Honesty please here!

[hopestotravelmore]

[SIZE="3"]I have been cruising;) this website for over a week now and am enjoying everything I am reading. It's a great site. Well I am planning a cruise next year for myself and hubby. Being a first time Cruiser I am learning a great deal from this site. The only thing that I need to know is: HOW ROUGH ARE THE SEAS on cruise.

 

Yesterday I went into the thread on what to pack and there was a picture of a balcony cabin door stuck up with Duck tape because the door kept opening due to rough seas and someone else said:

 

"We took duct tape to keep draws and cupboards closed as they can keep u awake from opening and closing through out rough seas"

:eek:

 

My god are they that rough!

 

I have been on a few coach tours in Europe and now that our four darlings have finished school and uni I would like to start travelling more and take hubby with me. He has never been out of Australia and I thought a cruise in the South Pacific would be a good start for him but now I am scared that I will be sick or even worse frightened by the ship rocking and then capsizing. Yey I know I have watched to many disaster movies!

 

Now I would like the honest truth. Do I need to worry and should I stick to dry land touring?

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[Cruisin' Chick]

Some itineraries tend to have rough seas and some don't. Plus, weather conditions might have a factor.

 

What areas are you considering?

[Nebr.cruiser]

In our 25 + cruises we have never had seas anywhere near that rough. Of course, there are no guarantees, you can always hit a storm, but I'd say it is very unusual.

 

We've never had to or even thought about taping the drawers shut. Certain itineraries can be worse, or times of year.

[luddite]

Go to the Carribbean and you shouldn't have a problem.

In the Tazman? You'll have a problem.

 

Some balcony doors are very smooth and it takes very little motion to get the sliding.

[Essiesmom]

There is a forum here for Aussie and NZ cruisers. On the main boards page further down. folks there can tell you where the rough sears are in the south pacific. EM

[Scrapnana]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

With the technology that goes into building today's ships you will not see much of the rolling that ships of old had. As mentioned, there is always the chance of a storm but you will still be safe on the ship.

 

Here is a link to a blog about a recently completed trip from Auckland to Los Angeles. You'll notice that the ship stays pretty steady.

http://www.lovetobecruising.blogspot.com/2013_02_19_archive.html

 

For your first cruise you might not want one that long but a 5-7 day cruise should give you an idea of what it's like. But be warned - after that first cruise it will likely lead to a lifelong addiction!

[delily]

The seas were a bit rough on my last Caribbean cruise but it was hardly noticeable except in the theater where dancers were trying to dance with the floor falling out from underneath them! Big ships take the waves well. One piece of advice: if you're worried about rough seas, don't choose a cheap "off season" cruise. The thing that makes tours "off season" in the first place is the greater chance for less than perfect weather.

[Keith1010]

Seas can range and it depends where you are sailing and the overall weather conditions.

 

Keith

[fishycomics]

First tell us where you like to cruise. And then we can say you be Perfectly level.......

 

Alaska cruise 30 foot swells, Ship rocked and rolled, no it cut through like a slipper on a waxed floor. the waves crashing, Heck I may still have that 2001 video somewhere.

 

More or less the people did not know how to use a balcony door, Handle locks in position by pressure and that they did not do.

 

For the drawer thing I can see them opening and closing only if the ship was bouncing front and back, they are positioned not side to side so how can they open.

 

hmmm suiete rooms Ph maybe LOL.

 

 

Honestly the ship takes on water to stop that roughness, only times is when a hurricane is around back in five years where the ship went through a 70 plus foot wave, they are to avoid rough seas. By going out of the way no locked roads on an Ocean

[luckdragon2]

We're off to the Mediterranean for a 12 night cruise in less than a month and could let you know when we get back what it is like. I'm hoping for calmish seas as we hug the coastline for most of the trip.:o

[Krazy Kruizers]

OP is from Australia and mentioned that she is interested in the South Pacific.

Yes -- you could encounter rough seas. They can happen everywhere in the world. We have encountered rough seas in many areas.

No one can predict when a storm will hit. The captains do their best to avoid storms for the safety of the passengers.

[Mikey22]

Around New Zealand and through the Tasman Sea can be rough at times.

