Anyone on the QE2 during the "rough" seas as shown on ET?

I just watched ET (Entertainment Tonight) on the television and they showed home video that some passengers took of the rough seas they had while on the QE2. Some of the seas they said we 32 ft. high! They showed pictures of the waves splashing over the bow! Usually ships try to sail around these storms, but this must have been one heck of a front they just couldn't get around. Anyone else on this ship?

QE2 is one of the very few ships that can sail THROUGH a storm like that and still make it to its next port on time. This is her distinction as an ocean liner.

The ocean liners of her time and before didn't have satellite weather photos or mid-ocean reporting of storms, so they couldn't steer our of a storm's way. When they knew about a storm, maybe from radio reports from other ships, they tried to avoid it, but mostly they didn't know and just toughed it out.

They were built for speed and rough weather--sleek and fast. They were "bottom-heavy" and had portholes which could be latched shut instead of picture windows. No balconies or doorwalls.

QE2 has been known to take at least one 90' plus wave that broke over her bridge, so 32' seas are not much to bother about, other than concerns about passenger comfort.

a friend of mine was on the crossing several years ago that took that 90+ wave.. it even knocked down those on the bridge..

I posted a link to a video of the big wave on the QM2 on the old boards. It should still be there..

I was on the QE2's WB Transatlantic Crossing in April. Two of the five full days at sea were fairly rough. In particular, the first day out from Southampton we experienced Force 10 winds and seas up to about 30ft high...it was rough but QE2 handled it magnificently !!! It was quite a thrilling thing to go through. At one point that first day, I stood up on the Sun Deck just behind the funnel and mist from the ship's flanks was blowing over me !!!The good Scottish builders at John Brown/Upper Clyde Shipbuilders built one incredible ship when they built QE2 !!! YES there is a difference between an ocean liner and a cruise ship.....

This sounds very amazing, and would be great to see pictures if anyone has them (how do we find that video link the lady refers to in a posting above). I was wondering more about what and how the passengers faired in such storms/ weather conditions? Is there a lot of people getting sea sick? Or by the time you hit that weather people had adjusted? If passengers were ill, how did they cope? We are off on a transatlatantic this December and my partner is very worried about being seasick the whole way (although we have got pills etc)

Although I have never been on QE2 during really heavy weather, I love the rocking to sleep you get at night in moderately rough seas and the fun of trying to walk in a straight line.

Just enjoy the experience and don't even consider getting seasick. You can get a shot if you have to, but I never noticed very many really seasick people. QE2 handles rough seas very nicely and the motion is quite slow because she is so large.

The QE2 handles rough weather like the true ocean liner she is. I have crossed three times - in December 2002 we had very rough weather - gale force 9 - and outside decks & the Lido were closed. Passenger numbers did thin out - but my travelling companion and I were fine. We benefited from a mid-ship Deck 5 Mauretania cabin - where motion is less. The Queens Grill Penthouse passengers are a lot worse off - one said all they could do was lie on their bed hanging on.....If you do get sick the Doc has a jab that supposedly knocks you out, and when you wake you are fine and ravenous....enjoy!

Peter

Hi Folks,

Here's the link to the video clip.

http://63.217.28.3/images/other2/GLwave1.WMV

These were thirty foot waves, but that's an average figure. I guess this one was a bit higher. One individual wave was estimated at seventy foot and it caused quite a bit of damage around the ship.

Regards, Colin.

In reply to Gary B --- even in rough weather I have NOT seen QE2 passengers in distress, or getting seasick. As we all seem to be saying, QE2 is both a large ship, and she is an incredibly steady ship in rough weather. This is of course what she was designed to do: to cross the North Atlantic in all sorts of weather, INCLUDING December weather. Yes, you can feel the ship roll, sway, and pitch but I would tell your partner not to worry at all. It very well may be smooth. Also, maybe others will disagree, but I would argue against automatically using those motion sickness patches that one can have prescribed. My wife used them during a smooth QE2 Transatlantic crossing to Southampton last August (she was a little aprehensive as it was her first sea voyage) and they made her drowsy and sleepy.....so obtain them if you feel so inclined, but DON'T put them on before sailing, and then only use them if you feel a little uncomfortable. As an aside, we may run into you aboard QE2 in December !!!

