Rough Seas- what's the worst?

[edjny]

We were on the Explorer that left NYC and sailed into Hurricane Sandy. We had to leave the harbor and the only place to to was into the storm. The waves got up to 40 feet and the Capt later said that he was on the bridge when he saw the wind speed peak at 160 knots.

 

The first photo is the view from our balcony on the 10th deck. The second photo is the view from the dining room window on the 4th deck. Note that you look UP at the top of the waves.....

 

 

[jwindham]

After reading some of this I am fortunate. We came out of Galveston the day Hurricane Wilma came off of Cozumel and Cancun in 2005. The waves in the Gulf were 19 feet. I also came across the Atlantic in 2003 and Hurricane Fabian went north so we went below it. Those were 15 feet. Both times my friend I traveled with was very sick. She will never do a TA again nor go in hurricane season.

 

A tip from the cabin steward. She was also sick but could not abandon her duties. She said to eat green apples and that did seem to help some.

[sky0000547]

I haven't really experienced anything really bad. My worst was last November on Independence sailing through Bay of Biscay. The sea was rough enough for the pool water to be spilling out.

[K1200S]

October 9, 2011 on Freedom we left Port Canaveral and ran straight into 86mph sustained winds with gusts to 106mph. The boat listed 12 degrees and a crewman said we had 30 to 40 foot seas. Every cabin got at least a $200 OBC with some getting more because of water damage. We had late seating dinner which got canceled. Those in first seating saw there plates slide onto the floor. I saw all the silverware, chairs and tables from Sorrento's go sliding across the floor. At around 10pm they let us know we could go to the dinning room for sandwiches and pizza. The weather on the rest of the trip could not have been better. A friend was on her first cruise and other then the first night she said she would cruise again.

[arewethereyet]

We sailed on Arcadia a few years back, from Southampton. As we left the shelter of the Isle of Wight we hit a gale. During the night as we sailed up the English Channel they storm grew into a force 10. The ship heaved up and down and rolled from side to side. As we tried to sleep we could feel the ship rolling to one side, coming back up a little and then rolling even further down. It was pretty scary as at times we wondered if it would roll right over, but of course it didn't.

 

We ploughed our way through the infamous Bay of Biscay very slowly, but it took so much longer that we had to miss our first port, Gibraltar.

 

Everyone was ill. My husband and two chldren were very sick, I not so bad, but we went to see the doctor who gave us all an injection, and I was well enough to go up for breakfast within an hour. Not so the rest of the family who didn't surface all day.

 

The waves were huge, and we did not get any calm water until we passed through the Straits of Gibraltar. There were sick bags everywhere, and you couldn't walk down the corridors. The buffet was almost empty, which was great!

 

That is one reason we would never contemplate a cruise out of Southampton again, even thought the port is only 30 miles away from us. We have had bad weather on a couple of occasions in the Caribbean but never as bad as that cruise so prefer to fly out to the sun.

 

However, this experience did not put us off cruising!

Was Captain Hornblower in command?

 

But, seriously, what time of year was it?

[mattshwink]

Not as bad as some here, but I saw it as a fun experience.

 

We were cruising on Radiance out of Vancouver Northbound to Seward (Alaska) in May of 2008. Part of the route has you exiting the Inside Passage into the Bering Sea. We hit 21 foot seas. The fun part was that we were probably some of the youngest on the boat (we saw two other couples our age). We were in our early 30's. We were also the only folks at our dinner table (5 couples) that didn't have grandchildren.

 

We were heading into the theatre after dinner, just as the last crowd was exiting. We were pitching pretty good (though nothing extreme) but the sight of some of the senior crowd having difficulty walking was entertaining. They were having great fun with it too, lots of comments of "I didn't think I had that much to drink" Everyone was in great spirits and the only complaints were two of our tablemates thought the captain was doing it on purpose (their arguments were further bolstered when the captain hurt his ankle on the basketball court and had to stay in Anchorage, so the 1st Officer took over and they commented on how we didn't have any trouble when he was in charge!)

[Quadsd]

Our first cruise in 2006 on Carnival Victory. Leaving Miami early January towards San Juan we had 12-15' seas, loved it. Returning back 20-24' seas with ship rocking side to side. Our Lido deck balcony was totally covered in salt when we woke in Miami. So many people were sick and the dining room was practically empty on formal night.

[mjldvlks]

My father was a career Army officer and he was assigned to Germany in 1963 when I was 8 years old. In those years, they were still sending people to Germany by ship and my mother, sister and I traveled across the North Atlantic in the USNS Darby, seen here:

 

 

My Dad was part of the "advance party" for his unit, so he had to travel earlier. The three of us crossed in December 1963, during a storm that [filtered through my 8 year old brain] the crew was saying was one of the worst ever. The Darby was about 17,000 gt. My memory is that the waves were higher than the ship. We would come to the crest of one wave and literally fall into the trough of the next. The whole ship would shudder and shake. This lasted for about 6 of the 8 days of the trip. Nothing we have experienced on a cruise ship comes anywhere close. We have had some rough seas -- the leg from Santorini to Corfu aboard Splendour in the Med, November 2007, and the leg from Halifax to Boston aboard Jewel (saw the bags out that time), October 2010 -- but I have never even felt queasy on a cruise ship. I was sick as a dog for about 4 days on the Darby.

 

But keep in mind -- I was 8.

[hbeaney]

Anyone out there on this cruise will remember coming back across the Bay of Biscay mid Dec, we were hit by a freak wave and even the Indy did a quick roll every thing on the sideboard and tables went right across the cabin it was quick but scary, had a number of crossings across the Bay but this was the worst according to the captain 35ft to 45ft waves, but we still had a great cruise.

 

H & V

Edited April 15, 2013 by hbeaney

[Bobal]

On Explorer going back to New York in 2009.

We hit a storm and had waves up to 35ft, we were sitting up in the Viking Crown lounge and spray was hitting the windows. The sight of the sea raging up there was amazing.

 

A few years back, we were on a Jewel Repositioning out of Boston, and there was a Noreaster (spelling?) We knew it was bad when they started closing the portholes but didn't realise how bad until I attended the Captains talk the next day. Apparently all the senior staff spent that night on the bridge with the Capt, for we HAD 40 FT SEAS:eek: Also had some hail the next morning, Thankfully, we had a cabin midship, on the hump:)

 

We were on both those cruises :eek:

[Paul65]

We were on the Explorer that left NYC and sailed into Hurricane Sandy. We had to leave the harbor and the only place to to was into the storm. The waves got up to 40 feet and the Capt later said that he was on the bridge when he saw the wind speed peak at 160 knots.

 

That doesn't sound right. Even if you were in the eye wall, when Hurricane Sandy was at its peak intensity (which would be some really poor navigation), the winds from Sandy were never that strong. 160 knots would be a strong Cat 5 hurricane.

[sr4mjc]

We sailed on Arcadia a few years back, from Southampton. As we left the shelter of the Isle of Wight we hit a gale. During the night as we sailed up the English Channel they storm grew into a force 10. The ship heaved up and down and rolled from side to side. As we tried to sleep we could feel the ship rolling to one side, coming back up a little and then rolling even further down. It was pretty scary as at times we wondered if it would roll right over, but of course it didn't.

 

We ploughed our way through the infamous Bay of Biscay very slowly, but it took so much longer that we had to miss our first port, Gibraltar.

 

Everyone was ill. My husband and two chldren were very sick, I not so bad, but we went to see the doctor who gave us all an injection, and I was well enough to go up for breakfast within an hour. Not so the rest of the family who didn't surface all day.

 

The waves were huge, and we did not get any calm water until we passed through the Straits of Gibraltar. There were sick bags everywhere, and you couldn't walk down the corridors. The buffet was almost empty, which was great!

 

That is one reason we would never contemplate a cruise out of Southampton again, even thought the port is only 30 miles away from us. We have had bad weather on a couple of occasions in the Caribbean but never as bad as that cruise so prefer to fly out to the sun.

 

However, this experience did not put us off cruising!

 

Looking at a British Isles cruise on Celebrity next year, out of Harwich. Do you think it will be rough?

 

 

The worst weather we had was our reposition from Venice to Lisbon in Nov 2008. A few days after we left Venice, the city flooded due to a storm in the Med. We left Tunisia headed for Malaga and it was 20-25 foot seas. I didn't feel great, although never got sick. My Navy DH was up front loving the waves. Not many made it to dinner that night.

Edited April 15, 2013 by sr4mjc

[golfer1966]

We basically followed Hurricane Sandy up the Florida coast line. I have been on a bunch of cruises and that sailing was by far the worst two nights ever. When we left St Maarten the captain told us about the hurricane and how we would swoop in behind Sandy and follow her up to port everglades so we could still dock back in Ft Lauderdale on time Sat morning. Thursday the winds were so high they closed the upper decks and even the Central park area. Friday was ok at sea, and he mentioned we are still not 100% sure we will make it too port on time, but Friday night was very rough, even for a ship that size. Normally a little rocking makes me sleep really good, well, this was rocking too much to sleep. The wind was gusting to 70+ mph and the winds were whistling through our balcony door. At about 2 am I peeked out the cabin door to the hallway thinking they may have brought or left our luggage there as we may not get off the ship, but it was gone. I never thought the captain would chance getting into the harbor let alone docking this huge ship with these winds, but when we entered the harbor the ship stopped rocking, but the winds were still howling. We were about 1hr behind schedule docking and then about 1/2hr later for customs, but all in all we docked safely and by about 9 am the winds calmed down and we were still able to stay on time for our flight home at 11am. Then we flew home to eastern Pa only to get whacked by Sandy again at home and had to deal with the winds, power outages and trees down...etc. We had it easy compared to cities to our east like New York and teh Jersey Coast.... they are still cleaning up and fixing stuff from Sandy.

[golfer1966]

We were in the trailing edge of Sandy last year on the Oasis. It was the last night, so we were all packed. I had to take all the hangers out of the closet so that we could get to sleep. I love rough seas though.

 

 

I met you at the MM party.... that was a crazy two days...!! That was the worst rocking I felt. I couldnt imagine being on a smaller ship in that storm. Then again, Im sure a smaller should wouldnt have ventured to be where we were either.

[LadyShiva]

Our last cruise was during Hurricane Sandy- I will NEVER take another cruise during hurricane season. My BF & I were lucky enough to not get sick, our cruise mates however were in their rooms for most of the cruise. There wasnt a moment we were rocking and rolling, and it continued with me for a couple weeks after we returned. I would wake up and swear I was onboard.

 

I did Hurricane Sandy on the NCL Jewel (ship ahead of you leaving NYC).

 

20+ foot waves. Not a big deal other than the mess! :) DH laid down the first night, while I oohed and ahhed from the window over the bathtub.

[edjny]

That doesn't sound right. Even if you were in the eye wall, when Hurricane Sandy was at its peak intensity (which would be some really poor navigation), the winds from Sandy were never that strong. 160 knots would be a strong Cat 5 hurricane.

 

All I can say is that the Captain told us at the 'Captains Corner' on the way back from Bermuda that he saw the wind peak for a short time at 160 knots while he was watching the instruments. It must have been a strong gust, since that is also about the same time that the ship listed to Port and dumped everything off the tables up in the Windjammer. We had just sat down to eat breakfast and the ship listed. In addition to dumping all the stuff off the tables, many tables/chairs went sliding to the Port as well. It was an interesting day. We had taken our Bonine and felt fine through the entire time.

 

We left Port Liberty on Oct 28th. We headed due south along the coast enroute to Bermuda. The strongest winds occurred mid-morning on the 29th. I believe that we were just south of the storm eye as it turned to go ashore in NJ. By the evening of the 29th, the winds and seas started to subside

[ItsAllAboutTheSass]

I met you at the MM party.... that was a crazy two days...!! That was the worst rocking I felt. I couldnt imagine being on a smaller ship in that storm. Then again, Im sure a smaller should wouldnt have ventured to be where we were either.

 

I wasn't at the M&M. Maybe on the aft deck at sailaway?

[Jenn31708]

This year on the Explorer, March 5-15. On day two I woke at 4 am and the ship was already rocking... and it lasted almost 24 hours. The captain told us that it was 110 knots and waves 25-28 feet. There was even 3 broken windows in the dining room.

 

It was only my second cruise, but I haven't decided yet if it was my last. :(

[CruiseKeeper]

12/3/2007, Explorer off Cape Hatteras. 35 foot seas, winds 110 across the deck. The photography staff made a commemorative picture for sale showing a wave that came over the bow. That's a tall bow! That ship slapped up and down on the waves like a speedboat. There were walls of water slamming into the Viking crown windows, pool deck carpeting being blown off, promenade window breaking and falling into the promenade, liquor store shelves emptied onto floor. Good times. I doubled up on the Bonine on that one. ;)

[LAngle]

For me it was on Freedom of the Seas returning to Port Canaveral in Sept. 2011. I was fine but the seas were really bad, all the outside decks were closed due to high winds and high seas. Sea/wave conditions were in the 12ft-15ft range that night. We made it in but it was even worse for the next sailing that evening. All the other ships decided to stay in port until the storm passed but Freedom set sail and encountered seas so bad there was alot of damage to property inside the ship from the heavy rocking.

 

We on the Freedom when it went back out. How bad was it? We were ordered to our cabins (without dinner! :eek:) and the elevators were shut off. THAT'S when I know it was an emergency! Lots of water came in our bacony, and yes it was closed and locked. We don't get seasick, but I remember laying on the bed sort of rolling from side to side as I watched tv!

