“What if I get seasick?” If there’s one question that comes up before a first small-ship cruise, it’s this one.
The honest answer is that nobody can predict exactly how you’ll react. Some people feel perfectly fine in conditions that make others queasy, and the sea can change from one day to the next. What you can do is prepare. A few simple choices before and during the trip make seasickness on a cruise less likely, or at least much easier to manage if it does appear. This guide covers what helps, what the evidence actually says, and what to expect on a cruise along the Croatian coast.
This is general travel health information, not personal medical advice. If you need medication, the right choice depends on things like age, pregnancy, existing health conditions and other medicines you take. If motion sickness has bothered you before, talk to a pharmacist or doctor before you travel.
Why Does Seasickness Happen?
Seasickness is usually explained as a mismatch between what your eyes see and what your inner ear feels. Imagine sitting in a cabin looking at a book or a phone. Your eyes tell your brain the room is still, while your balance system feels the ship moving beneath you. That conflict can bring on nausea, dizziness, sweating, tiredness and, in stronger cases, vomiting.
That’s why the most useful advice is usually very simple. Both the CDC Yellow Book and the NHS recommend things that reduce that sensory conflict, such as looking at the horizon, avoiding reading and screens, and getting fresh air.
Before You Sail: Prepare, Don’t Wait
If ferries, boats or winding car journeys tend to bother you, don’t wait until you feel sick to think about it. Motion sickness medicines generally work better when taken before the movement starts, although the timing depends on the product. A pharmacist can help you work out what suits you and when to take it.
Try to arrive rested. The CDC notes that lack of sleep can make motion sickness worse, and that alcohol and smoking increase it. There’s no need to sail on an empty stomach, but a heavy, greasy or spicy meal just before departure isn’t the best start to a day at sea.
Which Cabin Is Best for Seasickness?
You don’t feel the same amount of movement everywhere on a ship. Motion is smallest low down and near the middle, and largest at the bow and on the upper decks. If you’re prone to seasickness, choose a lower deck or main deck cabin, as close to the middle of the ship as possible. Our guide to cabin types explains what each deck is like on our ships.
Keep stairs in mind too. Ships our size have no lift: lower deck cabins are a flight of stairs down from the main deck, while main deck cabins need no stairs at all. If you’d rather avoid both motion and stairs, a main deck cabin is the best compromise, so ask us about the exact ship before you book.
On Deck: Look at the Horizon, Not Your Phone
Once you start to feel unwell, the most comfortable place is usually outside, where you get fresh air and can see the horizon. Find somewhere safe to sit, keep your head fairly still and give your eyes a fixed point in the distance. The NHS also advises against looking at moving objects such as rolling waves.
Fresh air and a fixed point on the horizon: the simplest remedy there is
Reaching for your phone can be automatic when you want a distraction, but reading and scrolling are two of the things most likely to make it worse. The same goes for books and other close-up tasks, especially below deck. If nausea starts, put the screen away and look out instead. Closing your eyes, lying down and breathing slowly help some people too. None of these works for everyone, but they’re easy to try before the feeling builds.
Keep Food and Drink Simple
If your stomach feels unsettled, small, light meals are easier than a large plate of food. Sip water regularly, and skip heavy, greasy or spicy food and alcohol heavy partying while the ship is moving. If you do vomit, keeping up your fluids and electrolytes becomes more important.
Ginger is the remedy almost everyone has heard of. Tea, biscuits and ginger sweets are easy to try, and the NHS suggests ginger as an option. The evidence isn’t strong enough to call it a proven treatment, though: the CDC describes it as “weak and contradictory”. Treat it as a comfort, not something to rely on.
Medication Can Help, but It’s Personal
Medication is the one area where you shouldn’t copy what worked for someone else. Common options include older, sedating antihistamines and scopolamine (known as hyoscine in some countries), which comes as tablets or skin patches. What you can buy over the counter, what needs a prescription and what suits you varies between countries and between people.
Many effective motion sickness medicines can cause drowsiness, and dry mouth, blurred vision and dizziness are also possible. Some have important contraindications: for example, the CDC says scopolamine shouldn’t be used by people with glaucoma or at risk of urinary retention. Newer non-drowsy allergy tablets, such as cetirizine or loratadine, don’t work for motion sickness because they’re designed to have less effect on the brain.
If you’re pregnant, take other medication or are choosing something for a child, ask a healthcare professional rather than borrowing another passenger’s tablets or patch. It’s also worth checking whether a medicine mixes with alcohol and whether it affects activities that need you to be alert.
What About Acupressure Wristbands?
