Rough Seas??

[Cruise4M]

Hi,
We have just booked the Maasdam on Dec 11 from Norfolk. Just wondering what type of seas to expect at that time in this area. Usually we go in June, but this time we are leaving the kids behind:) Thanks for any guidance you can provide.

[LolaWiz]

i am curious as well since we ususally said in jan or feb and we will be sailing in Dec this year.

[Randyk47]

It's hard to say what the Atlantic will be like at that time. We've not sailed out of Norfolk but we've been out of Ft Lauderdale about the same time frame on several cruises and have had everything from smooth as glass to "hold on honey, here comes another one" seas. Generally the Atlantic can be a little rough, in the sense of big rollers, but not exactly North Atlantic "perfect storm" type seas. The ships are all pretty stable and I don't think you'll have a problem.

[Krazy Kruizers]

One of the reasons HAL will no longer be sailing out of Norfolk is because too many times in the last couple of years, the seas have been rough and ths ship has gotten back into Norfolk very late.

[bruceh4]

Passing Cape Hatteras at any time of year can be rough. It just depends if a storm is in the area. I cruised from Ft. Lauderdale to NYC and when we passed the Cape it was barf bags in the hallways!!:eek: That was in April. It just depends on the weather. Good luck and have a great trip.:)

[Oceanwench]

We've sailed in November the last 3 years [but not this year :( ] and we had pretty rough seas on two of the three cruises.

[RuthC]

I guess that first you need to define "rough". For some people it's "rough" at five feet:rolleyes: ; I don't even start to feel movement until it's about twenty feet:eek: .
I do agree, though, that going by Cape Hatteras has the potential to bring on a wild and wooly ride. Just bring some Bonine and enjoy it.

[Druke I]

"Motion of the ocean" is always a crapshoot.

We went 'round Cape Horn this past March on Regal Princess - very smooth, even with its reputation for being very rough. Couple weeks before they said it had been very rough.

Tasman Sea is also supposed to be rough - but it has been smooth the three times we have crossed it.

Like Ruth above, what you might think rough, I might think moderate.

[Gummie]

We were on this cruise in March of this year and the first 24 hours were pretty rough. If you do suffer from motion sickness you should begin taking appropriate measures the day before. Also, coming back into Norfolk you also have to cross the rought water off Carolina coast.

But it is still a great cruise and we will be on the same cruise, the last round trip from Norfolk for "the beautilful and elegant Maasdam".

[Navy_Chief]

I sailed for years in this area and it is completly unpredictable depending entirly on the weather. Also, as Ruth said, it depends on your definition of rough. My definition is walking on the bulkheads (walls) and the bridge taking green water but you don't see that happening much on cruise ships I'll bet. However, on 450 foot frigates it happens alot. 550 foot cruisers as well. 800 foot cruise ships, not so sure.

[Cruise4M]

Thank you for all your information. I just wanted to be as sure as one can be this would not last the entire cruise!

[I Luv Crusin]

One of the reasons HAL will no longer be sailing out of Norfolk is because too many times in the last couple of years, the seas have been rough and ths ship has gotten back into Norfolk very late.

What are the other reasons? I'm disappointed because we live within driving distance of Norfolk and I was looking forward to cruising out of there one day.

[lka1012]

My definition is walking on the bulkheads (walls) and the bridge taking green water

Or being on a much smaller vessel (US Coast Guard Tanney), looking straight up the mast and seeing horizon.

[Gummie]

What are the other reasons? I'm disappointed because we live within driving distance of Norfolk and I was looking forward to cruising out of there one day.

There were two rumors aboard the cruise in March. Both had HAL coming back to Norfolk in 08. One was they would bring a larger vessel which would be more fuel efficient on this run and the other that they would return when the new terminal was fully finished.

[tomc]

RuthC said:
I guess that first you need to define "rough". For some people it's "rough" at five feet. I was in the North Atlantic, going up the coast, in 12-foot seas; nothing to write home about. One woman at our table thought the captain should make an announcement that the ship would not break in half. Although tempted ("In seas like this, ships tend to roll over and sink quickly rather than break in half"), I was very reassuring about cruise ships' strength and what sort of bad weather they can take and just shake off.