Thnaks to all of you for the comments and observations above. The video is amazing! The hardest part is now December seems so far away before we go! Be great to meet some of the people who have been posting on the cruise! On this site, is there a scetion where people post when they are on what cruise? I did find that in a Yahoo group (welovecruising) but have not seen that here. Gary

I was on the Westbound Maiden Voyage of the QM2 when she encountered Force Ten Gales, and 30 foot waves. The storm continued for three days, the worst being on the third day, late in the afternoon. We watched the waves from the Golden Lion Pub - they heaved and occasionally crashed against the windows on deck two. I was in the gift shop when we encountered the 70 foot wave. The ship shuddered, and a freestanding mannequin came crashing down. The bridge called in to check if everything was okay, and confirmed that a 70 foot wave had just broken over the bow. At the second seating in the Britannia Dining Room, the ship pitched heavily and my mother was thrown to the floor.

The QM2 weathered the heavy seas very well - I doubt there is another ship in service, save her sister ship, the QE2, that could have taken on such a storm for three days running, with such endurance. The entertainment was canceled (for obvious reasons), the library and gift shop, and several of the other boutiques were closed, but for those of us with sea legs it was business as usual. I was able to stand in the observation room behind the bridge and watch Captain Warwick and his Officers guide our ship through the storm - a very interesting experience.

With modern satellite and radar navigational aids, most ships would have altered course away from the storm (indeed at least three other cruise ships did), but we were booked on a transatlantic crossing with a scheduled arrival in New York City. Despite the storm, and a fourth day of heavy fog, we were able to make up for the lost time, and we arrived in the New York Harbor exactly on schedule!

The QM2 is a true ocean liner - built to withstand the North Atlantic at its worst, while continuing to provide comfort and service for her passengers. She is a marvel to behold from the outside, and a beautifully appointed place to be able to call home - if just for a week.

I've been on two QE2 Transatlantics and have to say that they gave me a true appreciation of the power of the North Atlantic, as well as the sturdiness of a true Oceanliner.

On the Dec 00 crossing, we encountered bad weather the entire time. I, luckily, am not prone to sea-sickness and enjoyed all the activity. Others, however, were not as amused.

Each time we encountered a large wave - which I was told averaged 30-40' - the ship would rise up, give you a feeling of wieghtlessness, then shudder back down, quickly lurching from side-to-side.

At night in the Cornia Resturaunt, the dishes in the metal holding cabinets could be heard moving around and, at times, you would hear a few break. Each time the ship rose up, people would reach for their wine glasses, almost unconciously, to wait for the ship to settle back down.

Unfortunately, a day before we were to arrive in NYC, a LifeFlight Helicopter from Boston had to land on the top deck to remove a crew member who had fallen down a stairwell in the crew quarters. For those of you who are not aware, the stairwells in the crew areas are uncarpeted steel and very unforgiving. It was quite a sight to be out in the middle of the ocean and watch the lights of a helicopter arrive in the darkness.

It really was an amazing experience that I am glad I was able to take part in. I'm actually hoping that we encounter some rough seas on the TA I'm about to take on Sept 7th out of Dover. Of course, without anyone getting hurt.

In reply to Gary B --- even in rough weather I have NOT seen QE2 passengers in distress, or getting seasick. As we all seem to be saying, QE2 is both a large ship, and she is an incredibly steady ship in rough weather. This is of course what she was designed to do: to cross the North Atlantic in all sorts of weather, INCLUDING December weather. Yes, you can feel the ship roll, sway, and pitch but I would tell your partner not to worry at all. It very well may be smooth. Also, maybe others will disagree, but I would argue against automatically using those motion sickness patches that one can have prescribed. My wife used them during a smooth QE2 Transatlantic crossing to Southampton last August (she was a little aprehensive as it was her first sea voyage) and they made her drowsy and sleepy.....so obtain them if you feel so inclined, but DON'T put them on before sailing, and then only use them if you feel a little uncomfortable. As an aside, we may run into you aboard QE2 in December !!!

