Just how rough are the seas...??

[Eventide331]

I am a little nervous about the rocky riding that I have heard sometimes happens on the trip from Los Angeles to Hawaii? Just how rough is rough and is it that way EVERY cruise or just sometimes?

[Pam in CA]

I am a little nervous about the rocky riding that I have heard sometimes happens on the trip from Los Angeles to Hawaii? Just how rough is rough and is it that way EVERY cruise or just sometimes?

It depends on how you define "rough." The California Current flows from the Gulf of Alaska along the coast of California south to Baja California. It is a cold, fast-moving current. Any ship sailing out of LA goes through this current and it can be a bit choppy at times. It's "rough" only when a weather system is coming through but that's a relative term. The ship will rock and roll a little but since you're on a ship, that's to be expected. The stabilizers help if the movement is side-to-side but not if it's forward-to-aft. Regardless, it's never bothered me. More like reminded me that I'm on a cruise and having a great time. At night, it rocks me to sleep.

[Tinious]

I am a little nervous about the rocky riding that I have heard sometimes happens on the trip from Los Angeles to Hawaii? Just how rough is rough and is it that way EVERY cruise or just sometimes?

 

My wife and I were in a rough ride back in 2005 on the Island Princess. It was our first cruise, and we thought it would be 15 straight days of the same -- it turned out it was just those first 2 days. And, it turns out it was just because of some severe weather just before our trip. On the way back, it was smooth as glass.

 

So basically the answer is "it depends on the weather" more than anything. But the key is that if it's going to be bad, it'll likely only be the first 2 or last 2 days.

[Eventide331]

Pam, thanks for the imput. I have been on a Mexican Riviera Cruise twice and it was a little rocky but not too bad for me. I realize that "rough" is probably somewhat relative. I did find on a couple of cruise reviews that this particular itinerary is "known" for being one of the rougher ones. That's probably what has me concerned. I have only had to take the bonine once in my cruise history and probably should have one other time, but have never gotten so ill that I lost my lunch. The crazy thing is, I used to ride in the car behind my kids school bus on field trips because I would get woozy! Wierd! Maybe the "field trips" were more about rowdy youngsters, no air conditioning, exhaust fumes etc that made for a recipe for motion sickness.

 

I LOVE reading all your tips. Shouldn't you write a book? We own a printing company...just saying:)

[Eventide331]

My wife and I were in a rough ride back in 2005 on the Island Princess. It was our first cruise, and we thought it would be 15 straight days of the same -- it turned out it was just those first 2 days. And, it turns out it was just because of some severe weather just before our trip. On the way back, it was smooth as glass.

 

So basically the answer is "it depends on the weather" more than anything. But the key is that if it's going to be bad, it'll likely only be the first 2 or last 2 days.

 

Thanks so much! I think I will take a look at weather conditions and pack my bonine:)

[teegee16]

im traveling to hawaii from l.a. in january and i am planning on packing lots of bonine! i have been seasick on a cruise before, a couple of years ago. it was the first night out of ft. lauderdale in winter, which can be pretty rough, until you leave the atlantic and enter the caribbean sea. not fun!

[Bigboy99]

The stabilizers help if the movement is side-to-side but not if it's forward-to-aft.

 

Compliment Pam,

 

not many women are familiar with such technical details.....it seems, you are a living encyclopaedia ;)

 

Bernie

[Pam in CA]

I think the California Current gives cruises out of LA, whether you're doing a Mexican Riviera, HI, California coastal, etc., a bad rep. Usually, whoever writes these reviews hasn't done their homework and/or has an exaggerated sense of "rough." It's surprising the number of people on a cruise who expect it to be the Marriott with no movement.

 

There are certain parts of the world that really are known to be rough a good deal of the time. The Tasmanian Sea is one of them yet when we crossed it, it was like glass. Likewise, going around Cape Horn, yet the two times I've sailed around Cape Horn, it was just a bit choppy.

 

Everyone has a different tolerance for motion. A few years ago, I was on a Sydney to LA 31-day cruise and we had a great roll call -- 187 people. A Mother's Day Brunch was planned for our roll call and most attended. I didn't think anything of it that there were a rew missing; the seas weren't bad, the ship wasn't really rocking. Yet I heard afterwards from a few people that they were so seasick from the ship's "rough" motion they couldn't attend.

[daisy-mae]

Compliment Pam,

 

not many women are familiar with such technical details.....it seems, you are a living encyclopaedia ;)

 

Bernie

 

Bernie, you probably didn't mean to sound condescending, but it might surprise you to know that females are just as capable as males when it comes to grasping technical concepts.

 

;)

[Bill B]

Bernie, you probably didn't mean to sound condescending, but it might surprise you to know that females are just as capable as males when it comes to grasping technical concepts.

 

;)

LOL... Way to go 'little lady'. ;)

[Bigboy99]

Bernie, you probably didn't mean to sound condescending, but it might surprise you to know that females are just as capable as males when it comes to grasping technical concepts.

 

;)

 

Daisy Mae,

 

you're right, never would condescend the women here, sorry ;)

But I wrote "NOT MANY WOMEN"

[Pam in CA]

not many women are familiar with such technical details.....it seems, you are a living encyclopaedia ;)

This isn't a technical term or detail, just logic. They're like small wings on a plane and stabilize the same way. If a plane is going up or down, the "elevator" on the wing goes up or down, not the wing itself. Ship stabilizers don't have this "elevator."

[RickEk]

My partner did the 15-day voyage to Hawaii on the Island Princess for the New Year's cruise a few years ago. There was a storm over LA the day that they left. The wind was so bad that the ship was canted over a few degrees while it was at the dock. They had to be guided out of LA harbor by three tugboats. Once at sea, the waves were reaching their balcony on Emerald deck. His sister apparently spent that first night in her lifejacket... :p

 

As an aside... I experienced the roughest seas this past July from San Francisco to Victoria on the Sea Princess. Talk about rocking and rolling!

