Prepare as if you will be affected. Medicate before you need to. And know that even a rough crossing ends in Antarctica, which tends to make people forget about the wild ride rather quickly.
Start with an honest self-assessment
Have you been seasick before? On a sailboat, a ferry, or a fishing trip? If so, take that experience seriously. The Drake Passage in a swell is not a gentle harbor cruise. If you have no history of motion sickness, that’s encouraging but not a guarantee of immunity. Even experienced crew members get seasick occasionally.
It doesn't take dramatic conditions to affect people. A gentle, rhythmic swell can be just as disorienting to the inner ear as a full storm. Some travelers feel fine in rough weather and are undone by a subtle roll on an otherwise calm day. The body's response to motion is not always rational, and it's not always predictable.
The goal isn't to be fearless. It's to be prepared.
Medicate before it's too late
This is the single most important piece of advice in this article: take your medication or apply your patch before you cross, not after you start feeling unwell.
Once seasickness takes hold, keeping a tablet down becomes difficult or impossible. A transdermal patch needs time to build up in your system before it is effective. Travelers who wait to see how bad it gets are the ones who end up in the ship's medical clinic. The doctor there can administer treatment by suppository or injection in severe cases, which is effective but is nobody's vision of how they wanted to experience Antarctica.
Your expedition leader will brief the whole ship on seasickness the first evening aboard, before you reach open water. Pay attention. Follow the advice. Take your medication that night whether you think you need it or not.
Medication options
Talk to your doctor before you travel and get their recommendation for your specific situation. Common options include:
- Meclizine (sold as Bonine in the US) is an antihistamine taken orally. It is effective and causes less drowsiness than some alternatives, making it a good daytime option.
- Dimenhydrinate (sold as Dramamine) is another antihistamine, somewhat more sedating. Some travelers rotate between the two, using Meclizine during the day and Dimenhydrinate at night when the sedation is less of an issue.
- Scopolamine transdermal patch (sold as Transderm Scop) is applied behind the ear and releases medication slowly over several days. It requires a prescription in most countries. Apply it before you board, not after you start feeling the swell.
- Promethazine is a prescription antihistamine sometimes used for severe cases. It is more sedating than the others.
All of these have side effects, most commonly drowsiness and dry mouth. The side effects are manageable. Uncontrolled seasickness is not.
Non-medication approaches
These work better as complements to medication than as substitutes for it.
- Fresh air and the horizon. Being on deck, fixing your gaze on the horizon, and breathing fresh air really helps. If you start to feel unwell, go outside.
- Ginger. Ginger candies, ginger tea, and ginger tablets have real anti-nausea properties and no side effects. Worth having on hand as a supplement to your main medication.
- Acupressure bands. Worn on the wrist, these work for some people and not others. Inexpensive and worth trying if you’re sensitive to medication side effects.
- Lying down. If you feel the first signs of queasiness, go to your cabin and lie down in your bunk. Close your eyes. The horizontal position reduces the vestibular confusion that causes seasickness. Someone will check on you and bring food to your cabin if you miss a meal.
Last reviewed: June 17, 2026
