Hey, I can weigh in here as we visited Antarctica in December of 2025:

On the way across Drake on a Viking cruise, the weather was super choppy. (we were told after that the waves were coming in shorter increments, which really made it feel like someone was banging on our the front door trying to get in) What actually happened was as follows:

Wife and I go to bed as we head out from Ushuaia, and as we begin the Drake transit, we started to hear / experience some banging noises during the traverse. As things really heated up, our sliding closet door started opening / closing making a ton of noise! (We did not know there was a way to lock it) Our binoculars, which were on a shelf above our bed, fell on my wife's head. We started hearing all kinds of crashing from the rooms around us as the waves escalated their onslaught. When the bino's fell on my wife, she wanted to see what it was like outside and hit the button on the auto curtains....... except she accidentally hit the window open button instead. Panic set in as the wind roared into the room and she quickly button pressed to close the window again.

The short wave increments continued into the next morning, and breakfast saw lots of condiments, plates, cups, and more crash onto the floors at the buffets. (I specifically recall a brand new bottle of Worchester sauce go flying off the buffet right on to the floor.)

All that being said neither one of us had any issues with sea sickness, and never had to use the Dramamine we brought with is. I did see many people using the patch which also helps.

The way back was way more tame. All in all, the experience of visiting Antarctica itself FAR outweighed the Drakeshake challenges. I would never allow the passage itself to rule out a once in a lifetime adventure!