the most part and are quite willing to have conversations with you. :)

Deb, I've taken the Ferries a number of times... 4 times back and forth from Southern Ireland to Calais (overnights) and twice from Wales to Ireland. <BR>The ferries are pretty nice and they can be a lot of fun, also you can meet some pretty interesting people on them. However the food is pricey for what it is and a lot of it is GREASY!.. Of all the times I've been on this ferry I only got queasy once and that, I think was more from consuming greasy chips (Fries) then the motion of the ship.Luckily it didn't get too bad as I spent the rest of the chilly trip on deck staring at the horizon. But next time I would pack a little bit of Dramamine or some over the counter motion sickness drug, just in case.

Hi Deb, <BR>Our resident pharmacist, JOdy, recommends the patch for seasickness. She says the folks who've had her dispense it swear by it, and have enjoyed a lot of success (and subsequently enjoyed themselves)while on the water. <BR>Best Wishes for A Safe & Healthy Crossing, <BR>BC

Deb: <BR>Have sailed the high seas on and off for <BR>the past 30 years and never have acquired my sea legs. Dramimine works for me.

Deb, <BR>The Irish Sea can be rough at times but if the weather gets too bad they cancel the sailing but in Sept. you should be OK. Have you thought about flying ? Ryanair are offering excellent value at the moment, <BR> <BR>Cathy

Deb, <BR>I suffer from seasickness (even to the stage of not being able to go onto a floating restaurant much less eat on one). However, I have travelled on ferries from England to France and then Wales to Ireland with great success. <BR>My secret was to take a mild pill (in Australia we have one called Kwells which work well but don't knock you out) and then find a seat and DON'T move. Don't be tempted by the shops or activities - just sit. I got so cocky after the first successful crossing that I was tempted to move about the next time and it was nearly a disaster. <BR>We were sitting inside on all the trips because of the cold windy weather and that did not matter. <BR>Hope this is of some help to you.

I, too am cursed with motion sickness. From that standpoint, and the fact I am a nurse, here are my recommendations. The patch is excellent. The actual medication it contains is Scopolamine, which is used in conjuction with anesthesia to quell nausea in the OR. While both Bonine and Dramamine work well, they do tend to cause drowsiness. A good substitute is Antivert, a prescription drug I use which doesn't leave me comatose like the others. Be sure to have a little something on your stomach, like some saltines. An empty stomach will get seasick quicker than one with some food in it. Good luck, and have a great time.

Hi Deb. I've done a number of ferry crossings, not the Irish sea specifically, but which definitely involved rough water. <BR> <BR>If I watch the horizon in the distance, I find I rarely feel seasick. Whereas if I go to an indoor where there are no windows, the sensation of irregular motion seems heightened.