Conditions at Sea

Okay I probably don’t want to know the answer to this one, but curiosity has get the better of me.

Has anyone experienced any really bad weather at sea? And you I don’t just mean a bit of rain!! :eek:

Yeah I went through the centre of a cyclone when I was young

Modern ships though will generally steer away from bad weather as they have better weather service to give more warning of bad weather

Also bigger ships handle waves better than little ships

Worst I have had last couple of years is 12m swell which was fun

Don't worry about it

Just enjoy

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We sailed through the tail end of a cyclone on Pacific Sky (think it was 2002?). The kids were sliding up and down in their beds, we don't suffer sea-sickness so just enjoyed the ride! There is nothing to worry about really, enjoy your cruise :D

I sailed out of Sydney on the pacific sun back in 2006 and it was very rough.... Welcome aboard show was cancelled the ship was rocking and rolling too much.

We found out the next day that the captain argued with the pilot about taking us out and they closed the port 30 mins after we left. There was also rumours that we broke a stabiliser but not sure about that. It was my first cruise so I thought the rocking was normal.

It was only later in the cruise and subsequent cruises that I experienced calmer weather and seas.

Yes, 40 foot waves and 100 mile an hour winds at the tail end of Hurricane Sany. Loved it! Been on a few cruises where they had the motion sickness bags on the railing when things got rough. The longest patch of rough weather was in Alaska

I think the bags were out all three days we were at sea.

Luckily I love the rocking and rolling. I am actually a little disappointed if we don't have some nice swells at least one day on a cruise.

Bass Straight can give you a run for your money!

Like others have said the stabilisers and radar equipment on the ships these days make a big difference. We have heard horror stories from other passengers, but the smooth trips way out number the stormy days. They were still there to tell the tales too!

If you are concerned, and why not be when you don't have the experience yourself, then I would recommend a newer build ship. Particularly after 2000 we have been advised.

We also have heard stories about cruising to NZ and the Bass strait swells, but some of the smoothest waters we have cruised have been around the bottom of NZ. Sometimes it is just the luck of the draw.:)

Okay I probably don’t want to know the answer to this one, but curiosity has get the better of me.

Has anyone experienced any really bad weather at sea? And you I don’t just mean a bit of rain!! :eek:

I suggest you do an internet search on the subject....... It can be a very horrific situation.

Put it this way storms at sea still have the potential to sink even the most modern and safest ships if they were to encounter them.

Ships still sink or founder in storms these days.

The US Navy lost ships in WWII sailing through typhoons and heavy storms. If you are interested in pictures and naval history search the USS Pittsburg. It was a heavy cruiser that lost is bow in a typhoon. Mind you these heavy cruisers had armour that has not been matched to this day and a storm still snapped off its bow. Luckily the ship made port.

Here the USS Yorktown had its bow smashed in a storm

Had a couple of bad days. On one cruise I was drinking at the bar and the barman had to keep running off to be seasick. I was being lifted off my chair with each surge. On another they closed the casino when the chips would not stay in place due to the rolling. Had a couple of occasions where all access to outside decks has been banned. We just watch out for the bundles of barf bags to appear along the corridors and then know a 'spot of weather' is coming. Thankfully we have never been seasick but I touchwood as I say that. But it's never around for long and the skipper does his best to avoid it.

Like others have said the stabilisers and radar equipment on the ships these days make a big difference. :)

Actually, the stabilisers are used during moderate weather. If things get too bad they get switched off as big seas can break them.

Some nice seas down south of Victoria and Tasmania today, around 6 metres. Yes, some big ones round the world, biggest I have been in are 12 metre seas off bottom of NZ in 2007 on ye olde Regal Princess and some 8 metre seas in Bay of Biscay and around South America this year. Rock and Roll, good for the soul.

When they close down the elevators and the buffet up top, you know the ride is going to be wild, been there done that.

Way back in April-May 1970 en route to Australia on the migrant ship Fairsky we hit rough seas in the Bay of Biscay a day out from Southampton which caused a lot of sea sickness with a large number of the passengers. However, that was just a taste of much worse to come.

A day out from Cape Town to a day out from Fremantle, eleven days in all, we couldn't get out on deck. There was a large cyclone in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The captain did his best to skirt it but not with much success. That ship bounced about like a cork. There was mountainous waves and three or four times the ship went into deep troughs. Bow first at an angle, down and down, and looking out the windows there was just a wall of water. The the ship would stop and then ever so slowly start to come out of it again. Meanwhile, while this is happening, dishes and glasses were shattered and any furniture and the likes not bolted down, slid across the floor. It was all a very scarey time for us land lubbers on our first voyage on a ship.

The experience didn't put us off though as we are ardent cruisers having done 29 cruises and with two more booked.

Thanks for all the replies.

Hopefully we will have a smooth trip:D

Rougher the better. I sleep like a baby in rough seas.

Cruise ships are more fun in rough weather because there are less passengers to contend with.:D

All of these bring such wonderful memories to me also

Fair sky

Migrant ship. Never would have described her that way

:)

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The first minute thirty is worth a look!

Cruised through Cyclone Monica a few years back, any crossing of Bass Straight or The Tasman can be rough.

I would rather high seas than lots of rain on a cruise!:( with high seas only about half the pax are bothered but with lots of rain everyone is miserable.

Close to 8 metre swell on the rocking and rolling pacific sun:)

I sort of miss those big shuddering shunt sideways movements when in the MDR:D

Have been in big seas and not been sick, have been on calm seas and on land and have been sick, perhaps alcohol had something to do with those occasions but if you think you may be sick, you will. Do not think about it and you will be fine.:D

First time the bride went on a ship was Spirit of Tasmania crossed Bass straight on what the capt said was smoothest crossing he ever had and she was S I C K. A couple of cruises later Cyclone Monica 20 foot waves, shows cancelled people thrown out of bed she was fine.

But she does use Ginger and Travelcalm.

Pretty much every cruise I have been on has had seas over 5m. With a bunch being 9m or more. Only been on 3 less then 5m which also happened to be less then 1m. Although I know people have been on more cruises then us that have never been in seas over 2m.

To a large degree it depends where you are and the time of year once we were on 7th floor and had water flying onto our balcony.