Motion Sickness on National Geographic Explorer: What to Expect and How to Prepare

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National Geographic Explorer is a 6,471 GT ice-class ship for 148 guests, about half the size of Endurance and Resolution, so she moves more. Built in 1982 as a Norwegian coastal ship, she is now rebuilt for expeditions, and Lindblad calls her fully stabilized. Her schedule includes Antarctica from Ushuaia, Iceland and Greenland, the Celtic coasts and the Canadian Maritimes, and the Drake Passage is considered one of the most treacherous crossings a ship can make. Cabins low and near the middle of the ship move least.

How Much Motion Will You Feel on National Geographic Explorer?

Ship size is the single biggest factor in how much motion passengers feel. Larger vessels displace more water and are significantly more stable than smaller ships. National Geographic Explorer's 6,471 GT places it in the high motion category. It is equipped with hydraulic stabilizers that actively reduce roll motion in moderate seas.

By gross tonnage, National Geographic Explorer ranks 129th of the 132 ships in our cruise guides. Full table: the biggest cruise ships, ranked by size.

Best Cabin Location on National Geographic Explorer for Motion Sickness

The most stable cabins on any cruise ship are midship, on lower decks, closest to the ship's center of gravity. We have not found a published deck recommendation for National Geographic Explorer, so use that rule when you book. Avoid cabins at the bow (front) and stern (back), and any cabin on upper decks: movement is amplified the higher and further from center you are.

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What to Pack for Motion Sickness on National Geographic Explorer

• Dizzout on your phone, drug-free and designed to help once symptoms have started
• Bonine or Dramamine if you use them, taken before sailing at the time on the label: Dramamine 30 to 60 minutes ahead, Bonine 1 hour ahead
• A scopolamine patch for multi-day sailings, applied at least 4 hours before you need it
• Sea-Bands acupressure wristbands
• Ginger chews

Bring what you rely on from home, including any scopolamine patch and wristbands: what the onboard shop or medical center stocks can vary by ship and sailing, so ask guest services or the medical center once you are on board. Anything you take is a question for a pharmacist or doctor first. The wristbands are the item on that list where the trials genuinely disagree: see the verdict on acupressure wristbands.

Boarding Day and Sail-Away on National Geographic Explorer

Boarding usually opens around late morning and closes a couple of hours before sail-away. The first few hours on board are often when motion-sensitive passengers feel things start to shift: the ship is taking on fuel and shifting weight, the gangway moves slightly, and once you push off from the pier you'll feel the first real swells of the cruise. If you're prone to seasickness, do not arrive starving, do not head straight to the buffet for a heavy plate, and try to get on deck during sail-away. The horizon view does more for the inner ear than the muster drill briefing.

Best Time of Year to Sail National Geographic Explorer

Sea conditions for National Geographic Explorer's typical routes vary heavily by season. On a British Isles cruise, open water is usually calmest in May, June, July and August, and roughest in January, February, October, November and December. For motion-sensitive passengers, picking the right month often matters more than picking the right ship.

Reading on National Geographic Explorer Without Triggering Nausea

This is the most common motion-sickness trap on cruise ships and almost nobody warns you about it. Reading in your cabin, especially a cabin without a sea view, is a near-perfect recipe for nausea. Your eyes are locked on a still page or screen while your inner ear feels the ship rolling. Your brain hits the same sensory mismatch as if you were reading in a moving car. The fix is to read on deck with the horizon visible, or to switch to audiobooks when you want to stay below. An audiobook works for the same reason the horizon does: your eyes stop tracking a page that is holding still while the ship is not.

What decides how much you feel on National Geographic Explorer

Three things set how much motion reaches your cabin, and all three are published numbers rather than opinions. National Geographic Explorer measures 6,471 gross tons and 367 feet: mass and length are what make a hull slow to respond to a swell, which is why the largest ships feel steadiest. It carries stabiliser fins, which cut roll, the side to side motion most people notice first, but do nothing for pitch, the fore and aft motion you feel at the bow. That is why we rate its motion high. What none of it controls is the sea: a calm-rated ship in a rough crossing still moves, and on a long itinerary one or two days can be uncomfortable whatever the ship.

Typical National Geographic Explorer Routes and Sea Conditions

National Geographic Explorer operates primarily on Antarctica and British Isles and Arctic and Canadian Maritimes itineraries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is seasickness common on National Geographic Explorer?

More passengers get seasick on National Geographic Explorer than on the largest ships: at 6,471 gross tons and with stabilizer fins, the ship sits in our high motion category. Rough water changes the picture for everyone: in a study of expedition passengers crossing the Drake Passage, seasickness in rough seas approached everyone aboard. First-time cruisers and passengers in bow or stern cabins on upper decks feel it first.

What does Lindblad Expeditions provide for seasickness?

National Geographic Explorer has an onboard medical center for severe seasickness, and guest services or the medical center can tell you what motion sickness medication is available on your sailing. For prevention before boarding, bring your own, since what is stocked on board can vary.

What's the fastest way to stop seasickness on National Geographic Explorer?

Most seasickness medications work best taken before symptoms start, so they help less once you already feel sick. Sound therapy via Dizzout is one drug-free option at that point (Dizzout states relief in about 90 seconds). The ship's medical center can also give an injection for severe cases.

Does National Geographic Explorer have stabilizers?

Yes. National Geographic Explorer is equipped with stabilizer fins, which reduce roll, the side to side motion most people notice first. Stabilizers do not reduce pitch, the fore and aft motion felt at the bow, so a stabilized ship can still move in a heavy swell.

Where is the best cabin on National Geographic Explorer for seasickness?

We have not found a published deck recommendation for National Geographic Explorer. As on any ship, the steadiest cabins are midship on a lower deck. Avoid cabins at the bow and stern, where movement is amplified.