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Seasickness is motion sickness that happens only when on the water. The inner ear becomes unbalanced due to the rocking motion of a boat or ship. The part of the brain that controls balance becomes confused because it sees objects that are normally stationary, such as pictures and furniture, suddenly become mobile. Seasickness begins with a cold sweat, is followed by an upset stomach with fatigue, and ends in nausea and vomiting. Use these tips to learn how to treat seasickness.



  1. 1
    Stay close to the middle of the vessel. The middle has less motion than the bow and stern. Find a place to sit and relax in the middle of the cruise ship deck and take some deep breaths of fresh air.
  2. 2
    Look at the horizon. The stationary horizon will always appear still and in the same place. Your brain will recognize the stillness and send clues to your inner ear. Your inner ear, then regains its balance and the seasick feeling subsides.
  3. 3
    Eat a bland diet. The food on a cruise ship might be tempting, but it's better to stick to bland foods like crackers and bread. Following the B.R.A.T. diet, which stands for bananas, rice, applesauce and toast, helps, too. Stay away from alcoholic drinks and substitute water or tea.
  4. 4
    Take ginger capsules or eat ginger cookies. Ginger is a natural remedy for nausea. The ginger in the capsules and cookies must be real ginger, rather than artificial ginger flavoring. If you can find ginger ale containing real ginger, taking small and frequent sips can alleviate nausea.
  5. 5
    Use medication. There are over the counter medicines that you can purchase before a trip or get from the ship's doctor to treat seasickness. Anti-nausea patches provide a time-release of medication. These small patches are placed behind the ear and can last up to 3 days. If you know you are susceptible to seasickness, talk to your physician prior to your trip and have him prescribe you prescription sedatives, which can combat nausea.
  6. 6
    Apply acupressure to the inside of your wrists. Motion sickness bands apply pressure to the median nerve in the wrist, which is in charge of nausea. The bands are available over the counter.
  7. 7
    Avoid thinking about feeling seasick. Keeping your mind occupied on anything other than the nausea and sweating can help reduce the seasick feeling. Staying active, or as active as you feel up to, can also help to keep you from dwelling on how you feel.
  8. 8
    Steer the boat. While this is not possible on a cruise ship, it is possible if you are out on a boat with friends or family. Steering the boat will help you concentrate on something other than feeling sick, it will force you to look at the horizon and it allows you to anticipate the movement of the boat, giving your body ample time to prepare it's response.



  • Rooms on cruise ships tend to be small. Small rooms can aggravate a case of seasickness, so stay out of your room as much as possible.
  • To prevent seasickness, you can also drink lots and lots of water to keep your mind off things.

Things You'll Need

  • Anti-nausea medication
  • Motion sickness bands
  • Ginger capsules, cookies or ale
  • Bland foods
  • Water or tea

Article Info

Categories: Nausea and Vomiting

In other languages:

Italiano: Curare il Mal di Mare, Español: curar el mareo causado por el movimiento del agua, Português: Tratar Enjoo no Mar, Русский: лечить морскую болезнь

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