rough seas during hurricane season?

[dream'n of cruisin]

Hi, I was just wondering what people's experiences are during hurricane season. Are the seas rough all over or just in the area that is experienceing the hurricane? Some friends went in Nov. and said the seas were very rough, and they have no interest in ever cruising again.

So please if you've ever sailed during hurricane season, please let me know about your experiences both good and bad.

Thanks so much for your help!!:)

[dforeigner]

Some people like a little motion while cruising. Others have to misconception that a cruise ship should be as steady and a high rise building. You do not need a hurricane to get rough waters. It could be a clear but windy day and the sea would end up being choppy. There are times when it is raining cats and dogs and the sea will be like glass.

 

If the seas were that bad during hurricane season, people would stop cruising during that period and the cruise industry would find other areas in order to turn a profit.

[Lvs2Cruise2]

DH and I cruised one week after Katrina on Explorer of the Seas. We cruised to the Eastern Carribbean. We had NO trouble with rought seas, granted we were no where near where Katrina hit plus it was a week later. There were other hurricanes brewing elsewhere, can't remember the names but I believe they were closer to Bermuda. But again we had no problems with rough seas. The prices are much better during hurricane season, although I don't know if I could handle the stress again worrying if we would run into trouble. And the last poster was correct, you don't need a hurricane to have rough seas!

[flvol77]

Hi' date=' I was just wondering what people's experiences are during hurricane season. Are the seas rough all over or just in the area that is experienceing the hurricane? Some friends went in Nov. and said the seas were very rough, and they have no interest in ever cruising again.[/b']

 

So please if you've ever sailed during hurricane season, please let me know about your experiences both good and bad.

 

Thanks so much for your help!!:)

 

first of all the rough seas in nov aren't because of hurricane season - they are because cold fronts sweep through fl and cause rough seas - we went on the Jewel in Nov and a cold front was coming through fl - 15+ seas and 70+ mph winds - and it really wasn't that bad -

 

We have sailed twice during hurricane season and there has been hurricanes in the atlantic both times - but, we never felt a thing - just because there is a hurricane out there doesn't mean you will receive nasty seas - and actually summer is when the seas off fl and the caribbean are the best.

 

Just make sure you buy insurance in case you can't get on the ship or the ship has to come back early because of the storm and you will be fine.

[johnaricka]

I did a winter cruise for my first. It was rough. You could see the curtains swinging from side to side which didnt help with motion sickness. I took the medicine that they gladly handed out and I was fine. Still played all day and partied all night! :) It hasnt deterred me from cruising again. Booked for a seven day for this summer.

[tiyana4]

I have a friend who cruises from Norfolk to the Bahamas every year and the water is always rough. Doesn't matter what time of the year it is. However, water in the Gulf Coast is much smoother. We sailed out of Florida so we have not experienced the rough seas.

 

We were in the Western Caribbean when a hurricane headed for the Florida coast. Although we were chased out of Jamaica (not literally....the captain simply assured our safety by continously monitoring the storm), we never experienced anything other than a mild rocking sensation. Could be that I'm not as sensitive as some others but I can honestly say I have always had smooth sailing.

[Host Kewlguy]

Hi' date=' I was just wondering what people's experiences are during hurricane season. Are the seas rough all over or just in the area that is experienceing the hurricane? Some friends went in Nov. and said the seas were very rough, and they have no interest in ever cruising again.[/b']

So please if you've ever sailed during hurricane season, please let me know about your experiences both good and bad.

Thanks so much for your help!!:)

 

You can experience rough seas anytime of year. We prefer sailing during hurricane season since the cruises have less children on board and better pricing.

[eyzwdeshut]

We cruised during hurricane season as well & had no problems. However, we just did a cruise out of NOLA & had some nice size swells on the way home from Mexico - through the gulf. It was hard to sleep when the ship was rocking you back & forth on the bed :)

[Soccerfan]

We sailed in Hurricane season twice and had amazing weather.

