Took some ginger pills on a Princess cruise and also took Coke on a recent snorkeling trip. It was a bad idea. Thanks for your reply. I think I'm not fated to ever visit that beautiful place then.

It sounds like you need heavier artillery than just ginger and Coke. There is an OTC preventative called meclizine that is very effective (it's the active ingredient in Bonine); ask for meclizine at the pharmacy counter. It doesn't make me drowsy like Dramamine. Don't be stubborn--like I used to be!--and wait until you feel queasy to take it. Start taking it before you board the boat. I've not used one, but many people also swear by the Scopolamine patch, which you wear behind your ear.

You wouldn't believe the number of scuba divers who get seasick. I used to get queasy just being on the boat at the dock. Here are some strategies to try that I learned the hard way: Don't skip meals thinking you won't get sick. Heaving on an empty stomach is worse. Eat light meals and avoid a lot of spicy and greasy foods. Stand up while the boat is underway, and roll with its movements. This helps acclimate your inner ear. Watch the horizon. It's been years since I've been even queasy, and I no longer need any meds at all.

my sister is the most motion sick person i know. she gets car sick, air sick, sea sick and she did GREAT on our galapagos trip. she takes a prescription med along with a patch normally but the combo puts her to sleep. so she experimented with a patch and half a pill and that was the magic combo for her. she did better on the boat than most people at that point. we were so excited for her! so there is hope, don't give up on going. you just have to find the right meds. talk to your doc.

We were in the Galápagos last Sept.--the time of the choppiest seas. Among our group of 16, about 2/3s used some kind of motion sickness remedy. By far, the majority were using the scopolamine patch mentioned in #4's response. My husband is a sailor, so we figured he'd be fine; I had never been on more than a day trip, so we brought the patches along for me in case I had a problem. Ironically, it was my husband who was affected and I was fine. (I think it had to do with being inside. Any time he was on deck and could see the horizon, he was fine.) The patches worked great for everyone who was using them; however, at least with our drug coverage, they were a bit expensive--but well worth it, in my opinion.

So as a cautionary tale for any who think they don't need to bring something--you might think again. It's a simple thing to bring along some treatment; and why risk ruining the trip because of something that is so easily preventable? One note of caution--the patches we had were designed to be replaced every 3 days. However, my husband accidentally washed a couple of them off in the shower. Luckily, we had spares, so there wasn't a problem. But if you're taking patches, see if you can bring a few spares.

Tina

trip report at http://galapagos2009.wordpress.com/

This is a rather pricey remedy, but when we were on a week long small boat (62 ft.) trip in Alaska a few years ago, a couple used these gizmos...

http://www.seasicknessreliefband.com/relief-band-premier-loaded-carrying-case-and-accessories_p_10.html?gclid=CKOJ_K-Sj6ECFds45wodPEffNQ

They fidgeted w/them, as soon as we left the dock in Sitka and they were good for the entire week. Both said w/o these little gems, they would not have been able to do a trip like what we were on.

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