Every review I read seems to indicate rough seas to Bermuda. Anyone have a smooth sailing or is it the size of the ship? Boy friend gets sick and we are booked on this ship next June.
Generally speaking, the size of the ship and the fact that you are in the Atlantic is the reason for rough seas.
Sailing to Bermuda is far more calm than sailing back west because of the pressure systems.
I've often found that as beauty is in the eye of the beholder...so are rough seas. We just got back from the Southern Caribbean, with what I felt were some slightly bumpy seas. Perfect for rocking you to sleep, but to hear some of the other passangers talk about the seas, you'd think we were in the middle of a cyclone. "Rough Seas" can be highly subjective, I think.
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Darrin
Norwegian Sea - 5/99
Majesty of the Seas - 4/00
Norwegian Wind - 4/01
Veendam - 4/03
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My wife, who is subject to car-sickness has never had a problem on these big ships. And when I cruise with my Mom (who has vertigo) she says the patch does the trick evn when things start to rock and roll.
One thing you must remember about cruising to Bermuda is that the mega ships are not allowed there due to government regulations. Second, you are sailing into totally open waters. Of course, the water will be rougher.
I sailed to Bermuda on a very small ship (only 800 passengers) and the seas getting there was not bad, with waves about 5 feet. Coming back was another story, they were over 10 feet and crashing everywhere.
Make the best of it... Keep food in you, relax, and wear a SeaBand.
Thanks for replying but I am getting a little worried now. All replies tend to say rough seas. My only experience has been a three night cruise to Nassau on the Majesty of the Seas. The waters were what I would call choppy and the first night the rocking woke me up in the middle of the night. The ship was creaking and rocking. My boy friend did allright as far as sickness but the first cruise he took from San Juan to St. Thomas and a few other island made him slightly sick. It was about 30 years ago and a much smaller ship.
How would you describe the sensation of 5 and 10 foot waves. I really don't have much to compare with.
Lets just say that with the 10 foot waves they were crashing up and over the side of the ship and the promenade deck was closed off and all doors leading out were blocked. I do not want to scare you though. The Crown Dynasty was only 24000 tons where as the Majesty is around 74000. Waves that large on a bigger ship will not be as bad.
With that said... even with the waves I know I could get... I am taking another cruise to Bermuda but on the Horizon this time. It is such a wonderful place to visit I just had to go back.
I guess the next thing I could ask you is what catagory were you planning on staying and what ship? Believe it or not, the higher up you go, the more movement you will feel. and the same rules apply to the front and back. A great way to explain how a ship moves is to hold a pencil in the middle between your thumb and pointer finger and wave it. You will see that the middle does not move nearly as much as the ends.
We are booked on the Zenith out of New York on June 12, 2004. We have a cabin on Europa deck about two cabin in from aft. It's funny that you mentioned the pencil. My boy friend balanced a pencil on his finger to inforce the fact that he wanted a midship location. This isn't quite midship but very close. Hopefully all wil go well!! Thanks to all who have emailed me.
We had sea's of 20-22 feet sailing to Bermuda on the QE2 once. I was sure glad that I was on a "heavy ship" with a deep draft unlike some of todays more modern and "lighter" weight vessel. (I am refering to the keel construction of the ship) .Many of todays newer vessels have a shallow draft and the hull is made up of less steel than liners built for North Atlantic crossings. ie they ride on top of the water and bouce more with the waves vs heavy construction with deeper draft that cuts through the water and uses more fuel but gives a better ride in rough seas.
I wouldn't skip a trip to Bermuda...its a beautiful cruise destination.
Did the Aenith to Bermuda in May....IT WAS ROUGH!!! You won't be on a large ship, so you will feel it. Loved Bermuda, but wouldn't do that sailing again.
Sailed on HAL's "Volendam" a couple of years ago on a 10 day Southern caribbean cruise late in the season (April, I think) and ran in to gale force winds, and 20 foot seas. We had a lower deck outside cabin, and the waves were hitting our cabin window. Being an old Marine from the 7th Fleet in the Pacific, I love rough seas. It rocked us to sleep at night, and made for a lot of laughs watching everyone, including ourselves, get their "sea legs" during the day. I remember taking a lot of pictures of the waves, and the deck chairs being whipped around on deck, etc. It lasted for about 2 or 3 days, and then we had calmer seas. I don't remember a lot of people getting sick. It was our second such experience with rough seas, the first being on the "Zenith," where our evening table of 8 was rocking back and forth on our chairs at dinner, and large trays of glasses, etc. were heard crashing in the galley. It was more a sense of adventure and fun, than of any concern. My wife enjoyed it as much as myself, but then she is "game" for anything, and thus, a great companion! Any other "old salts" out there have some rough sea stories?
We sailed our first cruise on the Zenith from New York to Bermuda in September of 2002. Going to Bermuda was not an issue, smooth sailing.................................. On the way back we were running from a tropical storm and it was some ride. (lesson learned, Hurricane season = cheap fares and fun rides)
This much I could tell you, we had a great time and we would do it again in a heartbeat !!!!!!!
So go ahead, cruise, enjoy, have fun !!!! (Don't worry - be happy)
We are also cruising for the first time on 5/29 out of NY to Bermuda with 17 family members (5 of whom are kids). I also get seasick. I feel queasy on the ferry from Weehawkin, N.J to NY. Someone told me to get the pills --not the patch. Did you hear any other information?
Get the Seabands. They are amazing and have no side effects.
A couple of tips for you too.....
Even if you do not feel great, keep food in you. Eat a bagel, roll or some fresh fruit.
Also, try to stay on the higher decks the movement will be less there.
Lastly, I had an inside cabin and got clostrophobic. I would suggest a nice window cabin mid ship. Once I went with a window, I could never go back to an inside.
Just relax and go with the flow.
I have taken the cruise once 5 years ago and can't wait to take my kids with me in May.
Firsttime - you also might want to pack ginger pills - they also have no side effects and they can help cure the nausea. We used them on a cruise in the Caribbean, and while it's usually calmer there, we did have a couple of days of rougher seas (although it was kind of fun playing in the pool as it was turned into a "wave pool")
We have done the extreme north atlantic with 20-30' seas and the caribbean with 18-20' seas. I found both trips to be "exciting" and what a sea voyage can really be about.
The caribbean was during hurricane season. No all people get a "kick" out of this
type of sailing. But, the point to this message is: the "patch". I was wearing one for
each trip and never even felt queasy.
Since I'm a person who can get sea sick at the dock, I won't sail without one. Go to your doctor and get the prescription. You will be happy you did!
The smaller seas (5-10') are more like a rocking sensation. When you get into the much higher seas (20' & up) you will actually slide from one side of the bed to the other and from the top of the bed to the bottom. Of course, the higher up in the ship you are,
the more motion you are going to feel.
When standing up, you must spred your legs to brace yourself. It's fun though!
The Atlantic is always rougher than the carib--that's why I generally avoid cruises that depart from NY. However--we are sailing from there to Canada next fall & we will definitely get sea sick medicine-- Some folks love the Bermuda cruise--but I'd rather fly over there & cruise elsewhere. Different strokes for different folks!
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ROUGH SEAS
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