Acupressure wristbands are simple, involve no medication and some travellers like wearing them. The evidence is much weaker: according to the CDC, laboratory trials show them to be no more effective than a placebo. That said, the CDC also notes that placebo effects can be strong, so if a band makes you feel better, there’s no harm in wearing one. Just don’t make it your only plan.
So, What Actually Works?
If you know you’re prone to seasickness, talk to a pharmacist before you go, book a lower or main deck cabin near the middle of the ship, and spend sailing time on deck looking at the horizon. If you only feel queasy now and then, light meals, fresh air and putting your phone away are usually enough. And if you like ginger or a wristband, use them as a bonus, not your main plan. Here’s how the common remedies compare:
| Remedy | What the evidence says | Our take |
| Looking at the horizon | Shown to give some protection on ships (CDC) | The first thing to try, and it costs nothing |
| Avoiding reading and screens | Shown to reduce motion sickness (CDC) | Put the phone away while the ship is moving |
| Cabin low and near the middle | Avoid the bow; the middle of the boat moves least (CDC, NHS) | Book a lower or main deck cabin |
| Sleep, no alcohol or smoking | Lack of sleep, alcohol and smoking make it worse (CDC) | Arrive rested and keep sailing days dry |
| Ginger | Weak and contradictory evidence (CDC); suggested as an option (NHS) | Fine as a comfort, not a cure |
| Acupressure wristbands | No better than placebo in lab trials (CDC) | Harmless if you like them |
| Medication | Effective, best taken before sailing; drowsiness is common (CDC) | Ask a pharmacist or doctor first |
| Time at sea | Getting used to the motion is the most effective countermeasure, but it can take time (CDC) | Many people feel better as the days go on |
If You Start to Feel Properly Unwell
Tell a crew member rather than trying to push through it alone. If you can, move to a safe spot with fresh air, sit or lie down if you feel unsteady and keep looking at a fixed point such as the horizon. The crew can help you move around safely and tell you what’s practical on board.
Persistent vomiting can lead to dehydration. Get medical advice if your symptoms are severe, if they carry on after the motion has stopped, if you notice unusual neurological symptoms, or if what you’re feeling is very different from your usual travel sickness.
Does Cruising the Croatian Coast Make a Difference?
It does, in a few ways. A small-ship route in Croatia spends most of its time among the islands and fairly close to the mainland, which is very different from a long open-ocean crossing. Sailing happens during the day, and on our Adriatic Discovery cruise every night is spent in port, so you sleep with the ship moored rather than at sea.
That said, it isn’t a promise of flat water. The summer maestral is usually a moderate afternoon wind, but bura and jugo can bring much rougher seas, especially outside high summer; our Adriatic weather guide explains all three. A few legs, such as the crossing to Vis, are also more exposed than others. And a small ship moves more noticeably than a large, stabilised cruise liner when conditions change. The captain can adjust timing or the route when safety requires it.
None of that means spending the week worrying about the sea. If you know you’re prone to motion sickness, come prepared rather than hoping it won’t happen, then enjoy the coast. If you’re still deciding whether this kind of trip suits you, read why travellers choose a small ship and our guide to choosing a Croatia cruise, or browse our Croatia cruises for current routes and dates.
FAQ: Seasickness on a Cruise
Will I get seasick on a small ship in Croatia?
Nobody can predict it with certainty: people vary a lot, and so does the sea. Croatian coastal routes avoid long open-ocean passages, but a small ship can still move enough to bother someone who is sensitive to motion, especially in bura or jugo winds.
Which cabin is best if you get seasick?
A lower deck or main deck cabin, as close to the middle of the ship as possible. Motion is smallest low down and near the middle, and largest at the bow and on the upper decks.
Where should I go if I start to feel unwell?
Get out on deck if it’s safe, find fresh air and look at the horizon. Put away books and screens, sit or lie down if you feel unsteady, and let a crew member know how you’re feeling.
Does ginger prevent seasickness?
Some people find ginger soothing, and the NHS suggests trying it, but the CDC describes the evidence as weak and contradictory. It’s reasonable to try as a comfort, but don’t rely on it.
Which medicine is best for seasickness?
There’s no single best medicine for everyone. Sedating antihistamines and scopolamine (hyoscine) are commonly used, but side effects, contraindications and availability differ. A pharmacist or doctor can advise on the best option for you.
Do acupressure bands work?
Lab trials show them to be no more effective than a placebo. Some travellers still like them, so they’re fine as an optional extra, but not as your only plan.
Are motion sickness medicines safe for children?
They need extra caution. Some medicines used by adults aren’t suitable for children, and the right choice depends on the child’s age and the product. Ask a pharmacist or doctor for advice before giving a child any motion sickness medicine.