Advice needed

[olson99]

We have booked a Norwegian, Spitsbergen and Icelandic cruise on the Prinsendam in early August. We have invited our friends to join us. They get seasick and just experienced a very rough sailing in South America around the horn this month. They are now very gun shy as they spent many days of that cruise in bed seasick.

 

How rough do you think the Norwegian, Spitsbergen and Icelandic cruise will be. While I understand any cruise can be rough but what has anyone experienced in the past.

 

Any help would be appreciated. I want to give them as much information as possible so they can make an informed decision on whether to join us.

 

The stops are Amsterdam, Eidfjord, Cruising Hardangerfjord, Bergen, Alesund, Longyearbyen, Scenic cruising Polar Icecap, Crusing Magdalenafjord, NY Alesund (Spitsbergen), Akureryi (Iceland), Scenic cruising Eyjafjordur, Isafjordur (Iceland), Scenic cruising Isafjordur, Reykjavik, Rosyth (Edinburgh)

 

Thank you

[0bnxshs]

On our cruise to Spitsbergen in 2012 we did experience some motion in the Norwegian and Greenland Seas. This in June. Of course, the North Sea is notorious for storms any time.

 

Hopefully your friends can still make the cruise. Have they tried all the homeopathic cures for seasickness? Perhaps the Scopalomine transdermal patch?

 

Have a great cruise and hope your friends find a solution to their problem. :)

Edited April 27, 2016 by 0bnxshs

[jtl513]

We haven't done that cruise, but FWIW the P'dam rides the waves well for a small ship. Where was your friends' cabin located on the SA cruise? Low and center is always best. Meclizine works for us. SeaCalm brand is available free at the front desk or infirmary.

.

Edited April 27, 2016 by jtl513

[olson99]

We haven't done that cruise, but FWIW the P'dam rides the waves well for a small ship. Where was your friends' cabin located on the SA cruise? Low and center is always best. Meclizine works for us. SeaCalm brand is available free at the front desk or infirmary.

.

 

 

We have been on the Prinsendam before and agree she rides the waves well. Their cabin was low and a bit to the front. We had 100 mile and hour winds and rough seas sustained for days. Hoping this cruise will be better for them

[Sir PMP]

We have booked a Norwegian, Spitsbergen and Icelandic cruise on the Prinsendam in early August. We have invited our friends to join us. They get seasick and just experienced a very rough sailing in South America around the horn this month. They are now very gun shy as they spent many days of that cruise in bed seasick.

 

How rough do you think the Norwegian, Spitsbergen and Icelandic cruise will be. While I understand any cruise can be rough but what has anyone experienced in the past.

 

Any help would be appreciated. I want to give them as much

 

 

information as possible so they can make an informed decision on whether to join us.

 

The stops are Amsterdam, Eidfjord, Cruising Hardangerfjord, Bergen, Alesund, Longyearbyen, Scenic cruising Polar Icecap, Crusing Magdalenafjord, NY Alesund (Spitsbergen), Akureryi (Iceland), Scenic cruising Eyjafjordur, Isafjordur (Iceland), Scenic cruising Isafjordur, Reykjavik, Rosyth (Edinburgh)

 

Thank you

 

Expect rock and roll...

[rdwinelvr]

We have booked a Norwegian, Spitsbergen and Icelandic cruise on the Prinsendam in early August. We have invited our friends to join us. They get seasick and just experienced a very rough sailing in South America around the horn this month. They are now very gun shy as they spent many days of that cruise in bed seasick.

 

How rough do you think the Norwegian, Spitsbergen and Icelandic cruise will be. While I understand any cruise can be rough but what has anyone experienced in the past.

 

Any help would be appreciated. I want to give them as much information as possible so they can make an informed decision on whether to join us.

 

The stops are Amsterdam, Eidfjord, Cruising Hardangerfjord, Bergen, Alesund, Longyearbyen, Scenic cruising Polar Icecap, Crusing Magdalenafjord, NY Alesund (Spitsbergen), Akureryi (Iceland), Scenic cruising Eyjafjordur, Isafjordur (Iceland), Scenic cruising Isafjordur, Reykjavik, Rosyth (Edinburgh)

 

Thank you

We found out on our first cruise that my husband is highly sensitive to the motion of the cruise ship and spent the first couples days sick in the cabin. A very kind soul gave my husband a scopolamine patch and it fixed him right up. He now uses the patch for every cruise and never has a problem. They require a prescription and aren't cheap, but I can't recommend them enough.

