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How noticeable is the movement of the ship?


DENIE
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We are considering a cruise on Windstar because the ships (especially the ships with sails) sound so different and appealing. We have cruised several times on mid- to large cruise ships without any issues related to movement. My wife generally takes non-drowsy Bonine, and I might wear a pressure wristband the first day until I get my "sea legs", but that is the extent of what we do. With the smaller size, I understand that there is likely more noticeable "movement". How does the movement compare to the larger cruise ships? In general, a gentle movement, especially at night, is especially relaxing to me. I would be curious to hear prior experiences on both types of Windstar ships.

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I had motion sickness on Holland America. First night out on Wind Spirit had 30 knot winds and I didn't feel great. 12 sailings on Windstar later never a problem. I take non drowsey Dramamine for 2 days before. Motor yachts have more movement than Wind Surf. Have never met anyone with severe sea sickness on board.

 

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It should be pretty calm where you're going. I only had that problem 1st night. We were in Caribbean, high winds and had reservations at Candles which is on deck. My husband sat there and ate dinner. I was pretty green. After that night I was fine. Just a really rocky start. Because I get motion sick I've read as much as I can and have found that taking medication for 2 days before sailing really is a great plan. My problem is getting back on land after long periods at sea. I get dizzy and have to be careful not to tumble over. Very common. Called disembarkment syndrome. Actually a French name for it that I can't remember. Obviously none of it keeps us at home. The Spirit is a lovely ship and not as narrow as you might think. It sold us on Windstar.

 

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We've done 2 cruises on the Windsurf & I have to say it's a really stable ship. It helped that our cabin was on deck 1 in the 130's, which is mid-ship (the cabins which appear to be somewhat forward on the deck plan are really mid-ship).

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Thanks all! Very good information. Sounds like just having a little advance preparation would do the trick. We are thinking of the Mediterranean/Italian cruises to start. Part of my enjoyment of cruising is constant subtle movement. :)

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It depends on where you are cruising and what the weather. Our cruise from Barbados this December was the roughest I've ever been on. Many people were seasick. Just bring whatever medication works for you.

Never had a problem in the Med with any Windstar ship.

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Usually much more wind in Caribbean but we had howling 50 knot gales on Lisbon - Barcelona on Surf 2 years ago and ship was stable throughout the storm. Had the famous Mariah winds off of France last year and also no rocking on the Surf. She is really stable.

 

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Certainly more movement on WindSurf than on a big ship like Celebrity Equinox, but nothing we couldn't handle. Our first night out of Barbados was kinda rockin and rollin. The crew told us it was the worst they'd seen and it was clear sailing after that.

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Funny. Only time I was ever really sick was on Holland America crossing Gulfstream. Ugh! I think big ships feel the roll more.

 

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Thanks! More good information. It doesn't sound like the movement will be much concern to us. Glad to hear the Surf seems very stable, as that is the ship that has many of the itineraries we are looking at. The most movement I've felt on a ship was on MSC on last day back to Miami from Cozumel, MX. Lots of white caps and swells (water was sloshing out of the pools, and people were "body surfing"). I only had some "difficulty" because I just developed a very bad head cold and my equilibrium was WAY off. It sounds like we will do just fine on any of the Windstar ships. Hoping to have our first experience in the next couple years!

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You will feel the motion. If you get sea sick, you can take meds or wear patches. There may be times when the ship will rock and roll. On my last Windstar trip on the Legend, we had one night that was really rocky. It was hard to stand up or walk. There were several sick guests. That can also happen on larger ships.

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The motor yachts have much more motion than the Wind Surf. I've been in high winds on the Surf in Europe and the Caribbean and could always walk without falling over. I did see a woman fall and break a wrist dancing but she was quite drunk and probably would have fallen on dry land.

 

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I have found that the type of motion felt on the bigger ships vs. the Windstar ones makes more of a difference to me. The constant, subtle, rolling movement of the bigger ships actually makes me more uneasy than the more in-your-face up and down motion of the smaller Windstar ones. I was nervous before my first Windstar cruise because of how the bigger ships made me feel, but I ended up not having a problem at all. Three Windstar cruises in (Spirit, Legend, Star), and I haven't even needed pills or anything else. And that's including one trip on the already mentioned experience to and from Barbados. Something about the small size of the ships and knowing where you are and what's happening at all times just doesn't mess with my head (and stomach) as much. Your experience may be different, of course, but hopefully this offers at least a bit of reassurance.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Actually a French name for it that I can't remember. Obviously none of it keeps us at home. The Spirit is a lovely ship and not as narrow as you might think. It sold us on Windstar.

 

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C'est le "Mal de Terre" LOL. Actually our last cruise between Barbados and St-Lucia was rough but that is because of the wind direction and the current (Barbados is way out east). Didn't ate my dessert but the rest of the evening was fine. My wife took some ginger tablet and was feeling fine the next morning. Usually it's the first night that people feel somewhat uneasy. To make a long story short, our August cruise on Celebrity was quite something between Greece and Malta. Many passenger spent the night on deck 3 in the lobby to avoid the motion. My wife and i hardly noticed the swell and we were on deck 9 at the very front of the ship. No cruise are alike. Cheers

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