Rough Seas

[jimgev]

Large, modern ships with stabilizers, GPS navigation, sophisticated radar and advanced communications still have to contend with the immense power of the world's oceans.

Lest we take things too much for granted, here is a link to some photos of a rough time at sea last week off New Zeeland on the P&O Australia ship "Pacific Sun". There were minor injuries and significant damage but, thankfully, nothing too serious.

 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/multimedia/image.cfm?c_id=1&gal_objectid=10524687&gallery_id=1760

 

There some interesting accounts of the experience on the P&O Australia board on CC.

[jhannah]

Indeed, Mother Nature always has the trump card! Thanks for posting the link to the pictures. Damage and injury is never a good thing, but I couldn't help but think that RuthC would have loved the ride!

[Krazy Kruizers]

I read about about Pacific Sun on the other board -- the captain did the best he could under those conditions.

[kakalina]

Some people have all the fun ;) :D

[lettienets]

On the Rotterdam SA/Antarctica cruise in Jan this year we had really rough seas. We had to bypass the Falkland Islands and going along the Drake passage the seas were 25-40' waves. The dishes were flying, gift shop items flew off the shelves, etc. At the speakers talk in the main lounge hardly anybody showed up. At the Mass in the morning the priest had to hold onto the table (altar) and he served communion to people in their seats. It was a very exciting day. Maybe Ruth C or RevNeal can add more.

[tomc]

At the Mass in the morning the priest had to hold onto the table (altar) and he served communion to people in their seats.

To an overflow crowd, no doubt. The closing hymn: "Nearer, My God, To Thee."

[Copper10-8]

"The sea was angry that day my friends, like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli" George in Seinfeld

This is still one of the "Mother of all rough seas" clips. It was shot from an orbiting SAR helo and it involves the MV Voyager on February 14, 2005 after she received damage from a 46 ft in the Mediterranean just two weeks after her sister ship, MV Explorer, was hit by a similar wave off the coast of Alaska.

Voyager, with more than 700 passengers on board, was on a voyage from Tunis to Barcelona when it was caught in a storm and hit by the huge wave while approximately 60 miles from Menorca. The wave reportedly struck the bridge area and damaged electronic equipment and caused engine failure for a period of time. A nearby LPG tanker rushed to the scene and stood by while the crew attempted to restart the engines. A French, Spanish and British navy vessels were also dispatched along with aircraft to track the ship’s position.

The crew was eventually able to restart both engines and the ship headed for Cagliari, Sardinia for further damage assessment and repairs. No major injuries were reported although several passengers received bruises and scrapes from being thrown about during the period when the ship was without power.

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[jhannah]

The Mother of all Rough Seas, indeed! I remember seeing that some time ago. It's no less startling now!

[VegasRealtor]

Reminds Me Of Riding Out A Few Pretty Good Storms On A Destroyer Escourt Sized Ship. But To Be With Propulsion? Now That's Dangerous For All Involved!! As A Fellow Poster Once Said, Any Navy Ship Smaller Than A Destroyer (or Flat Bottomed, Like Many Amphibious Ships) Would Start Rolling And Pitching On Wet Grass!!:)

[mikjr]

My daughter and son in law were booked on a seven day Mexico cruise the week after Sept 11, 2001... even with what happened in NY, they didn't want to cancel and lose the money.

 

Well... they were hit by a HUGE wave about two days out of Los Angeles... the ship tipped over 45 degrees... many hurt, a lot of damage, several on the ship panicked... thought the ship had been hit with a terrorist attack. Not a pretty sight!

 

The ship provided FREE drinks for everyone for the next few days...

 

OK... let's get back to happy topics... pools, Lido, food, entertainment, warm weather, and CALM seas!

[maninmontreal]

Here is some video from New Zealand TV. Looks like quite the ride!!!!:eek:

http://www.3news.co.nz/Video/Aussiescallhorrorcruisestorminateacup/tabid/367/articleID/65369/cat/DEFAULT.aspx#video

 

When this page opens click on first video upper left.

[RuthC]

Indeed, Mother Nature always has the trump card! Thanks for posting the link to the pictures. Damage and injury is never a good thing, but I couldn't help but think that RuthC would have loved the ride!

Well, for a little while, anyway. It might have been more fun than the flat seas the E-dam experienced the first 20 days. ;) I never felt the ship move even once.

The photos kind of reminded me of that storm on the Rotterdam back in '03. Whee! What a ride! :D 38 continuous hours of 45' seas.

[Saga Ruby]

What do y'all think the reaction would be of newbie cruisers on a behemoth caught in those rough seas? I've always wondered if they would be shocked, be litigious, be cured of any interest in the sea?

 

Then again, I also wonder if the modern apartment barges would be as affected by these heavy seas? Or do they just plow thru most rough conditions with nary a care?

 

Ruby

[RuthC]

What do y'all think the reaction would be of newbie cruisers on a behemoth caught in those rough seas? I've always wondered if they would be shocked, be litigious, be cured of any interest in the sea?

A few of each, probably. And a few more who get a kick out of it.

Then again, I also wonder if the modern apartment barges would be as affected by these heavy seas? Or do they just plow thru most rough conditions with nary a care?

 

Ruby

The really rough seas have got to have an effect once in a while. I wouldn't want to be on a high deck when they do. :eek: I'll bet that once one of those babies gets rolling it's going to be hard to stop 'em.