 

Have booked another 2 cruises during this time for the 2007 - 2008 period

 

I suppose it depends on your comfort level. :)

[Post Captain]

You haven't lived until you've encountered a hurricane at sea.:)

 

(There are some even more dramatic pictures of the Carnival Ecstasy in the Gulf of Mexico during Hurricane Rita; alas, I lost them when my computer crashed.)

[k.hill]

We have cruised several times - mid September - great time to catch a hurricane, and have never experienced any kind of rough seas. I think it's just dumb luck on who catches the rough seas and when. September is always cheap so for us, it is a great time to go. There are, however some who have experienced some rough seas. Here are a few examples:

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CG2SrWaCuY

 

I thought I had the Ecstasy Rita pics, and if I do I'll post em, they are awesome - she looks like a toy boat.

 

Karla

[k.hill]

Found the pics - here's the shortcut

 

http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=120069

 

There are alot of other storm pics on this site. I'm just glad that the big cruise ships go around or cancel in case of trouble, because I would not want to be on any of these vessels.

[flvol77]

Found the pics - here's the shortcut

 

http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=120069

 

There are alot of other storm pics on this site. I'm just glad that the big cruise ships go around or cancel in case of trouble, because I would not want to be on any of these vessels.

 

remember there wasn't any passengers on that ship - or that at least that is what I have been told - just crew

[4mrancher]

I have sailed through 3 hurricanes. The worst was Fabian a few years ago that went up the Atlantic coastline. We were doing the transatlantic repositioning cruise on the NCL Dream. I kept us from going into port in Iceland so was pretty gruesome. A lot of people were sick, things were falling everywhere and we could not go out on deck because of the hugh waves and storms.

 

It was very exciting, especially when we made port in New Foundland.

 

This kind of hurricane is not at all the norm. The other two I went through were mild in comparison. One in the Carribbean was 30 ft waves and the Gulf of Mexico was rough water, but pretty sky.

 

I believe you will get a hurricane sometime if you sail often enough. If you can't get on deck there is still plenty to do on board. Take motion sickness pills well before the time the seas get rough. Most cruise lines offer them for free on board.

 

I have been on about 15 cruises, so I would say you just never know when you will have rough seas. Don't stop cruising just because you may have bad weather. You could go to Arizona and have a monsoon unexpedily.

[DuskMom]

We hit a hurricane in the Caribbean on our first cruise which happened to be during our honeymoon. Our itinerary was changed which messed up our excursions and we couldn't get to Grand Cayman cuz the water was too choppy and we couldn't be tendered in....only got to see it through our cabin window :( We got a whole $20 refund for missing the port though! :confused:

Other than that, we didn't have any problems with motion sickness though walking a straight line was tough (my dh and I get very motion sick typically)

It was definitely an unforgettable experience and we were not turned off to cruising. The coolest thing was watching the water in the kiddie pool swirl and splash up in the air :)

[nybumpkin]

We were aboard Carnival Conquest in 2005 when Hurricane Dennis came through; we missed Grand Cayman, had extra time in Cozumel, and had our cruise extended a day when they closed the Mississippi River when we were scheduled to return. Although the hurricane made landfall around the Alabama-Florida border and we were cruising off the coast of Texas, it was still pretty rough where we were. There were lost of green people on board. Last year on Victory, we sailed through the remnants of Tropical Storm Ernesto; while not as bad as Dennis, it was enough for the crew to break out the little white bags that you normally find in your seat pocket on airplanes.

[dream'n of cruisin]

Just wanted to say Thanks to everybody who posted, I really appreciate it!!

Loved those pictures of the Carnival Ecstasy!! They looked awsome!

I've been in seas with 7 to 12 foot swells, on an eastern cruise and felt queasy enough to just go to bed, after seeing the water in my glass rolling......lol

I was interested in peoples thoughts and opinions because we'd like to take the kids again, and during hurricane season, it's almost a grand less

Thanks again!