What cruise would you rec for 70+ first time cruiser who suffers from sea sickness?

[Heidi13]

On 4/11/2023 at 9:48 AM, Saint Greg said:

I'd say the largest ship possible. Mardi Gras, Celebration, Jubilee.

 

The size of the ship has very little to do with sea keeping abilities. To put it in perspective, the steam liners I worked aboard in the 70's & 80's are smaller than all but the current small luxury ships and the old ships were way more stable and comfortable than any current larger ship.

 

QM2 is vastly superior in rough seas to any of the larger mega ships.

[MBP&O2/O]

Offshore fishing boats and cruiseships are totally different kettles of fish as far as motion is concerned. 

As for the Med... can be very bad at times.

Wherever you sail rough seas are part and parcel of the trip .... they can happen anywhere.

Luck of the draw. 

[Saint Greg]

30 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

The size of the ship has very little to do with sea keeping abilities.

 

If “sea keeping” is your fancy term for how rough of a ride it is, my experiences disagree with that.

 

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by Saint Greg

[lenquixote66]

On 4/11/2023 at 10:41 AM, Eli_6 said:

My husband told me that his parents are wanting to go on a cruise.  For years, their vacations have always involved driving somewhere like Colorado or Michigan and doing outdoorsy things.  They have only even been a plane a handful of times...usually to go to Las Vegas or California or the Northeast...somewhere that is a bit far to drive to from Texas.   My father-in-law has traditionally been very anti-cruise, but I guess our cruising has changed his mind. My in-laws mentioned to my husband that they were looking at the 8 day Dream out of Galveston.  However, my father-in-law cannot go offshore fishing because he gets sea-sick so I have concerns about them doing that cruise because it goes across the gulf and can sometimes get rough. Also, I can see him getting annoyed with the big crowds, lots of kids and party atmosphere. I personally think that they need to do an Alaskan cruise.  It is a much more low-key crowd, they will love the sights, and I don't think the boat will rock as much.  Any other itineraries you would recommend?  If they do Alaska, which Carnival boat would you rec?  We did the Splendor before and I liked it...although, the circles and the pink may be a bit much for my FIL.  I know the Luminosa is cruising next summer from there.   Any thoughts on that ship? 

My suggestion is a week vacation at the Kemah Boardwalk Inn followed by a cruise out of Galveston.

[mom says]

34 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

 

If “sea keeping” is your fancy term for how rough of a ride it is, my experiences disagree with that.

 

 

Please tell us how many years experience you have as a mariner aboard commercial ocean going vessels.

Edited April 12, 2023 by mom says

[Saint Greg]

6 minutes ago, mom says said:

Please tell us how many years experience you have as a mariner aboard commercial ocean going vessels.

 

This is a question about cruises that originated on the Carnival Board. If you want to argue that Carnival Paradise has just as smooth of a ride as Carnival Celebration, that's fine. You know what opinions are like. A better thing to do would be to give the OP your opinion on a good cruise for a 70 year old first time cruiser who suffers from sea sickness. That's what this thread is about.

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by Saint Greg

[navybankerteacher]

OP’s FIL has a recognized sensitivity which rules out deep sea fishing.   There is very little similarity between that activity and going on a cruise.

 

Any short Gulf of Mexico cruise outside of hurricane season would be the logical first step to explore the possibility.

[Heidi13]

14 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

 

If “sea keeping” is your fancy term for how rough of a ride it is, my experiences disagree with that.

 

 

 

Certainly not trying to negate your experiences, but out of interest, how many YEARS at sea is your experience based on?

 

Personally, I have almost 40 yrs at sea, with way too many of them in command of pax vessels. Have also studied Ship Stability and Ship Construction to Master's level. My experience, handling ships in rough seas, and education, indicate the size of a cruise ship has little to do with sea keeping. Design and stability criteria are the key criteria.

 

As I noted previously, the QM2 is vastly superior in rough seas than any of the larger mega ships, as were the much smaller SS Oriana, SS Canberra and QE2.