[gertz]

Should be no more choppy than the Mexican Riviera. Also at times the Caribbean can be very rough. But if your really concerned book midships and not too high.

[DrivesLikeMario]

OP - I think you should expect about 2-3 rough days heading west to HI and about the same coming back if it's a typical voyage. By "rough", I mean about 8-15 ft. max. If it's worse, it's because there's a storm. If it's better, consider yourself lucky. Either way, it's not anything that the majority of people can't handle or they wouldn't sell so many of these cruises. Just take a Bonine before you leave LA. ;)

[teegee16]

i've only taken bonine once. I don't remember if it makes you drowsy or not. can someone tell me that? I intend to be on it daily if needed.

[camofwilliamsburg]

So when is the best time to do that trip. DH and I are thinking about this but we like to get away anytime from Nov- Feb. I like it to be warm enough to go to the beaches and to sunbathe on the decks....

[Colo Cruiser]

Compliment Pam,

 

not many women are familiar with such technical details.....it seems, you are a living encyclopaedia ;)

 

Bernie

 

Princess has a direct phone line to Pam from all their ships in case of an emergency. :eek:

[RickEk]

Princess has a direct phone line to Pam from all their ships in case of an emergency. :eek:

:):D:p:D:)

[IECalCruiser]

We have done both the Mexican Riviera and the Hawaii RT on the Golden. You typically will experience higher waves than in the Caribbean. Most waves are in the Slight to Moderate range (0-2.5 meters or 0-7.5 feet) and the Golden’s stabilizers handle these conditions well. I do use the Scop patch however. I really needed the patch for the 8 hours of Very Rough seas (4-6 meters or 12-18 feet) between the Falklands and Cape Horn. This is a good site for checking wave height forecasts between LA and Hawaii

http://www.wunderground.com/MAR/epacm.html?map=wave&animate=1

 

In addition, the water temperature is in the 50’s and 60’s near the West Coast. The air temperature will be cool as a result. You can also check water temps on this site

http://www.wunderground.com/MAR/epacm.html

 

You can also have clouds, rain and wind. Don’t expect warm temps on the deck sunbathing the first day or two of the cruise. Same for the Mexican Riviera until you pass Cabo. On our return to LA on the Mexican Riviera cruise we had rain, cool weather and 35 knot winds across the bow.

 

That being said, we enjoyed both cruises and would do either again. You should just know what to expect.

[Cruisin' Chick]

So when is the best time to do that trip. DH and I are thinking about this but we like to get away anytime from Nov- Feb. I like it to be warm enough to go to the beaches and to sunbathe on the decks....

 

We were on the Island Princess in December 2005 and we got rough seas the first couple of days and that was it. The pools were closed because of the "waves" in the pool. It was relatively smooth coming back. The sailing right before us had the rough seas their last couple of days. So you can get rough seas coming, going, or not much at all.

 

There was one couple on our roll call that were on their first cruise, and apparently the husband had a rough go at it. That's why I don't recommend this cruise as a first one. But if you enjoy a lot of sea days (like my family) and are either not bother by the movement (my hubby and daughter aren't bothered at all) or have some remedies at hand (I bring ginger in a couple of different forms and will also track down ginger ale) then you can have a fun time on this itinerary.

 

As for the weather, in Hawaii, it's usually going to be nice. I've gone for land trips in November and late February and encountered rain, but the temps will be in the high 70s/low 80s. When we were there on our cruise, we didn't get any rain, just partly cloudy skies and temps in the high 70s.

 

The LA weather will be more variable. Right now in LA, it's raining, but this is our rainy season. We could also get warm weather in the late fall and winter -- if the winds are blowing from the east, it could be in the 80s. So we know to have both sweaters and shorts in our dresser drawers between October and June. I'm more knowledgeable about the temps up here near the mountains where it could be in the 40s during the day in December and low 30s at night/early morning. I think it's more mild by the coast.

[Pam in CA]

Princess has a direct phone line to Pam from all their ships in case of an emergency. :eek:

:rolleyes:

 

I think it's more mild by the coast.

It's been weird here for about a year, thanks to La Nina. It should be around 70 but it's been in the low 60s, upper 50s for weeks with a few returns to normal temps. As an example of weirdness, there's a thunderstorm going on right now. Hello! Mother Nature? Have you lost your mind? We almost never get thunderstorms.

[NSWP]

We were on last cruise of Regal Princess, September 2007, enroute San Pedro (LA) to Sydney. Rounding southern tip of NZ south Island, got hit by a massive gale from the Antarctic, 40 foot seas, ship in 'lockdown for 36 hours.' No buffets, Promenade and all open deck closed. Sea hitting pool deck and wrecking bar and showers. Some worried pax on board, incuding this little black duck. Even our Indian Assistant Waiter turned green.

 

Biggest seas I have been in, says he who is rounding the Cape Horn on Star Princess, come February. Big seas can happen around the Horn. Ugh.

[Cruisin' Chick]

:rolleyes:

 

It's been weird here for about a year, thanks to La Nina. It should be around 70 but it's been in the low 60s, upper 50s for weeks with a few returns to normal temps. As an example of weirdness, there's a thunderstorm going on right now. Hello! Mother Nature? Have you lost your mind? We almost never get thunderstorms.

 

A few hours ago, it was hailing around here.

[rlmosher]

on the Dawn to Alaska we hit a storm and 30 foot seas, all open decks were closed. The waves were coming over the bow. Lasted thru the night and part of the morning. On the other end LA to Mexico RT we had seas like glass. You would have thought we we on a lake with no wind.