South Pacific is normally ok but you can get a big swell or Cyclone that can affect the Seas.

 

I do not mind some "Motion in the Ocean" it usually result in the Ship feeling half empty at times.

:)

[CruisinCat31]

South Pacific will be great for your first cruise, the seas are nothing to worry about. You and hubby will have a ball! Make sure you pick one with a stop at Isle of Pines for pure paradise.:)

[Sea Hag]

I do not mind some "Motion in the Ocean" it usually result in the Ship feeling half empty at times.

:)

I agree with that! There's nothing nicer than the Promenade deck when the sea's rough. Empty and lovely.

[agabbymama]

Well, I have to disagree with most posters. 30' waves are something that is scary. We had glasses & bottles of water flying all over our cabin. Glass all over the floor, beds, and us in the beds. Couldn't even get out of bed in the morning without first looking for shoes and trying to reach them. Then stepped outside to find our steward to vacuum the glass up.

 

Then when we went on a bridge tour later that day, a gentleman asked about the waves the night before & why it felt like we slowed way down. The 2nd in Command (not the CAPTAIN) who was giving the bridge tour, said we were hitting 30' seas and he was afraid the ship might not hold together, so he slowed way down to 11 knots.:eek: You want to talk scary???

 

So much so, we have decided to land travel here in the States for awhile and forget cruising and flying.

 

We crossed the Tasman Sea from Melbourne to Launceston by air and it was one of the worst flights I've ever had. Roller-coaster, thunder and lightning almost the whole flight. I can only imagine what being on a ship in that area might be like.

 

So OP, you have cause to be wary. You are on a ship in the middle of a big ocean. If you hit a storm, there isn't anything you can do, but go with the flow. No hiding or outrunning Mother Nature.

[happy cruzer]

The key is to be prepared for rough seas. Do some searches on sea sickness, dramamine, bonine, ginger, seabands, etc. I carry bonine and the seabands in my purse at all times because I get motion sickness everywhere, cars, planes, boats, anything that moves. If I had not found a solution I could not travel at all.

 

Be prepared and you probably will not need anything.

[cb at sea]

Even lakes can be rough! Or, it could be smooth.....no way to know in advance! If you don't want to chance it, stick to land vacations! Even the largest ship is but a cork floating on the sea......it will move!

[travlnblueberries]

Welcome to cruise critic :)

[rugbypopsie]

Welcome to cruise critic...weather is weather on land or sea. Hurricanes are scary, tornadoes are scary, floods are scary....in comparison most people enjoy smooth sailing on their cruises. Certain oceans are more likely to experience large waves such as the very southern ocean between Australia and NZ but that said the ships are equipped to handle it. The Captain will always attempt to change course if necessary to give his passengers a pleasant cruise. Don't be put off...do a cruise around the islands, and take medications just in case..you will be fine and welcome to our addiction.

 

 

Sue

 

[hopestotravelmore]

Thank you all for your answers. I will give it a go. I don't think I have heard of a cruise ship sinking lately because of rough seas :rolleyes:

 

I have just found out that Royal Caribbean had a cruise I really wanted to do in the South Pacific but they are not in Aussie waters in May/June.:mad:

[GlendaleCruiser]

Rarely have rough seas in the Caribbean unless it's hurricane season. They go around them but it still chops up the waters a bit. Only had one rough day in the Mediterranean and that was due to a storm. Of approx 40 days cruising in the Med, only that one rough day.

[Gunner22aa]

I've hit rough water twice. First on a TA where the waves were pushing 25 feet and secondly slightly less in the south pacific. The ship will move, sometimes a lot but don't expect a repeat of the Possidon Adventure. I have never experienced rough water in the Caribbean, torrential rain yes but not rough seas. Others have. You are at the mercy of nature out in the middle of the ocean but it has nor will ever stopped me from cruising.

[tbmrt]

Suggest you choose a cabin in the middle of the ship....We cruised in a front cabin one time and felt much more motion up there. Still not a problem though.

 

Barbara

[Gunner22aa]

And the lower the deck the better. Think of a teeter totter. No movement at the pivot point in the center but lots at either end. The ship won't be as dramatic as that but the bow and the stern will move relativly more as opposed to middle.