[canoeny]

We sailed on the Maasdam last October just as a hurricane (can't remember the name) had passed up the coast. We heard that many passengers who had boarded in Boston were sick during the passage from there to Norfolk. Both my wife and I have never had a problem with motion sickness (we count ourselves lucky), but the ship did roll about the first night out. As an aside, my son sailed out of Norfolk for seven years on the sub, USS Jacksonville. You will pass right by the Naval base on your way out of the harbor and should see the subs lined up that are in port. He said due to his inheritance of immunity to motion sickness, he always ended up in the coning tower during hurricanes when they had to move the sub out to sea from port -- not pleasant until they reached the place where they could submerge.

[Navy_Chief]

:D nothing worse than a "Sewer Pipe" on the surface. At least until they reach the "Blue Water", then they have it made over us "Targets" :D

[canoeny]

My son said he always tried to turn the ship at least once so she was hit by a broadside wave in the harbor. That gave those below the open hatch a taste of what he was experiencing topside.

[Navy_Chief]

My son said he always tried to turn the ship at least once so she was hit by a broadside wave in the harbor. That gave those below the open hatch a taste of what he was experiencing topside.

Outstanding! :D

[NHBob]

I did the Maasdam's Eastern Caribbean last December and, as other posters have said, the Atlantic is pretty unpredictable. If I recall correctly, we had seas running up to 30' or so until we got into the Caribbean and the shelter of the various islands. The stabilizers did a good job in preventing excessive roll, but there's not much that can be done to reduce pitch! It was still a bit rough at Half Moon Cay, but not enough to affect tendering operations (wish it had, as I'd much rather have had the day at sea). Someone else mentioned the possibility of a bigger ship giving a smoother ride. Not really, as anyone who has experienced rough weather in the QE2 or QM2 can attest.

On the other hand, on the run back to Norfolk from San Juan I don't recall anything beyond some gentle swells.

[AlohaPride]

So, basically, my ship leaving Dec. 16 from New York is going to be even worse than if we had sailed from Norfolk? Greaaaat. My DH is gets really bad motion sickness... :(

[peaches from georgia]

The Atlantic Ocean has a mind of its own and it is not always a calm sea like the more protected Caribbean. The longer you will be sailing in the Atlantic the more chance you have of rough seas obviously and NYC to the Carib is further than Norfolk to the Carib, plus it will be winter. Then again you might have very good fortune and it will be calm. :)

[Navy_Chief]

We may or may not hit some heavy weather it really depends on the forcasting and what Mother Nature wants to provide. Noordam is a big ship and won't be easily tossed about.

[hammybee]

Actually rough seas are quite predictable. Once onboard, check out the schedule and make note of which nights will be formal. For certain, the seas will be rolling the minute hundreds of women put on their heels. Trust me on this.
Lynn

[Navy_Chief]

The second night at sea is a formal night but you wil have transitted the Virginia Capes by then. If you going to hit seas, that's more likely the spot you will get them. I've seen seas that toss a 450 foot Frigate around out in that region but hardly move a carrier (which is roughly the same hull size as Noordam if you add another 150+ feet or so in legnth). We did an "at sea" replenishment with the USS America once when we needed fuel for our helicopter (we were on the firgate), Here we were struggling to get the lines over bobbing around and the air crews on the carrier had a basket ball hoop in the hanger deck and these guys were shooting baskets! Well you get the pcture. Keep in mind that the Noordam will see more pitch than roll because of the stabilizers. But the "Murphy Factor" is a nice touch hammybee :D

[AlohaPride]

Actually rough seas are quite predictable. Once onboard, check out the schedule and make note of which nights will be formal. For certain, the seas will be rolling the minute hundreds of women put on their heels. Trust me on this.
Lynn

I actually laughed out loud for this one...good point! All I see in my head now is that stupid movie "The Perfect Storm." Aw man...

Oh, and btw, what is the difference between "Pitch" and "Roll?"

[Navy_Chief]

Pitch is the movement from front to back, Roll is side to side.

