Cruise vacations are a lot of fun and a great value, but they're not for everyone, so I want to explore what to expect on a cruise ship vacation and help you determine what type of cruise is right for you. I actually think almost everyone will love cruise vacations, but you have to determine what type of a cruise is for you - a short 4-day cruise, a long 14-day cruise, a Caribbean Cruise, a Mediterranean Cruise...well, you get the picture.
Cruise vacations are a lot of fun and a great value, but they're not for everyone, so I want to explore what to expect on a cruise ship vacation and help you determine what type of cruise is right for you. I actually think almost everyone will love cruise vacations, but you have to determine what type of a cruise is for you - a short 4-day cruise, a long 14-day cruise, a Caribbean Cruise, a Mediterranean Cruise...well, you get the picture.
[Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas docked at Key West. Photo by Marianne Schwab.]
I must confess that at one time I was not a fan of cruise vacations. As a matter of fact, I couldn't think of a worse way to spend a vacation than on a ship. But in the past few years, I've become a converted fan to cruise vacations and have been on three very fabulous (and very different) cruises (primarily because I was chasing a cheap travel deal) and I can now honestly say that I love a cruise ship vacation! But let's go over a few questions you should ask yourself to determine if a cruise is for you or if a cruise is not for you.
1. Do You Get Sea Sickness or Motion Sickness Easily?
The number one reason many people think that they will not like cruise vacations is because they are prone to getting motion sickness or sea sickness. I personally understand this as I can get very sea sick when I am a passenger on speed boats, small boats or catamarans if I do not take the necessary precautions. For me, these precautions involve taking a motion sickness prevention product called Bonine.
Bonine is an over-the-counter anti-sea sickness medication
(for adults and kids) that you can purchase at any drugstore or department store like Target or Walmart. My Hawaii tourism client recommended this remedy when he arranged for a catamaran cruise for me off the Napali Coast of Kauai and I mentioned to him my concerns about getting sea sick. Bonine is an absolute vacation saver for cruise vacations and I highly recommend it as I would never have been able to enjoy so many snorkel excursions or whale watching adventures without it.
Bonine: Suggested Directions (See Box for Complete Information)
For cruise vacations or onshore excursions, I prefer Bonine over Dramamine. I will only take half of a Bonine pill at a time with no side effects like drowsiness. I take 1/2 pill the night before I'm going to be on a boat or ship and then another 1/2 pill about an hour before I board. Personally, I haven't had any issues with sea sickness on cruise ships (even when we've experienced very high winds or swells and the boat was really rocking). On cruise vacations, I take one Bonine tablet per day (1/2 pill at night and 1/2 pill in the morning) and it seems to alleviate any symptoms. So problem solved, don't worry about getting sea sick, just pick up a package of Bonine before you travel (and they even sell this product on most ships as well).