Seasickness on a Tromsø Whale Tour

The short version: take something before you board, not after you feel it. The high-speed catamaran includes seasickness tablets; nobody else does, so bring your own. The all-inclusive safari states plainly that it is not suitable for anyone strongly prone to seasickness. A big heated boat is the steadiest of the options, and an open RIB the liveliest.

Tablets includedHigh-speed catamaran only

Take themBefore boarding

SteadiestLarge heated vessels

LiveliestOpen RIB

Longest exposure7–9 hours at sea

Not suitableAll-inclusive, if strongly prone

The one thing that works

Timing. Every remedy people use for motion sickness works by getting ahead of it, and none of them works well once you are already unwell on a boat in the dark. One reviewer on the open-RIB day put it as plainly as anyone could: highly recommended to take the seasickness tablets first. Take them in your hotel room, not on the gangway.

The catamaran includes tablets in the price of the trip, which is a genuinely useful thing to be handed at the door. It is one of the reasons it comes up so often on what is included. On the other five, sort yourself out before you leave town.

Which trips are steadiest

What works

The hybrid-electric catamaran is a large vessel with heated indoor saloons and panoramic windows — a horizon you can see is worth a lot
MS Rygerdronningen is a big modern catamaran with a warm lounge and panoramic windows
The heated Skjervøy boat is covered and larger than a RIB, and only cruises for 3 to 3.5 hours
The all-inclusive safari is a comfortable heated boat carrying a maximum of 50 people

Worth knowing

An open 34-foot RIB is the most motion of the six, for about three hours
The small-group RIB carries four to twelve people and is equally lively
The big boats are at sea for seven to nine hours, which is a long exposure even when steady
The all-inclusive safari states it is not suitable for anyone strongly prone to seasickness

The general trade is the same one the whole site keeps coming back to: the boats that put you closest to the whales are the ones that move most. That argument is on RIB versus big boat.

Insider tip

If you are worried, book a big heated boat from Tromsø harbour and take a seat by a window at deck level, midships. Looking at a horizon helps and the middle of a boat moves least. Going below to lie down and scroll your phone is the opposite of all of that.

What actually helps on the day

Eat something plain beforehand. An empty stomach on a 04:45 start is not a clever strategy.
Stay on deck or by a window where you can see the horizon, even though it is barely light. There is more useful light than you expect between 09:00 and 14:00 — see polar night.
Stay warm. Being cold makes nausea worse and being properly dressed is easy insurance — what to wear.
Keep your head still rather than reading, editing photos or watching a screen.
Tell the crew. They have seen it every week all winter and they will move you somewhere better.

If you are strongly prone to it

Be honest with yourself before you book rather than four hours into an eight-hour day. One of the six products states in its own conditions that it is unsuitable for anyone strongly prone to seasickness, and that is the operator giving you good advice rather than discouraging business. A twelve-hour Skjervøy day is also a long way to travel to find out — the shape of that day is on getting to Skjervøy.

There is no shame in choosing the biggest, warmest boat on offer. The whales are exactly as far away from a miserable person as from a comfortable one.

The trip that hands you the tablets

Guides, a whale presentation, hot drinks, safety gear, seasickness tablets and a second-chance re-booking if no whales are seen, on a high-speed catamaran with a warm lounge and panoramic windows. Eight hours from the harbourside behind the Nerstranda shopping centre, 4.6 from 3,772 reviews at the time of writing.

Check availability & book

We’re an independent guide, not a tour operator. Booking links go to GetYourGuide and are affiliate links — book through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.

The steadier options

Fast catamaran

Frequently asked questions

Do Tromsø whale watching tours provide seasickness tablets?

One of the six does: the high-speed catamaran includes them along with guides, hot drinks and safety gear. The others do not, so bring your own and take them before you board rather than after you need them. The full comparison is on what is included.

Which Tromsø whale tour is best if I get seasick?

A large heated vessel from Tromsø harbour, where you can sit by a window at deck level and see a horizon. Avoid the open RIB days, which are the most motion of the six. Note that the all-inclusive safari states it is unsuitable for anyone strongly prone to seasickness — the alternatives are on big boat tours.

Is the sea rough on whale tours in Northern Norway?

It can be, and it is winter. Departures are cancelled when conditions are genuinely bad, so a sailing trip is one the crew judged safe rather than comfortable. Dress warm, look at the horizon, and take something in advance — more on the day itself on is it worth it.