[leoandhugh]

these "modern apartment barges" referred to above try their best to avoid the worst storms. The cruise ships of today tend to be top heavy and offer tremendous wind resistance when the gales are blowing in from either side. But when you look at pictures of these new ships either in drydock or being built, you can see that there is more superstructure above the water line than there is hull beneath it. And that is why, in order to avoid damage to the ship and its passengers and crew, the ship will alter course far ahead of time to avoid the worst conditions:)

[Saga Ruby]

It might have been more fun than the flat seas the E-dam experienced the first 20 days. I never felt the ship move even once. The photos kind of reminded me of that storm on the Rotterdam back in '03. Whee! What a ride! :D 38 continuous hours of 45' seas.

 

Back in the 90s, my ship was sailing thru the South China Seas and, if we had not had a "motor," we would have been becalmed. It was so hot, so humid, so still, that no one would go out on deck. I would not have liked the flat seas of your E-dam cruise.

 

On the other hand, last August on Saga Rose to Greenland and Iceland for an 18-day cruise out of Dover, 14 days of the cruise were spent in ferocious seas and high winds with a constant demonstration by the ship of the principles of pitch, roll, and yaw. It turns out the body's muscles get tired after 2-3 continuous days of trying to maintain one's balance. My cabin was third from the stern and it was like riding a bucking bronco night and day. On two days the Dining Room was closed with only a limited room service available. How the room service stewards managed with full trays is beyond me.

 

We couldn't land at Nuuk because of Force 10 gales (hurricane strength) and when the Captain informed us that a 40' container, fully loaded, had been flipped over on the wharf, none of us complained about missing Nuuk. Fortunately, the four days we had beautiful weather were blue-ribbon winners - the Orkneys, Disko Bay, Cape Farewell Passage, and Cobh.

 

Ruby

[Taxguy7]

"The sea was angry that day my friends, like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli" George in Seinfeld

 

This is still one of the "Mother of all rough seas" clips. It was shot from an orbiting SAR helo and it involves the MV Voyager on February 14, 2005 after she received damage from a 46 ft in the Mediterranean just two weeks after her sister ship, MV Explorer, was hit by a similar wave off the coast of Alaska.

 

 

 

Thanks for the ref. to the clip! That's when I would like to be in the observation lounge (in my lifejacket) back a little way from the glass windows.:) The problem: if the Capt. knew it was coming, he would have steered as far as posible from it; after the ship was rolling like that, how would I get anywhere?:confused: Guess I'll have to settle for nice little waves that won't spill my beer.:cool:

[RuthC]

... none of us complained about missing Nuuk.

You may not have gotten into Nuuk, but you didn't "miss" anything. :rolleyes:

[SAILSKAT]

What do y'all think the reaction would be of newbie cruisers on a behemoth caught in those rough seas? I've always wondered if they would be shocked, be litigious, be cured of any interest in the sea?

 

Then again, I also wonder if the modern apartment barges would be as affected by these heavy seas? Or do they just plow thru most rough conditions with nary a care?

 

Ruby

 

 

There is one cruise critic member who was on the P&O ship and is a first time cruiser and has posted a few thoughts. In the post I read she that she was a first time cruiser and traveling with a child. It will be interesting to see her reaction and read her full review (which she has promised later). As a mother, I know that your fears are magnified when you have children along to protect. What a shame that her first cruise had to be this one. I hope that someday she and her family get to experince a realxing and wonderful cruise. I sympathize with all who were injured or terrified that day. (I don't know how to link to another post - sorry- but I'm sure it's easy to find on the P&O board.)

 

I avoiding cruising for many years due to some irrational fears. On my first cruise we hit some rougher seas and I strangely found it fasicating, not terrifying as I had imagined. (Of course it was nothing like this incident - just high seas preceeding a storm). I am no longer affraid, but I can say that if my first cruise had this particular experience it may have scared me away. ( I realize that this is an unusal occurance, but the rational side doesn't always kick in.)

 

That being said, if I had a bad expereince now I would be OK because I know how wonderful a good cruise expereince can be. I hope to be a "seasoned" cruiser someday and I'm sure the more you cruise the more stories you have, but it comes down to risk vs. reward. But in the end the big reward of a great cruise makes it easy to overlook the releatively small risk.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

A review of the cruise has been posted on the P&O Australia board.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=821256

[jhannah]

But when you look at pictures of these new ships either in drydock or being built, you can see that there is more superstructure above the water line than there is hull beneath it.

Isn't this true for every ship, past and present?

[Saga Ruby]

That being said, if I had a bad expereince now I would be OK because I know how wonderful a good cruise expereince can be. I hope to be a "seasoned" cruiser someday and I'm sure the more you cruise the more stories you have, but it comes down to risk vs. reward. But in the end the big reward of a great cruise makes it easy to overlook the relatively small risk.

 

I applaud your positive attitude. All the posts you read about "any cruise is better than no cruise" are true. And yes, most cruises are exhilarating experiences.

 

I have been sailing the seven seas since 1957 and I've never had a bad cruise. It is inevitable that some things have gone wrong, but I never expect perfection and appreciate the multitude of fine experiences and small gestures of hospitality I have received over the many years. As they say, life is what you make it.

 

There are those people who can find fault with the best cruises. They seem determined to complain. One favourite complaint is about rough seas. On a cruise out of Barcelona, we hit a rough patch for several hours during one night. The next day, a man was loudly complaining about the Captain not resolving the situation. Ironically, if a cruise line cancelled a specific cruise due to hurricanes or cyclones, those same people would be at the battlements. As you well put it, risk versus reward.

 

Then there are those people like you who love the high seas, the soothing sounds of a ship's hull slicing thru ocean waves, the fine hotel staff taking care of every need. Your positive, flexible attitude will be rewarded with each cruise you take.

 

Happy sails!

Ruby