NY to Bermuda: are the seas rough?

[cayugashue]

Question for those who have sailed NY to Bermuda. Did you encounter rough seas? I've always heard the Atlantic can be rough. In Feb, I sailed on RCCL Baltimore to Bahamas. On the return trip, off the NC coast, my fears were realized with 40' swells. I said I would never sail the Atlantic again! lol. But, here I am, considering a cruise from NY to Bermuda. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

[Cruise a holic]

Question for those who have sailed NY to Bermuda. Did you encounter rough seas? I've always heard the Atlantic can be rough. In Feb, I sailed on RCCL Baltimore to Bahamas. On the return trip, off the NC coast, my fears were realized with 40' swells. I said I would never sail the Atlantic again! lol. But, here I am, considering a cruise from NY to Bermuda. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

 

 

We sail on Celebrity every August to Bermuda. I cannot speak for another cruise ship, but we never experience any problem in early August.

 

I would "assume" a hurricane might cause a problem, but my niece and nephew sailed from Florida on a Disney ship from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas and during the trip home experience very bad swells as a result of Hurricane Sandy. He said "he thought it was the end". He and his family still enjoys cruising and has cruised since.

Edited April 23, 2014 by Cruise a holic

[Tyskie]

Question for those who have sailed NY to Bermuda. Did you encounter rough seas? I've always heard the Atlantic can be rough. In Feb, I sailed on RCCL Baltimore to Bahamas. On the return trip, off the NC coast, my fears were realized with 40' swells. I said I would never sail the Atlantic again! lol. But, here I am, considering a cruise from NY to Bermuda. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

 

 

Could go either way. Our first cruise to Bermuda was horrible sea/weather wise & I vowed never again! Of course I went again & it was beautiful. It can be a crap shoot with no guarantees.

 

 

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[NH Cruisers]

Could be rough or could be smooth sailing.

 

Three times to Bermuda on a ship and never had real horrible seas. 15-20 waves while sailing the Explorer of the Seas out of NJ. That ship was huge and plowed right through.

 

Back in '86 while on a ship off the North Carolina coast 1/4 way to Bermuda (we were not going to Bermuda at the time) we experienced 50 foot waves . As a cadet steering the ship on watch, it was work. I saw a lot of green water rolling over the deck and splash up to the bridge which was 80 feet off the water. How I miss that. You couldn't sit at a table and eat, nothing would stay. In bed you had to place a (the) bar across length wise so you didn't get tossed out. Granted the ship was only 530 feet long. But it felt big to me back then.

Edited April 23, 2014 by NH Cruisers

[rednose83]

I've only made the trip once on the Celebrity Summit last July. The seas were fine and we didn't really feel any motion.

[disfan13]

The Atlantic can be a crap shoot at any time! Any ocean can turn on a dime. We have sailed to Bermuda a cuple of times from NY - never a problem. Some swells here and there but nothing crazy. ;)

[bermuda lover]

Question for those who have sailed NY to Bermuda. Did you encounter rough seas? I've always heard the Atlantic can be rough. In Feb, I sailed on RCCL Baltimore to Bahamas. On the return trip, off the NC coast, my fears were realized with 40' swells. I said I would never sail the Atlantic again! lol. But, here I am, considering a cruise from NY to Bermuda. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

 

Hi there,

I have sailed to Bermuda from Boston 9 times and each time was different..

The first cruise was in May and we hit two rough seas, the second and third we had rough seas that the pictures on the walls in the DR were swaying.

 

then I had smooth sailings where you did not even know you were cruising along… It all depends…. My mom has sailed to the carribean from FL and she has had some rough sea days…

 

One never knows… Always plan for the worst….

 

Lisa

[francina]

I find leaving from new york the sea is rough.

 

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[Aixia]

We were on Breakaway to Bermuda last May and found that going there was clear and calm, but coming back was a whole different story. Bad weather and rough seas meant there were a lot of people seasick and just staying in their cabins. It was only bad for one day though. Of course, that was the infamous day when the balcony dividers came apart on the B6 cabins and did all kinds of damage. I guess you just never know with that run, you could get seas like glass, or seas that are really nasty.

[Dr. Cocktail]

After many cruises and about a dozen to Bermuda, the second roughest seas I have ever encountered (after sailing the Drake passage on a 100 passenger ship to Antarctica) was on Celebrity's retired Horizon to Bermuda 20 years ago.

