Advice Needed Please

[Dana'sDaughters]

I posted this in the Caribbean forum, but then I saw this, and decided this would be the better place.

 

A little background...My family and I have been on one cruise.  It was to Alaska from Seattle for 7 days on Holland America's Rotterdam. The trip out of Seattle was very rough, and I was so motion sick that I was in bed for the first two days.  After the waters calmed (in the inside passage), I was okay for the last five days. (My husband and one of my daughters didn't feel well either...I was just the worst.) I took bonine, ginger tablets, wrist bands, and put on the patch after a couple days.. We enjoyed the cruise, but we have been very wary of trying another cruise... but that's been 10 years ago, and we are considering another cruise next May (2020) because so many of our family members go and say the Bahamas/Caribbean are much smoother than the waters outside Seattle.  Here are the things we are considering (shorter cruises to see how things go)...By the way, I should add that my 14 year old daughter will be going with us.

 

Royal Caribbean from Orlando on Mariner of the Seas 4 days to the Bahamas (stops in Nassau and an island).

Carnival Elation from Orlando 5 days (Nassau, Princess Cays, and Grand Turk)

Disney 3 night or 4 night Bahamas (Nassau, Castaway Cay)

 

I'd appreciate any thoughts on these itineraries with my issues and my daughters age.  She likes lots of activities..She's very athletic.

 

Thank you in advance for any advice!

[CruiserBruce]

Generally, the Caribbean will be calmer....BUT...seas can be rough anywhere, any time. And, the Bahamas, Princess Cay and Grand Turk are NOT in the Caribbean, they are actually in the Atlantic. The Atlantic is typically rougher than the Caribbean. Again, I use the words "generally" and "typically"... seas can be rough at any time.

[MicCanberra]

Agreed, you can get rough seas at anytime. If you pick a quieter region (on average) on a larger ship that may help. Also pick a cabin on a low deck and midship, which will also help.

 

[MicCanberra]

Royal may be the go for you out of those choices.

[cb at sea]

Ditto....there is NO WAY to predict what the ocean will do.  We've have rough Caribbean cruises, and smooth as glass...just depends on the weather when YOU go!

Talk to your doctor and see if there is something that he thinks works best that would help you.

[taglovestocruise]

Disney is too expensive for us. Carnival elation is to old and way to small, although it is slightly larger then the Rotterdam.  Mariner is double the size of Elation and just had a 100 million dollar make over, great ship for kids.  Check things out on youtube.

[Stacie.]

Based on your choices, I'd do Mariner of the Seas. I have a very athletic 14 year old daughter and she would love the activities offered on that ship (we did Navigator of the Seas last year and there was plenty to keep her busy and it didn't have as many options as the Mariner has). It looks like there is laser tag, a trampoline thing, rock wall, surfing simulator, mini golf, sports courts, running track, an escape room (I wondered how long it would be before ships starting doing those, they are great fun!!), ice skating, waterslides, table tennis, etc. I don't know if there is a minimum age for the gym. I've only gone on Royal Caribbean that one time, but the courts were always filled with adult males so my DD never got a chance to play basketball, and the lines for the FlowRider were very long so after doing it a few times and waiting out in the hot sun for her turn, she opted to do other things.  

[Roz]

Also, if you're prone to motion or sea sickness, you need to take meds BEFORE you feel sick as a preventive measure.

 

Roz

[nhvolfan]

Definitely start taking the meds before you get on the ship. You want them to be working before you get underway.

[leaveitallbehind]

Just keep in mind that the shorter 3-5 night cruises will tend to be more of the party cruises - so be prepared for that.  And agree that you should take motion sickness meds to be certain, as you are obviously prone to motion sickness. Seas rough enough to cause that in your case can be anywhere and anytime that you cruise.  

 

Of your options listed, agree with Mariner as the choice as well.

Edited January 23, 2019 by leaveitallbehind

[Dana'sDaughters]

Thank you all for your responses!

[evandbob]

If the OP's 1st cruise was out of Seattle because they live on the West Coast, an alternative to a Caribbean cruise could be sailing from Vancouver, avoiding Seattle's rough passage.

 

But based on the choices listed, I would pick the 4 night Disney cruise, simply for Castaway Cay and the Disney service and luxury as compared to the other ships.

[gooch47]

The larger ships seem to handle the motion of the ocean better than the older, smaller ones.

 

And pick a cabin either midship (preferred) or aft and on a deck that isn't too high.   We tend to pick cabins on Deck 9 or 10.

[beaming90]

Both times I have cruised to the Bahamas from Cape Canaveral we have had rough seas on the first night.  But Bonine worked.  We were on the Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Glory.

[payitforward]

If you look at my signature, you'll note that my first cruise was also on Rotterdam. I was SO sick the first few days I could not believe it. You'll also note that I've taken 14 cruises since then. As others have said, the big ships handle the seas much better,  the Caribbean tends to be calmer, and mid-ship cabins are best. I still often take Meclizine starting the day before my cruise just to be on the safe side. I have no side-effects from it, and it solves the problem for me.

[Markanddonna]

My only case of seasickness happened off of the coast of Washington on a trannspacific. I have been on fifteen cruises and several transatlantic cruises, so it can happen to anyone. The meds provided at customer service did the trick. When you are the bags on the railings, you know the seas are rough.