Rough Seas from Norfolk?

[I Luv Crusin]

My husband and I are thinking of taking a cruise out of Norfolk. However, he is very concerned about rough Atlantic seas. After all "The Graveyard of the Atlantic" is off the North/South Carolina coast.

 

What is your experience with seas and what time of year would be best?

 

Thanks!

[Krazy Kruizers]

For the last couple of winters, several cruisers have reported that on some of the cruises they had rough weather both coming and going out of Norfolk.

[VegasRealtor]

I was stationed in Norfolk on a destroyer escort. I seem to rember the seas almost always being a little rough around the Cape Hatteras area, no matter what time of the year.:p

[alex_drew]

We sailed the Maasdam (10 day) out of Norfolk last March, first 2 days out and last 2 days back were very rough, but my husband and I are lucky in that we don't get seasick. We're going again in 3 weeks (11 day) on the Maasdam and I'm sure it will be rough, but, thankfully, it doesn't bother us. We've had the worst rough sea out of Baltimore on an Easter cruise, not too terrible out of NY in June, and actually pretty bad out of Ft. Lauderdale in June 2000, so... One of my friends only sails out of San Juan to miss the rough seas...

[booboo29]

We sailed on the Maasdam out of Norfolk in November and I would concur with the other. Two days down and two days back were very rough. The last day featured some delightful 15 ft seas. I kept on eating. DH got a little queezy.

 

Outstanding cruise otherwise!:D

 

Jennifer

[PRINSENDAM]

This is a difficult question and there is no hard and fast answer. If the weather is good then the weather is good. If it is going to be rough then it is going to be rough. Law of averages.. winter time is more likely to be rough and summertime is more likely to be calm.

 

One response was that the poster had done time in this area on destroyers. You have to remnember that size of ship comes into the equation. 5,000 ton destroyers... what do sailors say... they roll on wet grass! A 55,000 ton passenger ship with stabilizers is an entirely different matter. If the seas were so much of a problem HAL would probably not bother basing a ship in the Hatteras area. HAL have a ship running all year round out of New York passing through these same waters. HAL's new NOORDAM is also going to be based in New York.

 

Remember you could have flat seas departing Norflok and then have hurricanes in the Caribbean Weather.... you take your chance and most likely you will be lucky. If luck is against you then there is nothing for it. Just make sure you take a few pills or wear a patch.

 

Stephen

[BoozeCruise2]

Attention any future Maasdam cruisers,

 

I would seriously consider cancelling if it's an option and find another vessel. This thing has a history of breaking down longer than Peyton Manning's choking playoff history. :p

 

Seriously my parents are currently on the 10 day out of Norfolk and have had a bunch of problems ( see my other post).

 

Ship is due for dry dock in 2 months. I would def wait until the prop, engine, stabelizers and A.C. problems get fixed.

 

The list of probelms have been well documented on this board dating back so this is just not one person's opinion. I am really trying to help here not smear and save somebody a miserable vacation.

 

BC2

[VABeach]

The itenerary is a giant triangle, so the trip home will be much further out in the Atlantic that the trip down. I was just on it Dec. 17 -27 and we hit a storm that had catagory 10 gail force winds coming home. I actually have inner ear problems that make me prone to sea sickness, but I had managed to have such a good time on my trip that I'm doing it again next year and taking my family with me. I actually though the 40 ft waves were cool. The spray over the bow was high enough to reach the navagation equipment on the highest deck. :p

 

We just sat up in the Crows Nest and drank ginger ale, (it works!). I never got sick.

[Sunshine91]

We'll be on Noordam's inaugural next month, which takes 2 days each way to the Caribbean & back R/T out of NYC. I think watching 40ft. waves over the bow from Crow's Nest sounds really cool! DH is much more cautious - says he doesn't think he wants to sit up there laughing about it with me & my cold one :eek: .

We've learned to take the bonine before boarding & again later that night. If we wait until we need it, it's too late :p.

[PRINSENDAM]

We'll be on Noordam's inaugural next month, which takes 2 days each way to the Caribbean & back R/T out of NYC. I think watching 40ft. waves over the bow from Crow's Nest sounds really cool! DH is much more cautious - says he doesn't think he wants to sit up there laughing about it with me & my cold one :eek: .

 

We've learned to take the bonine before boarding & again later that night. If we wait until we need it, it's too late :p.

 

 

Well, if the view gets too much you can always sit in the Ocean Bar with you back to the view.;)

 

Anyone that goes to sea and thinks they might get sick and doesn't take their Bonine is a ravin' crazy!!!!!

 

Too much rubbish is talked about... rough seas.... stabilizers not working etc etc when all the problems could have probably been solved by Bonine. And all the other problem like... missed ports... late arrivals... electricity going out... etc etc... could be solved by that cold beer!!!!:rolleyes:

 

See you on board NOORDAM on the 22nd!

 

Stephen

[sketcherb]

Attention any future Maasdam cruisers,

 

I would seriously consider cancelling if it's an option and find another vessel. This thing has a history of breaking down longer than Peyton Manning's choking playoff history. :p

 

Seriously my parents are currently on the 10 day out of Norfolk and have had a bunch of problems ( see my other post).

 

Ship is due for dry dock in 2 months. I would def wait until the prop, engine, stabelizers and A.C. problems get fixed.

 

The list of probelms have been well documented on this board dating back so this is just not one person's opinion. I am really trying to help here not smear and save somebody a miserable vacation.

 

BC2

 

 

BC2 - I am very sorry to hear your parents had a bad time on their cruise. However, I am tired of reading the same post every time I go into a Holland America, Maasdam or Norfolk topic. Perhaps you can stick to your own post with this topic. I know you are upset and want Holland America to compensate your parents - so work with them and see what they will do for your family. It does appear that you are attempting to get people to cancel or change there plans with Holland America. I was interested in your original post - but I am still going on the Maasdam on February 9th. Good luck with the compensation from Holland America, thanks for the information on what happened, and best of luck on your / their next cruise that things work out beter.

[djallar]

<snip>

 

Too much rubbish is talked about... rough seas.... stabilizers not working etc etc when all the problems could have probably been solved by Bonine. And all the other problem like... missed ports... late arrivals... electricity going out... etc etc... could be solved by that cold beer!!!!:rolleyes:

 

See you on board NOORDAM on the 22nd!

 

Stephen

 

AND

 

BC2 - I am very sorry to hear your parents had a bad time on their cruise. However, I am tired of reading the same post every time I go into a Holland America, Maasdam or Norfolk topic. Perhaps you can stick to your own post with this topic. I know you are upset and want Holland America to compensate your parents - so work with them and see what they will do for your family. It does appear that you are attempting to get people to cancel or change there plans with Holland America. I was interested in your original post - but I am still going on the Maasdam on February 9th. Good luck with the compensation from Holland America, thanks for the information on what happened, and best of luck on your / their next cruise that things work out beter.

 

My thoughts exactly. I believe a cruise should be an adventure. Yes, I expect a lot of comfort, but I personally don't book a cruise as transportation. Transportation is what I use to get to the cruise. I book it as a vacation. If the itinerary isn't followed exactly, so be it. Just more time for total relaxation.

[BoozeCruise2]

BC2 - I am very sorry to hear your parents had a bad time on their cruise. However, I am tired of reading the same post every time I go into a Holland America, Maasdam or Norfolk topic. Perhaps you can stick to your own post with this topic. I know you are upset and want Holland America to compensate your parents - so work with them and see what they will do for your family. It does appear that you are attempting to get people to cancel or change there plans with Holland America. I was interested in your original post - but I am still going on the Maasdam on February 9th. Good luck with the compensation from Holland America, thanks for the information on what happened, and best of luck on your / their next cruise that things work out beter.

 

 

Fair enough, I was just trying to help you and others avoid something which happened time after time to a lot of people. I am very curious how you make out on your trip. Good luck !

[GarySuzy]

BC2 - I am very sorry to hear your parents had a bad time on their cruise. However, I am tired of reading the same post every time I go into a Holland America, Maasdam or Norfolk topic. Perhaps you can stick to your own post with this topic. I know you are upset and want Holland America to compensate your parents - so work with them and see what they will do for your family. It does appear that you are attempting to get people to cancel or change there plans with Holland America. I was interested in your original post - but I am still going on the Maasdam on February 9th. Good luck with the compensation from Holland America, thanks for the information on what happened, and best of luck on your / their next cruise that things work out beter.

 

Well put Brad and Eric, looking forward to seeing you on the Maasdom.

 

Gary

[arzz]

We were on the Maasdam Christmas cruise with VABeach -- the seas were nothing unusual on the way down -- that last day the seas were spectacular and admittedly a large portion of those on board hardly left their cabins.

 

We had no issues with the ships engines during our cruise. Ships are mechanical devices and as such will have occasional problems. Occasional problems are all part of travelling and cannot be prevented entirely no matter how carefully planned the trip. (How many of us, at one time or another had to endure a reservation that we thought was secure to find it did not exist at our destination? A grossly delayed or cancelled flight? Many unexpected things happen when we travel)

 

I am prone to sea sickness but I have found that all I need to do is watch carefully to know when to take the bonine. They key is to do it BEFORE you feel ill.

 

On our last day at sea (the one with the huge waves) -- my first clue about the seas was the observation (at about 6:30 am) that the bathroom was uphill from the bed, and the bed was downhill from the bathroom even though the seas had not yet kicked up enough to produce much motion (the tilt was caused by the force 10 winds hitting us broadside on the port side) -- I immediately took bonine and was able to enjoy my last day at sea as much as the others -- I really have to hand it to the HAL staff (many of whom also suffer from mal de mare) who were still able to keep the ship sparkeling clean despite the occasional sounds of shattering dishes, etc.

 

Seas happen -- they are not confined to the open Atlantic between the Caribbean and Norfolk -- We had very significant seas on our way back to Port Canaveral on the Christmas 2004 cruise on the Zaandam. They can also happen deep in the Caribbean. There are no guarantees on the ocean. BAD EXPERIENCES WITH SEASICKNESS ARE THE FAULT OF THE OCEAN AND POWERS WHICH WE CANNOT CONTROL. DO NOT BLAME THE SHIP. If this is a significant issue, then I would advise you not to cruise. Otherwise be alert and take your bonine and continue to enjoy your vacation. There is nothing like being on the ocean.

[Linda&Vern]

BC2 - I am very sorry to hear your parents had a bad time on their cruise. However, I am tired of reading the same post every time I go into a Holland America, Maasdam or Norfolk topic. Perhaps you can stick to your own post with this topic. I know you are upset and want Holland America to compensate your parents - so work with them and see what they will do for your family. It does appear that you are attempting to get people to cancel or change there plans with Holland America. I was interested in your original post - but I am still going on the Maasdam on February 9th. Good luck with the compensation from Holland America, thanks for the information on what happened, and best of luck on your / their next cruise that things work out beter.

 

;) Thanks for taking the words right out of my mouth. I am so glad we took all negative comments about the Maasdam and Norfolk ... digested them, and made our own decision about our two cruises. We have had two wonderful vacations aboard the Maasdam within the last 13 months!

 

Linda & Vern

 

Maasdam Holiday 2004

Maasdam Thanksgiving 2005

(still trying to figure out 2006!)

[Linda&Vern]

Fair enough, I was just trying to help you and others avoid something which happened time after time to a lot of people. I am very curious how you make out on your trip. Good luck !

 

I think the point is, time after time this DOESN'T happen to a lot of people. I can tell you that DH and I have cruised the Maasdam twice in the last 13 months out of Norfolk. (Once as recently as 8 weeks ago.) Please let us know how your parent's problems turn out. We are also curious, (1) is this their first cruise, and (2) have they ever cruised out of cold Atlantic waters before? It would also help if you can be more specific about who is the everyone in "everyone is miserable."

 

Linda & Vern

 

Maasdam Holiday 2004

Maasdam Thanksgiving 2005

[Navy_Chief]

It can vary as to the sea state. Navy ships that I've been on (Distroyers and Cruisers) will bob about far more than large cruise ships with stablizers. I would suspect that the ship will do more pitching than rolling which may close off the pool but little more. It's just hard to predict. We're headed through from NYC in December but I'm not worried any about it. Maybe because I'm used to walking on bulkheads :)

[VegasRealtor]

I can relate to walking on bulkheads! Also, the sounds that go through smaller ships in very heavy seas can be a little disturbing. You just keep wondering at what point the ship is gonna break apart - sometimes for days (and many all-night watches) on end.

 

Popcruisers USN 1966-70

[Bubbacribb]

The rough seas were both two day out of Norfolk. I think about the central Florida coast south. The water from Norfolk through South Carolina was fairly smooth 1 1/2 to 4 feet on the 1-7-06 crouise. Twelve hours after San Juan the seas were 18 to 20 feet. Frank

[ekerr19]

We did this cruise March 2004. Cape Hatteras was pretty dicey, but didn't bother us all that much. We took our Bonine and were pretty much fine. For us, making certain to eat and take our Bonine goes along way in making rough seas much less noticeable.

 

We heard a few others complain, yet they seemed to be the folks most ill equipped - no Bonine, no knowledge of the what the Atlantic "might" be like, especially during winter/early spring, etc.

 

Once we passed the cape, we had some of the most gorgeous weather - it could not have been any nicer.

 

On the way back (again, around the cape), we had some fantastic swells - I do mean fantastic! We were up in the Crow's Nest and boy, were we ever rocking and rolling! I though it was pretty awesome. :)

 

Anyone who books this cruise needs to educate themselves with all the weather possibilities, particularly if they are adverse to rough conditions.

[geoherb]

We were also on the Christmas cruise. I thought the last day was fun, especially when I went out on the Promenade Deck.

 

I did feel a little queasy before breakfast and ate just a little bit that morning. My DH was taking Bonine (one pill in the morning and one in the evening) the whole cruise. I did better than him. I ended up eating lunch by myself--but he caught up later by eating pizza mid-afternoon. By then he was feeling fine.

[McDebbie]

Uh-oh.... so are you all saying the Canada/NE area can be much rougher than the Caribbean? We have only sailed down here and are looking forward to our cruise in October but, should I consider getting some sea sickness meds? We've never needed it before now and I didn't even think about there being a difference in the waves "up north".

[RuthC]

McDebbie, the NE/Canada cruise is on open ocean---as opposed to a more sheltered sea. In October there may still be storms coming up from the warmer waters, too. It can be rougher as you head toward the approach to the St. Lawrence.

On the other hand, since this is such a port-intensive cruise, and since the ports are so close together, you don't go out that far to sea.

HAL has sea-sickness pills available at the Front Desk. The trick is to get them in you before you actually need them.

[WISCruiser]

I personaly LOVE Rough Seas... remind of my Navy days in the Gator Fleet riding on my LST... Woohoo, another 35 degree roll :D . Bring em' on! Can hardly wait for my Noordam Cruise, hope we get rough weather goin' down and commin' back!!