Princess cruises to Baltic/Norway

[jdr2]

Hi,

 

I am really interested in doing one of the Princess cruises to Norway or the Baltic region but DH is convinced the seas will be rough and I do get seasick!

I would really appreciate some comments on this from all you experienced cruisers out there who have done cruises in these regions. I managed ok on a Western Caribbean cruise last year with some meds.

Many thanks

[pekachryn]

I've been on many cruises, including several European and transatlantic. When we went to the Baltics, it wasn't rough. Perhaps it is different on the Norway cruise that goes up to the North Cape, but when we visited Oslo it wasn't. The only cruise I've been on that was rough enough that I got sick (and, I do get sick on the buses and in taxis) was the British Isles one, when they went up north of Scotland. Then, people were falling down, and I lost my breakfast (perhaps TMI :rolleyes: ). I always wear a Transderm (scopolamine) patch, not so much for the cruise but to avoid getting sick on the tour buses.

 

I highly recommend taking a cruise up to that region of Europe!

[crusdiva]

Hi,

 

I am really interested in doing one of the Princess cruises to Norway or the Baltic region but DH is convinced the seas will be rough and I do get seasick!

I would really appreciate some comments on this from all you experienced cruisers out there who have done cruises in these regions. I managed ok on a Western Caribbean cruise last year with some meds.

Many thanks

 

I can't tell you how great this itinerary is - go if at all possible it is fascinating. One of our favorite cruises ever, some of the most incredible places I've ever visited.

We sailed the Star in September 2006 and loved it.

The seas were very calm everywhere, the only day that you may feel the sea is the sea day from Gdansk to Olso when you sail under the Great Belt Bridge (a fabulous experience) which is pretty much open water. We were out on deck and the the winds were fierce, you may be best to stay indoors that day if you are prone to seasickness though it would really be a shame to miss the sights on deck.

How about a patch or sea bands instead of meds? My Mom swears by them.

[jacketwatch]

We did this last yr. on the Star Princess and its a great cruise, a dream cruise really and the seas were fine. No one can predict the weather when and of you book but I think your chances are good. :)

[nabby]

I agree with the previous post, it is a fabulous itinerary and the seas for us a few weeks ago were quite calm (more noticable near Norway, as noted). There are a few things you can do to make yourself more comfortable.

 

1) Book on a large ship. The large ships have much less motion in the waves.

 

2) Book a cabin on a lower deck, and as close to midship as possible. You will not feel the motion so much.

 

3) Check out the dining venues carefully. On our ship (Crown Princess) the restaurant for Traditional Dining was all the way in the back of the ship, while the Anytime Dining restaurants were located up farther toward the center of the ship. We ate lunch in the Traditional restaurant one day and I did think that people prone to seasickness might have a hard time there; you really did feel the motion quite a bit.

 

4) Use whatever you need to combat seasickness, and be sure to take it before you get sick. I have found that taking 1/2 of a dose will settle my stomach without making me overly sleepy. (However, I don't suffer from motion sickness, so if you do you may need to take more meds.) Many people swear by the patch; I have never tried it.

 

Don't pass up this opportunity if you have the chance to go. It is not a relaxing vacation, but it is truly one of the most interesting cruises you could possibly take.

[Druke I]

We've been into the Baltic twice, 5-99 & 8-05 and had smooth sailing both times, with a bit of chop crossing the North Sea.

 

We also did a coastal Norwegian cruise (Hurtigruten) 7-00, and had smooth waters on that one.

 

There are no guarantees re sea state.

 

A larger ship does not necessarily mean a smoother ride. Hull fineness (length/breadth/draft ratio) has a much larger influence on ride quality than size.

[caber]

My daughter just came off Crown Princess last week.

She did the ten day, Baltic Capitals. The Crown sailed from Copenhagen so you don`t have to sail in the middle of the North Sea.

She had great weather, sun all the way except in Tallin where it rained. The sea was fine, not too rough.

She highly recommends this itinerary and has some great photos.

[cruisemom42]

My daughter just came off Crown Princess last week.

She did the ten day, Baltic Capitals. The Crown sailed from Copenhagen so you don`t have to sail in the middle of the North Sea.

She had great weather, sun all the way except in Tallin where it rained. The sea was fine, not too rough.

She highly recommends this itinerary and has some great photos.

 

 

I agree -- one reason I like the Princess Baltic offerings is because most depart from Copenhagen, avoiding the North Sea. When we did this cruise in 2005 on Star Princess, we had smoooooth sailing.

[Pam in CA]

1) Book on a large ship. The large ships have much less motion in the waves. -- Druke has it right. It's a misconception that a larger ship has less motion; that's just not true. The Grand class ships are tall ships and have very shallow drafts which actually makes them more susceptible to motion.

 

2) Book a cabin on a lower deck, and as close to midship as possible. You will not feel the motion so much.

I agree with this. The lower the deck and more mid-ship, the less motion.

 

There are no guarantees re sea state.

 

A larger ship does not necessarily mean a smoother ride. Hull fineness (length/breadth/draft ratio) has a much larger influence on ride quality than size.

True.

 

My daughter just came off Crown Princess last week.

She did the ten day, Baltic Capitals. The Crown sailed from Copenhagen so you don`t have to sail in the middle of the North Sea.

She had great weather, sun all the way except in Tallin where it rained. The sea was fine, not too rough.

She highly recommends this itinerary and has some great photos.

We did the Baltic cruise in July on the Crown and had very smooth seas. Except for rain in Stockholm, it was sunny and warm for our entire cruise. This is a very port-intensive cruise so that the ship is sailing very short distances between ports and staying relatively close to shore; unless the weather turns unusually bad, it's unlikely you'll have any motion problems.

[nabby]

That is interesting about the Grand Class ships. I wonder why they were designed that way - was it for particular itineraries where they needed a shallow draft? Yes, I was generalizing when I said size = stability. For proof, just take the Baltics cruise and visit the Vasa museum in Stockholm :D

[Pam in CA]

That is interesting about the Grand Class ships. I wonder why they were designed that way - was it for particular itineraries where they needed a shallow draft? Yes, I was generalizing when I said size = stability. For proof, just take the Baltics cruise and visit the Vasa museum in Stockholm :D

They're actually pretty stable all things considered, particularly when they have the stabilizers deployed. But there are some seas where the stabilizers don't help much and where a different ship design would be more stable. In any case, a cabin on a lower deck and mid-ship will experience less movement than one on an upper deck.

[jdr2]

Thank you all so much for your replies. I think we will be booking a Baltic cruise next!

[SueFrankuk]

We have just come back from the Norway/Iceland cruise and had fantastic weather and calm seas all the way when the weather in the UK was dreadful. It was the most beautiful scenery and wonderful ports if you want any info just let me know, nobody can arrange the weather we were so lucky.

Sue

[Teetype]

Hi,

 

I am really interested in doing one of the Princess cruises to Norway or the Baltic region but DH is convinced the seas will be rough and I do get seasick!

I would really appreciate some comments on this from all you experienced cruisers out there who have done cruises in these regions. I managed ok on a Western Caribbean cruise last year with some meds.

Many thanks

 

I cruised the Baltic with a local cruise company out of Stockholm and I didn't find it to be rough at all. It was wonderful. Scandinavia is a must see. :)

 

Tee