[katie0355]

We on the Freedom when it went back out. How bad was it? We were ordered to our cabins (without dinner! :eek:) and the elevators were shut off. THAT'S when I know it was an emergency! Lots of water came in our bacony, and yes it was closed and locked. We don't get seasick, but I remember laying on the bed sort of rolling from side to side as I watched tv!

 

My friend and I were on this cruise too!!!! It was insane. We were the only 2 people in Viking Crown Lounge when it got the worst, right before they ordered everyone to their staterooms! Every single bottle of liquor and wine fell off the bar and onto the floor while we were there! We tried helping the bartender clean up, but he wouldn't let us and looked at us, with that fear in his eyes, and said we ought to make our way to deck 4 (where the life boats are)!!! As soon as we left, that's when the announcement was made to go to our stateroom. People were holding onto the railing to keep from falling over. Lol we started video taping a red bull can rolling back and forth on the floor in our room! The only time I was thankful for an inside cabin so I couldn't see how bad it was outside.

[Paul65]

All I can say is that the Captain told us at the 'Captains Corner' on the way back from Bermuda that he saw the wind peak for a short time at 160 knots while he was watching the instruments. It must have been a strong gust, since that is also about the same time that the ship listed to Port and dumped everything off the tables up in the Windjammer.

 

Maybe. That would more than double the strongest gust recorded on the NJ/NY coast line during Sandy, though.

[Motorman23]

We (my DW and I) were on a TA in 2010. It was on the Navigator from Rome to Ft Lauderdale via the med sea. It was the last week of Oct 2010 and first week of Nov and the weather was great (70's and clear) except for one day. We were traveling from Marsailles France to Barcelona Spain and hit a surprise storm around midnight which was rated a force 12 on the Beaufort scale. If we were in the atlantic instead of the Med it would have been classified as a hurricane from the wind force. We had fifty foot waves and 80 mph winds (according to the Capt). The ship handled it fine and no one was injured because we were mostly in our rooms. But it was like being on a roller coaster for about 20 min and then things calmed down. My wife and I were in an aft facing balcony and could hear the rear of the ship slap into the water as we went up and down. We didnt roll much as the Capt had us facing the wind. The whole event from when the wind started blowing strong until it was done was perhaps two hours. Had no idea how bad it was until the next day when the Capt told us what we had been through. Very little damage to the stores because everything had been put away for the storm and the night.

 

Mike

Edited April 15, 2013 by Motorman23

[B-52]

In 1983 my US Navy ship was skirting a typhoon in the South China Sea while shadowing a Russian spy boat. I was literally throw out of bed from the seas. Does that count? :D:rolleyes:

Bill

 

We were in a Typhoon off Okinawa...I got thrown to the floor...I remember looking down the passageway and seeing a guy walk up one bulkhead, then down to deck level, then up the other bulkhead, as the ship rolled....

I lost it after that....

We needed to tie ourselves up to a pole with rope while standing watch and keeps our hands free.....

 

(Sea Stories)

[Travel R]

The worst I've experienced on a cruise was 25-26 foot swells on the Explorer on the way to Bermuda in late October 2009 - and I remember someone (maybe an MC at one of the shows) told us that the wind gusts were over 100 MPH. There was a shipwide announcement "recommending" the lower level oceanview rooms with balconies to keep their outside doors closed so waves do not break over the sides and into the rooms. When we got to Bermuda one of the Princess ships that made the same voyage was in the next Berth and also took a visible beating -- the canopy on the top of the ship was torn off.

 

During the passage, there was a lot of bouncing around, and the top deck was closed to passengers during the worst of the storm, and partially closed off when the seas started slowing down a bit (there were some areas with lounges open, it was windy, but quite, and I took advantage of it). It was fun sitting in the whirlpool in the spa and having the water move back and forth like waves (it was not easy to sit in one place with all the motion of the water). We also had a room just under the deck, and heard a ton of things banging and moving around all day, and night (which, being used to the noise from living in NY, did not bother us that much). The ice show, of course, was cancelled and moved to another night. Running on the treadmill was also a challenge -- the ship and treadmill would go up, then go down, and I would still be up in the air.

 

But all-in-all, we still enjoyed ourselves (even with only 3-4 hours of sunshine while in Bemuda - and it even rained while we were out kyaking). I did get slightly nauseaus, took two pills, and felt better in no time (it did not stop my eating - although on the worst night of the storm, the MDR was noticably less crowded).

 

I cannot imagine 40 ft. swells - that must have been a wild ride.