Bargain Cruise

Feature Article

Green Is Not Your Color

Keep Your Balance

In many ways, boarding a cruise ship is like checking into a hotel. The preparations for your cruise are in many respects similar to those for any regular holiday. The only difference is, you'll be staying at a hotel on water. Can you be sure you won't get seasick?

There's a very simple anatomical explanation for seasickness: the inner human ear contains little nerve strands that control balance - and which can be disturbed by the continuous movement of the ship on the water.

Normally, it will take up to a few days for you to get used to walking on "shaking ground". However, most of us will not be willing to wait that long. It's not very pleasant to spend the first days of your cruise lying on the bed in your cabin, with an upset stomach. Fortunately, there is over-the-counter medication that can help.

One of the medicines available is Dramamine, and you can get it without a prescription. It might make you feel sleepy or lethargic due to the anti-histamines it contains, but it's better than feeling sick. You can start with a dose a few hours before departure, to avoid any risks.

Motion sickness patches are another option, but you'll need a prescription for them. You can apply it behind your ear and it will release some medicine through the pores of your skin into your blood stream. Again, it is recommended that you start using it a few hours before you set sail. The less pleasant part is that it has side effects such as sleepiness, cotton mouth, and distorted vision. You should avoid alcohol, because it could enhance those effects.

Those who trust acupuncture might want to try wearing a Sea-Band - a wristband with a button on the inside which presses certain points on your wrist. It's a less usual method, but it's known to work.

If you don't want to try any medicines or treatments at all, dry crackers, ginger ale or crystallized ginger might work. Lying down or drawing a breath of fresh air can also bring some relief, and some people say that looking at the horizon will improve your balance.

You cannot predict seasickness - you have to sail in order to know if you're prone to it. But if you know you sometimes get sick in a car or an airplane, you shouldn't wait till you're on the ship to prepare yourself. Make sure you have some kind of remedy with you. Also, take into account that the motion tends to be stronger in smaller ships than in larger ones, so it might be safer to look for a big ship and book a cabin with a window or a porthole. Have a well-balanced cruise!

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