A cruise holiday is an exciting way to explore the world, but a high seas adventure can come with its drawbacks if you’re prone to motion sickness.

The sheer size of cruise ships these days means you’re unlikely to experience much rocking and rolling on board that will leave you feeling ill.

Modern engineering allows cruiseliners to safely navigate around bad weather and ships now also use stabilisers to reduce side-to-side motions.

But that’s not to say sea sickness is completely out of the question, so it’s best to be prepared just in case you’re struck with a bout of nausea.

Sea sickness – or motion sickness – is caused by repeated movements when travelling, such as bobbing up and down over the ocean waves. This prompts the inner ear to send different signals to your brain from those your eyes are seeing, and these confusing messages can cause you to feel unwell.

It’s possible to combat motion sickness with over-the-counter remedies like tablets or patches, and some people may find acupressure bands helpful.

But if you’re looking for some natural remedies, there is one type of food that health experts recommend for easing that queasy feeling.

Ginger is widely recommended for nausea and vomiting relief. Research has shown it can increase the responsiveness of the digestive system and encourage stomach emptying.

The National Library of Medicine explains: “Ginger and its metabolites appear to accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract and exert their effects by relieving pain through anti-inflammatory effects, soothing the digestive system through carminative effects, and alleviating nausea.”

The NHS recommends eating ginger biscuits or drinking ginger tea to alleviate nausea, or ginger can also be taken as a tablet or a sucking sweet.

Dr Benjamin Shore, chief medical consultant at Royal Caribbean, also champions the food and said ginger ale or chewing fresh ginger can do wonders for helping relieve sickness.

He said: “Anecdotally, ginger seems to be helpful, and some people find various aromas, like anise, basil, chamomile and peppermint, or eating dry crackers, even after the onset of seasickness can help.” 

Of course if tucking into a few ginger biscuits on board doesn’t do the trick, passengers are advised to go for a short walk to the centre of the ship, as this area is the most balanced area on board and, therefore, the least likely spot to produce sea-sickness symptoms.