Rough Seas--How bad can it get?

[gvre]

WOW:eek: Prophotogirl! What a video clip!

Debbie

[Toto2Kansas]

I saw that video on the news last night! :eek: Life jackets on and rolling all over the floor.......now that would have been pretty frightening that's for sure.

[Druke I]

CruisinChris

 

We were on that crossing of the Golden Princess also - and while "bumpy", it pales in comparison to the trip I mentioned on the Golden Odyssey.

 

The big Golden Princess does not ride as well, in similar sea states, as the Royal Princess, which has a more liner-like hull.

[Belinda45]

After reading these, I'm concerned about my first cruise! Hope these were not the norm and not during April!

 

First cruise - going to Western Caribbean in April. Should I be concerned?:eek:

 

Also, what is the weather like in the Caribbean in April?

 

Thanks in advance!

[geoherb]

Belinda: The seas are usually calm in the Caribbean except during hurricane season, which is June through November.

 

The worst we ever had, though, was on a western Caribbean cruise in December. A huge cold front moved through. We were on the Norwegian Sea (called the Seaward back then). It's a small ship compared to today's behemoths. They closed the outside decks. The crew had taped barf bags to walls along the cabin corridors. Most of the activities were cancelled. We made it to dinner, but about half the passengers did not. We had worn the seasickness patches on the cruise. It was our first cruise.

[Belinda45]

What a way to remember your first cruise!

 

I'm hoping we won't have anything like to remember this one by. But will still have the sea bands, bodine and anything else I can find out about to combat motion sickness!

 

Thanks for letting me know the seas are usally calm in April! That does help the concerns a little!:o

[rucruizin]

Belinda,

 

our very first cruise was like that on RCCL in March of '98? I think. Those rough seas...while they were disappointing were the least of my concerns on that trip. Sure, a rainy cruise is not what we all hope for but we still had a great vacation. We played all the inside games, saw all the sunrises, danced our hiney's off, enjoyed shows, went to the horse races, played bingo, ate good food, we were too poor to spend money on spa treatments or I would have spent more time in there, worked out, took naps, lots of lovin...

 

Our last sea day was beautiful, sunny, warm just like a cruise should be. We were hooked and booked another cruise as soon as we got unpacked.

 

Don't worry about what could come, don't expect bad weather but be prepared mentally to accept it. Have a B plan of what you want to do if you can't lay out on deck...You'll have a fabulous vacation no matter what the weather. ENJOY! Welcome to the cruizin fools club. You'll be hooked too I'm sure.

 

Our second cruise the weather/seas were so calm I never knew we were on a ship at all...I hated it. I love the rockin and rollin.

[Belinda45]

Thanks for the reassurance! It's a little scary when you don't know what to expect. But I've heard so many good things through this board that I'm not going to let anything like motion sickness ruin our vacation!

 

I've heard that once I go on a cruise, I'll be hooked for life - that's what I'm planning!

 

Thanks again!

[Starbright]

Belinda

 

We were in the Caribbean on the Golden last September. The sea was totally calm the whole 15 days of the cruise. We couldn't even tell we were on a ship unless we looked outside! This was just after all those terrible hurricanes last August/September, so we were really lucky.

[Belinda45]

You really were lucky - I'm hoping for the same kind of luck!

[donna5]

Go this link on CBS News

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?channel=i_video

 

Scroll down the left side under top stories and look for "Students boat roughed up." You can then click on play to see the video of the news story shown on CBS on the early show today. Saw it also on ABC and they might also have a video.

[donna5]

Go to MSNBC today

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3032633/?ta=y

 

go down the page to "More Today Show Video"

Right below the picture(showing the pope now) you can go from 1-13 by clicking the left and right arrows. Then it will take you to another page when you click launch and will have the most watched video page.

[NeepierRoad]

I feel sick......

[irgoddes1]

Last year Feb 15-21 on NCL Dream, we were dubbed the "rain people." Our cruise had 2 sunny days and the rest it was nothing but rain, rain, rain. We docked at Roatan, Honduras and I think only 150 got off the ship--just to "say" they had been in Roatan. That evening, we pulled away and thought that it was over, and it had just begun. 30 ft swells, outdoor pools splashed all of their water onto the decks, the decks closed, carts in the dining rooms smashing into the walls, waiters dropping their trays and barfing in the main dining room, barf bags all along the walls...as well as barf that obviously could not wait for the bags. My husband & I took motion sickness pills daily, so we had been dealing well...but that night I decided to wear our only pair of "seabands." I watched my husband turn green as I was laughing and watching the waves smash and cover our porthole view--we were underwater for a good portion of the time. I felt sympathy for him, so I took off the bands and let him wear them for awhile. He sat up and suddenly I just ran to the bathroom and lost it. "Who's laughing now, hon!" he shouted from the bed. Testament that those sea bands REALLY DO work.

