Room location and motion sickness

[travel-lynn27]

Hey all! My fiancé and I are considering an Alaskan cruise in September. Right now we are looking at one on Ovation of the Sea with RC (so a pretty big ship). We want a balcony room and I am way overthinking room placement. We want a room with a great view since that's the point of going to Alaska. My fiancé is prone to motion sickness. We just got off our first cruise (to Cabo) and we had very smooth seas until the last day when a storm blew in. He did ok for the calm days, but the last day, he needed medication. So my question, is there a huge difference in motion between like deck 8 and deck 13? I have heard mid ship is least rocky and lower decks, but I wasn't sure in reality how much it really is different. 

[d9704011]

Cabins located on lower decks, closer to amidships will experience 'less' motion than those elsewhere.  For your situation, on a ship the size of Ovation of the Sea, a few decks anywhere on the ship are unlikely to be of any practical difference when it comes to movement and sea (motion) sickness.  The weather would have to be particularly bad that there'd be much noticeable difference around the ship and, if that's the case, it's going to be way too late for those prone to motion sickness.

 

Don't overthink this and enjoy the trip.

Edited April 7, 2023 by d9704011

[Langoustine]

If you are departing out of Seattle, it is very likely that you will encounter rougher seas than cruises departing out of Vancouver.

[9tee2Sea]

3 hours ago, travel-lynn27 said:

Hey all! My fiancé and I are considering an Alaskan cruise in September. Right now we are looking at one on Ovation of the Sea with RC (so a pretty big ship). We want a balcony room and I am way overthinking room placement. We want a room with a great view since that's the point of going to Alaska. My fiancé is prone to motion sickness. We just got off our first cruise (to Cabo) and we had very smooth seas until the last day when a storm blew in. He did ok for the calm days, but the last day, he needed medication. So my question, is there a huge difference in motion between like deck 8 and deck 13? I have heard mid ship is least rocky and lower decks, but I wasn't sure in reality how much it really is different. 

I get motion sickness looking at roller coasters.  Alaska cruise is my favorite!

 Seas are usually like glass ( so smooth you can see the whales spouting water in the distance, or up close if you are lucky).  The best way to see Alaska is not actually from your balcony.  Be up on deck where you can go from one side to the other. There is so much to see on both sides ( waterfalls, ice flows, goats on the mountains, seals, eagles).  The ships used to be able to cruise upto Hubbard Glacier, then do a turn around ( That is where to be on your balcony) and cruise out the same way they cruised in.

Mid-ship , deck 9 will be perfect.  If you stay on the higher decks, you will be prone to the sway of the ship.  Sept weather can be tricky.  Can be gloomy and wet, or can be sunny and warm.  Dress in layers.  Pay attention to the sunsets out at Sea ( the most beautiful ever).

[mom says]

The ocean can be glassy smooth until its not, and there is no way to predict. However sailings up the west side of Vancouver Island can be rougher to some extent and as noted, the later in the season, the more unpredictable the weather. As to the degree of motion- the further away you are from the lowest center and midpoint of the ship, the greater the amount of motion there will be, whether the ship is rolling or pitching.  So the lower cabin would be preferable for your fiancé. 

 

As has already been pointed out, the best viewing opportunities will be from the outside decks, where you will have the ability to move from one side of the ship to the other as necessary. There is no way to predict that what you want to see will be on your cabin's side. 

Edited April 7, 2023 by mom says

[mrgabriel]

I get severe motion sickness and given the choice, I would always pick a lower deck in the centre of the ship. But centre of the ship on a higher deck is going to have less motion that the front or back of the ship.

 

If he does get motion sick, he might want to consider acupuncture. I've used everything out there and acupuncture is the only thing I'll use now. In fact, we went on a small boat whale-watching excursion in Alaska last June and I felt absolutely fine, even though that little boat was rocking and rolling. 

[lenquixote66]

We are prone to motion sickness and prefer low decks and midship.

[SPacificbound]

You already know the lower deck, mid ship, and since he already had a problem, go equipped. You can order Bonine and ginger capsules on Amazon, and have him take them once a day, preferably evening. You don't want to wait until he is already feeling motion sick, so plan ahead, and be prepared. You could ask your/his physician to make sure there is not any problem taking them but it is OTC, not RX. Ginger cookies and ginger candies are good also.

