Forward cabin experiences?

[Ironhorsejocky]

This is my very first question (as I’m brand new to this).  I’m considering booking a front facing forward suite (on deck 10 of 18) on the New Sky Princess.  Can anyone tell me about their personal experiences with motion etc...? Did you have any issues?  This is for any cruise line not just Princess.

Thanks in advance!

Edited May 19, 2020 by Ironhorsejocky
Clarification

[George C]

There will be more movement on forward or aft cabins , it has never bothered us.

Edited May 19, 2020 by George C

[ColeThornton]

8 minutes ago, Ironhorsejocky said:

This is my very first question (as I’m brand new to this).  I’m considering booking a front facing forward suite (on deck 10 of 18) on the New Sky Princess.  Can anyone tell me about their personal experiences with motion etc...? Did you have any issues?

Thanks in advance!

 

 

Welcome to the site.   The best place for you to ask this would be over on the Princess cruise line sub-forum.  Here is the link for you.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/119-princess-cruises/

[Ironhorsejocky]

This is just a general question for any Cruise line (not Princess specific). Thanks.

[Ironhorsejocky]

Thanks George!

[ColeThornton]

8 minutes ago, Ironhorsejocky said:

This is just a general question for any Cruise line (not Princess specific). Thanks.

 

Okay, but you asked about a specific Princess ship.

 

Nevermind.  I see you just edited your O.P.

[Aquahound]

I have stayed in forward cabins several times.  On calm days, there isn't much difference but if the seas start to kick up a little, you will feel it much more forward, especially if the room is on a higher deck.  You you think you are susceptible to motion sickness, I recommend going more mid ship.  

[Ironhorsejocky]

9 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

I have stayed in forward cabins several times.  On calm days, there isn't much difference but if the seas start to kick up a little, you will feel it much more forward, especially if the room is on a higher deck.  You you think you are susceptible to motion sickness, I recommend going more mid ship.  

Thanks!  Motion sickness is definitely not anything we’re interested in.  I also should have mentioned it’s a transatlantic Cruise.

[INeedAMaiTai]

I was on an Alaska cruise a couple of years ago and had a cabin very far forward, almost to the end of the cabins.  We definitely felt it.  I remember nights when I would sink down in the bed and then come back up while trying to sleep.  If you have ANY sort of motion issues, I would stay as midship as possible.  My husband was taking meds the whole time because it was rough.  It was also a very rough seas trip as it was, but being so forward really did make a difference.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

2 hours ago, Ironhorsejocky said:

This is just a general question for any Cruise line (not Princess specific). Thanks.

but it's very ship specific. On bigger ships we haven't noticed any movement or there was very little movement felt (Allure of the Seas, NCL Getaway, Regal Princess) whereas on a smaller ship (NCL Jade) the movement was very bad (for us personally)

[Ironhorsejocky]

4 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

but it's very ship specific. On bigger ships we haven't noticed any movement or there was very little movement felt (Allure of the Seas, NCL Getaway, Regal Princess) whereas on a smaller ship (NCL Jade) the movement was very bad (for us personally)

Looks to be same size as the Regal.  Did you have the front forward on any of your trips and in any rough seas?

[Sea Hag]

1 minute ago, Ironhorsejocky said:

Looks to be same size as the Regal.  Did you have the front forward on any of your trips and in any rough seas?

We stayed in a forward cabin on Marina on the Royal, which is basically the same as the Regal and the same as the Sky in this aspect. We didn't get as much motion as we would have liked, since we really like the motion. Unless mild motion bothers you, you should be fine.

[Heidi13]

The science of ship's motion dictates that it is extenuated the further you are from the Centre of Buoyancy. Therefore the further fwd/aft and higher you go, you will receive increasingly more motion.

 

Personally I have spent many months in a variety of cabins immediately behind the Bridge and have never found the movement to be a concern. However, vibration and noise from the whistle can also be a concern, as is noise from the anchors and bow thrusters, when docking/departing.

 

However, DW does not enjoy the motion and on a recent cruise we booked a midship cabin on 2nd lowest pax deck, which had comparatively minimal movement, even in the vicinity of a Pacific cyclone. For the final 3 weeks aboard we were moved to a fwd suite on the same deck and she felt the movement, even when in calmer waters. Although we didn't experience any seas, we were awakened at 04:00 when they started weighing anchor for the Suez Canal transit.

 

Tolerance to ship's movement is very individual, but the actual movement further fwd and higher is guaranteed when the v/l is in a seaway. If concerned about motion, best to consider something more m'ships, as per suggestion from Aquahound.

[d9704011]

9 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

The science of ship's motion dictates that it is extenuated the further you are from the Centre of Buoyancy.

I would have thought it would be the CG (transverse axis).

[Essiesmom]

I spent two weeks in a forward facing cabin on Carnival Splendor (right beneath the bridge) and going up and down the west coast, Long Beach to Vancouver at times it felt like we were hitting potholes.  Other than that, it was fine.  EM

[Heidi13]

19 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

I would have thought it would be the CG (transverse axis).

Apologies, cut/paste mistake and I forgot to proof read. Affirmative, rotation is around CoG, as CoB moves in a seaway, which creates the righting level when ships heel.

[d9704011]

2 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

I spent two weeks in a forward facing cabin on Carnival Splendor (right beneath the bridge) and going up and down the west coast, Long Beach to Vancouver at times it felt like we were hitting potholes.  Other than that, it was fine.  EM

Felt like hitting potholes eh!?  I  can sympathize.  

