The best motion sickness medicine for cruises will be different for everyone. As mentioned in the Accommodations page The Princess Royal Class ships are more stable with heavier weight and therefore are less prone to rolling motion. This ship is so large and well stabilized that most of the time it doesn't even feel like you're moving, especially in the calmer spring time waters of the Caribbean. That said, certain guests may be more prone to feeling motion than others — like they would in a car or plane. While some find relief with devices like patches and wristbands, others prefer drinking water and getting fresh air. Here are some of the best remedies for tackling motion sickness on a cruise:

If you’re more sensitive to motion sickness on cruises, stay prepared with store-bought solutions. Some of the most popular products include skin patches and wristbands. Patches are typically placed behind your ear where the medication can more easily absorb into your skin. Since the patches are hidden, you don’t have to worry about them distracting from your dinnerware wardrobe or photos from your shore excursions. Similarly, the bands are worn on the wrist and target pressure points to help stabilize your body. These products are usually waterproof so no need to remove them before enjoying the pools on board.

According to many guests, some of the best seasickness tablets for a cruise include Dramamine or Bonine. These medications can be taken before nausea arises to help lessen the severity. They may also be taken to ease the feeling of sickness as it occurs. Be aware that these may cause drowsiness in some guests. Some brands offer a non-drowsy version of the medication however you may still experience some drowsiness if used. Please consult a medical professional to determine whether this is the best solution for you. Whether you want to prevent nausea or help alleviate it in the moment, considering adding all of these therapies to your cruise packing list and stay prepared for any situation.

One of the easiest ways to relieve nausea while on board is stepping outside to get fresh air. That’s why booking a room with a balcony to guests who are more prone to feeling motion sickness may be a good idea. Slip outside at any time of the day from the comfort of your stateroom. Or, lie down on your lounge chair undisturbed by other guests. Focus on the refreshing breeze and before you know it you’ll be ready to dive back into onboard activities.

Sometimes, a glass of water is the only relief you may need. Many guests have shared that regularly drinking water during the day helped keep nausea at bay. Whether you’re relaxing poolside or grabbing a slice of the best pizza at sea, there are always refreshments nearby. If you don’t know where to go, just find one of our friendly crew members who will be happy to assist you.

The Sky Princess, along with other Princess Cruise ships, has a state-of-the-art medical facility onboard with doctors and nurses available at all times to assist those who may need medical attention. This medical facility includes treatment rooms, laboratory facilities, critical care unit, and x-ray room. Staffed by the ship's doctors and nurses– all full-time maritime medicine specialists – keep both guests and crew healthy and handle medical emergencies.

To answer questions you may have about health protocols while onboard you can visit the Princess CruiseHealth FAQ page

The medical clinic is located on the Gala Deck (4)

There are specific timelines outlined in the Passage Contract that you agree to when you book your cruise. This contract outlines the dates when you may be able to receive either a full or partial refund depending upon how many days before departure you cancel your cruise.

You may cancel your cruise up to 90 days before your departure date and receive a full 100% refund with no cancellation fees. Cancellation within 90 days may incur various assessed items and cancellation fees depending upon how many days from departure you decide to cancel. See below

Cancel Date: Refund Amount:

90 days or more Receive 100% of total fare paid ^‡

57 to 89 days Deposit Amount ^‡

29 to 56 days Receive 50% of total fare paid ^‡

28 to 15 days Receive 25% of total fare paid ^‡

14 days or less Not Refundable ^‡

^‡The refundable amount within total fare includes cruise fare, cruisetour fare, hotel packages and transfers. Government fees, taxes and any fuel supplement are fully refundable. If purchased, Princess Vacation Protection is not refundable after the final payment due date.

The cancellation dates shown above are for Princess Cruises. If you book with Travel Agent or book online they may have another cancellation policy. For instance, Costco Travel requires our cruise to be cancelled two weeks prior to Princess Cruise cancellation date.

During the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020, Princess Cruises waived these restrictions and gave full refunds for everyone who requested them, or allowed them to defer their cruise deposits and payments for a cruise at a later date. Up to 45% of the booked passengers chose to defer their deposits for a later cruise.

Travel insurance may be an option to consider to if you're worried about canceling your cruise once it is booked.

Princess Cruises is happy to meet your request for low-sodium, low-fat, low-sugar and vegetarian diets. Visit Cruise Personalizer® or your Medallion App to indicate your dietary preferences after booking your cruise.

In addition, kosher meals and baby food are available upon advance written request. Any other special diet requests must be authorized in advance by the Princess corporate office.

You or your travel consultant must advise Princess in writing of any special diet, allergies or medical needs. Requests must be received no later than 35 days prior to departure for cruises to Alaska, Canada/New England, Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, Panama Canal and Coastal Getaways.