 

It was really quite insane ... about 80% of the passengers were ready and willing to write their last testament. Of course, this was balanced by the most astonishingly calm seas I have ever sailed on when I went to Bermuda 4 years ago ....

 

Be prepared for anything in between!

[bphman]

Have sailed to Bermuda many times and have experienced a hurricane's effects going down and is was smooth as silk coming back. It's a coin toss. Our first was the worst but that never stopped us.

[turquoise 6]

The Bermuda run from Ny and northeast is influenced by Cape Hatteras, NC

Thats where the Gulf Stream and the colder Atlantic mix.

If there's a low weather system around the seas

Will be rough.

[sebas030]

Impossible to predict.

 

I have had smooth as glass and rougher.

 

On the return of our Caribbean cruise on the Gem we had almost 40 foot waves and we didn't feel a thing. It was unbelievable :) I was sitting near a window on deck 7 and the height of the waves was really impressive...but the Captain has us in an angle and speed that was just perfect. No rocking and rolling, no up and down, no nothing...great job Captain :)

 

 

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[SliceOfLife]

We were on Breakaway to Bermuda last May and found that going there was clear and calm, but coming back was a whole different story. Bad weather and rough seas meant there were a lot of people seasick and just staying in their cabins. It was only bad for one day though. Of course, that was the infamous day when the balcony dividers came apart on the B6 cabins and did all kinds of damage. I guess you just never know with that run, you could get seas like glass, or seas that are really nasty.

 

Ditto since we were on the same cruise! I'm glad it was just one day of rough seas and not 2! I am so thankful I did not get seasick! I was also prepared with bonine, seabands and ginger gum!

[Arubamoose]

Was on Celebrity's retired Horizon to Bermuda 20 years ago. It was really quite insane ... about 80% of the passengers were ready and willing to write their last testament.

 

Actually my worst was my first cruise coming home from Bermuda in October on 1986. We hit a hurricane. We were on Home Lines Atlantic (now MSC Melody). People were camped out in the lounge up top in the middle of the ship. The dining rooms were empty. I was 5 months pregnant at the time and as green as could be. DH could at least take meds! DD was 2 1/2 at the time and couldn't understand why we were under the weather. She kept poking at me "Mommy - get up - I want to play!" Didn't bother her in the least.

 

Most folks would have given up after that - but after a 10 year hiatus (and not because we didn't want to go back - we bought a timeshare) - we are going strong with 18 cruises and plenty more to come!

[Vyhanek]

I think the probability for rough seas, very rough seas, is a lot greater crossing the Atlantic than say in the Caribbean. Of course it's a crap shoot but I still think the probability of a really rough ride is a lot higher crossing the atlantic. Also keep in mind that it really isn't even spring yet in New England. Cruising from Boston in May can still be a really cold experience. I think the unofficial first day of spring is when Lake Winnipesauki has "ice out". That doesn't even mean the day the ice melts on the lake, all that "ice Out' means is that the little cruise boat can make it out/in to the harbor. t don't think that has even happened yet but maybe this week. So basically, the water in New England is still ice water!! Winter on the ocean means high winds and rough seas.

[Irene7]

We are cruising to Bermuda this coming Oct. Just to be prepared, we booked our cabins, mid ship deck 3 on EOS. If it's rough I know we will still feel it, but I've been told mid low is the best place to be.

[Cruise a holic]

We are cruising to Bermuda this coming Oct. Just to be prepared, we booked our cabins, mid ship deck 3 on EOS. If it's rough I know we will still feel it, but I've been told mid low is the best place to be.

 

Deck 3 is very low- if the waves are high, they might hit your window. If you could move up to deck 6, you might not have the waves hitting your cabin window- If the weather is great- Deck three is fine- a crap shoot.

[Red-Sol]

Question for those who have sailed NY to Bermuda. Did you encounter rough seas? I've always heard the Atlantic can be rough. In Feb, I sailed on RCCL Baltimore to Bahamas. On the return trip, off the NC coast, my fears were realized with 40' swells. I said I would never sail the Atlantic again! lol. But, here I am, considering a cruise from NY to Bermuda. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

 

As others have mentioned it is a crap shoot and never any guarantees. That being said if you are sailing the Breakaway to Bermuda I assume it is between May and September. Unless you end up with a hurricane nearby you probably have a pretty good chance of fairly calm seas during that timeframe. Not too many Northeasters that time of year.

 

To coin a phrase:

 

"May the odds be ever in your favor" :)