 

FYI - "Sea keeping" is certainly not a fancy term, as in this industry, "Sea keeping" and "Seaworthiness" are standard fairly terms. With your experience, I'm surprised they aren't familiar to you.

 

[Saint Greg]

4 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Certainly not trying to negate your experiences, but out of interest, how many YEARS at sea is your experience based on?

 

Personally, I have almost 40 yrs at sea, with way too many of them in command of pax vessels. Have also studied Ship Stability and Ship Construction to Master's level. My experience, handling ships in rough seas, and education, indicate the size of a cruise ship has little to do with sea keeping. Design and stability criteria are the key criteria.

 

As I noted previously, the QM2 is vastly superior in rough seas than any of the larger mega ships, as were the much smaller SS Oriana, SS Canberra and QE2.

 

FYI - "Sea keeping" is certainly not a fancy term, as in this industry, "Sea keeping" and "Seaworthiness" are standard fairly terms. With your experience, I'm surprised they aren't familiar to you.

 

 

This is a question about cruises that originated on the Carnival Board. If you want to argue that Carnival Paradise has just as smooth of a ride as Carnival Celebration, that's fine. You know what opinions are like. A better thing to do would be to give the OP your opinion on a good cruise for a 70 year old first time cruiser who suffers from sea sickness. That's what this thread is about.

[mom says]

1 hour ago, Saint Greg said:

This is a question about cruises that originated on the Carnival Board

It was moved to the Ask a Question board this morning.  And the OP has already stated they may consider Princess,  HAL,  and Celebrity. Keep up.

 

Your opinion is just that, and  is apparently narrowly based only upon your limited experience with Carnival. I think the OP would be better served by the recommendations of those with actual knowledge of the subject. They have already received some good suggestions. What they don't need is bad advice based on a faulty premise.

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

 

This is a question about cruises that originated on the Carnival Board. If you want to argue that Carnival Paradise has just as smooth of a ride as Carnival Celebration, that's fine. You know what opinions are like. A better thing to do would be to give the OP your opinion on a good cruise for a 70 year old first time cruiser who suffers from sea sickness. That's what this thread is about.

 

Not disputing it originated on the Carnival Board, but that isn't a cruise line we have, or will ever consider, so I don't frequent that board. I also note the Mods did not include a note that it was moved from Carnival to Ask a Question.

 

Since I haven't a clue regarding the design or the stability data on either Carnival Paradise or Carnival Celebration, and couldn't even hazard a guess to the year of build, or gross tonnage, I could never provide an opinion as to which had a smoother ride. Especially, since the seas and the skills of the Bridge Teams are also factors.

 

Prior to correcting your erroneous statement, probably due to your limited experience, I did provide a suggestion to the OP, noting a river cruise may be their best option.

[ontheweb]

13 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Not disputing it originated on the Carnival Board, but that isn't a cruise line we have, or will ever consider, so I don't frequent that board. I also note the Mods did not include a note that it was moved from Carnival to Ask a Question.

 

Since I haven't a clue regarding the design or the stability data on either Carnival Paradise or Carnival Celebration, and couldn't even hazard a guess to the year of build, or gross tonnage, I could never provide an opinion as to which had a smoother ride. Especially, since the seas and the skills of the Bridge Teams are also factors.

 

Prior to correcting your erroneous statement, probably due to your limited experience, I did provide a suggestion to the OP, noting a river cruise may be their best option.

Just to confirm, this thread did originate on the Carnival board. It is easy to understand given the question it asked why the mods moved it from there to Ask a Cruise Question.

