Rough Seas on the Magic

[cwb348]

We have cruised 6 times on the Magic, and have found it to be a very smooth ship. I really think you were just unlucky with stormy weather and seas. The Magic is our very favorite ship!

[tropicaledrink]

We had extremely rough seas on our Magic cruise between Port Canaveral and Amber Cove and we departed December 17, 2016. We were also dodging a storm, and the rest of the cruise was much, much smoother.

 

We were on this same sailing and do not remember this being the case? I think there was maybe one night where the sea's were a little roly poly (3 or 4 ft possibly) and we did not go aft that night (no dinner in the MDR or comedy club as they are both aft and you can feel the seas much more back there) but that is the only time I remember even noticing the movement.

 

We have traveled in December or early January for last 5 or 6 years (as well as April and August) and cannot say that the weather was "bad" on any of them. Maybe some rain but nothing that caused big enough waves to make it so everyone was sick or things were falling all over the place. DH is naturally subject to motion sickness and uses the patch as well as Bonine, so it might have affected him more so on the rainy days.

 

My brother, sil and kids have gone in 2x's in November (thanksgiving week) and it seems like they had much worse weather as they come down the coast from either NY or Baltimore area as they live in NY. They will not cruise again from up north in November...lol.

 

It was rough. The swells were quite high and we did in fact have items sliding around at dinner. The slides were shut down (we tried to go on them), and the ropes course was also closed. The Lanai automatic doors were also closed. The front lanai was also closed off (my dad walked laps down there and couldn't go around the front).

 

we also lost the satellite channel right before Amber Cove.

 

We don't get sea sick, but we did see the bags out and hear a few complaints.

 

And it also rained/was quite overcast the day we were in Amber Cove. We got rained on a couple of times during our excursion.

[hobster7]

Unless the stabilizers were inoperable, the Magic is more than capable of handling most seas conditions.

 

 

Next Cruise - 4/8/17 Carnival Magic

Previous Cruises

Carnival Pride - 11/15

Carnival Pride - 1/15

Carnival Legend 4/14

RCCL Independence of the Seas 11/13

[RachelC33]

I was on the Sunshine leaving PC on 3/25. I was sick as a dog on day 1. I had to leave in the middle of dinner and go lay down because I felt so awful. The next morning I still felt bad, so I went down to the med center and they gave me Meclizine which worked like a charm. I was definitely not the only one feeling sick, there were about 10 other people down in the med center for the same reason. Others that I was talking to on the ship mentioned that it was some of the worst rocking they've ever felt on a cruise! This was my first one so I wasn't sure what to expect but don't typically get any sort of sea or motion sickness so assumed I would be ok. Guess not!

 

With that being said, I would still do it again in a heartbeat! :)

[tidygirl]

We were on the Conquest leaving Sun. March 26th headed to Grand Turk and the Seas were rough! It didn't help that we were as far forward as we could be. I didn't throw up but didn't feel well all day (1st time in 15 cruises! )

Many people were sick that day.

So if you were sailing then it wasn't the ship!

[Scurvy Seadog]

I was on the Sunshine out of PC Mar 4-12 to Aruba. We had the rooms directly above the bridge on deck 9. The first 3 nights the wind was 50-60 kts and waves got up to 17-20' one night. I made for 3 sleepless nights. Wind did not die down until we were on the way back north to Grand Turk. Sea spray was on our windows 9 decks up.

 

I was on that same cruise just below you on Deck 8 next to the hatch to the bridge passageway. It was definitely a fun ride those first 3 nights. Luckily I spent a few years "haze grey and underway" on frigates and destroyers, so I have built up a tolerance. :D

[ryano]

I think a lot of people that cruise have a serious false sense of security because every cruise they have been on has been calm thus forgetting we are nothing but a very small cork bobbing around in a very huge lake and totally at the mercy of the seas and mother nature. I dont know if the OP meant it to read like that but this post almost infers something is wrong with Magic and that couldnt be further from the truth. We had a couple nights that were pretty bumpy last May but I loved it, even up at the very front in a 4J looking out the front of the ship. We are doing another 4J in October, right about the time peak hurricane season starts :p

[estillcrew]

We had extremely rough seas on our Magic cruise between Port Canaveral and Amber Cove and we departed December 17, 2016. We were also dodging a storm, and the rest of the cruise was much, much smoother.

 

We were on this same sailing and do not remember this being the case? I think there was maybe one night where the sea's were a little roly poly (3 or 4 ft possibly) and we did not go aft that night (no dinner in the MDR or comedy club as they are both aft and you can feel the seas much more back there) but that is the only time I remember even noticing the movement.

