Question for Budget Queen

[ntvsdgrl]

Your Majesty :D,

I'm on the Coral Princess at the end of August next year, Northbound and was wondering, in your vast experience, how are the seas during this time. Are the rough or calm? I'm taking medicine with me but was just curious.

 

Thank you!

[frugaltravel]

You might get more varied and quicker responses if you open your question up to others. Just a thought.

[ntvsdgrl]

Oh anybody can answer; just wanted to catch her attendion. :D

[Chenega]

Your Majesty :D,

I'm on the Coral Princess at the end of August next year, Northbound and was wondering, in your vast experience, how are the seas during this time. Are the rough or calm? I'm taking medicine with me but was just curious.

 

Thank you!

 

I'm not Budget Queen but I've lived in Alaska for over 40 years. Maritime conditions can vary greatly in the north Pacific and Alaska Coast Areas throughout the year. There is no predictable calm seas/rough seas season for areas affected by the weather systems that form in this area. The constantly moving high and low pressure systems, oceanic currents, and other factors all play a part and forecasting up here is a difficult science.

 

In short, bring your meds along with a variety of gear for weather. Hope this helps.

[agabbymama]

I'm not Budget Queen nor do I live in Alaska.

 

What is your itinerary? Are you crossing the Gulf of Alaska? That can be rough anytime. Are you sailing on the West side of Vancouver Island, that's open ocean and can definitely be rough. The Inside Passage is usually calmer, but even that can get rough if there is a storm.

 

Around Victoria and Astoria Oregan can be downright fearsome rough ocean. Last year in Sept, the ship stopped folks from going ashore in Victoria, as the wind blew a roof off a building in the port and it hit some passengers. So not just rough seas. Astoria Oregon totally closed the port and wouldn't even let any ships enter, so we sailed on down to San Francisco in a very rough high waves sea.

 

You are on the ocean, and it can/does have some great motion sometimes. Be prepared with meds and lock down everything in your cabin. We had bottles of water and broken glasses flying everywhere.

 

It was so rough, we've decided for the present to forgo any more cruises for awhile anyway. I'm not a very good sailor to begin with, and that was the roughest we've been in of 7 cruises.

[Putterdude]

The Coral operates northbound out of Vancouver in August on Princess's "Voyages of the Glaciers" itinerary. For the most part you should find the waters between Vancouver and Skagway relatively calm, there may be a few spots where the water could kick up a bit but we are talking only a couple of hours. However, crossing the Gulf of Alaska is quite unpredictable, one day the waters can be a flat as a pancake and the next day the waves can be 20'+.

[PennyAgain]

I'm not Budget Queen nor do I live in Alaska.

 

What is your itinerary? Are you crossing the Gulf of Alaska? That can be rough anytime. Are you sailing on the West side of Vancouver Island, that's open ocean and can definitely be rough. The Inside Passage is usually calmer, but even that can get rough if there is a storm.

 

Around Victoria and Astoria Oregan can be downright fearsome rough ocean. Last year in Sept, the ship stopped folks from going ashore in Victoria, as the wind blew a roof off a building in the port and it hit some passengers. So not just rough seas. Astoria Oregon totally closed the port and wouldn't even let any ships enter, so we sailed on down to San Francisco in a very rough high waves sea.

 

You are on the ocean, and it can/does have some great motion sometimes. Be prepared with meds and lock down everything in your cabin. We had bottles of water and broken glasses flying everywhere.

 

It was so rough, we've decided for the present to forgo any more cruises for awhile anyway. I'm not a very good sailor to begin with, and that was the roughest we've been in of 7 cruises.

 

Eleanor, sorry you had a rough experience. I was in the area Astoria, Oregon and saw the rough sea conditions for myself. My good luck held as I was on land.

 

As far as the Gulf of Alaska is concerned, I've seen it go either way from awful to calm. My elder sister had a cup of hot coffee knocked out of her hand during a rough spell. The look on her face was priceless.

[Budget Queen]

No way to predict, anything. :) Despite the single, glowing reports, I have encountered rough sailing on ALL the routes, including the round trip Vancouver itineraries.

 

You are wise, to have precautions in place, you won't want to waste a moment. :)

[ntvsdgrl]

Thank you all for your comments. The last time I was on a cruise, over 30 years ago to the Caribbean, we were being chased by a hurricane so needless to say the seas were a little rough. I will say the rocking of the ship was like being in a cradle and I've never slept better.

 

I will take my meds and be prepared.

 

Thank you again.