The World Fresh Marketplace Buffet and many of the Main Dining Room menus offer low calorie, low-sugar, gluten free, and vegan option foods to consider.

Technically you do not need a passport to for a "close looped" Caribbean cruise that departs from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and returns to that port. However, because of some unforeseen circumstances the ship, and you, may find yourself stranded in a foreign port which would require you to go ashore for medical or transportation needs. In those cases, it would be wise to have a passport in possession. In some cases, your passport must be valid for at least six month beyond the date you intend to leave the country you are visiting.

The one time you may require a passport on these voyages is when traveling with a minor. Every member of your group will need to bring this documentation regardless of your voyage. This ensures that all members of your party can safely disembark at any port in the case of an emergency.

If you don’t already have a passport, obtaining one is much easier than you may think. Simply visit an Application Acceptance location or a Post Office and apply. While passports may take several weeks to arrive, you have the option to expedite your documents if you already have travel planned.

Your passport must also be valid for six month prior to the cruise. Recheck that date on your passport before you plan to cruise!

To simplify the tipping process for passengers, a discretionary gratuity charge will be automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. The daily gratuity (now referred to as "Crew Incentives" by Princess and other cruise lines) amounts are $16.50 per guest for suites, $15.50 per guest for mini-suites and club class, and $14.50 per guest for interior and balcony staterooms, per day. (including children). This gratuity will be shared among those staff who help provide and support your cruise experience, including all waitstaff, stateroom stewards, buffet stewards, and housekeeping staff across the fleet.

Effective for cruises booked after December 14, 2022 the crew incentive costs will be: $18 for suites, $17 for mini-suites, and $16 per guest in all other staterooms.

Gratuities are currently being covered by Princess Cruises as part of their Princess Plus promotion that was in effect when we booked this cruise.

For your convenience, this gratuity can be pre-paid online via Cruise Personalizer. Alternatively, you may call Princess Cruises at 1-855-500-7690 and reference Special Services item number 0591. Pre-payment is available up to 2 days prior to departure.

A 18% gratuity is added to bar charges, dining room wine accounts, and Lotus Spa® services. This is shared among the beverage staff, their support staff and Lotus Spa® personnel.

Casino dealers and youth staff do not share in these gratuities. These individuals are usually tipped separately depending upon the service you feel they have provided.

Please note gratuities will be deemed undisputed unless a request to modify is received prior to disembarking the ship. This means that you can ask the gratuity amount to be adjusted up or down, depending upon who you feel the crew staff met your needs. Be aware however, that most of the crew staff onboard, such as wait staff, deck attendants, etc. are paid low wages and the gratuities can make up a big part of their income.

You are also welcome to tip crew staff in addition to the automatic gratuity which is given to them. We have tipped some of our wait staff in the Specialty Restaurants and our room steward on the final day of the cruise. How much? That depends on you.

Tipping your tour guides is a discretionary matter. It is, however, customary around the world, if one is pleased with their excursion, to tip the guide. Many of these individuals in these Caribbean areas heavily rely on tourists for their income, and they tend to work doubly hard to entice you to reward them for their efforts. Since these guides are not Princes Cruise employees, they do not share in the gratuity program which is used onboard the ship. However, like tipping anywhere, the gratuity should match the service. We have tipped some guides very well because of the extra effort they put forth and also have forgone any such tips for an excursion that was guided very poorly or dangerously.

For an in-depth explanation about gratuities (amounts, etiquette, and more) click here.

As noted in the Packing Tips page there are daily dress code guidelines, mainly focused on dining onboard. These dress codes will vary from casual, to smart-casual, to formal.

Casual sportswear, including shorts, t shirts, lightweight pants and jogging suits, is the order of the day both at sea and ashore in hotter climates. We recommend you bring a sweater, a jacket or an all-weather coat for cool evenings, and for shore excursions, depending on your destination. You'll also want comfortable shoes for strolling on deck.

For evening dining, keep with what you would wear to a nice restaurant at home: skirts/dresses, slacks, and sweaters for ladies, pants and open-neck shirts for men. Seven day cruises usually have two formal dining nights: evening gowns and cocktail dresses for ladies and tuxedos, dinner jackets, or dark suits for men, however dress slacks and shirts with our without a tie are often seen. We do enjoy dressing up for formal nights.

For more tips on what to wear during formal nights click here.

Do cell phones work on cruise ships? It’s a common question with varying answers. Guests are free to utilize their cellular data or connect to the onboard Wi-Fi on the ship. But, please be aware that cellular data used on the ship or in certain ports of call will result in charges from your cell phone provider. As you sail into international waters, these expenses can add up, so it is recommended that you turn off your cellular data and connect to the ship’s Wi-Fi instead. Your mobile phone provider must have a roaming agreement with Maritime Communications Partner (MCP)or Wireless Maritime Services (WMS). Please contact your provider for more details on rates and availability.

