NZ vs a Tassie cruise in regards to rough seas?

[to_dee]

I am a bit leery now having experienced my 1st sea sickness bout on a recent Dec cruise Aust-NZ-Aust and now wondering if maybe I might be silly doing a Syd-Tassie-Syd run in Mar 2016. Our room steward on our Dec cruise said in his experience the Tassie run is always rough much rougher than he has had on NZ cruises.

 

Anyway just thinking and always love to hear the CC thoughts.

 

The Tassie cruise is more about the cruise than Tassie as we have been and enjoyed quite a few Tassie vacays in the past so maybe I should look at another destination....

Edited December 23, 2015 by to_dee

[Aus Traveller]

This is a tough one. Bass Strait is often rough because the water is relatively shallow and it is in the Roaring 40s. The Tasman crossing to NZ can be calm, rough or somewhere in between.

 

It is advisable to take some seasickness medication with you. I do not know if you took something or what it was. The medication often recommended by shipboard medical centres is Avomine, an antihistimine. It is available at Chemist Warehouse for $9.60 for 30 tablets. I find they can make me sleepy if I go to a movie or a show, but while I am walking around, there are no negative side effects. I advise AGAINST taking Stemetil, the medication usually recommended by doctors. It is an anti-emetic - it will stop you throwing up, but it won't make you feel any better. Actually, it will make you feel worse because you will wish you could throw up, but cannot.

[Hawka]

i took with me the natural ginger tablets [the natural ones i am told won't make you sleepy ] and a pressure point wrist straps for my NZ trip and never used them , peppermint water is good to stop vomiting [not sure on gastro though sorry ] but if doesnt work at least natural wont hurt anything peppermint tea would be probably closest to doing what i did with mint leaves in hot water etc ,

[kuldalai]

Natures motion sickness are plain old Ginger tablets available at Health Food stores, but start them a couple of days BEFORE your cruise. Secondly motion sickness wrist bands available from Korjo travel stands in Travel agents and also from good pharmacies .

 

Bass Strait v Tasman they can both be Mill Ponds or LUMPY . Usually somewhere in between .

 

Seasickness tablets available on board from Pursers Office, in worst case go to medical centre for an injection that fixes it for good. NB: On board medical costs are NOT covered by Australian MEDICARE either in Australian waters or in Australian ports .

[Hawka]

Have comprehensive travel insurance that covers medical just in case needle on ship i think i was told is $140 you do get it back from what i am told from travel insurance but at the time you do have to pay it up front [room account i am guessing etc] over night $$$$ i heard there was someone with bad sea sickness staying over night [not sure if it went longer then that as i think they were the ones that had hoped on Auckland and were taken off at Wellington] and i heard that that night was over $1000 at the time AU$ don't know what that was by end another lady had an allergic reaction to something her feet swelled up one visit was $400 [doctor $95 blood test $200 then tablets and creams etc ] they wanted to see her next day , not sure if she went i know she didnt want to go

[Aus Traveller]

I suggest taking some medication with you just in case. I have tried everything and I suggest Avomine. By all means, try the ginger, but if it doesn't work for you, it is handy to have something stronger. I would avoid Kwells because one ship's doctor said it can cause hallucinations. You can buy tablets on board, but they will cost probably ten times the price on land. When I first bought Avomine on a ship they cost $15 for ten tablets, so I am happy to pay $9.60 for 30. With many cruises, I do not think I have gone through my first pack of 30 yet.:)

[Hawka]

I suggest taking some medication with you just in case. I have tried everything and I suggest Avomine. By all means, try the ginger, but if it doesn't work for you, it is handy to have something stronger. I would avoid Kwells because one ship's doctor said it can cause hallucinations. You can buy tablets on board, but they will cost probably ten times the price on land. When I first bought Avomine on a ship they cost $15 for ten tablets, so I am happy to pay $9.60 for 30. With many cruises, I do not think I have gone through my first pack of 30 yet.:)

 

i think the ones on golden the ginger ones that is werent that dear i thought around 5 unless they still had us price still attached then would be more but was sure was under 10 for them anyways

[to_dee]

This is a tough one. Bass Strait is often rough because the water is relatively shallow and it is in the Roaring 40s. The Tasman crossing to NZ can be calm, rough or somewhere in between.

