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Feeling sick on a ferry: getting through a short crossing

A ferry is not a cruise. The crossing is over in an hour or four, so nobody has time to adapt, there is no cabin to retreat to, and the warm indoor lounge that looks like shelter is usually the worst place on the ship. The whole game is where you put yourself for the next ninety minutes.

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Why this happens on a ferry

Short crossings often run through the roughest water on the route, because straits and channels concentrate tide and wind. Meanwhile the ferry hands you every mismatch at once: a sealed lounge with no view, rows of seats facing sideways, the smell of the cafe, and a car deck you are not allowed back into once the ship sails. You cannot wait it out in a bunk, so position and air have to do the work.

What to do right now

  1. 1

    Go outside, or to a forward facing window seat, as soon as you feel it. An open deck beats any indoor seat.

  2. 2

    Get as low and as central as the passenger decks allow. High and forward is the worst combination on the ship.

  3. 3

    Face the way the ship is going and watch the horizon, not the water sliding past alongside.

  4. 4

    Stay out of the cafe and the toilets longer than you have to be in them. Enclosed spaces with no view are where people tip over.

  5. 5

    Put on any headphones and run a Dizzout session for about 90 seconds. It works on a windy deck, which a tablet swallowed at the terminal cannot do in time.

  6. 6

    Sip water and eat something plain and dry if you can face it.

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Preventing it next time

  • Check the forecast for the crossing, not the destination. Wind against tide is what makes a short route rough.
  • Take the conventional ship over the fast craft when the water is up. Light fast hulls slam through short waves instead of riding them.
  • Board early enough to claim a forward facing seat by a window, or plan to stand outside.
  • Eat something light before you board and keep alcohol out of it until you are ashore.

When to see a doctor

Ferry sickness normally clears within an hour of stepping ashore. See a doctor if the rocking feeling stays for more than a day or two after a crossing, if you feel unsteady without having travelled, or if the sickness comes with spinning vertigo, hearing changes or a severe headache.

Common questions

Where is the best place to sit on a ferry?

Low, central and facing forward, with a view of the horizon. The difference between decks is real, so go down a level if you can. When it is already starting, a sheltered spot outside on deck beats every indoor seat on the ship.

Can I stay in my car on the ferry?

On almost all crossings, no. Passengers are required to leave the car deck once the ship sails, and it is one of the worst places to be anyway: no daylight, no horizon, engine noise and exhaust smell. Plan to be upstairs, and take what you need with you.

Is a fast catamaran better or worse than a big ferry?

Worse in rough water, better in calm. A light fast craft rides over short steep waves and drops into them, producing sharp motion most people tolerate badly. A heavy conventional ferry rolls more slowly through the same sea. Fast services are also the first to be cancelled when weather arrives.

Related guides

Medically informational; not a substitute for a doctor's advice. Persistent or unusual symptoms deserve a clinical evaluation.