comparing large ships to small ships

[boone2]

I have been reading about Seadream with increasing interest, it seems just the sort of line we are looking for now we are (almost) at the stage of not taking our older kids with us on a cruise.(they like a free holiday when they can get it) So far we have only sailed the large Princess ships, they provide what we need as a family but we are looking forward to a more luxurious cruise for the two of us. My question is, do you feel alot of movement when sailing on the smaller ships, I certainly don't mind some as I find it very comforting to fall asleep to a slight swell but how do the smaller ships cope with rougher seas? do they have stabilisers when the going gets rough?

Thanks

Terry

[DisneyJen]

Hi Terry,

 

We have sailed the large ships on RCCL, Disney, HAL and Princess as well as SeaDream and Seabourn.

 

I would say that we haven't minded the "motion in the ocean" on our two SD and 1 SB cruises. Like you said it lulls you to sleep. Honestly I can't say that I minded the seas more or less on the smaller ships.

 

Not sure on the stabilizers ... but I am sure someone around here is:D

[UK family]

I have been reading about Seadream with increasing interest, it seems just the sort of line we are looking for now we are (almost) at the stage of not taking our older kids with us on a cruise.(they like a free holiday when they can get it) So far we have only sailed the large Princess ships, they provide what we need as a family but we are looking forward to a more luxurious cruise for the two of us. My question is, do you feel alot of movement when sailing on the smaller ships, I certainly don't mind some as I find it very comforting to fall asleep to a slight swell but how do the smaller ships cope with rougher seas? do they have stabilisers when the going gets rough?

Thanks

Terry

Really interesting point Boone2 - I was about to post a thread almost word for word! The smaller ships sound wonderful after the the large family ships. However, it does worry me the thought of how the smaller ships cope in bad weather!:)

[ctbjr1309]

I think that it's safe to say that in the same conditions one will feel more motion on a smaller ship than a larger one. However, with that said, I'll also say that SD Captains are very good about being aware of weather and sea conditions and go to great lengths to maximize the safety and comfort of their passengers.

 

Not positive as to stabilizers but on the web site where facts about the ships are listed it does say "stabilized" so I assume the answer to that to be yes.

[surfklutz]

The ships do have stabelizers. The ships also move primarily at night - especially in the Med. We were in France 2 years ago and a nasty storm came up suddenly. We were able to seek refuge in the protected port of Nice for 2 days - the other biggers ships just had to bob around out in the sea.

 

Very infrequently I do feel motion - but it is a different type of motion than on the larger ships. I tend to think it is less disconcerting because the boats are closer to the water so the sway is much smaller ( and if I really listened in geometry I could tell you why!)

[surfklutz]

The ships do have stabelizers. The ships also move primarily at night - especially in the Med. We were in France 2 years ago and a nasty storm came up suddenly. We were able to seek refuge in the protected port of Nice for 2 days - the other biggers ships just had to bob around out in the sea.

 

Very infrequently I do feel motion - but it is a different type of motion than on the larger ships. I tend to think it is less disconcerting because the boats are closer to the water so the sway is much smaller ( and if I really listened in geometry I could tell you why!)

[UK family]

The ships do have stabelizers. The ships also move primarily at night - especially in the Med. We were in France 2 years ago and a nasty storm came up suddenly. We were able to seek refuge in the protected port of Nice for 2 days - the other biggers ships just had to bob around out in the sea.

 

Very infrequently I do feel motion - but it is a different type of motion than on the larger ships. I tend to think it is less disconcerting because the boats are closer to the water so the sway is much smaller ( and if I really listened in geometry I could tell you why!)

 

Thanks for the info:)

[yogagal47]

The Windstar Ships have them...

[boone2]

Thanks for the info

Terry

[sw18]

Bigger doesn't always mean better ;) I've done 2 transatlantic crossings recently, one on the Silver Cloud from Bridgetown to Lisbon & one on Regatta from Lisbon to Miami & I have to say that Regatta, depite being nearly 2x the size of the Cloud had a very disconcerting "corkscrew" motion in seas that were nowhere near as rough as the crossing on the Cloud. The ride on the Cloud was still very discernible, yet was a far more comfortable "surfing" sensation.

[Barkingowl]

Bigger doesn't always mean better ;)

 

I can understand that very well. The corkscrew motion of the larger ships can make people uncomfortable & lead to hurried exits from the dining room. :eek: