Cabin at bow of ship. How much will it rock and roll

[MudderBear]

Hello.  Booked a mini suite on the bow of the Marina deck (15).  Majestic Princess.  Will be sailing from Whittier, Alaska to Vancouver.

This is only my second cruise, my husband's first.  We are retired......  Will this ship rock and roll alot?  Not sure if I should switch to something else.  Loved the extra large balcony, which I thought would be great for Glacier Bay and Hubbard Bay.  Would love to hear from people who've been that high up in front.

Thanks!

Edited December 17, 2020 by MudderBear

[AF-1]

I have not been on your ship but I have been up front and high in a family suite.  You will be doing Inside passage; which should be calm waters;  you really won't feel much movement since you won't be out in the ocean.  Our cabin had some movement but nothing that bothered us;  it rocked us to sleep at night.  We did Seattle roundtrip and the only movement we had was in ocean going to the inside passage.  Once we reached the shores of Alaska it was calm for entire trip

Edited December 17, 2020 by AF-1
added txt

[MudderBear]

Thank you!

 

[Essiesmom]

Actually, that was not entirely true.  True if you are doing a round trip from Seattle.  But from Whittier, you are in open ocean until Hubbard Glacier, and then until your next port (Glacier Bay?).  Tiny itinerary maps make it look like you are hugging the shoreline, but you actually are too far out to see the shore.  After Glacier Bay, you are in the Inside Passage.  I have done this route four times and never felt motion, but I was not in a forward cabin.  EM

[Mud_Shark]

I feel like the pacific has a tendency to be a bit rougher at times than the Atlantic or Caribbean.  Of course there are exceptions and any body of water can be affected by storms or inclement weather.

 

You will only be exposed for less than two days travel.  I wouldn't be too concerned personally, but there is a possibility of rough seas, and rough seas do seem to be felt more on the higher forward levels of the ship.  We have felt a bit unsettled with the motion of the ship once or twice, but a bit of Dramamine, a nice nap, and some green apples, and we were back in action.

 

Don

[d9704011]

3 hours ago, MudderBear said:

Hello.  Booked a mini suite on the bow of the Marina deck (15).  Majestic Princess.  Will be sailing from Whittier, Alaska to Vancouver.

This is only my second cruise, my husband's first.  We are retired......  Will this ship rock and roll alot?  Not sure if I should switch to something else.  Loved the extra large balcony, which I thought would be great for Glacier Bay and Hubbard Bay.  Would love to hear from people who've been that high up in front.

Thanks!

We always book high and forward.  Personally, I believe that on a ship the size of Majestic Princess you’ll be absolutely fine unless you experience horrible weather in which case it probably will not make any difference where you are.  I suggest you keep your cabin, follow Mud_Shark’s advice and enjoy yourself

[nini]

Our first Alaska cruise involved Hubbard Glacier. I can not

recall which night we had a crazy storm and that ship was rockin'

and rollin'! The water was splashing out of the pools- it was crazy!

 

We did the east coast one time and were in the most forward inside

room on Dolphin Deck (the Golden). We were really rolling around.

So, if you are sensitive, I would not recommend the bow.

For us, we love it.

 

Also, if you booked a mini suite on the bow, then your railing is obstructed

as it is steel and not the "glass". You will need to stand up to see out.

[MudderBear]

51 minutes ago, nini said:

Our first Alaska cruise involved Hubbard Glacier. I can not

recall which night we had a crazy storm and that ship was rockin'

and rollin'! The water was splashing out of the pools- it was crazy!

 

We did the east coast one time and were in the most forward inside

room on Dolphin Deck (the Golden). We were really rolling around.

So, if you are sensitive, I would not recommend the bow.

For us, we love it.

 

Also, if you booked a mini suite on the bow, then your railing is obstructed

as it is steel and not the "glass". You will need to stand up to see out.

Thanks.  I know about the obstruction, but the balcony is so large that I will be able to spend hours out there (freezing of course)....at Hubbard and Glacier Bay. Don't mind if I have to stand from time to time.

[Italy52]

Is the Majestic the same class as the Royal?  If so then I can tell you we were in an inside cabin, M117 doing a B2B to Alaska out of Vancouver and we did get some rocking and rolling as well as the cabin getting a lot of noise.  During the last sea day, I was packing and had to leave the room as the dips from the sea made me feel sick.  We usually don't book a cabin as high as Marina and after our experience, I don't think we will again.  BTW, I had been on Bonine the entire 14 days of the cruise and I still felt the motion of the ocean.

[neverbeenhere]

Having spent a lot of our misspent youth booking cheap front of the ship interior staterooms, I can tell you that rocks and rolls happen in these rooms. The ocean is a fickle thing. 

[snoozecrooze]

I don't know your cruising history so I can't tell you how you might actually interpret as genuine rocking/rolling. But for Royal-class vessels like Majestic, yes, I felt rolling at the bow, especially with choppier waters, but I've never cruised between Whittier and Vancouver, and it depends on how much you like that sensation to determine your level of enjoyment. It's definitely more pronounced if you're sitting still, standing in your room, or crouching by your luggage to get something or to pack, among other more "still" activities. I definitely relate to what @Italy52 said about their experience.

[DUCHESSRN]

We had that cabin once , movement wasn't bad but 2 days of driving rain and wind wasn't great .

I had to stand to see anything . 

You will have wonderful views though .

[waltd]

If you get motion sickness then don't do it.

[cruisequeen4ever]

That particular itinerary is mainly very calm, but there is a day where for a few hours it can be rough because you are in the Gulf of Alaska. If you are going from Whittier, you may not even notice it because you may be asleep depending on the timing. If you are cruising from Vancouver, it’s on the last day of the cruise in the afternoon.

