Why do I still feel rocking after a cruise?

With mal de debarquement syndrome, though, you can't shake the feeling that you're still on the boat. That's French for “sickness of disembarkment.” You feel like you're rocking or swaying even though you're not. It can happen to anyone, but it's much more common in women ages 30 to 60.



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Once back on shore, most people “get their land legs back” within two days. People with MdDS still feel like they're rocking and swaying, even though they're no longer on a ship. Less common MdDS triggers include: Flying in a plane.

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This wobbliness is “mal de debarquement.” This condition makes people feel like they're still standing on the deck of a ship despite the fact that they're safely ashore. It feels like the world is still moving around them, even when they're holding still.

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You can feel at least some movement all the time. You are on a moving vessel, floating in fluid. Occasionally you will have a day that it is so calm you feel very little, but that is rare in my experience. Only once has it been bad enough for me to take real notice, typically its just a gentle side to side sway.

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Sometimes you can depending on the weather and the size of the ship. On most of my cruses there was a slight constant roll side to side barely noticeable. On my last cruise coming back from Bermuda we went through a storm and you could definitely feel it rocking.

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The forward is subject to the most movement out of anywhere on a ship. And the higher the deck, the more pronounced that rolling and swaying motion tends to feel. Movement at the aft is a bit less drastic than the forward, but still isn't the most stable place for those who are prone to seasickness.

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The swaying and seesawing of the boat will be most extreme on the outside edges, so head to the middle of the ship to alleviate some of the effect. You may even want to book a room in this area of the cruise ship so your nights are less rocked by the motion of the ocean.

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To reduce motion sickness, choose a stateroom in the middle of the ship on a lower deck. You will feel any sway of the ship less in this section. Although it may seem counterintuitive, if you're worried about seasickness on a cruise, book a stateroom with a window or a veranda.

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While land sickness is milder than the more-serious condition known as mal de debarquement – or MDD (translation being the sickness of disembarkment) – the primary symptom of both is the phantom sensation of motion described as rocking, bobbing or swaying.

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