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Travel with kids

Cruising with children: the seasickness

This post is also available in: Deutsch

Written by Laura Ramerini. If you have chosen the cruise as a type of trip, remember that you could also deal with the annoying problem of seasickness. This problem manifests itself with nausea and dizziness and it is easy to suffer from it if you are at the first sailing experience.

The seasickness disorder is closely related to sea and weather conditions. The more the sea will be rough, the more easily it can annoy you, but especially your children.

In order to be able to live this eventuality with serenity, it is a good idea to pack effective products to combat the problem.

Before leaving, get advice from your pediatrician on the choice of the suitable drug: there are products on the market in drops (which I have not had a positive response personally), patches to put behind the ears, ginger-based candies and chewing gums (this spice is capable of effectively counteracting nausea problems) and tablets to be swallowed which in our case were the most effective.

Unfortunately, as you may have guessed, our family also had to deal with seasickness. Especially myself and my youngest child Mattia 6 years old. We got over seasickness with rest and using the tablets prescribed “at a high price” by the on-board doctor. The tablets or any other remedy to combat seasickness (nausea, dizziness) to be effective, will have to be taken when the first symptoms appear, otherwise they will be completely useless.

REMEDIES TO TREAT SEASICKNESS

There are also valuable tips offered by a Brazilian doctor who traveled with us. And who worked for a period on ships, which I would like to share with you. They could help you and they are:

  • Avoid drinking, as fluid intake accentuates the symptom of nausea and vomiting.
  • Try to rest by sleeping on your stomach on your bed.
  • Chew small pieces of bread or eat wedges of green apple carefully peeled and flavored with salt.
  • Chew a piece of ginger (on the cruise it is easily available, ask in the kitchen) which, as we said, will give relief during moments of nausea.
  • Take tablets for seasickness at the first symptoms avoiding for children the use of drugs containing substances that stimulate sleepiness.
  • The position of the ship’s cabin can also help, prefer a cabin located in the middle of the ship and at mid-height, it will help you relieve symptoms and rest better.

AVOID SEASICKNESS

But probably the best solution is to focus your senses on the horizon of the sea. Just look at the horizon until you see it stationary and horizontal by transferring your reference system from the ship you are on to the marine horizon. This will allow you to synchronize your view with the real movements that the ship undergoes. By synchronizing the reference system, the problem of seasickness generally ends. Avoid looking at things (a person, a book, the TV) where you don’t have a reference to the outside world.

Cruising with children: how to plan a cruise with children.

The cruise with children: life on board the ship.

Cruising with children: excursions.

This post is also available in: Deutsch