Rough Seas!

[LHT28]

6 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Be careful.  We took a cruise on a river boat from Montreal to Boston. 

What cruise line was that?

 

 

[GUT2407]

12 hours ago, Screasy said:

OK, I thought this might be the case, so let's expand the discussion a bit.  If you or any of your party are prone to sea sickness, what type of medicinal precautions have worked for you?

Mrs Gut swears by green apples and ginger in pretty much any form, but prefers ginger tea. And if the singers were allowed sit on stools on stage that wasn’t rough.

[grozzy1]

The idea behind watching the horizon is that by keeping your ears steady in relation to the horizon you cut down on their motion. And if there's a discrepancy between what your eyes are telling you and what your inner ears are telling you that's a major cause of nausea.

[MBP&O2/O]

I am fortunate that I have never suffered from seasickness, and I used to quite enjoy the rougher weather and seas.

Weather permitting, my most comfortable  'working' position, when experiencing any heavy motion, was to be 'face on' to the direction of the most severe motion and literally go with the flow and just roll on the balls of your feet and not make a fuss about it. If this was on the open bridge wing then even better..... except when large greenies came over the bow and washed the bridge windows 😁

Having said that we used to have to cope with bad weather whereas cruise ship masters seem to avoid anything above F4?

[wcook]

I am prone to sea sickness. Every cruise I’ve been on has had at least one day where I would have felt sick if not for medication. With medication, I feel nothing and really enjoy the motion. Meclizine works great for me, but you can test others out to see what works best for you and your family. 
 

It terms of “slam into the walls as you walk down the corridors “ rough seas - pretty rare. But I hate to say it, you never know. 

[LHT28]

4 hours ago, grozzy1 said:

The idea behind watching the horizon is that by keeping your ears steady in relation to the horizon you cut down on their motion. And if there's a discrepancy between what your eyes are telling you and what your inner ears are telling you that's a major cause of nausea.

well I guess my eyes are not telling the truth  

It just made me feel worse  when watching the horizon

YMMV

[Heidi13]

7 hours ago, grozzy1 said:

The idea behind watching the horizon is that by keeping your ears steady in relation to the horizon you cut down on their motion. And if there's a discrepancy between what your eyes are telling you and what your inner ears are telling you that's a major cause of nausea.

 

Theory is great, but having watched many pax from my 40 + yrs of pax vessels, I suggest it doesn't work so well in practice, for many of them.

 

Seen lots come out on balconies or on deck, watch the horizon and quickly depart inside ...... Back in the days when we did regular Bridge visits, they would arrive in the Bridge handling the motion OK, but seeing the horizon moving, caused many pax to make a quick exit.

 

The other issue being that most spots that afford views of the horizon experience more motion. Don't see much of the horizon, on lower decks, midships and in the middle of the ship, where motion is the least.

[Toofarfromthesea]

18 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

Yes, that was a cruise on a river. But if the cruise went out through the Gulf of St. Lawrence into the Atlantic your cruise wasn’t on the type of ship used on a river cruise. 

Representative river cruise ship

 

It is amazing that you think you know more about the boat I was actually on on than I do.  We were on Victory 1 of the Victory Cruise Line, which is owned by American Queen Steamboat Line.  

[Toofarfromthesea]

16 hours ago, LHT28 said:

What cruise line was that?

 

 

 

Victory Cruise Lines, which is owned by the American Queen Steamboat Company.

 

[LHT28]

47 minutes ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Victory Cruise Lines, which is owned by the American Queen Steamboat Company.

 

Thanks  not really a river cruise  though 😉

 

[rkacruiser]

9 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

except when large greenies came over the bow and washed the bridge windows 😁

 

I have had some interesting experiences when the seas were sufficiently rough that when the bow dipped into a trough, the wave of water came over the top of the Crow's Nest.  (Volendam, Asia Pacific Cruise in 2002)  Happened more than just once on that voyage,  

[hollyberry1]

On 8/8/2022 at 11:14 AM, Screasy said:

Hello all,

 

My wife, daughters and I have only gone on one cruise.  We went to the Western Caribbean in February, 2017 out of Mobile, AL.  My wife was nervous about being seasick, and her worst fears were realized.  The seas were very rough!  I asked our waiter how bad on a scale of 1-10 the ride was, and he said in 15 years of working on a ship he would rate it as a 7.  It was so bad that they ran out of barf bags and the performers were not allowed to dance in the show.  They only got to sit on a stool and sing their songs.  You could see the curtains rocking back and forth! 

