Rough seas between Sydney and New Zealand?

[lhayler]

Morning. 
We have previously cruised in the South Pacific and had smooth sailing. I’ve heard that the seas between Sydney and NZ can be quite rough. We depart on Tuesday and I would love to hear others experiences and the best way to deal with it. Should we take sick sickness meds in advance? My mother (67) is already nauseous from Tamoxifen so I am particularly worried about her as she has never cruised before. 
Thanks in advance!

Lynette 

[Sallyandtex]

Depends on the ship size and where you are located I guess.

Midship lowest possible the most stable. 

 

We recently had the calmest sea ever across to NZ, return was another story with massive swells! 

I would be as prepared as possible if you are prone to sea sickness. 

 

I am sure others will chime in about their experiences and advice.

 

Have a great cruise NZ is beautiful. 

[lyndarra]

First thing - try not to get overstressed about seasickness, relax and chill. Modern ships are very stable however you did not mention which ship you will be on. Reassure your mum that although seas can be rough, most of the sailings I've done across the Tasman have been quite smooth. We did miss fiordland one time to out run a storm but even then it was not rough.

Others here will chime in on medications as myself and my late wife have never needed them. I'm in my mid 70s and our first cruise was also to NZ.

Relax and enjoy your cruise.

Edited December 28, 2022 by lyndarra
typo

[buchhalm]

Oh, a good question

We are leaving next Monday on Celebrity to eventually cross over to NZL. That was in the back of my mind too.

As a precaution I got some over the counter seasicknes / motion sickness tablets. I only used them once before in far northern Europe. Worked like a treat. I think if you are not taking the stuff all the time, it kicks in quickly. No side effects, other than a bit sleepy for an hour. 

My wife takes her sea bands.

I think these are more psychological....

 

Worst case, you can get a shot in the bum from the ships medical centre.

I heard that stuff works VERY fast (*and seems to be free??). No need to suffer the motion of the ocean.

 

But ALWAYS check with the chemist or doctor what is suitable for you if you are taking other regular prescription medicines!

[MMDown Under]

I take Bundaberg Ginger Cordial and ginger lollies to take if I feel queasy to stop getting seasick.  

[MicCanberra]

The seas can get rough, it has been around 50 /50 for our crossings. Seabands work (if you believe they do) along with ginger tablets or kwells..

[buchhalm]

8 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

The seas can get rough, it has been around 50 /50 for our crossings. Seabands work (if you believe they do) along with ginger tablets or kwells..

Oh yes. GINGER! I love the stuff.

The ships I have been on, had big bowls of the stuff around the place.

No idea if it works, but it's yummy. 

[NSWP]

Seas down there can be rough, I have been in 10M seas down there, around bottom of NZ South Island.

 

Be prepared for anything. Looking at the Wave forecasts down that way, does not look too bad for the next week.

[Bubbeh]

The only time I've ever been seasick was crossing the ditch in February 2017 and yes I took sea sickness tablets with us.  The seas were so rough and so many people were crook that the crew had affixed sick bags at almost every possible point throughout the ship, including in the lifts and on the bannisters on  each landing.  A quick trip to the medical centre, jab in the bum together with an expensive piece of paper for the insurance company later and I slept the night and was fine the following day.

 

Yes that crossing can be rough so be prepared.

[buchhalm]

I hope it's not getting too rough. 

I paid good money for a premium drinks package.

😉

[Aus Traveller]

The shot that the medical centre administers for sea-sickness is usually phenergin. Is someone is concerned they might get sick, maybe it is worth taking some phenergin with them and taking a tablet before going to bed on the first night. It is an anti-histimine and somewhat sedating.

[yes!yes!yes!]

Green apples are supposed to help. Same with ginger.

I have never had sea sickness.

If your mother is on medication  it might be wise to check with a pharmacist  before your cruise what type of seasick tablets will not affect her medication and buy a packet just in case.

Sometimes the crossing is rough. Other times smooth.

[OzKiwiJJ]

It has just the right amount of swell at the moment - around 2 metres. The perfect amount to rock me to sleep at night. I've slept like a log the last two nights.

