rough seas

[bunzo]

We are mature(ok, old) Canadians who have travelled extensively, but have just booked our first ocean cruise..(hawai and the marguessas Jan 2011)

Should I expect a lot of, a little of, or , hopefully,rare rough seas on that trip at that time of the year? Hate to think I will be spending the sea days swallowing imodium and gravol all day..

[SwissMyst]

Spend the days before you launch downing Bonine tablets and hijacking the Yum Yum man's cart for his candied ginger, or his life. :p That is the formula I found works best so far.

 

Or better, bring a bucket of crystallized ginger (you can get at Trader Joes or other natural food places) and pop a few several times a day and one Bonine at night. Apparently, once you need it it is already too late for it to do you any good.

[rjm1cc]

I have been on a few cruises and one to Hawaii. No problem with the seas. I would expect none and if you have a problem I would think it will not last more than a day.

[cruz chic]

I think RevNeal had a pretty rough ride over to Hawaii earlier this year. You just can't predict anything.

[HALFans]

The first full day heading West from San Diego on our Hawaii cruise was a doozie. It was almost as bad the last day coming back.

 

Not sure if the currents meeting the Continental Shelf had anything to do with it or of it was just our run of luck.

 

For our trip the rest of it was pretty smooth sailing.

 

I'm sure you'll have a great time! Wish we were sailing with you on that one!

[world~citizen]

I would recommend as above that you see your pharmacist and get some motion sickness meds, and get advice as to dosage.

 

The meds don't work unless you take them properly...but then they are magic.

 

Whatever you do, don't wait to get sick before you take them.

 

That said, you will have a terrific cruise.

 

Smooth sailing (hopefully)...

[JennyandJoeS]

Seems like the first two days out of either San Diego or Las Angeles going to Hawaii is always rough, and the weather is coolish on deck. I always prepare for it by taking Bonine two days before I depart, then once a night before going to bed.

[Himself]

The last time I did the Hawaii gig in 2008, the first day was very rough. After that it was ok. Coming home the last day was foggy but not rough.

[EviesCruisin]

I agree the seas are hard to predict. We had smooth as glass seas crossing the Atlantic in October (Portugal-> Florida) but rocky horrible seas in the Caribbean on our way back to San Juan. I don't recall too many horrible seas on our way from Hawaii to Fanning Island in June but it was a little "rocky".

 

To be prepared, I always bring Bonine, seabands (I prefer the "ReliefBand" - a little pricey but worth every penny). I brought Gin Gins on our transatlantic cruise (this was on Princess, no candied ginger Yum Yum man to hit up). I didn't care for them but many many cruisers from our Roll Call were thankful I had them. I believe I bought them on Amazon.

 

I do prefer to try the drug-free ReliefBand instead of the Bonine because the seasick medications and alcohol may not mix. Also I found the patch made me dizzy once back on land. I'd just say have a lot of options and hope you don't need it. The purser's desk will have seasick meds on hand for free but I prefer to pack Bonine because it's less drowsy than some of the others.

 

Book a room low and mid-ship if you are concerned...big ships are nothing like those small snorkeling/fishing boats. I get SO sick on those boats but am OK on cruises except in the roughest seas. Also I see HAL has a room service items of things recommended for seasickness like green apples, crackers. etc.

[garydm]

SwissMyst has the right prescription. Exactly what I do.

 

First couple days out from San Diego and back there were rough for us.

 

Gary

[Copper10-8]

As stated by others, you'll usually find some "motion in the Pacific ocean" on the first day out of port (San Diego/Vancouver, etc.) while chugging west. They usually put the "saying hi to Ralph" bags near the elevator bays. It's all worth it in the end however, in the big scheme of things. The Hawaii itinerary is great; add the Marquesas to that and you'll have a very nice cruise!

 

 

Btw, could be worse;) (see pics of the cruise ship Baldonnell, struggling outside A Coruna, Spain)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mudscraper]

Check out the lone dude behind the funnel holding a potato sack instead of a `Ralph` bag.

 

 

Rich

[ariawoman]

Wow, what time of year were those photos taken? See that's the crap that scares me! LOL

[mallbucks]

Dec. 2008 - Golden Princess Christmas Hawaii cruise. It was very rough. Luckily we were in a balcony cabin and we stared at the horizon which helped with the rumbly tummy feeling. Hard to navigate the halls as walked at an angle. But as posted by others, Hawaii was worth it. Hope your sailing is smoother.

[Copper10-8]

Wow, what time of year were those photos taken? See that's the crap that scares me! LOL

 

21 JAN 09 - North-west coast of Spain after departing her port of call, A Coruna. I misidentified the ship; she's Fred Olsen Cruise Line's Balmoral. Although it can "spook" in the Bay of Biscay, these were not usual conditions; she encountered some weather and that's what you're seeing here. She made it without any problems to her next port of call, Zeebrugge, Belgium three days later

 

Check out the lone dude behind the funnel holding a potato sack instead of a `Ralph` bag.