 

My wife and one daughter had the seasick patch, which was way too much medicine for them.  They had cotten mouth, and their eyes dialated.  Me and my other daughter were not affected and had a GREAT time.  Not sure of the ship, but it was a Carnival cruise that held about 2,500.  One of the smaller Carnival ships.

 

I had been told by some friends that cruised a lot that "you couldn't really feel the ship moving at all" and this was NOT the case for us.  When walking down the corridor, my daughter and I had to basically run from one side of the corridor to the other to prevent ourselves from stumbling.  

 

Now, I am hoping to get my wife to try another cruise, but she is super scared of the rough seas now.  She believes that it will always be rough like that.  We are retired now, and want to try some lines like HAL, Oceania, Celebrity, etc. which are not so much the party type atmosphere we experienced on Carnival.  I have watched many of Gary Bembridge's videos on Tips for Travelers, have contacted a travel agent he recommends in the US, and feel like I am prepared, but I just need to stories to share with my wife to alleviate her fears.  I know we will SOMETIMES have the possibility of rough seas, but I am hoping some of you seasoned cruisers can give us a percentage of the time we could expect rough seas vs not.  I know this will depend on the time of year and destination somewhat...

 

Thanks in advance for your encouragement!

I have only felt queasy on one out of about 25 cruises. For one thing, you should choose staterooms/suites near the midship and not at the highest point. Forward staterooms can feel movement in choppy water as well as aft staterooms can be bouncy. That helps right off the bat. The following advice for taking ginger candy, ginger pills, wristbands and any other pills/patches are also helpful.  I have never used them as they make me feel too woozy, which is also uncomfortable.  Bear in mind weather patterns for certain times of the years...but of course it is not always reliable.  My husband and I are hesitant to cruise during hurricane season because we live in Florida and it's hot, humid and can get nasty. Your family might also simply be extra sensitive to movement.  I have two friends who just can't take any movement, so they do not cruise. I want to say that she should try again, but I would book just the right place on a BIG ship, the right time of year. I think the ships with the inside malls and outdoor parks might really help her out. I wish you the best because cruising is so much fun! At least your wife doesn't have to cook, do dishes or laundry.

Holly

[Flatbush Flyer]

57 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I have had some interesting experiences when the seas were sufficiently rough that when the bow dipped into a trough, the wave of water came over the top of the Crow's Nest.  (Volendam, Asia Pacific Cruise in 2002)  Happened more than just once on that voyage,  

As that famous marine biologist (and architect for Vandalay Industries), George Costanza, once said “The seas were angry that day my friend.”

[Heidi13]

19 hours ago, hollyberry1 said:

I have only felt queasy on one out of about 25 cruises. For one thing, you should choose staterooms/suites near the midship and not at the highest point. Forward staterooms can feel movement in choppy water as well as aft staterooms can be bouncy. That helps right off the bat. The following advice for taking ginger candy, ginger pills, wristbands and any other pills/patches are also helpful.  I have never used them as they make me feel too woozy, which is also uncomfortable.  Bear in mind weather patterns for certain times of the years...but of course it is not always reliable.  My husband and I are hesitant to cruise during hurricane season because we live in Florida and it's hot, humid and can get nasty. Your family might also simply be extra sensitive to movement.  I have two friends who just can't take any movement, so they do not cruise. I want to say that she should try again, but I would book just the right place on a BIG ship, the right time of year. I think the ships with the inside malls and outdoor parks might really help her out. I wish you the best because cruising is so much fun! At least your wife doesn't have to cook, do dishes or laundry.

Holly

 

The size of the ship has little to do with her seakeeping abilities. Many of the old ocean liners were vastly superior to the current behemoths of the seas. The seakeeping abilities are more about the ship's design, stability and scantlings.

 

The bigger ships can actually experience more movement at the extreme ends and upper decks, as by virtue of their size, they have greater distance from the centre of rotation. 

 

With respect to Tropical Revolving Storms, I have less concerns sailing in TRS zones throughout the World, than in the Atlantic/Pacific with frontal depressions. TRS are well reported and forecast, with many days for shipping to avoid the dangerous quadrant. Deep frontal depressions form quickly and although not published like TRS, can be just as violent. In 40+ years at sea, I have avoided all TRS, only experiencing the outer edges, but have been hit by numerous frontal depressions. 

[wcook]

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

The bigger ships can actually experience more movement at the extreme ends and upper decks, as by virtue of their size, they have greater distance from the centre of rotation.

