Open Ocean

[Prost Seattle]

On only my second cruise in Sept., we’re cruising from Vancouver to Hawaii.  I was wondering if we’d be more susceptible to rough seas being in the open ocean for so many days?

[CruiserBruce]

The seas can be rough any time, anywhere, and are not predictable more than about 3 or 5 days in advance. If you have an issue with sea sickness, you need to be prepared anytime you are on a ship.

[Flatbush Flyer]

55 minutes ago, Prost Seattle said:

On only my second cruise in Sept., we’re cruising from Vancouver to Hawaii.  I was wondering if we’d be more susceptible to rough seas being in the open ocean for so many days?

 

55 minutes ago, Prost Seattle said:

On only my second cruise in Sept., we’re cruising from Vancouver to Hawaii.  I was wondering if we’d be more susceptible to rough seas being in the open ocean for so many days?

What Ocean cruise is not in the "open" Ocean at some point?

In any case, don't worry. The Pacific is smooth as silk - unless it's not.

[bbwex]

Have made that crossing three times, and it was never rough at all and the ship I was on did not have stabilizers.  That being said, what it is going to do on any given day is a total unknown.  If there has been any kind of storm anywhere near your route, it could cause the seas to build.  Since you will have likely been aboard for a day or so before you hit any rough seas, if there are any, you should have your sealegs, and you should be OK.  As a quick sort of checklist, if the seas do get a bit rough, make sure that you eat normal meals, but avoid greasy foods and don't overeat.  Then sit or walk around somewhere where you can see the horizon.  You should be fine.  If you feel you need something more, you can take Dramamine or something of that sort, you can drink ginger ale or eat ginger candy (or take ginger pills if you bought some before you left). 

 

The one thing to seriously keep in mind if the seas do get a tad rough --- hold on as you move around.  If you are on stairs, hold on to the handrail.  If you are walking down a passageway (hallway), hold onto a railing if there is one, otherwise keep a hand on the walls as you walk.  Holding on is not for sissies, it is to make sure that you don't fall and ruin an otherwise nice trip!!!  As we sailors say, one hand for you, one hand for the boat.

[bonsai3s]

We've done this sailing...but you can't predict Mother Nature.  It was smooth sailing for us.

Hoping it's smooth sailing for you.

[Canuker]

Make like the captain.
Be prepared for eventualities.

[pacruise804]

20 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

 

What Ocean cruise is not in the "open" Ocean at some point?

In any case, don't worry. The Pacific is smooth as silk - unless it's not.

 

I thought I've read about Alaska "inside" passages that likely wouldn't be considered as open as several days in the Pacific between Vancouver and HI.  There are also the Caribbean "island hopper" cruises that while more open seas, most travel is done overnight and at a port every day so the passenger doesn't feel like they are traveling the ocean.

[CoW mAn]

It was smooth sailing through calm seas when I did that cruise

[leaveitallbehind]

Have done it as well and a couple of days were very calm and a couple more were a little rough.  In other words, it is impossible to predict how it will be and depending on weather and other factors that affect sea conditions, as others have mentioned, it can be calm unless it isn't.

 

Edited February 21, 2020 by leaveitallbehind

[leaveitallbehind]

On 2/19/2020 at 3:38 PM, pacruise804 said:

There are also the Caribbean "island hopper" cruises that while more open seas, most travel is done overnight and at a port every day so the passenger doesn't feel like they are traveling the ocean.

 

Not sure I understand this.

 

The reason travel is done at night between the islands on some of the Caribbean cruises that you refer to as "island hoppers" is based on the close proximity of each island to each other where travel distances are short allowing each successive day to be a port of call in a different island.  It is just the geographical result of the region.

 

The travel at night can certainly feel like you are traveling the ocean and exhibit rough seas if weather and other sea conditions result in that - doesn't matter if it is at night or in the day. 

 

And sea days - of which most Caribbean cruises including the so called "island hoppers" have at least one, if not two - will certainly give the passenger the feel of traveling on the ocean.

Edited February 21, 2020 by leaveitallbehind

[pacruise804]

I've seen itineraries with no sea days and if you are sleeping you generally don't feel (moderate) movement.

[leaveitallbehind]

25 minutes ago, pacruise804 said:

I've seen itineraries with no sea days and if you are sleeping you generally don't feel (moderate) movement.

