This is an odd one. My friend Melanie (pictured right) suffers from severe motion sickness, which means that she literally never takes buses, coaches or cabs – she even gets nauseous on the London Underground – but she loves to travel and really wanted to try a river cruise, so we thought it would be an interesting experiement for her to join me on a two-night voyage on Trafalgar Verity, sailing a 70-mile round trip from Amsterdam to Hoorn.
This is how she got on.
I’m pleased to say that she very much liked Verity – while it was still in port. So far, so good! The weather was calm so you couldn’t really feel any movement on the ship prior to setting sail, so we had a comfortable, event-free night and we both thoroughly enjoyed an early morning yoga class followed by Zumba. Then we set sail.
The weather remained fairly calm and all was going well to begin with, but when the ship headed out of the North Sea Canal into the slightly choppier open water of the Markermeer, Melanie started to feel a bit nervous.
“This feels like I’m on the ocean, I can’t see land on either side, so I’m not 100% comfortable,” she said. However, she popped a couple of Kwells sea sickness pills (fyi, they’re not recommended for over 60s, alternative over-the-counter meds are available), and she didn’t actually feel sick, just worried.
That said, we enjoyed brunch on board and we made it safely to the beautiful historic city of Hoorn. After a few enjoyable hours wandering around the town, we got back on board for dinner and the cruise back to Amsterdam.
Melanie didn’t feel confident eating that evening, worried that the movement of the ship once back in open water could trigger her motion sickness. She didn’t feel unwell, it was more psychological, but just as debilitating.
That said, she was happy to sit in the bar and socialise, she just felt safer with her nil-by-mouth approach.
Safely back in Amsterdam, Melanie said she definitely would like to take another river cruise, but only if she is always within sight of land.
“I didn’t feel sick on the ship, I think because it was quite big. My only concern, once I could no longer see land, was that I might feel ill in front of other people, which is why I chose not to have dinner, but I would consider another one on a river where I can always see land.
“I wouldn’t take it as an alternative to a city break though,” she told me. “If I wanted to see Amsterdam, I’d want to stay in Amsterdam, but I think a river cruise is a great alternative to a touring holiday.
“I really like the idea of visiting lots of destinations in one trip, but I also love the idea of relaxing on deck.
“Another bonus for me is the all-inclusive element. I’m not a foodie, but I like the thought of not having to cook, having all my meals provided.
“I’ve been blessed with some fantastic holidays, but I’d never thought of a river cruise before and I do like the idea.”
So yes, you could potentially sell a river cruise to someone who suffers motion sickness, but probably only on the calmer rivers, and it might be best to carefully check the itinerary to make sure land is within sight at all times!
Also read: Trafalgar targets UK agents as it orders three more ships for new river cruise venture