One thing about the modern behemoths is that in smooth to slightly choppy seas, they are ridiculously stable. You can’t even tell you are on a ship. Which is either a good or bad thing depending upon your point of view. 

[navybankerteacher]

On 8/8/2022 at 4:11 PM, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Be careful.  We took a cruise on a river boat from Montreal to Boston.  It included one day out in the North Atlantic and it was pretty rough seas for a small boat.  Worst of all the boat wasn't really rigged for rough seas.  It was their first time sailing this itinerary.  I hope it was the last because at least half the pax were seasick.

If that was on a Victory Cruise Line ship, it was not on a “river boat”. Yes, Victory was acquired by American Queen which really is a river cruise line, but the Victory vessels were designed for Great Lakes sailing - which is quite different from river sailing (remember the Edmund Fitzgerald?)

[MBP&O2/O]

2 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

TRS are well reported and forecast, with many days for shipping to avoid the dangerous quadrant

Good job as well 😁 When we were playing submarines, typhoon Lola was just starting up and we certainly felt the motions. Bang out of official season to boot! 

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

If that was on a Victory Cruise Line ship, it was not on a “river boat”. Yes, Victory was acquired by American Queen which really is a river cruise line, but the Victory vessels were designed for Great Lakes sailing - which is quite different from river sailing (remember the Edmund Fitzgerald?)

Edmund Fitzgerald was a Great lakes freighter   not  a passenger ship

[Toofarfromthesea]

On 8/9/2022 at 12:50 PM, LHT28 said:

Thanks  not really a river cruise  though 😉

 

 

The little jaunt in the North Atlantic wasn't, but it was in all other respects, including the boat, was exactly like other river cruises.

[CGinMTL]

On 8/8/2022 at 11:30 AM, Screasy said:

OK, I thought this might be the case, so let's expand the discussion a bit.  If you or any of your party are prone to sea sickness, what type of medicinal precautions have worked for you?

I get sick at 10 feet waves. 

Have meant with hurricane Ian in the mid Atlantic in 2017. On a small azamara ship 

I know how your wife feels.

Ginger pills are my go-to 

I have them if I need them 

They don't make you drowsy.

Never cruise without them 

Look at my signature 

30 cruises ( including a few transatlantic) 

 

 

 

 

 

[CGinMTL]

On 8/8/2022 at 3:23 PM, WESTEAST said:

Always choose mid-mid cabins, take along Gravol and ginger tablets to be prepared. However, the best solution for motion sickness is the Relief Band which is 100% better than the sea bands. No drug or other side effects. It delivers pulses from the band that signal the median nerve on the underside of the wrist. The signals have a rebalancing effect, normalizing nerve messages from the brain to the stomach and reducing symptoms of nausea, etc. Link: https://www.reliefband.com

I will look into those. Thanks 

[wcook]

54 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Edmund Fitzgerald was a Great lakes freighter   not  a passenger ship

Some additional info:

 

The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, wcook said:

Some additional info:

 

The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland

One of my favourite Gordon Lightfoot songs 😉

 

the storms in the Great Lakes  do not care  what side of the border the ships are from 🙂

[Cloud9 Bob]

On 8/8/2022 at 12:46 PM, Flatbush Flyer said:

Agree with all but the inside cabin. Fir so many folks, sighting the horizon through a large ocean view window or balcony glass can make a world of difference.

 

I'll have to play devils advocate here. For me, what works is ginger capsules and laying in the bed of an inside cabin. I listened to the advice of "go up on deck and watch the horizon" and I almost got sick right then and there. I did make it back down to my cabin and immediately felt better when back in bed staring up at the ceiling. Boring, yes, but at least I found what works for me.

[mics pics]

I get motion sickness on pretty much any mode of transport. Years ago I got sea sick on a smaller Carnival ship, also out of Mobile. We were sailing through remnants of a tropical storm so it was quite rough.  My cabin was down low, but at the front, and I was miserable that first night. Going up to dinner and on deck helped me but I also took non drowsy Dramamine. I plan on bringing Bonine as a preventative on my upcoming cruise, but honestly,  that was the only cruise out of many that I have ever been unwell on. 

Its not easy to do based on cabin and bed configuration, but I have also found that different sleeping directions help me too. Sometimes I need to sleep across - like pointing port to starboard, and other times I need to be sleeping bow to stern. I am weird, but it helped me. 

I get sicker in cars and planes than ships for some reason.

I hope you are able to find a good solution!