 

We have traveled in December or early January for last 5 or 6 years (as well as April and August) and cannot say that the weather was "bad" on any of them. Maybe some rain but nothing that caused big enough waves to make it so everyone was sick or things were falling all over the place. DH is naturally subject to motion sickness and uses the patch as well as Bonine, so it might have affected him more so on the rainy days.

 

My brother, sil and kids have gone in 2x's in November (thanksgiving week) and it seems like they had much worse weather as they come down the coast from either NY or Baltimore area as they live in NY. They will not cruise again from up north in November...lol.

 

Are you sure you were on the same cruise? It was unbelievably rough! They had to move all activities from the Lido deck into the atrium because of the rough seas. They even made an announcement about the excessive rocking of the boat. I truly do not think you were on the same ship because it was so apparent that the boat was rocking. The pools had to be closed, the spa whirpool turned into a wave pool and could not be used, they had to keep mopping up puddles of water on the Lido deck, hats and towels were flying everywhere, etc. It was the worst 24 hours I have ever experienced on any cruise. It was a fabulous cruise, but those first 24 hours were real rough!

[estillcrew]

Just curious if anyone who has sailed the Magic experienced incredibly rough seas from leaving Port Canaveral until the Dominican? I've been on 12 cruises and never experienced this. My daughter who has cruised 5 times (9 years old) spent the whole first day getting sick. The beach pool was like a huge wave pool. It was pretty unbelievable. Other than this we had a fantastic cruise and would definitely sail the magic again. Great ship, staff, and food.

 

We were on this same cruise and have never experienced movement like it on previous cruises. We talked to a retired Navy sailor who spoke with the captain about the severe rocking during the March 25-April 1 cruise. The captain told him that one of the stabilizers was broken on the ship. He said that this combined with the high winds made a very rough ride. I literally felt and heard the boat lifting out of the water and crashing back down as I tried to sleep that first night in our spa cabin. The spa hot tub was a huge wave pool, and no one could use it. We spoke to many people who spent the first sea day in their cabins because they were too sick to go out. I even felt a little quesy, and I never get sea sick. My coffee was literally sloshing out of my cup as I was sitting at a table on the Lido deck at breakfast on our first sea day. Dr. E announced that all activities on the Lido deck were moved to the atrium because of the severe rocking. It certainly calmed down that night, but those first 24 hours were rough! In spite of it, it was the best cruise we have ever taken! We loved the Magic!!

[ABQrobin]

We were on this same cruise and have never experienced movement like it on previous cruises. We talked to a retired Navy sailor who spoke with the captain about the severe rocking during the March 25-April 1 cruise. The captain told him that one of the stabilizers was broken on the ship. He said that this combined with the high winds made a very rough ride. I literally felt and heard the boat lifting out of the water and crashing back down as I tried to sleep that first night in our spa cabin. The spa hot tub was a huge wave pool, and no one could use it. We spoke to many people who spent the first sea day in their cabins because they were too sick to go out. I even felt a little quesy, and I never get sea sick. My coffee was literally sloshing out of my cup as I was sitting at a table on the Lido deck at breakfast on our first sea day. Dr. E announced that all activities on the Lido deck were moved to the atrium because of the severe rocking. It certainly calmed down that night, but those first 24 hours were rough! In spite of it, it was the best cruise we have ever taken! We loved the Magic!!

I find it hard to believe that the captain would discuss such things with someone on a cruise.

Also.... seriously, people, did any of you look outside? Did you look at the displays playing of the sea condtions on your room tv or on the monitor down on Promenade? It said that we had wind gusts that according to my DH who is in the aerospace industry as an engineer, were HIGH winds. The wind was blowing across the ship, so of course it was rocking. It was also only the FIRST SEA DAY. The rest of the week there was zero rocking as there was no cross wind of that velocity.

Calm down people.

[estillcrew]

I find it hard to believe that the captain would discuss such things with someone on a cruise.

Also.... seriously, people, did any of you look outside? Did you look at the displays playing of the sea condtions on your room tv or on the monitor down on Promenade? It said that we had wind gusts that according to my DH who is in the aerospace industry as an engineer, were HIGH winds. The wind was blowing across the ship, so of course it was rocking. It was also only the FIRST SEA DAY. The rest of the week there was zero rocking as there was no cross wind of that velocity.

Calm down people.

 

ABQrobin, it sounds like you are the one who needs to calm down. We were simply replying to the question which asked if anyone experienced what his daughter experienced. Giving a reply to a question does not indicate that someone is not calm.