I have to politely disagree. I was on the Millenium World Cruise from Dec 99 to April 00. And, each time we encountered rough seas (Transatlantic and between New Zealand and Hobart, Tasmania), though the ship was more than capable of handling the bad weather, there were passengers that were sick, due to the ship moving quite a bit. In addition, seasick bags were wedged between cracks in the walls all through out the ship in case passengers needed to grab one.

In addition, a trick that our cabin steward showed us one night when it was extremely rough was to take our life vests, folder them in half, and tuck them under the side of our mattress. Doing so created an incline in the mattress and kept you from rolling out of bed. Of course, the orientation of your bed in your cabin will depend on whether that is actually necessary. Our bed was perpendicular to the ship.

My theory is that the passengers that do choose to sail on the QE2 tend to be more "sea-worthy" and, because of that, are less susceptible to sea sickness. Many have been doing Transatlantics and World Cruises for years and are more comfortable calling the QE2 home, than being on land.

Yes, the ship is extremely stable and can, and has, taken on some amazing storms. However, that shouldn't be confused with the ship making the crossing any more smoother. If someone is concerned about beging seasick, I wouild not tell them to "Not to worry at all" when making a December Transatlantic, especially if they are accustom to Carribbean Cruises.

HOGWASH I SAY!

with the subject of "seasickness" on QE2 put aside,

do not tell me that 'Millennium' can hold up to over

30 years of the on/off hull battering that QE2 has

endured. Through the years I myself have been through

many-a-storm on her. I give 'Millenium' about 15 years,

( not even half the life of QE2 ) before she is 'put out

to pasture' - or sold to the Greeks ... oh wait - she

IS Greek! ( X ).

HOGWASH I SAY!

 

with the subject of "seasickness" on QE2 put aside,

do not tell me that 'Millennium' can hold up to over

30 years of the on/off hull battering that QE2 has

endured. Through the years I myself have been through

many-a-storm on her. I give 'Millenium' about 15 years,

( not even half the life of QE2 ) before she is 'put out

to pasture' - or sold to the Greeks ... oh wait - she

IS Greek! ( X ).

The Millennium World Cruise I was referring to was the December 99 to April 2000 Millennium World Cruise on the QE2, not the Millennium Ship. That year, the World Cruise was referred to as the Millenium World Cruise. We celebrated the New Year off the Coast of Barbados with the Caronia a short distance away. I was going to ask if you were on the same cruise with me, but realized if you were, you wouldn't have jumped to the wrong conclusion you stated above.

Also, I would caution you to using CAPS on these boards, as it implies that your yelling and I'm sure, now that you see you missinterpreted my email, that yelling was not your intention, right?

c o r r e c t you are.

I took it, of course, that you were on the Celebrity 'ship' - not QE2.

So here I am picturing the 'Millennium' being battered by these

giant storms and coming out a winner every time.

The "HOGWASH" caps at the time were intensional as I thought

you were trying to pull a fast one - ooops!

happy sailings!

Hello,

I sailed on QE2's Dec. 03 transatlantic to NYC, when I was fortunate to be assigned to the ship's doctor's table at dinner. The subject of seasickness and the "patch" came up, of course. The doctor advised against using it, as the side effects could possibly be worse, for some persons, than the seasickness it is meant to treat. His suggestion was to simply take one of the tablets provided by your cabin steward/ess before going to bed, and you'll be fine the next day.

If that is not enough, the shots given in his office work wonders, I'm told.

I took one tablet before bed each night of this not-too-rough crossing, and had not a single moment of discomfort.

I'll be crossing on QE2 again this Dec., followed by the Holiday cruise to the Caribbean, and crossing again Jan. 3, '06.

It seems at least a few of us posting here will be crossing on QE2 this Dec!

See you on board...

Kyle

Hello,

 

I sailed on QE2's Dec. 03 transatlantic to NYC, when I was fortunate to be assigned to the ship's doctor's table at dinner. The subject of seasickness and the "patch" came up, of course. The doctor advised against using it, as the side effects could possibly be worse, for some persons, than the seasickness it is meant to treat. His suggestion was to simply take one of the tablets provided by your cabin steward/ess before going to bed, and you'll be fine the next day.