[K32682]

On 4/11/2023 at 10:41 AM, Eli_6 said:

My husband told me that his parents are wanting to go on a cruise.  For years, their vacations have always involved driving somewhere like Colorado or Michigan and doing outdoorsy things.  They have only even been a plane a handful of times...usually to go to Las Vegas or California or the Northeast...somewhere that is a bit far to drive to from Texas.   My father-in-law has traditionally been very anti-cruise, but I guess our cruising has changed his mind. My in-laws mentioned to my husband that they were looking at the 8 day Dream out of Galveston.  However, my father-in-law cannot go offshore fishing because he gets sea-sick so I have concerns about them doing that cruise because it goes across the gulf and can sometimes get rough. Also, I can see him getting annoyed with the big crowds, lots of kids and party atmosphere. I personally think that they need to do an Alaskan cruise.  It is a much more low-key crowd, they will love the sights, and I don't think the boat will rock as much.  Any other itineraries you would recommend?  If they do Alaska, which Carnival boat would you rec?  We did the Splendor before and I liked it...although, the circles and the pink may be a bit much for my FIL.  I know the Luminosa is cruising next summer from there.   Any thoughts on that ship? 

 

Are you accompanying them on this cruise? Have they specifically asked for your advice? If not how about letting them decide the cruise they want to take instead of imposing your views on them?

 

Your father-in-law is not predisposed to cruising but is predisposed to motion sickness and may be annoyed by the on-board experience. Any cruise can encounter rough seas and an Alaskan cruise is no guarantee there wont be kids and a party atmosphere on board. 

 

The odds on him enjoying himself are not great and by inserting yourself into their decision-making process you are left open to being blamed if the cruise you suggest isn't an enjoyable experience for them. 

 

 

Edited April 13, 2023 by K32682

[Eli_6]

38 minutes ago, K32682 said:

 

Are you accompanying them on this cruise? Have they specifically asked for your advice? If not how about letting them decide the cruise they want to take instead of imposing your views on them?

 

Your father-in-law is not predisposed to cruising but is predisposed to motion sickness and may be annoyed by the on-board experience. Any cruise can encounter rough seas and an Alaskan cruise is no guarantee there wont be kids and a party atmosphere on board. 

 

The odds on him enjoying himself are not great and by inserting yourself into their decision-making process you are left open to being blamed if the cruise you suggest isn't an enjoyable experience for them. 

 

 

Yes, they specifically asked my husband to ask for my advice so no need for you to be snarky.  In fact, they asked him to tell me to "find them a cruise they would enjoy."  No, I am not accompanying them on the cruise.  

 

I plan all of our family vacations (for my husband, myself and my children) and have been cruising since I was 14 years old (now 42) so that is why they asked. 

Edited April 13, 2023 by Eli_6

[Eli_6]

20 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Drive/fly  to NOLA  & take a river cruise up the Mississippi

 

https://www.aqvoyages.com/river-cruises/

That is actually not a bad idea at all because they live on the TX/LA border and would be less likely to experience motion sickness.

[LHT28]

30 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:

That is actually not a bad idea at all because they live on the TX/LA border and would be less likely to experience motion sickness.

It will be less motion than  the Ocean  but  he should take something if motion sickness should happen

I take ginger candy  or the ship will have green apples

They may enjoy the relaxing cruise up the river ..it is  a start

[azalice]

And be sure to book middle of ship cabin, even consider inside and middle of ship for less feeling of motion. Helps me quite a bit. 

[Fairwinds789]

Recommend an Inside Passage cruise to Alaska with land trip extension to Denali (and possibly beyond). Have done this itinerary with both Holland America and Princess, and had a great experience during the cruise and land portions. Alaska cruises offered by these and similar cruise lines should be comfortable for seniors who are not interested in a party atmosphere.  High quality presentations by naturalists and Alaska adventurers are offered while cruising.

[Susan in Maine]

I'm going to go against the grain here. 

 

I'm one of those people who get extremely motion sick. I can make myself motion sick driving in stop and go traffic. By taking Bonine (meclizine) starting 24 - 48 hours ahead of time, I'm OK. If it's REALLY bad - I've been thru both a hurricane and a blizzard - I take Dramamine as well. Your father could also get an anti-emetic from his doctor as well.