[RuthC]

I've sailed as far as North Cape several times, and have also sailed to Spitzbergen and into the polar ice. I don't remember it ever being especially rough, and do remember some exceedingly calm waters at times. The ice cap area was flat.

However, that is not to say your cruise will be the same. We all know the same area, one day different, can be a huge change of pace.

 

But this is one itinerary I could do again and again. Tell your friends to take the sea sickness precautions, and enjoy.

[cb at sea]

You CANNOT predict what the seas will do. Just because it was calm yesterday, doesn't mean it will be tomorrow...or next week.....

Conversely, it might have been smooth as glass a month ago, but rough as hell tomorrow....

 

Mother Nature likes to keep us guessing!

[rebeccalouiseagain]

You can't predict what the seas will be like. I think your friends will have the final say- so I wouldn't talk them into it and have egg on your face or shoes.

Edited April 28, 2016 by rebeccalouiseagain

[PatsyAnne]

The itinerary looks amazing! A couple of Augusts ago we were going from Amsterdam to the North Cape on the Prinsendam and caught the end of a hurricane the first couple of days. We missed one stop while we were circling and had to rearrange a couple more. One of our friends is sensitive to motion and spent a few days under the weather. The P'dam (and captain) handled the storm well, but it wasn't smooth. Your friends will have to decide for themselves, but I hope they find a way to manage it for this trip.

[olson99]

I appreciate all the comments. I understand no one can predict the weather. I just wanted a general feeling if it is always rough and it seems to be 50/50. I will not influence them either way. This has to be their decision.

[vivAtornado]

i don't know about the area you are going to, but i have cruised around the cape and have *never* experienced rough seas anywhere the way i did around the cape. bottles flew across the bar, i was convinced we were going down...i had vertigo for 6 weeks after. I'm not gun shy cruising, but i have my doubts about antarctica now ;)

 

hope it works out!

[Sue from Canada]

We have booked a Norwegian, Spitsbergen and Icelandic cruise on the Prinsendam in early August. We have invited our friends to join us. They get seasick and just experienced a very rough sailing in South America around the horn this month. They are now very gun shy as they spent many days of that cruise in bed seasick.

 

How rough do you think the Norwegian, Spitsbergen and Icelandic cruise will be. While I understand any cruise can be rough but what has anyone experienced in the past.

 

Any help would be appreciated. I want to give them as much information as possible so they can make an informed decision on whether to join us.

 

The stops are Amsterdam, Eidfjord, Cruising Hardangerfjord, Bergen, Alesund, Longyearbyen, Scenic cruising Polar Icecap, Crusing Magdalenafjord, NY Alesund (Spitsbergen), Akureryi (Iceland), Scenic cruising Eyjafjordur, Isafjordur (Iceland), Scenic cruising Isafjordur, Reykjavik, Rosyth (Edinburgh)

 

Thank you

 

My mum was so sick for three days on her first cruise that she wanted the ship to sink and said she'd never go on a cruise again! Well she just did her 7th cruise last December on the Prinsendam (we were mid-ship on the Lower Promenade Deck). She now wears sea-bands and has never been sick since - and we've been in some rough seas. You can buy the bands at CVS or Walgreens.

[1cruiseadict]

Hi,

I spent 25 years of my life racing ocean going yachts in all parts of the globe including Sydney _ Hobart, the Fastnet Race and was once caught in a typhoon in the China Sea Race in 1982. After the 79 Fastnet race in which 15 sailors (some jumped into the sea in desparation from seasickness) and 3 rescuers lost their life see:-

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_Fastnet_race

 

The subsequent Royal commission found that the most effective sea sick tablet by far is Stugeron. I have taken them whilst sailing on a maxi yacht across the Pacific and became the last man standing.

 

http://www.mysailing.com.au/news/mal-de-mer-seasickness-avoidance-and-treatment

 

http://www.expresschemist.co.uk/product_3507_stugeron-15-tablets-15x.html

 

I am not sure if these tablets are availabe across the counter in the USA but they are available online from the UK. I can assure you they work and are very effective provided they are taken before the onset of seasickness.

 

Best Wishes

Keith

[olson99]

My friend has worn sea bands, patches and taken medication prescribed by the doctor. I have sent him your suggestions as to what medications he can try.

 

Thank you again for all the help.