Anyone been at sea for an extended period of time before?

[PhillyB]

I've been out on boats on day trips and such but never for more than a handful of hours. I'm leaving in a few weeks across the pacific on a cargo ship... slightly apprehensive, mainly because the thought of getting seasick sucks hard, and i can just see getting out there and getting slammed by typhoons and barfing for a week straight.

Thoughts? Experiences? Advice? Wasn't CWG in the navy or something?

[Jbro]

On a boat that big you won't get seasick. I have been on a ton of cruises so I am comparing it to that.

[Doyle]

Philly, How do you get to go on all these trips? Is Donald Trump your dad?

I'm completely jealous.

[dimbee]

I went on a 7 day cruise around Alaska when I was 14... got a bad case of "seasickness." Which you and I would call my first case of "raging hangover" after getting shitfaced for the first time at the all night dance club/bar on the boat.

My family bought it though... I think. :D

[cookinwithgas]

73 days submerged. But on a sub it's smooth as glass. My stepson was on a destroyer for 4 years and he got used to it - and he really got tossed around, I've seen the pics and videos. Fresh air helps, so does fixating on an object that tosses around with you.

You can get these patches you put behind your ears that worked great for me (but I understand that don't work great for everyone). A submarine has a round hull so we just rolled all the way out to the dive point, and I had one of them behind each ear just to be sure.

[Hotsauce]

U won't get seasick on a cargo ship

[Hotsauce]

But after 6 days you will want to murder the entire crew....

[Hotsauce]

But after 6 days you will want to murder the entire crew....

Well, maybe that's just me....

[Kevin Greene]

You can definately get sick on a cruise ship, I'd imagine the same on a cargo ship.

Keep your stomach full as much as possible, avoid salads or stuff that would cause excess stomach acid. Apples are good for settling the stomach and beer helps too. :D

The wife and I once did a free repositioning cruise (she's a travel agent) up the West Coast from LA to Seattle. It was a smaller ship, maybe 40-50,000 tons. Anyway, we had the furthest forward cabin at the front of the ship, the floor even sloped up slightly at the front. It got so rough I could see her rising and falling while lying in bed form the swells. By the second night maybe 60% of the passengers weren't showing up for dinner, not us, party on. :D

In 2005 coming back from Mexico we hit some weather. Their were some really nice waves in the swimming pool. The kids had an absolute blast.

[PhillyB]

Philly, How do you get to go on all these trips? Is Donald Trump your dad?

I'm completely jealous.

i'm poor as hell but all my eggs are in one basket. i'll be writing a book during my weeks on the ship... so if all goes as i plan it i'll get it published and be able to eventually sustain myself with further writing.

thanks to everyone for the input. any other suggestions on avoiding sea-sickness?

[Guest Irv]

I was in the navy for 8 years and trust me you will get used to it fast. The first time i went on deployment it was for 9 months and after we got underway i got sea sick real bad. The LT doc who was a real laid back guy told me that the best way to get through it is sit on the deck anywhere close your eyes and rock with the ship for a few minutes and breathing deeply in out letting your body adjust till the nausea goes away.

It worked because that night i was in gym running on the treadmill nausea free.

[Hairless Cat]

81 days at sea straight on a tin can back in the old days before women were allowed on ships, there was e mail, sat phones, or any of the other sissified conveniences service members get now. Never got sea sick once and my time actual under way was over 2 1/2 years. Youll either be suceptible to sea sickness or you wont. there isnt much in between and not much you can do about it if your inner ear cant take it. The old salts used to tell the fng to eat saltines when they felt seasick - dont know if it worked or not because I never felt ill at sea- only felt ill once when shipboard, and that was after a hell of a binge in Panama City, Panama. Still wasnt sea sickness per se as we were transiting the canal eastward toward the caribean and theres little to no movement to speak of when transitting the canal - I attribute that spell to some sort of flu ( or possibly a hangover ) I caught from a gorgeous dark skinned costa rican girl I spent some quality time with while on liberty. I drank a piss pot full of Atlas, Balboa, and Panama beer on that cruise. Best liberty port in the western hemisphere for my money.

[Squirrel]

Not really typhoon season.

[Carolina Mike II]

As a person that has spent lots of time on the ocean (Pacific & Atlantic) if you are going to be on a Cargo Ship, You don't need to worry about getting sea sick. It is a CARGO SHIP!! Those things are HUGE and not that bad a ride.

Just remember "if" sick DO NOT go lay in a rack inside the skin of the ship!!!! That is the absolute worst thing to do!! Get your BUTT outside for 2 reasons. 1st it will help you & 2nd if you puke inside the ship they might just throw you overboard b/c that crap stinks up the entire ship!!!

If you are this worried, maybe you should just stay on land. :)