 

My suggestion is a smaller ship. A lot of the draw of the really big ships is all the stuff they have on them. Smaller ships are easier to navigate and have fewer families. They tend to be quieter with less of a party atmosphere.

 

Unless, of course, your father is really excited about riding a roller coaster at sea!

[Essiesmom]

There are some cruise lines that have small ships that are cruising the Great Lakes in the summer, and to Canada.  Look at Viking Ocean, Viking Octantis and Polaris.  Also American Cruise Lines with cruises along the Inter-coastal waterway.  EM

[MBP&O2/O]

13 hours ago, Susan in Maine said:

I'm going to go against the grain here. 

 

I'm one of those people who get extremely motion sick. I can make myself motion sick driving in stop and go traffic. By taking Bonine (meclizine) starting 24 - 48 hours ahead of time, I'm OK. If it's REALLY bad - I've been thru both a hurricane and a blizzard - I take Dramamine as well. Your father could also get an anti-emetic from his doctor as well.

 

My suggestion is a smaller ship. A lot of the draw of the really big ships is all the stuff they have on them. Smaller ships are easier to navigate and have fewer families. They tend to be quieter with less of a party atmosphere.

 

Unless, of course, your father is really excited about riding a roller coaster at sea!

A friend of mine was the same ....15 mins in a car and it was technicolour yawn time. Possibly started by fumes and claustrophobia?  Put him on a ship, plenty of fresh air and totally different, a  more relaxed and steady,  motion to a car and he was fine. 

He never ever took any medication. 

[SPacificbound]

If the idea of going to Alaska is interesting to them, I recommend South to North cruise followed by several days on Alaska rail to see wonderful areas of Alaska not seen by ship. You can plot out where you go each day and spend the night in each city after each day's rail trip. We did this and really enjoyed it.

 

You can't really compare a fishing boat to a cruise ship, he may not be bothered at all, but to be prepared they can get Bonine OTC and ginger capsules, ginger candy, ginger cookies etc. Of course he should check with his doctor first. Green apples are always available also.

 

If they would like to go to Europe, Queen Mary 2 makes East and West trips from Cape Liberty NJ to Southampton UK back and forth, for much of the year. Queen Mary is quite a bit more sea worthy than cruise ships. 

[K32682]

9 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

There are some cruise lines that have small ships that are cruising the Great Lakes in the summer, and to Canada.  Look at Viking Ocean, Viking Octantis and Polaris.  Also American Cruise Lines with cruises along the Inter-coastal waterway.  EM

 

I grew up on the shores of the Great Lakes and sailed across them many times. Calm water is by no means guaranteed. The big lake they call Gitche Gummee (Lake Superior) can be very fierce at times.  

[Aquahound]

On 4/11/2023 at 7:41 AM, Eli_6 said:

I personally think that they need to do an Alaskan cruise.  It is a much more low-key crowd, they will love the sights, and I don't think the boat will rock as much.  Any other itineraries you would recommend?  If they do Alaska, which Carnival boat would you rec?  We did the Splendor before and I liked it...although, the circles and the pink may be a bit much for my FIL.  I know the Luminosa is cruising next summer from there.   Any thoughts on that ship? 

 

I recommend choosing a cruise out of Vancouver that sails the Canadian Inside Passage.  Avoid Seattle cruises.  They cruise outside of Vancouver Island, and it can get very rough out there.  

 

I also think you should look beyond Carnival.  If you think they might not like the loud, garish Carnival design or the crowds, then do not expose them to it.  A former Costa ship certainly is not getting away from it either.  Take a look at Celebrity or Holland America.  It's a much nicer experience without the frat party atmosphere.  The Royal Caribbean Radiance Class ships would be a great choice as well.  

[butterfly4108]

You have a whole lot of suggestions here so I'm only going to address the seasick portion 😄  Seabands....never failed my husband yet and his seasickness without them is "railhugging" lol....no meds at all.  Just accupressure and the ships actually sell them onboard but they can be gotten at your local store for about 8 bucks or even amazon...happy sailing!!