Forward or aft. What's the real difference?

[wizdiz]

I was just curious what the big experience difference between forward cabins and aft cabins. Also higher lower deck locations.

I have only had aft or towards the aft locations and low decks. This trip I have a pretty forward cabin.

Can I expect to feel more movement?

[Sauer-kraut]

Not necessarily.

[mizLORInj]

If the seas are rough, you will feel more motion forward than you will anywhere else on the ship.

[VideoTech]

I was just curious what the big experience difference between forward cabins and aft cabins. Also higher lower deck locations.

I have only had aft or towards the aft locations and low decks. This trip I have a pretty forward cabin.

Can I expect to feel more movement?

 

The general rule (but not always) is that the ship rolls around her center of gravity, but there are a lot of other things that can affect this.

 

It's pretty safe to assume that the lower and more centered cabins will experience the least movement. The higher you go and the more you move towards the extremes of the ship (forward or aft) the more apparent the movement.

 

Cruise lines are pretty determined to give you a smooth ride, though, within the restrictions of making it to each port on time. We've had high forward and high aft cabins and in general most of our cruises have been pretty smooth.

[cdnsteelman]

Here's my experience:

 

Pitch (i.e. stern up bow down or bow up stern down type motion) - lower and more central reduces "felt" motion.

 

Yaw (i.e. the ship being diverted either starboard or port off the desired course) - "felt" motion greater to the bow regardless of deck.

 

Roll (i.e. the side-to-side starboard down port up transitioning to starboard up port down motion... where you feel the ship is rolling back and forth from side to side) - "felt" motion greater the higher up you are regardless of bow to stern orientation. List, by the way, occurs when a prevailing wind condition keeps the ship at a lean to starboard or port but not rolling. As with roll, however, you'd "feel" list more on higher decks regardless of being fore, mid, or aft.

 

Surge (i.e. the whole ship being forced forward or backward against it's inertia) and Heave (i.e. the whole ship dropping down or rising up) will be "felt" pretty much the same regardless of where you are on board.

 

So - of the typical ship motions (which often occur in concert as opposed to discretely) your position on the ship will only change how you experience some of them but it is true to say you will "feel" more motion on higher decks toward the bow because that position isn't relatively sheltered from any of the typical movements. My favourite place - because I like to feel motion - is a bow suite.

 

Note - I'm not a sailor but I play one on "boards".

 

csm

[wizdiz]

Thanks for the information!

[Golfin55]

FWD = Front

AFT = Back

[Linda the Book Lover]

We have sailed forward, mid, and aft. We did feel the pitch on the older NCL Wind but it was no big deal. The Wind now gone away was an older ship which is in my opinion the reason we felt anything at all. If the seas are "going nuts" you will feel the motion no matter where you are on the ship. My DH prefers forward (I think it is from the years on the Bridge on Navy ships and he likes to see where we are going) and I like the aft wake (it is so peaceful and beautiful)plus the wrap balcony allows me to see things starboard or port and aft. We are not planning to book an OS with two balconies no matter how much my husband likes the idea. LOL

 

cdnsteelman - "carry-on smartly" :D

[davesgirl51]

Here's my experience:

 

Pitch (i.e. stern up bow down or bow up stern down type motion) - lower and more central reduces "felt" motion.

 

Yaw (i.e. the ship being diverted either starboard or port off the desired course) - "felt" motion greater to the bow regardless of deck.

 

Roll (i.e. the side-to-side starboard down port up transitioning to starboard up port down motion... where you feel the ship is rolling back and forth from side to side) - "felt" motion greater the higher up you are regardless of bow to stern orientation. List, by the way, occurs when a prevailing wind condition keeps the ship at a lean to starboard or port but not rolling. As with roll, however, you'd "feel" list more on higher decks regardless of being fore, mid, or aft.

 

Surge (i.e. the whole ship being forced forward or backward against it's inertia) and Heave (i.e. the whole ship dropping down or rising up) will be "felt" pretty much the same regardless of where you are on board.

 

So - of the typical ship motions (which often occur in concert as opposed to discretely) your position on the ship will only change how you experience some of them but it is true to say you will "feel" more motion on higher decks toward the bow because that position isn't relatively sheltered from any of the typical movements. My favourite place - because I like to feel motion - is a bow suite.

 

Note - I'm not a sailor but I play one on "boards".

 

csm

 

Thanks for that great description. :)

[rockdoctor]

We have traveled both forward and aft (and midship). Neither have more rock-n-roll than mid ship. There can be more wind forward, but it never deterred us from using the balcony. Ain't cruisin' great.