[Markanddonna]

I spent hours in the forward lounge on one of the highest decks during a Medicane (a hurricane in the Mediterranean.) It was an adventure with the ship sailing at an angle, the outdoor and dining spaces closed, and the elevators stopped for a time. I never experienced sea sickness nor did most of my friends. The only time I ever experienced sea sickness was in the upper Pacific a day after leaving Seattle going to Australia. The ship rocked, rolled, and swirled. So, for those of you so very proud to have never experienced seasickness...Never say never.

Edited December 20, 2020 by Markanddonna

[Coral]

It can be rocky the last day. I would expect motion. I have had several Alaskan cruises (inside passage) where it was not smooth. Expect anything.

[Married15]

We always book the forward cabins on the Royal Class. There is nothing like coming into port at the front of the ship on your balcony. We have never had a problem with motion Except crossing the Tasmin Sea during a storm. I had to take a sea sick pill and felt fine within 20 minutes. I would book that cabin in a heartbeat.

[hobbyfarmer2]

We always book low (Dolphin) and quite forward.  No problems to date but roughing seas do not bother us much and I find it nice to get to sleep if the ship is rolling a bit.

[XBGuy]

Our last cruise was a 12-day Los Angeles-Alaska R/T on the Royal Princess.  We had a forward facing suite on the B Deck.  It was a quite sedate cruise and we did not experience much movement--much to the disappointment of my foul-weather cruiser wife.  We did see quite a bit of wildlife.  So, that was her compensation.  In fact it was on this very cruise as we were leaving Ketchikan that we spotted something from our balcony that we had never seen in five previous Alaska cruises.

 

 

That circle of bubbles is caused by a whale behavior called "bubble feeding."

 

By the time he popped up, our cabin was way passed.  So, this picture is not very good.

 

 

I tell that story to get you excited about your trip.

 

Our very first Alaska cruise was in the early 1990s--Whittier to Vancouver itinerary.  We had a mid-ship cabin.  In the Gulf of Alaska we encountered a pretty serious storm.  We were asleep when, suddenly, I was rolling out of the bed.  I reached out my arm.  My hand found the floor, and I was able to stabilize myself still in the bed.  My wife then rolled into me.  The next morning I told my wife that the ride was included in the passage fare, and we wouldn't see an extra charge at the end of the cruise.

 

If you encounter a big storm--and in open seas big storms happen--it doesn't matter where your cabin is located.  Your'e going to feel it.

 

If you or your husband are concerned, there are a number of prescription and over-the-counter medications that can ameliorate the effects of ship movement.  It is important, however, to start these medications before you leave on your cruise.

 

You're going to have a great cruise.  Bon Voyage.

[Cruise Raider]

9 hours ago, Coral said:

It can be rocky the last day. I would expect motion. I have had several Alaskan cruises (inside passage) where it was not smooth. Expect anything.

 

I was hoping someone might point that out.  I am sure people have had perfectly smooth sailing up in Alaska.  We've gone a dozen times and experienced everything from very calm seas to being so rough that even a great majority of the crew was sick ... and yes, even in the inside passage.  

I wouldn't chance it if it were my first or second cruise, especially if one suffers from any motion sickness.  I'd choose a cabin midship if at all possible....just to be on the safe side.  I did spend several days of my first Alaska cruise in my cabin with a waste basket by my bed.  I thought I would never cruise again after that experience.  It was a smaller ship so, I can't claim it was stable like the bigger ships of today.  There were literally hundreds of passengers waiting to get into the doctor for a sea sickness shot.  It was just that rough.  

There was another sailing up in Alaska, again on a smaller ship that the Royal Class where there were 100 mile an hour winds blowing through the Inside Passage and boy, was it rough.  The ship was listing before it would right itself and list again ... what a wild ride that was.  

'Expect anything' is great advice!  

 

[Coral]

3 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

 

I was hoping someone might point that out.  I am sure people have had perfectly smooth sailing up in Alaska.  We've gone a dozen times and experienced everything from very calm seas to being so rough that even a great majority of the crew was sick ... and yes, even in the inside passage.  

I wouldn't chance it if it were my first or second cruise, especially if one suffers from any motion sickness.  I'd choose a cabin midship if at all possible....just to be on the safe side.  I did spend several days of my first Alaska cruise in my cabin with a waste basket by my bed.  I thought I would never cruise again after that experience.  It was a smaller ship so, I can't claim it was stable like the bigger ships of today.  There were literally hundreds of passengers waiting to get into the doctor for a sea sickness shot.  It was just that rough.  

There was another sailing up in Alaska, again on a smaller ship that the Royal Class where there were 100 mile an hour winds blowing through the Inside Passage and boy, was it rough.  The ship was listing before it would right itself and list again ... what a wild ride that was.  

'Expect anything' is great advice!  

 

I have seen barf bags out in Alaska. I have seen crew sick from motion sickness also.

 

Most of the time it has been good but it can be rough!

 

Be prepared, expect anything.

Edited December 21, 2020 by Coral

[Lucky TGO]

8 hours ago, Coral said:

I have seen barf bags out in Alaska. I have seen crew sick from motion sickness also.

 

Most of the time it has been good but it can be rough!

 

Be prepared, expect anything.

I totally agree with you Coral. It’s better to be safe then sorry. I have seen people with motion sickness they looked awful. 
Tony

[nini]

With reference to my Post #7, I just remembered that many people

were ill on the night that the sea was rough (in Alaska). The dining room was

very quiet as well as the rest of the ship. I am sorry but I do not recall which

night that was (20 years ago) but it was a RT from Vancouver, BC.