 

Lynette, your mother should see her GP and ask if Stemetil is suitable for her. That's what we use and we only need to take it when we start feeling nauseous (usually on tenders) or if the forecast is for very rough seas. It works very quickly too and may also help with the nausea from Tamoxifen. However it doesn't suit everyone.

[seashell77]

I personally haven't found crossing the Tasman to be particularly bumpy. If I ever start to get a queasy tum,I always go for ginger ale, green apples and fresh air outside- seems to work like a charm for me!

[MicCanberra]

2 hours ago, buchhalm said:

I hope it's not getting too rough. 

I paid good money for a premium drinks package.

😉

The drinks package helps with Sea sickness 

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, MicCanberra said:

The drinks package helps with Sea sickness 

Especially the scotch and dry or dark and stormy.😀🥃

[lyndarra]

4 hours ago, seashell77 said:

I personally haven't found crossing the Tasman to be particularly bumpy. If I ever start to get a queasy tum,I always go for ginger ale, green apples and fresh air outside- seems to work like a charm for me!

Only problem going outside for air is, on some ships, you find the doors to the promenade deck have been locked due to the "bumpy" conditions.😟

[OzKiwiJJ]

9 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

Only problem going outside for air is, on some ships, you find the doors to the promenade deck have been locked due to the "bumpy" conditions.😟

Usually you can get outside on upper decks though, especially most main pool areas where the sides are covered. 

 

Promenade decks tend to be low down in the ship and high winds and seas make them dangerous to go out on.

[bazzaw]

Seasickness is largely a matter of spacial disorientation.  When you are inside a ship, your physical senses tell you that the ship is rocking - but your eyes tell you that it is not ( because you are inside a room) . This leads your brain to become disoriented and causes confusion. If you can see the horizon, this disorientation is removed and helps to avoid nausea. Your stomach knows nothing about this however 😞 

[grozzy1]

In the days leading to your cruise this channel should give you an idea of the weather conditions in the Tasman

 

I have no idea if this works or I am just resistant to sea sickness. They taste good though!

[MicCanberra]

1 hour ago, grozzy1 said:

In the days leading to your cruise this channel should give you an idea of the weather conditions in the Tasman

 

I have no idea if this works or I am just resistant to sea sickness. They taste good though!

I can offer a servive by sucking the dark chocolate off,  and then everyone can share the g8nger.

[arxcards]

Ginger works for some people, for others not. Just a bit of a heads up for those that it doesn't, ginger can add a fair degree of burn on the way out.

 

Current BOM wave predictions end on Wednesday. It shows the crossing could be a bit bumpy on Tuesday night into Wednesday.

[Elorac123]

9 hours ago, yes!yes!yes! said:

Green apples are supposed to help. Same with ginger.

I have never had sea sickness.

If your mother is on medication  it might be wise to check with a pharmacist  before your cruise what type of seasick tablets will not affect her medication and buy a packet just in case.

Sometimes the crossing is rough. Other times smooth.

Green apples and ginger  help if you are feeling a little queasy but the trick is to prevent the sickness happening to begin with.

I get motion sick in the bath so I start my meds 3 days before an every day of the cruise

Cheers Carole

[SinbadThePorter]

4 hours ago, grozzy1 said:

In the days leading to your cruise this channel should give you an idea of the weather conditions in the Tasman

 

Yes, it can give you a couple of days notice of rough weather in the Tasman.

 

In general what you need to look out for are the intense low pressure systems that rotate around the Southern Ocean. They are usually spaced three to four days apart, traveling from west to east. In summer they tend to sit at about 50-60 degrees South and in winter about 40-50 degrees south.

 

As these Lows pass the sea below NZ and Tasmania, they push waves into the Tasman. Over two or so days the waves dissipate and you have smooth seas for a day or so. Then a following low starts the process again. How big the seas will be depends on how far north is the Low and how intense it is.

[Bubbeh]

18 hours ago, lyndarra said:

Only problem going outside for air is, on some ships, you find the doors to the promenade deck have been locked due to the "bumpy" conditions.😟

Another good reason for a balcony cabin.