Seasickness in Kids: What to Do

Updated 29 October 2026 · 4 min read · Cruise Questions Canada editorial team

Most children sail through a cruise without a hint of seasickness. If your child gets carsick, though, a little planning makes the difference between a wobbly afternoon and a ruined first day.

Which kids are most likely to feel it?

Motion sickness is uncommon in babies and toddlers and is most common in school-age children. Kids who get carsick, feel ill reading in the car, or suffer from migraines are more likely to notice a ship's motion. Tiredness, an empty stomach and too much screen time all make it worse.

Route matters as much as age. Alaska's sheltered Inside Passage and most Caribbean weeks are gentle; open-ocean crossings are not. How bad seasickness really is compares the main routes.

Before you go

• Choose the cabin carefully. Midship on a low or middle deck moves least. A window helps children see the horizon.
• Talk to your pharmacist or doctor. Children's dimenhydrinate (Gravol) products are sold in Canada with dosing by age and weight, and they aren't suitable for very young children. Ask what suits your child, especially if they take other medication.
• Do a trial run at home. If a remedy makes your child very drowsy or unsettled, better to find out on a weekend than on embarkation day.
• Pack a small kit. Children's remedy, child-size acupressure bands, ginger chews if they'll eat them, a few sick bags, wipes, a spare outfit and an empty water bottle.

If your child starts to feel sick

1. Get them outside or to a window, on a low deck near the middle of the ship.
2. Point them at the horizon and put away tablets, phones and books.
3. Offer small sips of water and a plain snack, such as crackers, dry toast or a green apple.
4. Let them lie down with their eyes closed if they want to; sleep often fixes it.
5. Give a remedy only if you've checked the dose and it's the right product for their age.

Kids clubs and seasickness

Busy, distracting play often helps a mildly queasy child forget about it. But kids clubs generally won't keep a child who is vomiting, since staff can't tell seasickness from a stomach bug, and outbreaks spread fast on ships. Expect a call through the app or cabin phone to come and collect them. Club ages and rules are in cruise kids clubs, ages and costs.

When to see the ship's doctor

Go to the medical centre if your child can't keep fluids down for several hours, seems unusually sleepy or floppy, has fewer wet diapers or trips to the washroom, or has a fever or stomach pain. Treatment is billed privately at US-style rates, and provincial plans pay little at sea, so check your travel insurance covers every child (see cruise medical care costs).

Planning a first family cruise

If you're still choosing a sailing, a calm route and a well-placed cabin matter more than any remedy. Cruising with a baby or toddler and Alaska with kids, by age cover the rest of the family planning.

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