Avoid Getting Sea Sick on the Drake Passage (Our Complete Guide & 8 Best Tips)

The Drake Passage is one of the most famous bodies of water in the entire world, and as a right of passage for most visitors to Antarctica - many people worry about the possibility (and likelihood) of becoming seasick while attempting to cross. After experiencing the best conditions on the way down and the worst conditions on the way back, we've gathered our best tips and recommendations that helped us avoid getting seasick both ways.

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Crossing the Drake Passage - What to Expect

Crossing the Drake Passage can be a bit daunting, especially because it's considered one of the world's roughest areas of seas. Because this area is where the Atlantic, Pacific, and Southern/Antarctic Oceans meet, the waters and winds here can be very turbulent, causing most of it's visitors to become extremely seasick - especially if you don't take any precautions to prevent it beforehand. If you're someone who's adamant about avoiding the Drake Passage at all costs, then there's many tours nowadays that skip it all together and fly over to Antarctica instead at a similar price point of most cruises, so it might be worth looking into.

As we crossed the Drake Passage south into Antarctica, we had extremely calm waters - experiencing what many call the "Drake Lake" - where the water is so calm it feels almost like you're simply enjoying a sunny day on a really large lake. Unfortunately the way back was the opposite, and as we spent a full two days coming back from Antarctica we reached winds of over 100 knots (about 115 miles per hour), creating some very turbulent and rocky swells of waves.

​Before our trip, we did a bit of research and fully expected the absolute worst on the Drake, so we were pleasantly surprised the first time we went through. Although there is a chance you'll be lucky like us, I would go into your trip expecting and planning for the worst weather during your Drake Passage crossings. Depending on how the weather is, you can have two completely different experiences on the Drake, and you'll want to pack everything you might need with you.

​With sunny & calm weather you'll have the chance to spot wildlife, enjoy your balcony views, and maybe even take some time to utilize the pool and hot tub on board your vessel. If you have rough seas and rainy weather, chances are most amenities onboard will be shut down, and we've heard if it gets really bad that sometimes the crew will ask everyone to stay in their rooms the entire time - so you might want to bring some card games or a kindle with you to pass time. The weather will also influence how long it takes you to pass through the Drake, when we had good weather it only took us just over one day, whereas with the rough weather it took us more than two full days.

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Our Favorite Tours around Ushuaia : 
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Best Tips to Avoid Getting Seasick

​Before our trip, we did a bit of research on how to best avoid getting seasickness - and on our first day onboard our crew even put together a short presentation on their best tips and recommendations on how to avoid seasickness as well. I'll be honest, I'm definitely someone who's a bit more prone to seasickness whereas Tyler hardly ever gets seasick - and if you're not sure which you are, I would going in with the mindset of someone who gets sick just to be safe.

1. Stay Hydrated
During your trip and beforehand you'll want to stay hydrated. Recommendations are about 8 glasses of water a day depending on your body, but you'll want to aim for at least this much as you prepare for the Drake. Our vessel provided everyone with water bottles and even had still and sparkling water refill stations open 24/7.

2. Seasick Medication
I'll be honest, this tip is actually quite broad, and unless you've taken seasickness medication before or gotten seasick before you might not know what works best for your body. Tyler and I always stick with over the counter dramamine - we've found it always works for us and we've never had any issues with becoming "too sleepy". We always make sure to begin taking the recommended dosage before we get to any rough water, a few hours beforehand. Many other guests on our vessel used scopolamine patches (they stick onto you right behind your ear), however you'll need to get a prescription for these and we've also heard they can be hit or miss depending on the person. Other options include Sea Bands (bracelets and bands you wear on your wrist) or over the counter seasickness patches - however, we will always recommend an over the counter dramamine and use this for all our boat/yacht adventures.

3. Look at the Horizon
Personally, I've found that this can do me more harm than good, but it's a common tip and Tyler swears by it - so you'll need to try it out and see if it works for you. All you need to do is simply stare out at the horizon to calm your stomach, because the horizon is stable and doesn't move, it's supposed to help. Personally, I find that looking at the boat moving against the horizon amplifies the movement, so you'll need to test it out for yourself.

4. Fresh Air
Anytime I begin to feel seasick, this is my go to tip - the fresh air really can do wonders for an upset tummy. This is another reason we recommend upgrading to a balcony room if you're able to, this way you can just open the sliding door or take a quick step outside for some fresh air.

5. Ginger Chews
In addition to medication to prevent seasickness, you might also want to bring a bag of ginger chews, ginger candies, or some ginger tea. Ginger is said to calm an upset stomach and prevent vomiting, so they're a great option if you want something to snack on while continuing to prevent sea sickness. Our vessel encouraged ginger through various fresh pressed juices and wellness shots that were available for all guests.

6. Stay in the Middle/Lower Decks
If you're worried about becoming seasick while crossing the Drake, you'll want to ask for a room in the middle of the vessel. The middle of a ship experiences the least amount of rocking, while the front experiences the most up and down movement onboard. We were lucky to have a room right in the middle of the ship, and after a quick walk to the end of the hallway towards the front of the ship we immediately noticed a huge difference in the amount of movement we were able to feel.

7. Avoid Alcohol
This seems like an obvious one, but we thought we would include it anyways. Although alcohol might give you more confidence about crossing the Drake Passage, it's best to avoid it if you're really worried about getting seasick.

​8. Look Up, Avoid Reading/Screen Time
This is really your personal preference, but mimics the movement of reading or looking at your phone in a moving car. If you get sick trying to read or play games on your phone in a moving car, you'll find it'll also amplify any seasickness you might be feeling. ​

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