[AlohaPride]

Pitch is the movement from front to back, Roll is side to side.
that clears things up! Thanks!!

[hammybee]

Thanks for the 101 roll versus pitch. What is meant by "listing" as in the ship was listing?

[cool change]

We sailed on that ship 2yrs ago in April. The first 24 hours were rough. I took medication for motion sickness an hour before she sailed. We were fine after passing the Cape. DH never gets sick. Others on the ship had a tough time of it. However as long as I take the sea sick pills I am fine. I would still sail out of there again. Easiest port we have ever dealt with.

[fcorey]

I sailed for years in this area and it is completly unpredictable depending entirly on the weather. Also, as Ruth said, it depends on your definition of rough. My definition is walking on the bulkheads (walls) and the bridge taking green water but you don't see that happening much on cruise ships I'll bet. However, on 450 foot frigates it happens alot. 550 foot cruisers as well. 800 foot cruise ships, not so sure.

Its a pretty subjective thing. Even the Caribbean after a storm can churn up enough to make some poeple sick. I always thought "I dont get seasick" 20+ foot seas on a on old Knox class escort ship cured me of that notion. So now I prepare and pack motion sickness supplies should they be needed. Unlike the Navy most cruise ships today have stabilizers which dramatically reduce more violent motion that causes seasickness. For a story about what happens in the Atlantic when the stabilizers are not working and there is a storm kicking around you can check out this story http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/194061_cruise07.html

[Navy_Chief]

Thanks for the 101 roll versus pitch. What is meant by "listing" as in the ship was listing?

When a ship "leans" to one side perminately for some reason is where the term is applied. Of course, we used to apply it to one of my old shipmates because in his 30+ years in the navy, he was awarded so many medals that when he wore his dress uniform he had a perminent list to "Port":D

I always thought "I dont get seasick" 20+ foot seas on a on old Knox class escort ship cured me of that notion......

That's the Frigate I was talking about.......hated that ship...(FF 1097), dragging that "fish" around all over the place at "8 knotts to nowhere" :eek: . Which one did you get stuck with shipmate?

[Steamboatin]

Here are some ideas of heavy seas.

These images have been previously posted on these boards.

http://web.usna.navy.mil/~phmiller/en358/cruise%20ship%20big%20wave.JPG

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=6928493&postcount=448

http://tv-antenna.com/heavy-seas/

[AlohaPride]

Here are some ideas of heavy seas.

These images have been previously posted on these boards.

http://web.usna.navy.mil/~phmiller/en358/cruise%20ship%20big%20wave.JPG

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=6928493&postcount=448

http://tv-antenna.com/heavy-seas/ (http://tv-antenna.com/heavy-seas/)

I don't get it...are you TRYING to freak us out about rough seas? I feel queasy just LOOKING at those pictures! :(

I'm going to do my cruise come hell or HIGH WATER....pun intended :p

My poor DH might not appreciate it, though.

[Druke I]

Don't put too much faith in the stabilizers, which are designed to lessen roll, not pitch.

In certain sea states, they will be withdrawn, as they can pull the ship down by the bow, not unlike diving planes on a submarine. That is not a good thing for a surface ship.

They greatly increase drag, have a negative impact on fuel consumption, and often are withdrawn when ship is attempting to keep on schedule and is cruising at higher speeds.

Hull form and shape influences ride; many megaships are flat-bottomed with little keel, and tend to wallow when wind is abeam. Most 50,000GRT cruise ships ride better in heavy seas than the 100,000GRT behemoths!

[Navy_Chief]

Remember, it's a ship, it moves.

http://web.usna.navy.mil/~phmiller/en358/cruise%20ship%20big%20wave.JPG

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=6928493&postcount=448

http://tv-antenna.com/heavy-seas/

Been there, done worse as Frank, (fcorey, also a frigate sailor) could atest to I'm sure :D

For a story about what happens in the Atlantic when the stabilizers are not working and there is a storm kicking around you can check out this story http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/busine..._cruise07.html