 

It is advisable to take some seasickness medication with you. I do not know if you took something or what it was. The medication often recommended by shipboard medical centres is Avomine, an antihistimine. It is available at Chemist Warehouse for $9.60 for 30 tablets. I find they can make me sleepy if I go to a movie or a show, but while I am walking around, there are no negative side effects. I advise AGAINST taking Stemetil, the medication usually recommended by doctors. It is an anti-emetic - it will stop you throwing up, but it won't make you feel any better. Actually, it will make you feel worse because you will wish you could throw up, but cannot.

 

Ah ok good info re Bass Strait thks for sharing. I didn't know it was relatively shallow but i have heard of the roaring 40s so that all makes sense.

 

 

Thanks to everyone re sickness remedies i am also a big fan of the ginger tabs and always travel with my portable pharmacy including the meds mentioned and i have comprehensive travel insurance.

 

I guess i was hoping to hear a bunch of posts saying mill pond absolute mill pond lol.

 

Appreciate all the posts ..very kind to share yr info

 

Cheers :)

[GUT2407]

Bass Straight can also be as calm as a mill pond, it is the luck of the draw. I say take some sea sickness precautions and enjoy.

 

Mes Gut swears by green apples, ginger and Travel calm.

 

Gut swears by nothing, but has never suffered from sea sickness so wouldn't know.

 

But yes Bass Straight can be horrendous, the roaring 40s with nothing to slow the wind for 1000s of kms.

[Shazzajoy]

I am a bit leery now having experienced my 1st sea sickness bout on a recent Dec cruise Aust-NZ-Aust and now wondering if maybe I might be silly doing a Syd-Tassie-Syd run in Mar 2016. Our room steward on our Dec cruise said in his experience the Tassie run is always rough much rougher than he has had on NZ cruises.

 

Anyway just thinking and always love to hear the CC thoughts.

 

The Tassie cruise is more about the cruise than Tassie as we have been and enjoyed quite a few Tassie vacays in the past so maybe I should look at another destination....

 

Have just returned from a cruise to Tassie. Bass strait was like a millpond both going down and coming back. However on a similar cruise a couple of years ago it was very rough. So it's really just the luck of the draw as to what it would be like for your cruise.

[Kinkacruiser]

This is a tough one. Bass Strait is often rough because the water is relatively shallow and it is in the Roaring 40s. The Tasman crossing to NZ can be calm, rough or somewhere in between.

 

It is advisable to take some seasickness medication with you. I do not know if you took something or what it was. The medication often recommended by shipboard medical centres is Avomine, an antihistimine. It is available at Chemist Warehouse for $9.60 for 30 tablets. I find they can make me sleepy if I go to a movie or a show, but while I am walking around, there are no negative side effects. I advise AGAINST taking Stemetil, the medication usually recommended by doctors. It is an anti-emetic - it will stop you throwing up, but it won't make you feel any better. Actually, it will make you feel worse because you will wish you could throw up, but cannot.

 

We'll be cruising to Tassie and NZ next December, so this post was helpful.

 

Another vote for Avomine. As well as beginning a course a few days before a cruise, I take them at night on every night of a cruise (because you don't know what the seas will be like the next day) and have had no side effects.

Austraveller, $9.60 for 30 is a very good price. I recently bought 3 packs of 10 @ $6.30 a pack.

Edited December 23, 2015 by Kinkacruiser

[icat2000]

I'm cruising to Tasmania in about a week. I've cruised a couple times around there and I don't recall it being rough. But then I don't get sea sick and are disappointed when I have like 19 days cruising and its a millpond.

 

So I let you know what the seas were like when I get back.

[goodycruising]

If in doubt, try and book central and low, it does make a difference. Also if you are worried, book on a larger and more stable ship, particularly we have been told if they are built after about 2000 and have azipods. (I check that sort of thing out on wiki) It is a tough question, and we love cruising to Tassie and NZ, but like GUT, we haven't had issues so far. We have had a variety of sea conditions down that way.