 

 

There are actually about three-four additional individuals visible on her open decks;)

[Jemima]

If you know you get sea sick, take some remedies with you. We have never taken anything for seasickness and so far have not been sea sick.

[im-a-going]

We did a similar 30-day cruise on the Ryndam, round trip San Diego, in January 2009. The seas were calm the entire trip. When planning your cruise, instead of only preparing for motion sickness effects, consider options for prevention. I have little problem sailing, even in 7 meter swells crossing the Drake passage, so I only use wrist bands when swells are high. Wanda gets a bit more queasy, so she uses those plus an occasional Transderm (scopalomine) patch when particularly heavy seas are forecast. That said, on a fairly large ship with stabilizers, like all of those HAL sails, if you book a cabin on a lower deck and in the middle third of the ship fore to aft, you are unlikely to experience much motion even in moderate seas.

[Sea King]

We are mature(ok, old) Canadians who have travelled extensively, but have just booked our first ocean cruise..(hawai and the marguessas Jan 2011)

Should I expect a lot of, a little of, or , hopefully,rare rough seas on that trip at that time of the year? Hate to think I will be spending the sea days swallowing imodium and gravol all day..

 

unless you have a crystal ball, there's no way, IMHO, anyone can predict what the seas will or won't be on any given cruise 7 days out, let alone 6 months in advance of departure

 

weather and winds constantly change .. one person can sail from Fort Lauderdale on a 7 day cruise and have calm seas and great weather .. one week later, same ship, same itinerary .. rough seas, wind, rain and the rest

 

IMO you should be thinking about enjoying a great cruise to Hawaii

 

but remember: ships move .. unfortunately, sometimes more at one time than at others

[SwissMyst]

On the smaller, older MV Discovery we booked the room right next to the medical clinic in the middle of the bottom deck thinking, surely the medical clinic would be in the best spot possible on a ship.

 

But alas, I was down and out for almost two weeks when sailing the Mozambique Straights off Africa. Explained a ship can go side to side and it can lurch front to back and it can go side to side and front to back at the same time, called "corkscrewing".

 

So heaven help the poor MD (who was very busy making calls to cabin bound passengers who mainly got sedative shots) on this ship who might have actually had to do any minor surgical work on that bottom deck, middle of the ship dispensary.

 

Best to follow all the preventive advice here in consultation with your own MD appropriate for your own health history, as well as try and find the more stable cabin locations because you never know and you may react to side to side or up and downs differently, but it does seem the consensus when you get both at the same time, just hunker down for a spell.

 

Was it here someone posted a crew member's advice was the more you pay the more you sway, since most deluxe cabins are on the upper decks. Also interesting the crew always gets the lowest floors on the whole ship thinking these are the less desirable spots but they may in fact get the best ones and they certainly are the ones who need to be at their best 24/7; when we are not.

 

We did this recent mini-7 day trip to Alaska just to retest my own sea legs and see if the bonine/ginger seasickness combo could help and happy/unhappy to report I did fine with the preventive bonine/ginger combo, but reports from others said indeed we did hit some nasty spots that laid others low.

 

Agree, also hate to take any medication if I never really needed it, but the price is too high to have a cruise ruined when it appears it is too late to start taking these items after the fact.

 

However, who knows after a few good (but medicated) trips maybe one's brain gets rewired to absorb these rocking and rollings with no consequences and then not need them later. Because there were sure a lot of people still showing up for dinner and thoroughly enjoying themselves on that mean old Mozambique channel.

[cruzn single]

We experienced rough seas all the way to Hawaii and back on a trip in November, 2005. However, we had friends who did the same cruise a year later, and seas were calm. So, it is hard to say what will happen. Guess the best saying is: "Prepare for the worst, but hope for the best!"

 

Smooth sailing to you!

[ninkb]

Did this cruise in Jan 07 and had calm seas. However, as others have said, that doesn't mean a thing for the future. Just be assured that you're NOT sure to have rough seas in that part of the world.

 

It's a great cruise!!!! If you like to snorkel, there are some great opportunities. Also good for just relaxing and enjoying the awesome world we live in. Wish I were going again!

[woodworker&knitter]

We have sailed out of Ft. Lauderdale 5 times without a problem. Even though we did encounter some rough seas. Last Oct. we sailed from San Diego headed to the Panama Canal. I didn't think it was I ate ginger, green apples, and some bread (not white) as recommended by the DRM,. By the afternoon I was fine.

[bunzo]

thanks everyone...some ideas I would not have thought of(ie crystalized ginger).

[TracieABD]

Now I am getting a bit worried... Especially after John's post with pictures!:o

[Copper10-8]

Now I am getting a bit worried... Especially after John's post with pictures!:o

 

No need! That was a storm in a notorious "wild" area!