This happened to Rotterdam after we had disembarked in Harwich. I was in contact with crew members who I had made friends with during our cruise via e-mail. I also had a chance to speak to one in person at a stop over in Newport, RI while I was at the Naval Station, the ship was anchored there. It was like the article said and the crew did all it could (according to the crewmember I spoke with, the baby grand piano in the Crow's Nest broke loose from it's restraints and was broken during the event. That's part of the game when doing a North Atlantic crossing in hurricane season, you role the dice. We ran into part of one coming back from the Med in the fall of 1992 (part of what was called "The Perfect Storm") we lost a P-250 fire pump and a couple of life rafts topside. Still, I'm really not that concerned, no matter how many of these pictures you can drag up :D As I said, been there, done worse. :D

[fcorey]

That's the Frigate I was talking about.......hated that ship...(FF 1097), dragging that "fish" around all over the place at "8 knotts to nowhere" :eek: . Which one did you get stuck with shipmate?

Chief that was along time ago, I was aboard FF 1091, USS Miller, thats before she was sold to the Turkish and used as a practice dummy. I was 18, in ROTC and got an extended cruise on the Miller because I had completed my program early and was I going to be continuing in College ROTC starting in the fall. Seven years as a cadet before my commission. Time at sea on the knox, perry, and spruance class surface ships convinced me I was going to be a submariner! :eek: Unfortunately I have to admit I was one of those useless new officers the NCO's loved to watch squirm. Seems like a yesterday.
While at sea on a sub I rarely had to worry about motion sickness again, thats unless we were on the surface coming into port in rough seas, then all bets were off! I do miss it though, best time of my life.

--Frank

[Navy_Chief]

Yep it was a long time ago for me as well Frank, 20 years ago on USS Mionester and your right, it doesn't seem so long ago. But I wised up and went to the cruiser navy for the next sea tour. As far as the "Sewer Pipes" go, even when down inside below decks, a ship is a ship, I like being topside too much. Never had a problem with sea sickness but if I did, I would have wound up on a carrier (parish the thought! Long line heaven!). Being retired, people have asked me "Why the heck does a retired navy guy want to get on a cruise ship for?" The answer is simple, for the same reason I spent 20 years in the navy, I love going to sea. The only problem now is I have to "pay" to do it. On the bright side, the only "Work" I have to worry about is which bar I'm going to get my next beer at :D

[fcorey]

As far as the "Sewer Pipes" go, even when down inside below decks, a ship is a ship, I like being topside too much.

Hah!, I almost fell out of the chair on that one, the wife gave me a seriously strange look and asked what was so funny...I hadnt heard that term in a while. You're right about a ship being a ship though, there were some times leaving port when angles and dangles would result in the boat feeling as if she had a mind of her own. the 688's were really fun in that way.

I suppose some may find it funny that we choose to go back to sea for vacation, I love it, and I am hoping that HAL will win over Michelle so we can do a couple a year. Our Carnival experience was ok, but I think she expected something different. I think that HAL will be closer to what she was envisioning when we started talking about a cruise. Beside she really doesnt get seasick so rough sea arent a concern for her so that works in my favor too!

Frank

[hammybee]

I used to live in NJ and took a ferry ( a 400 passenger, 141 foot high speed catamaran) from Atlantic Highlands in NJ to Pier 11/Wall Street and back for a total of 10X a week, year round. (The monthly cost was approximately the same as the cost of a typical 7 day Caribbean or Alaska HAL cruise, in an inside cabin.)

Following 9/11, the ferry boats were used to transport those involved in the search and clean-up, so we traveled on tiny fishing boats and it was a daily adventure, to say the least.

All I can say is that most people develop sea legs and many of us actually looked forward to rough sea days. Needless to say, it is part of the unexpected pleasure of cruising.

[Navy_Chief]

I think your going to like HAL just as Niki and I did Frank. We did a 5 day Carnival to start with and that hooked us on cruising. Our first HAL trip was a 16 Day Med. I had been to about half the ports we visited but had not been able to share the experiance with Niki. The other half were new ports to me and it was great sharing those together for the first time. The exception was Naples, of course, where both of us had been there and did everything there was to do there so we stayed aboard that day and used the shipboard facilities. We're not to the point of being able to go every year yet but we'll be there soon enough.