[caribe123]

Our rule of thumb is this:

Midship

middle decks (6,7,8)

[crystalspin]

Middle deck is actually closer to (1) or the lowest with passenger rooms. There are many crew and engineering decks below those the passengers can visit.

[shipgeeks]

OP, Are you sure you want a balcony for enjoying the scenery?  IMO, the views from the public decks, especially top decks, are far superior to the limited view from a balcony.  We only used our balcony once in the 10 days of our AK cruise.

If you eliminate the need for a balcony, you are able to book a cabin on a lower deck - as low as possible - and midships, for the least movement.  (The medical center on a ship is always on the lowest deck, for this reason.)

[broadwaybaby123]

Yes, there's a huge difference.  I know someone facing this very issue right now, getting ready to go on her first cruise with someone who is prone to motion sickness.  I told her to get a cabin on a lower deck, as there tends to be less motion on the lower decks.  There's also less motion in cabins that are closer to the center of the ship, as those cabins tend to limit motion as well.

 

If you wind up getting a room where you have a window, tell him to look out at the horizon.  We basically get motion sickness from the inability to have our eyes and inner ears communicate with our brain.  Looking out at the horizon visually sends the message to the brain that we're steady.  It would also allow his body to anticipate the behavior of the waves.

Edited July 2, 2023 by broadwaybaby123

[hallasm]

If you're looking to minimize the effects of seasickness on a cruise ship, there are a few factors to consider when selecting a cabin location.
While it's impossible to completely eliminate the possibility of feeling seasick, there are some areas of the ship that tend to be more stable and may help reduce the symptoms. 

Choose a cabin on a lower deck: Cabins located in the middle of the ship on lower decks tend to experience less motion because they are closer to the ship's center of gravity. This can help minimize the feeling of swaying and rocking.

[Aquahound]

On 4/7/2023 at 3:46 AM, travel-lynn27 said:

Hey all! My fiancé and I are considering an Alaskan cruise in September. Right now we are looking at one on Ovation of the Sea with RC (so a pretty big ship). We want a balcony room and I am way overthinking room placement. We want a room with a great view since that's the point of going to Alaska. My fiancé is prone to motion sickness. We just got off our first cruise (to Cabo) and we had very smooth seas until the last day when a storm blew in. He did ok for the calm days, but the last day, he needed medication. So my question, is there a huge difference in motion between like deck 8 and deck 13? I have heard mid ship is least rocky and lower decks, but I wasn't sure in reality how much it really is different. 

 

You picked a good ship.  Those Quantum Class ships were designed more like an ocean liner, better capable of handling rough seas.  Last year, I cruised Ovation out of Seattle and we hit very large waves on that first open sea day (25-30').  It was a steady and smooth pitch (up and down) for us, but the Celebrity Millennium, who was just ahead of us, suffered some damage topside.  

 

Book as low as you can but avoid the lowest deck of balconies because those are obstructed on that class.  

[AKJonesy]

By now, you've read that lower staterooms close to the middle of the ship are better.  And, don't wait to take the Bonine until the motion sickness is underway.  As said in post #3, if you sail from Seattle, the sea can be much more rough than from Vancouver and that is because the Seattle voyages are out in the open ocean.  A balcony room is great for fresh air and privacy, but you're not going to sit on that balcony when visiting some of the areas of Alaska.  Instead you will want to go up to the top deck or the promenade deck and move around for best views.  There is a website called wind alert dot com.  Go to that site and on the main page on the yellow line select Live Wind, then just pull the map to the area on the coast of Canada and you will see what the real live winds are.  You can also go to a marine website and get the marine forecast.  At least that way you will know in advance and can start taking the Bonine.  No sense being miserable. 

[Subman738]

Think of the ship as a giant teeter totter. As you get closer to the ends you feel more of the (pitching) up/down motion which is why people recommend that you get close to midships or the center of the teeter totter. If you can imagine a tall tree or flag pole blowing in the breeze you will notice that the top has more motion than the base. The is the same on the ship, as you go higher you will feel more of the rolling (side to side) motion than if your cabin is lower or closer to the base. 

 

[CoW mAn]

My friend gets really bad sea sickness. We tried everything, ideal room placement in terms of midships and deck, all the things they tell you to eat, all the patches and in the end none of it made much of a difference until he found this TENS device, now it doesn't matter where on the ship we book. If there's any chance it offers relief it could be worth a try, they say it works for 85% of people...