If you want to get the best out of your cruise, there’s one thing you want to avoid at all costs: seasickness. This common ailment can strike at the most inconvenient of times and turn your gorgeous relaxing holiday into a nauseating nightmare. Luckily, if you know you’re prone to bouts of sickness, there is a cheap and easy way to conquer it.
Speaking to yacht charter company, The Boat Charter, Dr Gary Bartlett has shared his top tips for keeping seasickness at bay. He said that motion sickness is caused by an inner ear disturbance. “It usually occurs when you’re traveling by car, boat, plane, or train. Your body’s sensory organs send mixed messages to your brain, causing dizziness, lightheadedness, or nausea.
“You maintain balance with the help of signals sent by many parts of the body – for instance, your eyes and inner ears. Other sensory receptors in your legs and feet let your nervous system know what parts of your body are touching the ground.
“Conflicting signals can cause motion sickness. Motion sickness usually causes an upset stomach. Other symptoms include a cold sweat and dizziness. A person with motion sickness may become pale or complain of a headache.”
When it comes to how to treat it, Dr Bartlett shared some of the natural ways you cna combat sickness.
The first is where you sit. He said: “On the boat sit toward the front and try to avoid facing backward and focus on the horizon.”
If you’re on a longer cruise, try and secure the right cabin to keep you from feeling ill. Dr Bartlett said: “Ask for a cabin at water level and close to the front or the middle of the vessel. Open a vent for a source of fresh air if possible, and avoid reading on board. It’s also important to get plenty of rest the night before traveling.”
Make sure you stay hydrated and avoid alcohol to keep yourself from getting sick.
The third way you can fight seasickness is with the natural remedies of peppermint and ginger – try steeping a peppermint tea bag and a lump of raw ginger in hot water to make a nausea busting tea and sip it slowly.
Both of these items are incredibly cheap and easy to bring with you.
Dr Bartlett said: “Eat a good meal before travelling and stay away from greasy or acidic foods before and during your travels. Peppermint can help, as well as ginger. Although their effectiveness hasn’t been proven by science, these options are available.”