 

That's assuming it's moderate.  Rough seas can - and do - occur in the Caribbean at night, and it certainly can be felt.  The roughest seas we ever faced were at night in the Caribbean, where we were head-in to 25-30 foot waves.

 

It seems that maybe you are suggesting that the Caribbean doesn't experience rough seas, in particular at night, and that just isn't necessarily the case.

Edited February 21, 2020 by leaveitallbehind

[pacruise804]

I didn't mean to imply that rough seas can't and don't occur in the Caribbean - even at night.  I was responding to the poster who questioned how you can have a cruise that isn't in the "open" ocean. 

 

I know people who went on a cruise with no sea days and never felt like they were on the ship because they slept or were at shows while the ship was moving.  Obviously they didn't have extremely rough seas.

[leaveitallbehind]

6 minutes ago, pacruise804 said:

I didn't mean to imply that rough seas can't and don't occur in the Caribbean - even at night.  I was responding to the poster who questioned how you can have a cruise that isn't in the "open" ocean.

 

OK I get it.  Sorry, my fault - didn't read the post you were responding to close enough.  Makes sense now.

Edited February 21, 2020 by leaveitallbehind

[pacruise804]

Thanks 🙂 Sorry for my part in the confusion too.

[Kate P.C]

Chances are really high you will feel the motion more in the open ocean.

I know I do, but I make sure I prepare myself in advance. If you are prone to sea sickness, get your Dramamine, green apples, ginger ale, crackers, wrist bands and aromatherapy scents...

Good luck 🙂

[calliopecruiser]

That's part of the mystery of crossing the ocean -- you never know what might happen.  That said, the Pacific ocean was named the Pacific because it is calm.  Usually.  I've done 3 transpacific cruises, and 90% of the days at sea were very calm, and only a few had enough motion so that people had trouble walking a straight line (yes, we were sober). 

[clo]

When we went to Antarctica we crossed the Drake Passage. They referred to it as the "Drake Shake" or the "Drake Lake." We got the latter. We were on a Norwegian coastal cruise a year ago. Remember the night that a ship lost its power one night?Well we were out there that night. We stayed in port that night but, without stabilizers, we would slide from one end of the bunk to the other. It was fun!

[leaveitallbehind]

On 2/23/2020 at 5:42 AM, Kate P.C said:

Chances are really high you will feel the motion more in the open ocean.

I know I do, but I make sure I prepare myself in advance. If you are prone to sea sickness, get your Dramamine, green apples, ginger ale, crackers, wrist bands and aromatherapy scents...

Good luck 🙂

 

Define the "open ocean".  Isn't pretty much anywhere you would cruise (except perhaps the inside passage AK) the open ocean?  I get what you are suggesting, that a crossing from Vancouver to HI, or NY to Bermuda, etc., is open ocean perhaps because of it's distance from land for most of the journey.  But at what point do your reach the open ocean?  10 miles? 100 miles?  Day 2 out?  The Caribbean certainly is open ocean as well - even if there are a number of islands within a short distance of each other.  

 

And the seas can be rough at anytime or any place, regardless of how far out at sea you are.  I guess that's my point.

 

And by the way, some of the calmest waters we ever experienced was in the open ocean midway between NY and Bermuda in the Atlantic - literally smooth as glass.  The roughest was between the Panama Canal and Jamaica in the Caribbean - 25 ft+. HI to Vancouver was light to moderate.

Edited February 24, 2020 by leaveitallbehind

[getting older slowly]

The Ocean and Ship movement....

 

Lot of factors come to mind..... height of waves in only a small one....... pitch between waves as well as time...

 

Swell, wind,  direction of travel across the waves, speed of ship.....

 

So in 15 foot seas , it can be very rough, or can be slight pitching, 

Roll is slowed by the stabilizers and  at about 30 sec cycle is not that noticeable...

 

Have done many crossing of the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand

( open Ocean and deep 16000 feet )

 

Been different very time .... one of the joys of sea days

 

Cheers Don 

Edited February 26, 2020 by getting older slowly

[Prost Seattle]

Thanks for the information.  I’m doing this cruise with my partner and my 85 year old fun mom.  She first cruised to Hawaii in 1959, and she has some interesting stories about cruising as a young woman in second class.  I think she’ll be a tad surprised how cruise ships have changed since the late 50’s and early 60’s.