Rough seas?

[rachelfran]

I did a princess cruise 10 years ago with my husband from Alaska to Vancouver after a self drive tour up to Denali and back and it was wonderful.
 

Some of my extended family are hoping to plan something for next year and a lot of the planning I did back then is now forgotten. Some of these folks are looking at sailing out of San Francisco to save money on airfare, and I do vaguely remember that one of the reasons we avoided that was because I had read that the seas are rough coming from that area up to Alaska.  I’m wondering if that memory is correct?   Should I steer folks away from that idea.  My sister will be almost 70 and has never been on a cruise. I suspect she’d be wary of any possibility of rough seas. 
 

thanks! 

[CruiserBruce]

Seas can be rough ANYTIME, ANYWHERE you are on a ship!

 

Some of the roughest seas we have ever experienced in our 25 cruises were as you approach the Straits of San Juan de Fuca...entering Puget Sound to get to Seattle. About 3 or so hours of throw you out of bed roughness. You sail the same area if you depart Seattle for Alaska.

[rachelfran]

Ok 

I think we were looking specifically at Alaska-Vancouver or Vancouver to Alaska VS 

San Francisco to Alaska ROUNDTRIP.

 

Not Seattle. 
 

any input there?

[martincath]

1 hour ago, rachelfran said:

Ok 

I think we were looking specifically at Alaska-Vancouver or Vancouver to Alaska VS 

San Francisco to Alaska ROUNDTRIP.

 

Not Seattle. 
 

any input there?

Both will spend time in open waters - one way cruises for the first/last couple of days between the ports in SE AK and Seward/Whittier, SF cruises for the first and last couple of days in the Pacific sailing up and down. Other than one very memorable storm in the Bay of Biscay, the bounciest I've ever felt on a ship was west of Astoria on the way to SF - even without a port stop so not having to cross the notorious Columbia Bar, the sheer volume of outflowing water from the Columbia makes for rough water for miles out from the coast no matter how mellow the 'peaceful' Pacific is in general!

 

To be blunt, choosing any cruise because of water conditions is a recipe for disaster - you can look at broad statistics but just like weather in this part of the world the only rational thing to do is prepare for the worst! In other words pack layers sufficient to handle both the hottest and the coldest, wettest and windiest, possible conditions and make sure anyone sensitive to motion sickness has appropriate remedies figured out in advance and carried with them - and ensure you know how the drugs work, especially when they are a 'take hours before you need the effects' medication rather than a rapid-acting one.

 

All that said - RT Vancouver on anything that isn't a Royal class Princess vessel gives you the most sheltered waters possible, as other than popping out into the 'no Pilots needed' Hecate Strait before hitting the first AK port, you'll have islands to the west of the ship the whole trip. Unless your fam wants to spend time on land in AK, it's frankly pointless doing a one-way with people who are in any way worried about rough seas.

Edited April 13, 2023 by martincath

[CruiserBruce]

35 minutes ago, martincath said:

To be blunt, choosing any cruise because of water conditions is a recipe for disaster

Thank you!! 

[PhotoDennis]

We hit some rough weather last year between Seattle and Juneau (and Vancouver is basically next door to Seattle), and the only real problem was they had to close the pool. Yes, you could tell the ship was moving, but you shouldn't have any problems unless you are really sensitive to motion.

[CruiserBruce]

16 minutes ago, PhotoDennis said:

We hit some rough weather last year between Seattle and Juneau (and Vancouver is basically next door to Seattle), and the only real problem was they had to close the pool. Yes, you could tell the ship was moving, but you shouldn't have any problems unless you are really sensitive to motion.

But, if you sail from Seattle, you go west of Vancouver Island in the open Pacific. If you sail from Vancouver, you go in the "true" Inside Passage, east of Vancouver Island. A dramatic difference.

[Gia2cats]

Although it is cheaper to do a round trip from a US port such as Seattle, the chance of rough seas are much greater. I prefer Anchorage to Vancouver or vise versa. That is the true inside passage. 

[PhotoDennis]

6 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

But, if you sail from Seattle, you go west of Vancouver Island in the open Pacific. If you sail from Vancouver, you go in the "true" Inside Passage, east of Vancouver Island. A dramatic difference.

Did not realize that. Thanks. It was our first day, so we must have been to the west.

[rachelfran]

6 minutes ago, Gia2cats said:

Although it is cheaper to do a round trip from a US port such as Seattle, the chance of rough seas are much greater. I prefer Anchorage to Vancouver or vise versa. That is the true inside passage. 

Yes. This is exactly why I asked. This has been my impression from research I did years ago.. thanks 

[wolfie11]

This is why you don't want to go outside Vancouver Island.  Predicted weather for Tuesday.

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, PhotoDennis said:

We hit some rough weather last year between Seattle and Juneau (and Vancouver is basically next door to Seattle), and the only real problem was they had to close the pool. Yes, you could tell the ship was moving, but you shouldn't have any problems unless you are really sensitive to motion.

 

Comparing a cruise from Seattle to one from Vancouver is similar to comparing apples to oranges. Seattle may only be about 100 miles south, but those cruises sail west of Vancouver Island through the Pacific Ocean, while Vancouver cruises use the more sheltered Inside Passage.

 

The definition of rough weather is also very subjective, as what you consider as rough, for me is an average day at the office. It is further compounded by the ship's movement in any given seaway being influenced by many factors, not least of which is the ship's stability and type/direction of seas experienced. I have seen 35 kt winds result in a gentle rocking, while others have been a violet corkscrewing motion, all depends on ship's course in relation to wind/swell.

 

Based on my experience at sea, you cannot accurately specify that another person shouldn't have any problems, without knowing them and more importantly, the ship and conditions to be experienced. I've seen old sea dogs, who got sick as soon as they sailed and then were fine for the remainder of their contract and others who had never been sick, but experienced a specific combination of ship loading and sea state that triggered sickness. You can NEVER predict.