As for your insinuation that I am a liar, there was a military gathering with the captain. Apparently, he explained the situation to the navy personnel on board since they were familiar with the sea. I wasn't there, but again, I was simply repeating what the retired navy sailor told me.

And, of course, I checked the conditions of the wind.There was no way not to notice the wind while outside on the decks. It was posted on Deck 5 and on the channels on the TV. I thought the wind was to blame for the rough ride, but later found out that the broken stabilizer made the wind conditions much worse.

I don't understand why some people get on cruise critic and post such nasty replies. It really isn't necessary.

I absolutely loved the magic despite the rough first 24 hours. I would sail on her again in a heartbeat.

[ABQrobin]

ABQrobin, it sounds like you are the one who needs to calm down. We were simply replying to the question which asked if anyone experienced what his daughter experienced. Giving a reply to a question does not indicate that someone is not calm.

As for your insinuation that I am a liar, there was a military gathering with the captain. Apparently, he explained the situation to the navy personnel on board since they were familiar with the sea. I wasn't there, but again, I was simply repeating what the retired navy sailor told me.

And, of course, I checked the conditions of the wind.There was no way not to notice the wind while outside on the decks. It was posted on Deck 5 and on the channels on the TV. I thought the wind was to blame for the rough ride, but later found out that the broken stabilizer made the wind conditions much worse.

I don't understand why some people get on cruise critic and post such nasty replies. It really isn't necessary.

I absolutely loved the magic despite the rough first 24 hours. I would sail on her again in a heartbeat.

 

So you are saying that the Captain told people he just met, that the ship's stabilizer was broken, but then it was suddenly fixed for the rest of trip? So, I think someone told you a fib. Never said you were making it up.

The problem is now someone has started a thread saying that the Magic has a broken stabilizer...that's how rumors go.

 

And the winds were so bad that first sea day that they had to close the deck walkway as spray from the waves was splashing up onto it. We were in the Red Frog Pub when the crew came in and locked all the doors and put up signs. They made people come inside and put up barriers in front of the doors to keep them from going back out.

 

We have been on a ship, the Freedom in Feb 2015, that was rougher ride for a day than this. And it wasn't a broken stabilizer. It was WIND that that was blowing across the ship, same thing. It was our last Sea Day coming back into Galveston, ugly thunderstorm and wind. They had the barf bags out at all the elevators and it was almost impossible to walk down the hallways as you bounced off the walls back and forth. It was rocky most of the day.

[estillcrew]

Stabilizers are on cruise ships for passengers' comfort, as they help minimize rocking. A ship can sail when one of them is broken; it just makes for a rough ride in windy or rough sea conditions. I don't see why a captain would not share that information with fellow seamen. It is not as if there was a mechanical failure that needed repairing right away. I agree with you about the wind; it was horrible. But, if a stabilizer is broken, it makes the movement on a ship much more noticeable during high winds and rough seas. I haven't seen a thread started about a broken stabilizer on the Magic - just one about a broken stabilizer on the Sunshine.

[Drazil65]

I truly do not think you were on the same ship because it was so apparent that the boat was rocking.

 

Hmmmm, let me check??? Yep, same cruise, and not sure about slides but DS was on the ropes course the first day (after we left and before early dinner) and also the next day (late morning/early afternoon), have pix! So as I said in my original post (not sure what exact time frame was referred to) but but we do not recall it being that rough in MDR first night or during the next evening in MDR (formal night). Also, it rained in Amber Cove once at the pool area for a few minutes (less than 10) out of the 3.5 hours we were there. Perhaps you were not on that same cruise??? :confused:

[estillcrew]

I truly do not think you were on the same ship because it was so apparent that the boat was rocking.

 

Hmmmm, let me check??? Yep, same cruise, and not sure about slides but DS was on the ropes course the first day (after we left and before early dinner) and also the next day (late morning/early afternoon), have pix! So as I said in my original post (not sure what exact time frame was referred to) but but we do not recall it being that rough in MDR first night or during the next evening in MDR (formal night). Also, it rained in Amber Cove once at the pool area for a few minutes (less than 10) out of the 3.5 hours we were there. Perhaps you were not on that same cruise??? :confused:

 

I'm so sorry. I just realized that you were responding to a cruise you took in December. I was responding to the cruise last week on the Magic. Glad to know where the confusion was!

[ryano]

Stabilizers are on cruise ships for passengers' comfort, as they help minimize rocking. .

 

Yeah, from side to side :) They dont do much for up and down though.