 

Leaving for our next cruise in two days: Feb 12-19th on the Grand! (This time we have TWO pairs!)

[derf5585]

Check out this picture

 

http://www.crispyrider.com/photogallery/Triumph1.jpg

 

(I believe it is FAKE)

IMHO

Im My Hauty Opinion

[SHayesShip]

My first "cruise" was a crossing on the Queen Mary at age six. People were getting sick and I could not understand why. I was having a blast with the ship rolling. We were confined to inside decks for the first 2 days and all I wanted to do was play. On the 3rd bad day at sea I hit a door running to the outdoor promenade and before my parents could catch me was picked up by the wind. On the Queen Mary they had the nets on each side of the outside decks. I was slammed into the net with nothing but the rough seas below. As I bounced upward a crewmember caught me and brought me back inside. Needless to say, I could not sit down for the remainder of the trip because of the spanking I got from my Dad IN FRONT OF THE CREWMEMBER.
Lesson learned.

Steve Hayes

[Psee]

Had 38 Ft. swells on a Celebrity cruise back in 2000. The Captain said he had never seen swells show up on the radar in his entire career. People were "camping out" on the lower decks near the elevators since these areas were less prone to the major rocking of the ship. It was "Island Night" and after the seas calmed we ventured up to the Lido Deck. There was food scattered everywhere including watermelons and serving trays floating in the pool. :)

[Reneek]

Back home today from the Grand doing the western Carribean route. Pools were closed for periods of time due to the rocking and rolling. First two nights out we were rocking pretty good, fell asleep easily, but then it would be like the ship would "shudder" and you would think someone was shaking you awake. It was kinda funny. Leaving Cozumel and reentering the gulf on Thursday night, we were really rolling with the 8 - 14 foot seas that lasted 8PM until noon. The pools had tidal waves that crashed over the decks and the splash would reach the ceiling. Awesome!
Not one of our crew ever felt a moment of seasickness (I wore a preventitive patch - the rest did not). I saw just a few people who felt a little queasy - no active illness. We all looked like we had had a little too much to drink as we swayed with the movement. I had read on this board that Grand had a stabilizer problem, but this was not confirmed. I felt more movement on this ship (we were in Emerald mini) than on previous cruises, but then we have never traveled during February.

[lynwar]

Hi
We were on the Caribbean Princess last September. Initially we thought we wouldn't cruise because of Frances?? She passed by and Jeanne seemed to be heading out into the Atlantic somewhere. Our itinerary was changed two days before we left to the Western Caribbean from the Eastern-we figured because of the storm. The other ships did go East. We end up dropping off supplies in Grand Cayman on the way back from Mexico.Anyway, the seas were very calm up until about Wed afternoon.Somehow we all started watching CNN and noticing Jeanne's position-Yikes-she's coming back. We marked the latitude of the ship compared to Jeanne's. Hmmm.On Thursday, the early birds and sick birds awoke to the rock and rolling of the ship. We could feel some movement in the cabin but didn't think too much about it. Up on deck-wow! Then in the casino on the 6th deck with no windows, that same sensation that someone else mentioned-shuddering, and loud crashing into the side. I went up to investigate and it was the huge swells coming into the side of the ship-they went underneath and almost seemed to stop the forward movement until they went back out-then it would happen again. One lady on deck was clutching a bed pillow, very green, first cruise. At that point according to one of the officers who was standing there, we were still heading for Nassau. Later, after a pool was closed down and staff and passengers were getting sick-er, the ship was turned around.
The following day, the Capt. decided to make a run for Port Everglades to get in ahead of the storm but by dinner time, Jeanne had sped up and the Coast Guard closed the ports. So, we literally "cruised" for the next two days in what seemed to be a circle.It's the first time I actually saw a ship turn in open water. I only got queasy once, around 2:30 but went up to the Horizon Buffet and had something to eat so my stomach wouldn't be empty and carried crackers with me. Some of my group was actually up on the 18th deck in a miniature golf tournament! What a riot.It was the smell of the deisel fuel and rocking that sent me downstairs. Everyone was fine when we turned back into the calm waters.
Sorry this was so long winded (speaking of hurricanes?). I also talk with my hands as I'm telling the story! LOL We're going on the ship again in Oct. Friends on the last cruise will be going again in Sept. Lynne