If you need to check your email or send photos to loved ones, stop by the Internet Café where there are computers aplenty. Princess Cruises also offers several internet packages with varying price points, so any guest can access Wi-Fi if they need it. This means you can catch up on world news while enjoying a breakfast parfait in the International Café or download audiobooks while lounging poolside. The Enchanted Princess was also built with from scratch with the MedallionNet™, with new reliable connectivity that allows guests to message, video chat, stream content and post to social media with ease.

During our first cruise we did not purchase the internet package and instead sought out Wi-Fi during some port stops which gave us the opportunity to check our emails and perhaps make a quick posting on social media. It was actually rather nice being off the grid for a week as we witnessed many people with their heads buried in their phones all week, barely taking the time to look up and see the beauty surrounding them.

The Wi-Fi package is currently included under the Princess Plus promotion.

Clearly marked “Designated Smoking Areas” are available onboard and include a sufficient number of ashtrays that are emptied regularly. Generally, these areas included cigar lounges, such as Churchill's Lounge, a section of the nightclub, as well as a portion of the open decks (the aft part of Sky Deck - Deck 17 - which ironically is located right outside the Fitness Center). The Casino and Casino Bar are non-smoking areas on board, with the exception of designated slot machines where guests are permitted to smoke only while playing at those machines. However, due to COVID concerns the Churchill Lounge and the Casino are now non-smoking to avoid people from exhaling potential viruses while smoking. All table games are non-smoking. The Casino will also have one or more non-smoking nights (6 pm to closing), depending on length of voyage. Show lounges, dining rooms and all food services areas on board all Princess ships are non-smoking. As a safety precaution, guests are reminded to properly dispose of cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco, which are never to be thrown overboard as this may be sucked back into the ship and cause a fire.

Princess Cruises prohibits smoking in guest staterooms and balconies. This reflects the preferences of a vast majority of their guests who value having their primary living space (both stateroom and balcony) smoke-free. As balconies are a hallmark of Princess Cruises, they believe it is important to keep this peaceful space clear of smoke. Violations to this policy will result in a $250 fine for each occurrence, which will be charged to the guest’s stateroom account.

The use of electronic cigarettes is allowed within the confines of the guest's stateroom (balcony not included) and within designated smoking areas only.

Over 1.7 million passengers will sail with Princess in 2023. Your safety is their top priority. All of their onboard medical facilities meet or exceed the standards established by the American College of Emergency Physicians and are staffed by full-time registered doctors and nurses. In addition to twice-daily office hours, they are available 24 hours a day in the event of an emergency.

All ships must follow rules and regulations to protect passengers (and crew members) safety while onboard. The Coast Guard conducts quarterly inspections of all ships that operate from U.S. ports, making sure they comply with emergency-response requirements. Ships operate under international rules that regulate everything from fire safety to navigation and maritime security. Princess Cruises were the first in the industry to have a virtual training facility for their bridge crew, which they call the SeaSmart program. They also have voluntarily installed fire sprinklers in all staterooms and balconies on all of their ships.

As outlined on the Princess Cruise website, the CruiseHealth™ initiative is aimed to make cruising more safe during these times of virus pandemics. If you have questions about cruising here is a FAQ that perhaps can answer many of your questions dealing with cruising with Princess. As you will find, they are doing everything they can to make this cruise as safe as possible. During this time of the COVID pandemic, cruise lines are offering a safer alternative to any other land based vacation options due to the various health protocols they have instituted.

Princess Cruises has implemented strict hand washing protocols to those entering the World Fresh Marketplace Buffet area and suggest to guest that they wash their hands often throughout the day. We did notice that on our last cruise, they started propping open many public restroom doors so you wouldn't have to touch the door handle to open the door to get out, or provided waste containers near the door and instructions to open the door with a paper towel and then dispose of it.

This ship features enhanced air filtration with upgraded HVAC systems which is designed to replace air within public spaces and staterooms every five to six minutes. HEPA filters are also used in key areas.

We have also found their ships to be well kept and cleaned often. However, you should also take your own precautions to protect yourself and others.

The late winter and early spring time has ideal weather for cruising. The spring time waters of the Caribbean are much calmer than the late summer and fall months when the occurrences of hurricanes increases. Sunshine is prominent, rain showers if any, are typically short lived, and temperatures are moderate to hot, but not the blistering heat and humidity you would experience during the summer months.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) operates the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP). This program is essentially a health inspection for cruise ships. Just like a restaurant in your town is checked by a public health inspector, ships sailing from the United States are also inspected. These inspections are done without prior knowledge by the cruise line. The Sky Princess, during its last inspection scored a 96 out of 100, which places it very high compared to other cruise ships.