Passport At The Ready

We were about to cross the Drake Passage on an Antarctic cruise—famously one of the roughest stretches of sea in the world—so it seemed like the perfect time to find out which seasickness remedies actually work.

The Drake Passage has a bit of a reputation. Sometimes it’s calm, but just as often it reminds you who’s in charge. Yes, you can skip it by flying to Antarctica… but that felt a bit like cheating. What’s an adventure without a little uncertainty?

Are You Likely to Get Seasick?

This is the big question—and frustratingly, there’s no simple answer.

Some people can read a book in a storm and feel absolutely fine. Others feel queasy before the boat has even left the harbour. We’re somewhere in the middle. Meanwhile, our eldest daughter practically feels seasick just thinking about boats.

If you’ve ever had motion sickness in a car, on a plane, or even on a theme park ride, there’s a good chance you might feel it at sea too.

What Actually Causes Seasickness?

Seasickness is basically your brain getting confused.

Seasickness occurs when your body receives conflicting signals about motion. The balance system in your inner ear detects movement from the rocking of the boat, while your eyes and other senses may tell your brain that you are relatively still. This mismatch confuses the brain.

There’s even a theory that your brain thinks you’ve been poisoned (because your senses aren’t agreeing), so it reacts accordingly… which isn’t particularly helpful when you’re on a ship.

Although vision plays a major role in how we perceive motion, it isn’t the only factor. Even people who are blind can experience seasickness, which shows that the inner ear’s balance system is crucial. This also explains why simply closing your eyes doesn’t always relieve the symptoms.

Things that tend to make it worse:

• Reading or looking at screens
• Strong smells or stuffy spaces
• Feeling tired
• Stress or excitement (especially in children—we’ve definitely seen that one firsthand; our daughter was car sick when going on holiday, and we hadn’t even left our home town)

Seasickness Remedies: What’s Worth Trying?

Before our trip, we looked into all the usual remedies.

Seasickness Tablets

What is available can depend on where you are in the world. Medicine names and rules change from country to country.

Meclizine: This is a popular choice for many travellers. Meclizine is often chosen because it tends to cause less drowsiness than other options. It’s usually taken before you travel and is often available without a prescription. Available in the U.S.A., not in the UK.

Dimenhydrinate: This is one of the most widely available seasickness medicines worldwide. It can be taken before or during your journey, making it a flexible option—but it can make you feel sleepy. More common in Europe than in the UK, but can be purchased online from retailers such as Dramamine Original Formula.

Scopolamine: If you’re going on a longer trip, this patch (placed behind the ear) is a popular choice. It lasts much longer than tablets, but in many places you’ll need a prescription to get it.

Promethazine: A stronger option that’s sometimes used for more intense symptoms. It’s effective, but it can cause quite a bit of drowsiness and is usually available only by prescription.

Cinnarizine: Found in the UK in Stugeron 15. One of the more effective and doesn’t cause drowsiness.

Hyoscine hydrobromide: Found in the UK in Kwells. Works quickly (20–30 minutes), ideal for short or rough ferry crossings.

One thing we learned: what works for one person doesn’t always work for another. Our daughter found that the normal popular brand didn’t work for her, but another brand was much better.

Sea-Bands

They’re simple wristbands with a small ball that press on a pressure point, intended to reduce nausea. Some studies say they help—but in our experience, the results were… unclear.

When the kids wore them, they still felt sick at times. Maybe the bands helped a bit? Maybe not. It’s hard to say.

Ginger

Ginger is used worldwide to settle a queasy tummy. Studies have shown that it can help and is more effective than a placebo, but it might not work for severe seasickness.

You can take ginger in various forms: powder, capsules, ginger sweets, biscuits or ginger tea.  But don’t take too much, as it can cause stomach upset.

Even if it doesn’t work, if you like ginger, it is a good excuse to eat a few ginger biscuits.

Other foods

• Some people find eating an apple helps, but there is no evidence that it does much.
• Sniffing or sucking on citrus fruit is said to help. This might make a few people feel slightly better, but it is not very effective.

Eating and drinking

This is something we don’t usually consider.

• An empty stomach makes things worse
• Greasy food is not your friend
• Plain foods (like toast or crackers) are much better
• Small amounts, eaten regularly, help

And despite the old tradition of “gin and bitters,” alcohol actually makes things worse. Water is a much better choice.

Tips for Avoiding Seasickness on a Cruise

A few small choices can make a big difference.

• Choose a larger ship.
• Pick a cabin mid-ship (it’s the most stable spot)
• Go for a lower deck
• Fresh air helps—so a balcony cabin is ideal
• Look at the horizon, not the waves
• Guest service can sometimes provide seasickness tablets
• If you feel very bad, see the cruise doctor; they have other options, but this will be an expensive last resort.  
• We found that on small boats, choosing a bed in the port-to-starboard direction is a better direction to get rocked in. It leads to a better night’s sleep, which helps with seasickness.

What If You Do Feel Seasick?

First of all, you have my sympathy. It’s not fun.

If it happens:

• Go outside for fresh air
• Focus on the horizon
• Eat something light
• Sip water
• Take medication if you have it

Distraction helps too—but not reading or scrolling. Chatting or listening to something works much better.

Beforehand, if you often feel seasick

• Make sure you get a good night’s sleep.
• Pack a sick bag
• For day trips, pack a spare set of clothes. My daughter was sick as her plane was landing. Unfortunately, she got her clothes dirty, and the airline then lost her baggage for a week.

So… What Happened on the Drake Passage?

After all that preparation, we were ready to properly test various remedies.

And then… the Drake Passage behaved itself on the outward and return journey.

We were expecting rough seas, and the captain even advised everyone to take tablets the night before. We stuck with sea-bands.

In reality:

• It was a bit wobbly, but manageable
• Walking in a straight line took some concentration
• Most people were absolutely fine

The biggest challenge? Avoiding people carrying drinks who were swaying a bit too enthusiastically.

What we found

• I did avoid my normal fried breakfast, but I’m not sure that was necessary.
• At one point, David took his sea-bands off because they were uncomfortable—and didn’t notice any difference at all. Sea bands aren’t comfortable for all people.
• Choosing a berth, midship and lower down was a good idea. We had some friends who had a berth at the aft, and they said they felt a bit sick but felt better when they left their cabin.

Don’t Let Seasickness Put You Off

What we did learn was that a lot of people were apprehensive about travelling through the Drake Passage, and they didn’t need to be on our trip.

Don’t worry about seasickness—even on routes like the Drake Passage.

But here’s the thing: even when it happens, it doesn’t last forever. And it’s rarely as bad as you imagine beforehand.

With a bit of preparation—and the right mindset—you’ll almost certainly be fine.

And once it’s over? You hopefully forget the queasy moments far quicker than the incredible experience of being there.