Tips for our Cruise-help! :)

Hi Everyone-

My husband and I recently celebrated 12 years of wedded bliss!!! He surprised me with a Cruise to the Bahamas!!! We have never been on a cruise and we are quite excited for it!! One of our Day Excursions is Swimming with Dolphins!! yay!!

Anyway, I was wondering what advice you all have for us first-time "Cruisers"? I am of course worried about getting a migraine and sea-sickness. (I don't know if there is a Nurse on board the ship for minor emergencies at all or if that would even offer any relief if I get a migraine?) I would love tips on all aspects of the cruise, not necessarily just related to migraines!!

I am excited to hear what words of wisdom you can offer us for our trip!!

Thank you so much for your help!!
carlajo:)

On a typical cruise ship (thousands of people), its rare to feel sick, even for those prone to motion sickness. Even with some moderate rocking, I did absolutely fine while taking some Bonine during my cruise (as a precaution). Its otc and doesn't make me groggy. For plane and car rides, I add sea bands (those pressure point wrist bands). Sometimes they have the otc seasickness stuff available, sometimes you have to buy it. I'd bring enough so you don't have to go find it after you feel sick (it doesn't work as well after--better as a preventative). I like the Bonine since its non-drowsy, cheap, comes in a chewable form, there isn't an interaction with alcohol (not that I follow those anyways lol), and you take 1-2 pills every 24 hours. I'd try a dose at home because a small percentage still get drowsy on it. If you think you might get seasick, and you know you can tolerate whatever treatment you choose, I'd just take it so you don't have the anxiety over it.

Additionally, booking a mid-ship (and mid deck height) room can really help. In the front and back you really feel the motion. The front more so, and in the back, you get the engine vibration. Same if you start to feel sick--stay mid-ship. Some people to better out on deck seeing the waves, some not at all...depends on the person. Don't let fears of seasickness give you anxiety about the cruise though--for 99% of people its not a problem. Large ship with the fancy stabilizers and such. Most of the time you don't even feel the moving. Hurricane season (late summer & early fall?) can be a bit worse, but not bad, as they steer away from storms.

There are some great cruise forums out there if you have specific questions. I found it very helpful to browse before our cruise last year. You can get the insider info on the cruise line, ship, amenities, additional costs to budget for, shore excursions, etc.

As far as migraines, make sure to bring any meds and treatments you typically use. Keep them in their original packaging in your carry on bag. Many get less migraines while on vacation (maybe besides the plane trip or travel day stress). If you do get a migraine, most cruiselines have free room service. If you use ice, you may want to bring an old fashioned ice bag to fill up (your room attendant can get you some if they don't have a public machine). Yes, if you are in really bad shape, they have a doctor. I'd check your coverage on that before you go. Your insurance may not apply, and even a travel policy might not cover migraine? If you are a common ER visitor for migraine, you may want to get a letter from your doctor stating your condition, what meds you take, and a typical ER treatment that helps you. I had a precautionary letter like this in case they gave me trouble with my meds going oversees (I keep my bag of like 10 prescription bottles in my carry on, so if I get searched, I usually get the "poor you" look, but I've never had a problem as they are all in the bottles with my name).

Another thing for migraine prevention is to not do too much more on the trip than you'd normally do. If you usually just work and then go home or something, don't push yourself to do two physical excursions in a day and then party at night... In general for cruises, don't feel like you have to do an excursion each port. You can miss out on seeing the city, shopping, trying local cuisine, etc. Also, check the cancellation policy for any excursions you book so you are comfortable with it (if you have to cancel due to migraine or whatever). In the same way, don't gear yourself up so much for an excursion that you will feel like the cruise would be ruined without it. Every once in awhile the ship has to miss a port or it will get canceled due to weather or whatever. There may be a chance to do the same thing at another port, but it depends. There is a lot of online info nowadays on planning your own excursion. Our favorite cruise excursion was the one we planned ourselves. We took the local bus to a beach away from where the tourists go and have a wonderful chill day with lunch. Just allow lot and lots of time so you don't miss the ship in any case (if you are back early, as expected, then you can still walk around and such closer to the ship).

Good luck!

Wow that's exciting news! I went on my first cruise last year - Alaskan inside passage (totally exciting and amazing). I get quite severe vertigo on all forms of transport (makes you wonder why I go anywhere!!!) and will be honest that the motion sickness did bother me. I took Stemetil with me and that did help. What helped the most was an Acupuncturist on board. I had a couple of treatments and she also stuck these little seeds on a couple of motion sickness points in my ears that I could press when feeling really bad. I know it sounds really weird but it did actually help! Mid ship is definately best and if you have a window or balcony even better. I personally found being out in the fresh air helped a lot.

Most if not all cruise ships have a nurse or doctor on board so you should be fine in that regards. How long is the cruise for? Definately get off at any ports of call - a bit of stable land helps settle things back down.

My tip would be to start looking at shore excursions now. Some of the really popular ones book out even before you start your cruise. I also found there was so much to choose from and didn't want to waste time looking at brochures on the ship! Too many other things to see and do - even just exploring the places is fun.

very exciting....I love planning holidays :-)