 

I worked on this ship for a period of time and when the weather was rough and the bow sheaves (rollers in the bow of the ship) started pounding, everything began shaking and moving worse than one of those old beds that may have graced a less-than-reputable motel....

 

[evandbob]

I've had a few very forward cabins when I first started cruising in 2003/4 on smaller ships.  In heavy seas, there was the up/down motion of course, but sometimes we'd get hit sideways with a roller wave and the slamming would make this part of the ship shudder.

 

This is at least lessened or minimized by being on a larger ship.  We were recently on the Symphony of the Seas, and the aqua show in the aft pool was cancelled due to the water really sloshing around.  We could see a difference in the water level of about 4 or 5' in the pool but I couldn't feel the ship moving at all. 

[Ironhorsejocky]

46 minutes ago, evandbob said:

I've had a few very forward cabins when I first started cruising in 2003/4 on smaller ships.  In heavy seas, there was the up/down motion of course, but sometimes we'd get hit sideways with a roller wave and the slamming would make this part of the ship shudder.

 

This is at least lessened or minimized by being on a larger ship.  We were recently on the Symphony of the Seas, and the aqua show in the aft pool was cancelled due to the water really sloshing around.  We could see a difference in the water level of about 4 or 5' in the pool but I couldn't feel the ship moving at all. 

Thank you for the information!  
We’re going to try it but also going to keep on a lower deck.

[XBGuy]

My opinion doesn't count because neither my wife nor I are particularly sensitive to motion.  The fact of the matter is we like the motion.  We want to feel like we are at sea.  As a result we almost always book a cabin as far forward or as far aft as possible.  More than once, Princess has tried to upgrade us to a mid-ship cabin, and we have declined as quickly as possible.  I want to add, also, that last September we booked a forward-facing suite on the B Deck on the Royal Princess on an Alaska cruise.  My wife absolutely loved looking out the forward windows.  She was able to scour for wildlife and be warm and toasty at the same time.

[pacruise804]

We love forward cabins as it gives more feeling of movement (something I like) without the vibrations of aft cabins.  They are also generally quieter and we were able to watch flying fish from our balcony forward cabin.

 

The downside is more motion (if you don't like to feel it), further from action, possible anchor noise, and I think we had more wind.

 

We also almost exclusively take the stairs and it was closer to fitness and theatre, further from MDR or buffet.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

On 5/19/2020 at 2:55 PM, Ironhorsejocky said:

Looks to be same size as the Regal.  Did you have the front forward on any of your trips and in any rough seas?

only on NCL Getaway. On the Getaway we switched cabins with her and got an all the way forward cabin on deck 9.  We felt the movement but it wasn't bad. Now, on Jade even without speed and rough seas I felt pretty bad when I stopped by mom's cabin. We were  in the cabin in the back, but she got an all the way forward cabin on deck 8.

On Regal our sailings have been regular, no rough seas, and we were not bothered by the very minimal movement.

[evandbob]

23 hours ago, Ironhorsejocky said:

Thank you for the information!  
We’re going to try it but also going to keep on a lower deck.

 

 

Another thing I should have mentioned was the vibration/noise of the side thrusters when docking.  If the ship neared the pier early AM,  my sleep would get interrupted; didn't need an alarm to wake up.

 

A little off topic, but there was one day I couldn't use a treadmill on a smaller ship's high forward deck gym above the bridge because of the rocking side to side.

[Cee_Jay]

The movement of the ship does not bother me unduly. The side thrusters, yes they are noisy and cause vibration but only momentarily. Not a problem for me since the first glimpse of a new port and the docking activity i enjoy.

the biggest "con" was the balcony. Because of the design it was huge,  so far so good. We were on a Baltic cruise so not great heat like in some places and when underway the balcony was VERY windy and virtually ubuseable. May not be a problem in the Caribbean or hotter area. Secondary to the balcony, even on the tenth deck the door is not the usual balcony sliding floor to ceiling door but a heavy steel watertight door and just a window to the side of the door.

Personally I will not book a forward facing suite again,  but my favorite is a stern (aft) facing suite.  Noisy on the balcony when underway but just watching the wake has a real draw and fascination for me. But to be fair some dislike that....I love it.

 

[Hlitner]

While I can not speak to a specific cabin on the Sky Princess (nor can anyone else) I can tell the OP that DW and I are cruise contrarians in that we have often chosen cabins near the bow.  And we have been doing this for the past thirty plus years of extensive cruising.  Why?  Because we have found that cabin that are far forward are generally very quiet (except when they use the bow thrusters going into port).  Once you move forward of the forward elevators the foot traffic (out in the corridor) drops the further forward you go.  There are no engines or props to cause vibration or noise.  You might consider that the Captain and Staff Captain's cabins are far forward and they don't mind.  

 

So what is the downside of being far forward?  If you are in rough weather where the ship is pitching then you will feel it more then any other place on the ship.  For DW and I this is not an issue since we actually enjoy the motion and it rocks us asleep.  If you are really sensitive to motion (which is only a problem when larger swells cause pitching) then you might want to consider booking a cabin more amidships.   Another downside (for some) is that the bow is often the furthest from the Lido Buffet and MDRs.  In other words, you have to walk a long way to get to food.  For us we see this as a big nothing (we enjoy the exercise) but if you do have mobility issues you might want to be closer then the main food venues.

 

Hank