Rough ride NYC to Bermuda

[oracer]

Hearing some comments of people that have done a cruise from NYC to Bermuda.   Looking to book on the Joy so traveling on one of the bigger ships. Was told the seas are rough during the summer as you get halfway from NYC to Bermuda. Is it noticeable?  I have only done Caribbean cruises where the seas are usually calm. 

[bluesea777]

It's CRAPSHOOT ....

 

Calm, light ripples, moderate waves, calm, swaying, heavy seas, calm, white caps, moderate waves, calm, etc.

 

Doesn't matter which month and which week.

 

You should be fine on the JOY.

 

 

[meatball_nyc]

^^^This EXACTLY^^^

 

Have a great cruise.

 

Always our favorite...NYC to Bermuda!!

 

 

[donnajoedoc]

I was on the Breakaway on the Halloween cruise from NYC to Bermuda.  The sees were very still going to Bermuda.  They were a little rougher heading back, but nothing more than some swaying.  The seas looked a lot worse than it actually felt on the ship.  I'm looking to book a cruise on the Joy to Bermuda next October.

[Biffire]

Been to Bermuda three times, one from Boston and two from NYC. I don't recall any issues with rough seas.Some people are more sensitive to motion than others. As long as my drinks don't spill I'm good. Always wise to have some meds with you just in case.

[psac]

We were on the Breakaway in October and it was pretty smooth both ways.  The Joy is bigger so it should feel it less.  
 

But, as the others said, it all depends on the weather.  We’ve sailed the Caribbean out of Florida, NY to Caribbean, NY to Canada, NY to Bermuda, Alaska, Hawaii, etc. and really, the route doesn’t matter.  It’s all about the weather and the waves.  We were on a large ship in the Caribbean out of Fla with a hurricane in the general vicinity, and we were getting tossed around like crazy.  It can happen on any route!

Edited December 16, 2021 by psac

[hallux]

52 minutes ago, Biffire said:

Some people are more sensitive to motion than others.

When the pool on deck is turned into a wave pool (my RCI Explorer of the Seas trip) it's more than just some being more sensitive than others.  Granted - we WERE sailing in the middle of a storm, it was a long-duration storm as it was rough both ways, but calm when we were in Bermuda...

[CarolinaMamma]

We chased a hurricane to Bermuda on Breakaway a few years ago. The first sea day was really bad, and a lot of people just stayed in their cabins. We occasionally had to grab onto rails when walking around. My husband and I proactively took Bonine and didn’t drink that day, and we were absolutely fine. 

[LadyBerard]

The last time I went to Bermuda was in Oct. 2019 out of NY.  Seas were a bit choppy and dreary weather.  This was the only time I have gone from NY and this late in the season.  I have cruised to Bermuda from Boston many times in May, June, and September, and usually, the seas have been like glass!

[rimmit]

I have definitely had some cruises to Bermuda where it felt like a roller coaster.  I have been on a lot of cruises and expeditions, including crossing the Tasman Sea and the Drake Passage.  While not as bad as the Drake, I have had some bad luck, and definitely had some nearly Tasman Sea level rocking going on the Grandeur before.  Also had some very calm seas as well.  Just luck of the draw. 

[raitch]

We had one day on our August Boston - Bermuda sailing that was really rough.  We knew when the puke bags magically appeared in the stairwells that we were in for it.  But it was only one rough day of 7!

[Cruzinnana47]

We were sailing on the Boston to Bermuda itinerary some years back on the NCL Majesty (smaller ship).  Heading to Bermuda, the seas were extremely rough. My DH, being an old sailor (US Navy and USCG) was fine and I was as well, but we ended up being the only people who showed up in the DR at a table for 10.  That was in mid-May.  That ship was really rocking and creaking all day and night.  There were barf bags in the elevators, etc. and many people brought blankets and pillows out of their cabins to common areas (lounges, etc.) to be in larger spaces with others.  On 2 other cruises from Boston to Bermuda, we experienced stiff winds, but the seas weren't that bad.  A cruise from NYC to Bermuda would probably yield similar conditions.   Being on a larger ship, like the Joy, will help.

 

As bluesea77 commented, "it's a crapshoot!", especially sailing in the northern Atlantic waters, regardless of the time of year.  

[chengkp75]

Watch the weather reports a few days ahead of the cruise.  The main weather generator for this itinerary is the Gulf Stream.  The Stream flows northbound, and if the wind is from the north, the opposing forces can cause choppy seas.  The ship will likely try to just cross the Stream at some point, going south to not have to buck the contrary current, so you might get the choppy seas on the beam (side) of the ship, causing some rolling.  Going northbound, they will try to find the Stream, and stay in it to gain speed from the current (saves fuel).

[GeezerCouple]

39 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Watch the weather reports a few days ahead of the cruise.  The main weather generator for this itinerary is the Gulf Stream.  The Stream flows northbound, and if the wind is from the north, the opposing forces can cause choppy seas.  The ship will likely try to just cross the Stream at some point, going south to not have to buck the contrary current, so you might get the choppy seas on the beam (side) of the ship, causing some rolling.  Going northbound, they will try to find the Stream, and stay in it to gain speed from the current (saves fuel).

