How rough is it outside the inside passage?

Our Rhapsody of the Seas cruise travels "outside the inside passage" on it's way north. How concerned should we be about rough seas and sea sickness this first night and day of our cruise?

Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.

Current wave heights and history can be viewed here:

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/

Just zoom in and click on a diamond.

Maybe others would have opinions on what size waves equates to a rough ride. However, it also depends on what direction the ship is going in relative to the wave. Plenty of folks have said West and North of Vancouver Island can be rough. Right now, it's only a 3.3' swell, so sounds pretty smooth.

Current wave heights and history can be viewed here:

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/

Just zoom in and click on a diamond.

 

Maybe others would have opinions on what size waves equates to a rough ride. However, it also depends on what direction the ship is going in relative to the wave. Plenty of folks have said West and North of Vancouver Island can be rough. Right now, it's only a 3.3' swell, so sounds pretty smooth.

Whereas the other day there was a Force 4 gale out there and 10-12 foot swells, quartering from the south-southwest. This time of year, and in September, it can be pretty rough on the northbound when you are out with the current going against you, but, as the previous poster said, rough is relative.

Im leaving this time of year, next year. That was my biggest concern leaving from Seattle. Hope I have smooth seas.

Thanks for the replies - I'll keep an eye on conditions the week or so prior to the trip. I wish the cruise line stayed inside the inside passage!

We left from Seattle on May 24 and we had smooth seas the whole way. Another reson this was one of our best cruises.

Just did the outside the inside passage a few weeks ago! Although you basically are out in open water and the seas werent that rough I did get bothered with a queezy stomach. Fortunately I travel with the "seasick wristbands" and that solved the problem for me! They do work. I was however disappointed that we werent on the inside part of the passage - my bad for not realizing that was the route traveled before the cruise with that itinerary. I assumed we would be in the beautiful inside cruise. Grab the wristbands at any drug store, even small seas can bother some.

Current wave heights and history can be viewed here:

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/

Just zoom in and click on a diamond.

Thanks for the link - I'll keep an eye on it. However, never having been on anything bigger than the Texas Ferry at Galveston, I'm not sure what having 7 foot waves means so far as the motion of the ship!

It can get rough, but remember that you will always feel better if you are breathing fresh air. Get outside and breathe for a while. The ship is 'making time' going north. It really isn't the height of the seas that matters the most, it is the direction of the waves relative to the direction the ship is going.

My husband gets sea sick very easily, but he did fine on a cruise to Alaska. It can get rough in the inside passage as well. Just being 'inside' doesn't promise an easy ride.

Thanks for the replies - I'll keep an eye on conditions the week or so prior to the trip. I wish the cruise line stayed inside the inside passage!

Well, if they did, you wouldn't be able to sail out of Seattle and you wouldn't be able to go to Whittier or Seward (and therefore to Anchorage and the interior). You would be limited to sailing out of Vancouver to Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier and back and you would miss Alaska, really.

WE have done both a roundtrip out of Seattle and oneways to both Whittier and Seward. WE had no rough weather on the roundtrip but several days of rolling on the other 2 cruises, both times in the Inside Passage. It was nothing like sailing through the edges of a tropical storm on the way to Bermuda though. If you have a tendency to be seasick, come prepared. After all, you will be on a ship.

We found it to be no worse than any other open ocean sailing...we have experienced rougher seas on Caribbean itineraries.

We've had rough seas on two of our five Alaska sailings. The first time was a r/t out of Vancouver, but we hit a storm as we were leaving the Hubbard Glacier. There were quite a few passengers who were getting seasick; although we weren't affected. We also did a r/t out of San Francisco and had one day of high seas when they closed the Promenade Deck because the swells were hitting the deck and water was coming through the doors at times. That time there were envelopes of dramamine laying around the ship for those who needed it.

If you don't want medicine and the bands don't work for you there is also ginger gum which can be purchased at some drug stores and ginger chews which I saw in at least on grocery store. (In fact I bought some and really liked them so they never made it on a cruise.)

If you don't want medicine and the bands don't work for you there is also ginger gum which can be purchased at some drug stores and ginger chews which I saw in at least on grocery store. (In fact I bought some and really liked them so they never made it on a cruise.)

I read that the tv show Mythbusters checked out all the sea sick remedies and concluded that ginger as as good at helping with sea sickness as over the counter drugs.

I'll check out the ginger chews! Thanks.

This question pops up frequently. Bottom line, you are on WATER, and asking a question that can not be answered- for your sailing.

As general- round trip Seattle has the roughest sailing potential. I just had a "smooth sailing" trip last week, and guess what- there were STILL sick passengers. Prevention is the only advice worth giving. Contact your health care professional for determining what will be best for you.

This question pops up frequently. Bottom line, you are on WATER, and asking a question that can not be answered- for your sailing.

 

As general- round trip Seattle has the roughest sailing potential. I just had a "smooth sailing" trip last week, and guess what- there were STILL sick passengers. Prevention is the only advice worth giving. Contact your health care professional for determining what will be best for you.

I'm sorry I asked a question that pops up frequently. I've been reading the forum for some time now and havn't seen it asked. Also, my efforts at searching didn't help. However, I know there are many thousands of posts, so I understand that just about any question can be said to have been asked frequently.

I appreciate yours and the other responses. I don't know that it's a question that can't be answered though. I asked how concerned should one be and the answers have helped me evaluate what is a reasonable level of concern.

Thanks again.