If that is not enough, the shots given in his office work wonders, I'm told.

I took one tablet before bed each night of this not-too-rough crossing, and had not a single moment of discomfort.

I'll be crossing on QE2 again this Dec., followed by the Holiday cruise to the Caribbean, and crossing again Jan. 3, '06.

It seems at least a few of us posting here will be crossing on QE2 this Dec!

See you on board...

 

Kyle

I took that shot you spoke of one day out from Southampton. I would equate it to taking Nyquil, as an hour or so afterwards, it knocks you out. You sleep it off and the next morning you wake up feeling like a million bucks. For the next three months, I never had a problem, regardless of what weather we encountered.

"an hour or so afterwards, it knocks you out. "

It seems to have that effect on most people but not everyone. My wife has had the injection several times and each time she is told that it will knock her out but it never does. It has a different effect though. Last year: Six PM.- lying on the bathroom floor talking to God on the porcelain telephone. Gets the injection. Seven PM.- hammering on the dining room doors demanding to be fed. It always seems to make her ravenously hungry instead of tired.

Regards, Colin.

Thanks to everyone for the posts above. They were very helpful (and entertaining too!). It seems that whatever the experience if we feel really lousy in the end we must beetle on down and get a jab and it either will (a) make us have a fabulously deep sleep or (b) make us starving and ready to really enjoy all the great food and treats on the QE2... or both. It certainly puts a good spin on the perils of seasickness. I hope! Gary

I respect and appreciate the remarks made in rsponse to my earlier message. I still stand by my statement that Gary's partner should not worry too terribly much about being sick during the December crossing. It sounds as if this will be their first Transatlantic crossing, and I don't think that it serves too much of a purpose to scare people. Caution them yes, but no more. Yes, there are plenty of horror stories. I was purely pointing out to Gary, for purposes of reference, that the April QE2 westbound crossing was rather rough (with Force 10 winds on the Beaufort Scale, and heavy seas), but I personally did not see anyone sick, no sickness bags out in public rooms, and no general distress among passengers. Of course, someone might be tucked away in their cabin, and certainly each voyage is unique (i.e. the Millenium Cruise). Absolutely. I still think that Gary and his partner should get some patches and their medicines of choice, but hold off on using them and see what happens. We may have a fairly smooth crossing in December, you just never know. As Captain McNaught says, "if you're in rough weather at sea, the QE2 is THE ship that you want to be on!" Gary, you'll love it !!!

Tom. Thanks for the posting! We are very happy now. It seems as you say best to be prepared, see what happens and then if either of us suffer we can do pills - and other stuff I have read says then get the jab. We are SOOOOOOO excited. Verging on obsessed I think! Gary

QE2 is the 2nd smoothest ship I have sailed, the first being the QM2.

The Dec 2003 crossing was considered a mill pond with 20' swells and 10' white caps. She did roll and pitch but did so with very gentle motions. The closet doors on my deck 4 midships cabin did swing when unsecured. The waves spraying over the bow caused little disturbance. QE2 does creek quite a bit.

The wrist bands and sea sick tablets do work. I only had mild discomfort. My table mate got hit about 6 hours after I did.

The big swells cause more discomfort than choppy white caps.

By contrast the Regal Empress and Sea Breeze: designed as year round X-Atlantic liners corkscrew in lake calm water.

We were onthe august 17th-31st voyage on the Caronia recently. Had gale force10 winds through the bay of biscay and supposedly the tail end of hurricane Charley. Then had problems with the ship meaning that we missed Gibraltar. This would have been okay, however we missed Vigo first due to rough seas meaning we had 4 sea days ( i think) rather than two! Then we missed Cannes which was swapped for Alicante because of rough seas and then missing Gibraltar due to a fault with the engine.

On the night when we had really rough seas everything was cancelled.... captains cocktail night had to be moved until two nights later, probably about 90% of the people on the ship were sick or ill in their cabins. The only place where you could avoid the violent swaying was on deck or in the ballroom. However, it was too dangerous in the end to go out on deck meaning that it was either cabin and be violently ill or ballroom and watch everyone else around you throwing up!

However, the holiday was fantastic and it was wonderful being able to experience this fantastic ship one last time.