I consider myself a fairly experienced traveler, yet my first cruise was an entirely different experience from anything I had imagined. Cruise travel differs greatly from traditional travel in so many ways — but the concept of having a ‘floating hotel’ in itself came with a whole bunch of surprises I wasn’t prepared for.
When you’re preparing for a cruise, you’re thinking about dining reservations, excursions, and planning. You aren’t thinking about how your brain will respond to being at sea. On my recent cruise to Greece, I was forced to learn about ‘sea legs’ and ‘land legs’ — two vestibular balance issues that can occur from traveling at sea.
According to Jimmy Pang, DPT, a Vestibular Specialist at Pang Physical Therapy, your sense of balance is actually more complex than most people realize, especially while at sea. “When you get on a cruise, there’s a large disruption in sensory inputs, especially the balance centers in your ears; your brain will have to ‘reweight’ all the sensory info it gets to keep your balance.”
Here’s what I learned about finding my sea legs (and losing my land legs) and what I wish I’d known before my first cruise.
How I discovered ‘sea legs’
“Sea legs is a colloquial term that can have multiple meanings,” says Pang. “For people who spend a lot of time on the water, ‘getting your sea legs’ means that your brain has adapted to boat rocking so you don’t experience motion sickness. It can also refer to that feeling when you initially step onto land, where you briefly feel off balance. Both instances are due to your brain’s ability to adapt.”
“Your inner ear has balance organs that help your brain interpret where your head is in space. This information is calibrated with your vision to create your sense of balance. A rocking boat can cause a large disruption to these systems, and your brain has to adapt accordingly so you don’t fall. After stepping off a boat, your brain may not calibrate as quickly, given it was used to sea motion, resulting in “sea legs,” he shares.
Land legs: The opposite of sea legs
While ‘sea legs’ refers to the ability to stay balanced while on a ship, ‘land legs’ refers to the opposite problem, where your body still feels as if it’s moving, although it may not be. “Land sickness, also known as Mal De Ddébarquement (MdDS), is when your brain maladaptively holds on to motion sensitivity after travel. Motion sickness is temporary and is simply your body’s way of trying to protect you, but it goes away once you’re on stable land.”
This temporary sensory mismatch and adaptation can leave you feeling pretty confused, especially when you step off the ship and find that you still feel on it. I found it especially uncomfortable in the last few days of my cruise while in Crete, Greece, where I felt the constant rocking even after being on land for several hours.
After getting home from my trip, I expected the ‘land sickness’ to die down quickly, only to find it took two full weeks for the sensation to go away. I’d describe it almost as if you’re feeling intoxicated, making it tough to work, exercise, or perform daily activities. My husband experienced the sensation too, though his went away in about a week.
After getting home and going through this unfortunate experience, I found myself wondering how all of the staff aboard the ship were seemingly unaffected by land sickness. However, Pang suggests that these individuals’ brains have already adapted, showing how remarkable the brain’s power to adapt is.
How I’d prepare better for my next cruise
Land legs don’t happen to everyone on board and may affect some people more than others. One reason I believe my experience was worse than other cruisers was the location of my cabin in the aft. The excessive shaking, rocking, and vibrations throughout the night could have sent my brain into overdrive, making it harder to adapt once on land. If I were to go on another cruise, I’d be very selective about the location of the cabin I select.
Michael Genovese, MD, recommends selecting a cabin towards the middle of the ship or on a lower deck where movement is felt the least. In addition, he recommends “Keeping your eyes on the horizon to help your brain reconcile visual and balance cues, and getting fresh air.”
I also recommend walking often and staying active as much as possible to keep your vestibular system responsive, both on and off board.
Motion sickness medications and remedies, such as ginger chews or Dramamine, can help make you feel better while you’re on board. Using motion sickness patches helped me feel fine while on the ship, but overuse of these can impact your body’s ability to adjust once you’re back on land.
Unfortunately, however, there are no ways to fully prevent land legs — and if you’ve been affected once, you could experience it again.
