Drake Passage

[toseaornottosea]

How soon after leaving Ushuaia do you get in to the Drake Passage and the potential for rough seas?

[2552phxcrzr]

4 minutes ago, toseaornottosea said:

How soon after leaving Ushuaia do you get in to the Drake Passage and the potential for rough seas?

Once outside the Beagle Channel, you’re fair game for rough seas.  On our first trip, we headed to the Falklands from Ushuaia, not really crossing the Drake until later … that day was one of the roughest of the trip and the Drake was a piece of cake after that.  It’s just luck of the draw.

[toseaornottosea]

On our cruise in mid-January we go straight to Antarctica from Ushuaia so how long would you guess it takes before we get to the possibility of rough seas?   Trying to figure out when to take motion sickness medication. 

[2552phxcrzr]

1 minute ago, toseaornottosea said:

On our cruise in mid-January we go straight to Antarctica from Ushuaia so how long would you guess it takes before we get to the possibility of rough seas?   Trying to figure out when to take motion sickness medication. 

It can be almost immediately after you leave the Beagle Channel, which may take a couple of hours.  The ship should advise you if the seas are going to be rough, so you can prepare.  Check with the front desk personnel.  It really is luck of the draw and you could have the Drake Lake.  It also depends on your susceptibility to the motion of the ocean.  What is rough for you may not necessarily be the case for me or others.

[toseaornottosea]

Thanks for your input and info.  Happy and Healthy Holidays 

[PerfectlyPerth]

The ships doctors generally recommend you take your first pill at bedtime on night one. You will leave the Beagle Channel while you sleep. 
 

Another tip - don't let that be the first time you've ever taken that medication. I've witnessed so many interesting (and dangerous) side effect reactions in people who didn't think to try out the meds at home in the weeks before their trip. In the worst example we had to turn ship back to Ushuaia about 5 hours after we commenced our voyage to disembark a passenger having a terrible reaction. They went to hospital and we turned around and started our voyage again.