Predicting rough seas

[globalwife]

Is there a site that I can find out about typical past patterns when it comes to rough seas for certain areas in certain times of the year?

 

We are cruising along Colombia, ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) and Venezuela in mid January. Never been on a cruise ship so not sure how much we will feel the water but our boat is a smaller midsize boat (about 14k passangers) and our cabin is close to the front. Who knows if it will even affect us if we do feel it but I want to get an idea about the roughness before we make the journey.

[Keith1010]

You may know this but cabins towards the front of the ship tend to feel the rough seas much more than those mid ship or even further back. If you have the opporunity to change assignments to something more mid deck that would be to your benefit.

 

Keith

[globalwife]

You may know this but cabins towards the front of the ship tend to feel the rough seas much more than those mid ship or even further back. If you have the opporunity to change assignments to something more mid deck that would be to your benefit.

 

Keith

 

Yes, thanks, I have heard that. That is why I want to get an idea of how bad the seas might be so we can atleast be mentally prepared. Unfortunatly it looks like all the cabins in our category are booked, so no changes for now. Our agent is calling everyother day to get us changed but I'm not holding my breath.

[kitty9]

There's no way to predict the seas. One day can have it totally calm and the next you'd have 20ft seas. Seas can depend on weather that's happening over 200 miles away. I was on a cruise once where the weather was absolutely beautiful but there was a hurricane a couple of hundred miles away and our seas were really rough. There's only one thing you can say about seas---they're totally unpredictable.

[Keith1010]

I am not aware of a web site that will help you although others might be.

 

What I can say is two things. Seas are different all the time. I have been on one cruise that is calm only for folks to be on it the following cruise and it's completely different.

 

And I have been on sailings where the weather turned on a dime. It was fine and an hour later it was not.

 

I would also bring medication with you just in case. There are many items sold over the counter that help most people and we take them from time to time.

 

Keith

[CruisinChris]

Watch this website - especially as your cruise approaches. This will tell you about sea states. https://www.fnmoc.navy.mil/public/

 

there are other similar websites if you google "wave height" or marine forecast.

 

Generally speaking the area you're talking about is relatively calm although there are strong prevailing westerly winds in the region that could affect a smaller vessel. It's beautiful down there. enjoy

[Keith1010]

I just wanted to add that in 2005 we sailed around Cape Horn. The weather looked great and the captain thought there was a good chance that they were going to launch the zodiac to take some food and passengers over there. Well two hours later everything was radically different and it was one of the worst storms I've been in. Weather is weather and one cannot always predict it.

 

Keith

[cb at sea]

If seas are over 10-15 feet, you will feel it--even a large ship is only "floating" on top of the ocean.

There is no way to 'predict' what YOUR seas will be....Mother Nature takes care of that!

 

You book the cruise you want, and hope for the best...that's all you can do! Chances are, you won't feel much at all. Try to book a cabin as "midships" as possible--that can help a bit.

 

Take some sort of "seasickness" medication, if you think you might need it...better to PREVENT, than try to correct later!

[Toto2Kansas]

We have sailed to some areas where it was supposed to be rougher than rough, and we have encountered seas like glass. We have also sailed to other areas where it was supposed to be like glass, and it was rougher than a hurricane.

 

You can never predict the seas or how they will be during your cruise. Storms can pop up out of nowhere, and you just have to go prepared. Sea conditions don't just change daily, but can change hourly.

 

Best of Luck, I hope you find a good cruise to book!

[ehfl]

This is the 21st century....short of traveling directly through a hurricane, there's no reason anyone should get seasick aboard a cruise ship today. Medical knowledge has come a long way since the Pilgrims came on the Mayflower. There are pills and patches, and other remedies. Prepare yourself, and just have a great time. Enjoy the motion....you're at sea!

[Putterdude]

This is the 21st century....short of traveling directly through a hurricane, there's no reason anyone should get seasick aboard a cruise ship today. Medical knowledge has come a long way since the Pilgrims came on the Mayflower. There are pills and patches, and other remedies. Prepare yourself, and just have a great time. Enjoy the motion....you're at sea!

 

Not entirely, I have seen people who have tried everything with no success. I am reminded of a young couple on their honeymoon on a cruise to Hawaii, she hadn't stopped being sick from the moment we left San Pedro and ended up having to get off the ship at our first port and fly home. That said the odds are that the Caribbean in January should be pretty decent cruising....but that is not a guarantee. Pick a cabin that is midships and low.

[PennyAgain]

This is the 21st century....short of traveling directly through a hurricane, there's no reason anyone should get seasick aboard a cruise ship today. Medical knowledge has come a long way since the Pilgrims came on the Mayflower. There are pills and patches, and other remedies. Prepare yourself, and just have a great time. Enjoy the motion....you're at sea!

 

Some people try everything and still suffer. I am married to one! I have about given up taking him along on cruises as he gets sea sick and just stays that way.

 

It gets much worse as he gets older and his choices of medications are reduced.

 

He is far from alone in having this problem.

[grandmato4]

As everyone else has told you there is no way to tell what kind of weather you will have but generally the area you are cruising has a good chance of being fairly calm that time of year. Everyone is effected differently by the movement of the ship. Be prepared with medications in case you happen to be some of the unlucky ones that are effected more than others. DH always take medication our first day just until he gets his sea legs and then he needs no medication and is just fine. We don't ever book cabins in the very front of the ship as that is the one place that we always feel more motion that we don't like even on fairly smooth sailings. Some people like a gentle rocking and find it soothing, we don't. Some say they always feel more motion higher even toward the center of the ship and that does not effect us. Movement we've felt when actually being in really rocky conditions no matter where one is on a ship doesn't overly effect us. Sometimes it just doesn't make a lot of sense but its just the way it is. Many fewer people actually have a major problem with seasickness than think ahead of time that they are going to.

 

Hope you have a great cruise no matter where your cabin is!:)

[San Diego Ellie]

Typical weather cannot be relied on as far as sea conditions. One of my smoothest cruises ever was a South America and Antarctica cruise that included the dreaded Drake Crossing and Cape Horn, and those areas were like glass. On the other hand, the roughest day I ever felt was on a December Southern Caribbean cruise. Go figure!

[Traveler353]

OP: Here you go. It is very technical, but is "the" source for up to date data on sea conditions around the world.

 

 

 

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

[Mary Ellen]

I'm just trying to figure out which ship holds 14,000 passengers and if that is 'smaller midsize' what is large?. :confused:

 

but our boat is a smaller midsize boat (about 14k passangers)