Students new to marine science are often not told what to expect on a research cruise. Here's some of the basics.
The Ship Has A Crew
The first thing to know is that the ship comes with a full-time crew that is paid to take care of everything not directly related to doing science. There will be a captain and mates to take the ship wherever the chief scientist wants to go, a cook to take care of all meals, etc. Pack as if you were going to stay in a hotel. You will have a bed with linens and blankets provided (on larger ships you might have your own room), and storage space for clothing and toiletries. Some of the larger ships may provide personal fridges and have laundromats.
Bring a sturdy pair of covered-toe shoes. You will be working around heavy equipment, possibly dangling overhead on a rocking ship. Bring sunscreen - there is no shade on the decks at sea. Bring a poncho in case you have to work in heavy rain. Life jackets and hardhats are usually provided.
The ship will also likely come with a marine tech. This person takes care of all the scientific equipment that comes with the ship - keeps them clean, calibrated, and in good working order. This person also works closely with the crew (winch operators, bridge officers) to put instruments into the water and bring them back out of the water.
The Obligatory Safety Drill(s)
There will be a safety briefing and a number of emergency drills shortly after the cruise starts. You will learn where things are, what to do, and where to go if you or someone falls overboard, if there's a fire, or if the ship sinks. In most cases you just have to show up in a specific part of the ship with life preserving gear, while the crew does all the important parts.
Cruise Purposes
There are a great many different kinds of science done on cruises. Some are research oriented, some are educational. Generally, all cruises are for the purpose of collecting either oceanographic data, or samples of something, which will be processed and analyzed later in a lab back on shore. Samples could be water samples for various chemical elements or nutrients, microbe or plankton samples, fish samples, sediment samples, etc. Sensor data will always include temperature and salinity. The third major purpose of a cruise is to deploy or retrieve monitoring instruments left in the ocean for months at a time. Most cruises have a combination of different purposes.
What you do on a cruise will be whatever the chief scientist tells you to do. There will probably be lots of manual labor. There may be lab work or computer work, or menial clerical work (such as making labels for samples). If it's a research cruise, expect to have a heavily altered sleep schedule, as everyone will be on duty shifts - science goes on around the clock. I've seen 12-on 12-off, 4-on 8-off, alternate every 4 or 6 hours, etc.
Recreation on a Science Vessel
You will be surrounded by nothing but water in every direction. It's lovely for the first few days and then becomes monotonous if the cruise lasts longer than that. Entertainment and recreation on board will be limited. Internet and phone are both by satellite, which is expensive, and will likely only be available for research or emergency purposes. Some ships will upload and download email once or twice per day, to be read and composed offline - assume that nothing you write or receive is at all private. If the ship goes far enough away from land, there will be no TV or radio. Cell phones will not have signal. Most ships have a small library of books and movies on video/DVD. Some of the larger ones may have exercise equipment.
About Seasickness
There are a number of ways to avoid seasickness - over-the-counter drugs like Dramamine or Bonine, Sea Band wristbands which use acupressure, prescription patches, etc. Most ships will carry an ample supply of meclizine (generic of Bonine), passed out by the ship's medic (or sometimes on smaller ships just sitting out somewhere where anyone can take as much as they want). Take a pill a few hours before the boat leaves the dock.
If you do feel sick, sit outside where you can see the horizon, on as low a level of the ship as possible. The ship sways more up top than at the water surface. If you puke, do it facing away from the wind. Remember that all the outside decks are waterproof, and the work deck has a hose somewhere for rinsing off afterward (be sure to use the saltwater hose) - you do not need to lean over the side and risk falling off the ship (not even if you think it would be a really good idea to jump overboard to stop being sick). If you do want to lean over the side, remember to wear a life jacket. Also, keep some paper towels and kleenex stashed into your pockets so you can blow your nose.
Afterward, eat starchy foods like rice, potatoes, bread. Those will help settle your stomach. Remember that seasickness isn't actually a problem with your stomach - it's your brain trying to make sense of the rocking motion. If you're unfortunate enough to be seasick no matter what you try to do to prevent it, bring along Snickers bars. Those are one of the few food items that taste just as good coming up as going down.
Deep Sea Fishing
On every science vessel I've ever been on, there is always at least one avid deep sea fisherman among the crew. Anytime no science tasks are going on, he will have a line over the side. There will probably be fresh fish for dinner at least once. If you do any fishing of your own, just remember that the science mission takes priority and to pull up your line accordingly.
Swim Calls
Depending on the organization that runs the fleet to which your ship belongs, there may be a swim call at some point during the cruise. Bring a swimsuit.
No Alcohol
All science vessels (in the U.S. at least) are dry. Do not bring alcohol.
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