 

How much of a boost does a large ship actually get from the Gulf Stream?  For a given moderate speed, what might the fuel savings be?

 

I wouldn't have thought that a ship floating partly/much above the water would get that much of a boost (or drag, depending...).

Hmmm... would a sub, totally submerged, be much different?  (Assume same shape, which isn't the case of course...)

 

And about how wide is the Stream in the Boston- or NYC-Bermuda trip?  How much does it vary, approximately, both by day/week and by where one is along the Stream?

 

Fascinating!

Thanks. 😉

 

GC

[chengkp75]

Does a log floating in a current get moved by the current?  The Stream runs at an average of 3.5 - 4 knots, and a ship can gain or lose that much speed depending on direction of travel compared to the Stream.  Remember, that a ship's propeller pushes the ship through the water.  But, if that water is already moving, then the "speed through the water" that the propeller provides, is added to or subtracted from the current to get the "speed over the ground" (ocean floor).  I've been on tankers that could only do 14 knots on their best day, and were clocking over 20 knots going north with the Stream.

 

If a ship does not have a set arrival time, i.e. it's speed doesn't matter, then the fuel savings will vary according to how long the voyage is (the same fuel burned daily, but less days to get there).  For a cruise ship, a 4 knot boost with a fixed arrival time could result in slowing the propellers enough to see a 25-30% fuel savings, depending on what percentage of speed that 4 knots represents.

 

The Stream is 40-50 miles wide, and it's position relative to the coastline will vary with the seasons, moving east and west, and the currents will vary from 3 to 6 knots depending on the season.  Additionally, there are the "counter-currents" that run opposite to the Stream, along both sides, so if going south, you can try to hug the Stream and gain some speed from the counter currents.

[Laszlo]

16 hours ago, oracer said:

Hearing some comments of people that have done a cruise from NYC to Bermuda.   Looking to book on the Joy so traveling on one of the bigger ships. Was told the seas are rough during the summer as you get halfway from NYC to Bermuda. Is it noticeable?  I have only done Caribbean cruises where the seas are usually calm. 

The truth is you are dealing with weather and as we all know its unpredictable. I've sailed to Bermuda 4 times from June to September. Twice is was flat as glass, once was smooth going over and rough coming back and once was rough both going over and coming back (hurricane)

[PTC DAWG]

14 hours ago, hallux said:

When the pool on deck is turned into a wave pool (my RCI Explorer of the Seas trip) it's more than just some being more sensitive than others.  Granted - we WERE sailing in the middle of a storm, it was a long-duration storm as it was rough both ways, but calm when we were in Bermuda...

Wave pool cruises are fun…

[PTC DAWG]

28 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Does a log floating in a current get moved by the current?  The Stream runs at an average of 3.5 - 4 knots, and a ship can gain or lose that much speed depending on direction of travel compared to the Stream.  Remember, that a ship's propeller pushes the ship through the water.  But, if that water is already moving, then the "speed through the water" that the propeller provides, is added to or subtracted from the current to get the "speed over the ground" (ocean floor).  I've been on tankers that could only do 14 knots on their best day, and were clocking over 20 knots going north with the Stream.

 

If a ship does not have a set arrival time, i.e. it's speed doesn't matter, then the fuel savings will vary according to how long the voyage is (the same fuel burned daily, but less days to get there).  For a cruise ship, a 4 knot boost with a fixed arrival time could result in slowing the propellers enough to see a 25-30% fuel savings, depending on what percentage of speed that 4 knots represents.

 

The Stream is 40-50 miles wide, and it's position relative to the coastline will vary with the seasons, moving east and west, and the currents will vary from 3 to 6 knots depending on the season.  Additionally, there are the "counter-currents" that run opposite to the Stream, along both sides, so if going south, you can try to hug the Stream and gain some speed from the counter currents.

Again, thanks for your input..always educational.

[hallux]

3 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

Wave pool cruises are fun…

Even more so when it's your first ever cruise!

[PelicanBill]

The ship route NYC - Bermuda really goes straight across the gulf stream. The Boston route crosses at an angle so it has to fight the flow on the way out a little and gets a slight boost coming back.

 

I have been on many cruises from NYC to the Caribbean or Bermuda.  The weather and wind simply varies and the wave height and roughness can be impacted by weather that was happening hundreds of miles away a day or 2 ago.

 

Some cruises were smooth.  Many had wave heights 6-8' and so there is noticeable movement but most would not call that rough.  A few were very rough and people were very uncomfortable for a day or so.

[Beer Belly]

We did the Escape June 2018, no issues.....two weeks later or so, the Escape got hit with a 115 mph gust...made the news and you tube, you cannot predict mother nature

[luckyinpa]

i did oct 24 to bermuda. we missed 2 days cause of winds. it sucked. 2016 we went the day after (michael?) i think, good seas and couldnt even tell was a hurricane there. but last october there were many sea days that were not calm