Edited December 23, 2015 by goodycruising

[Hawka]

Been to Tassie on the ferry service been lucky haven had it too bad on most of my trips there seen the ship leave Tassie and seas were building then heard how rough it got on that trip to Melbourne and back I left Tassie three days later and it was a mill pond then

[GUT2407]

Been to Tassie on the ferry service been lucky haven had it too bad on most of my trips there seen the ship leave Tassie and seas were building then heard how rough it got on that trip to Melbourne and back I left Tassie three days later and it was a mill pond then

 

We sails to Tassie on the Spirit of Tas and cruise ships ranging from 680 PAX to 3000 PAX and in conditions from as calm as a millpond to nearly 30 fit waves, that's part of the fun sailing to Tasmania.

 

As a slight aside, a friend was looking at buying a cabin on "The World", he spent sme time n board and was surprised to hear that it sails almost empty between Tas and the North island as most owners prefer to fly than risk "The Straight".

[Hawka]

We sails to Tassie on the Spirit of Tas and cruise ships ranging from 680 PAX to 3000 PAX and in conditions from as calm as a millpond to nearly 30 fit waves, that's part of the fun sailing to Tasmania.

 

As a slight aside, a friend was looking at buying a cabin on "The World", he spent sme time n board and was surprised to hear that it sails almost empty between Tas and the North island as most owners prefer to fly than risk "The Straight".

 

Yes all part of sailing and wow they are a pack of softies me thinks not wanting to experience it

[MicCanberra]

The bass strait is like any other stretch of water between oceans and land, which means it is susceptible to rough seas and currents even when the wind and weather is fine. Likewise it could be the weather that causes the rough seas. That said last cruise down there we crossed the strait 4 times and only once was it a bit choppy (not that bad). so Luck would play a part.

Green apples, ginger, kwells, travel calm or sea bands, they all work, it just depends on which method you prefer.

[The_Big_M]

I think both Bass Strait and NZ (Tasman) from Australia are fairly comparable at that time of year. You can be lucky sometimes... but equally can be unlucky and it can get quite rocky.

 

Be prepared if you want to travel that area.

[to_dee]

Thanks for all the info once again ...very helpful and gives me some good discussions with hubby on our decision process. I look forward to your sea report & wish you a fab trip icat :)

 

Thks again very kind and helpful of everyone to post.

 

ps Hope everyone had a fab day today...xmas day reminds me of that kind of too full eaten too much cruise food feeling LOL

[Aus Traveller]

Bass Strait has some unique factors that don't apply to other stretches of water between two landforms. This stretch of water is in the Roaring Forties (strong winds). In history, this area was a land bridge. I believe what the captain of the Diamond Princess said when he told us that the water was relatively shallow in Bass Strait making rough seas worse.:)

[MicCanberra]

Bass Strait has some unique factors that don't apply to other stretches of water between two landforms. This stretch of water is in the Roaring Forties (strong winds). In history, this area was a land bridge. I believe what the captain of the Diamond Princess said when he told us that the water was relatively shallow in Bass Strait making rough seas worse.:)

 

That is correct, and with the great Southern ocean meeting the Tasman/ pacific can cause some larger than the average swells, which doesn't always mean rough but can still make it uncomfortable.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

That is correct, and with the great Southern ocean meeting the Tasman/ pacific can cause some larger than the average swells, which doesn't always mean rough but can still make it uncomfortable.

 

The currents can be quite deceptive as they race through the "gap" between the Main Island of Australia and the Island of Tasmania.The other rough patch is when the current passing through Bass Strait meets, or collides, with the current coming down the East Coast .

 

Fingers crossed for the Sydney to Hobart this year....:rolleyes::)

 

 

[megsie]

10 days ago returned from cruise to Tasmania. It was smoothish then choppy then rough then smooth going there. Smooth seas all the way back.

Have been across or through Bass Strait 8-10 times and always a little bit of this or that weather but nothing unbearable or for us to resort to medication (as yet). In our experiences it usually passes mostly within a few hours if you have a bad or windy patch of weather going to Hobart.

We take Avomine with us just in case.

In comparison to cruising to NZ, if you get some no so good weather it may last for days. Last year we had rough seas to and from NZ but great weather and seas around and on port days.

Both are great destinations well worth cruising. Just be prepared and you will be fine.

[MicCanberra]

Good advice,:D

[to_dee]

Mic summed it up very concisely ...good advice :D.

 

And thanks for all that extra detail I didnt know any of that in regards to the currents, history, swells etc. Thanks for that comparison Megsie that was also very helpful.

 

I feel like we can make a better informed decision now. thks CC gang :)