Sure, some stomachs are hardier than others. But sometimes, seasickness doesn’t offer preferential treatment. Even the most experienced sea-goers can find themselves slumped over the side of their vessel or toilet for hours in complete and utter misery.

Especially if you’re captaining the cruise, it’s so important you’ve planned ahead and have some quick fixes, should seasickness wash over you.

What exactly is seasickness? Its essentially motion sickness, but at sea. It’s a disturbance of the inner ear and can happen with any moving vehicle. It occurs when your brain receives conflicting messages about motion and your body’s relative position in space. Your inner ear is the area that affects your sense of balance and equilibrium when you receive these conflicting messages from different sensors.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms can include headaches, dizziness, sweating, nausea, vomiting…

It can strike very suddenly or be a long slow build-up. If you’re prone to migraines, you are more prone to motion sickness.

A severe case of seasickness can truly make you feel like you would do absolutely anything to escape the misery of it. It can be all-consuming and can require every ounce of strength to get through it.

Seasickness remedies

When anyone on board starts feeling symptoms of seasickness, or even to prevent it from coming on, implement some of these remedies:

1. Get plenty of fresh air. Don’t sit down or lie down in a bunk or stay below. Get out on deck and stand preferably as close as possible to the middle of the yacht. Focus on the horizon.
2. Eat lightly and try to eat plain foods to go easier on your stomach.
3. Avoid eating greasy foods, spicy foods or acidic foods. They will only add to the misery.
4. Be well rested prior to the voyage. If your body is running at full battery, you’ll have more resistance and ability to overcome any symptoms.
5. Bring antiemetic medicine. These are over-the-counter drugs effective against nausea and vomiting. Examples are Benadryl and Dramamine.
6. Wear an acupressure wristband. It’s like a bracelet and applies pressure to part of your wrist to help reduce the feeling of nausea.
7. Aromatherapy with ginger or lavender may help.
8. Ginger and peppermint are both known to soothe the stomach. Bring some along.
9. Dry crackers can help settle a queasy stomach.
10. See your doctor before the start of your cruise if you know you are prone to motion sickness. Scopolamine patches require a prescription but are well worth the relief from symptoms, and they don’t cause the drowsiness of over-the-counter meds, like Dramamine.

Suffering through seasickness is not pleasant in any way, shape or form. But with this list of seasickness remedies, hopefully the wretched experience will be minimized so you can get back to a happy and memorable cruise.