Drake Passage - Large ship - Front cabin experiences if in "Drake Shake"

[Starlight Durban Cruising]

For those who have done one of the (sail-by) cruises on a larger ship e.g. Norwegian or similar, I have a few questions about Cabin Location and Drake SHAKE.

 

1. Were you in a cabin towards the front of the ship when you experienced Drake Shake?

2. Did it feel more "extreme" in such a cabin location in relation to rather being towards the middle of the ship (at time when not in cabin and perhaps elsewhere on the ship)?

 

We are a family of sea dogs (sailors) - the rougher the water the better - LOL, so haven't had "unwell" experiences in a range of sea conditions over the years. But I know that Drake Passage is in a league of its own if it turns to Drake Shake time. (We're going in February month, and have the same cabin booked as regular on NCL Star... (front - near casino - Don't ask !!! LOL).

 

 

[PerfectlyPerth]

If you are sea dogs and have never been seasick before - a different body of water is not going to change that fact. 
 

Seasickness is in a persons equilibrium & inner ear. Once a seasick person - always a seasick person - as my uncle was told when he joined the navy. 
 

I've been in rough seas all over the world in vessels small and large - never been an issue for me. 
Yet I've seen people turn green on massive ships with full stabilisers on a sea as flat as a mirror. 
 

So I'm more inclined to say you will be fine and just enjoy it!!

Personally - if I was doing the Drake in a big cruise ship (I've only done it in icebreakers and ice strengthened expedition ships) I would want a cabin at the front looking out over the bow so I can take good "bow splashy" photos !! 🌊🌊🌊🌊

[donaldsc]

On 11/3/2023 at 6:54 AM, PerfectlyPerth said:

If you are sea dogs and have never been seasick before - a different body of water is not going to change that fact. 
 

Seasickness is in a persons equilibrium & inner ear. Once a seasick person - always a seasick person - as my uncle was told when he joined the navy. 
 

I've been in rough seas all over the world in vessels small and large - never been an issue for me. 
Yet I've seen people turn green on massive ships with full stabilisers on a sea as flat as a mirror. 
 

So I'm more inclined to say you will be fine and just enjoy it!!

Personally - if I was doing the Drake in a big cruise ship (I've only done it in icebreakers and ice strengthened expedition ships) I would want a cabin at the front looking out over the bow so I can take good "bow splashy" photos !! 🌊🌊🌊🌊

 

Totally agree with you.  Also some people love rough seas.  One my first Antarctica trip we had a force 11 gale off Cape Horn.  It was a hoot watching them get the pilot on board..  On my most recent trip we had a day of 68 mph winds.  

 

DON

[mpk]

On 11/3/2023 at 6:54 AM, PerfectlyPerth said:

Seasickness is in a persons equilibrium & inner ear. Once a seasick person - always a seasick person - as my uncle was told when he joined the navy.

 

I'm not so sure...?

 

I once had mighty sea legs.  On one especially bad cruise, the hallways were empty of cruisers and crew.  Barf bags were posted all over.   No effect on me, I walked around and enjoyed watching the swimming pools heave water over the sides.

 

Fast forward a decade or so...   the last cruise over Christmas/New Years, it was a rocky ride due to high winds and all I wanted to do was sleep.  I didn't turn green or throw up, but definitely in a different place sea legs wise.

[kaisatsu]

There are definitely situational differences. I don’t get seasick often, but if I skip a meal or am trapped in a too-warm windowless space, I can start to feel pretty nauseous. However, the geographic location itself still isn’t going to matter.

 

On my last Antarctica trip, we had a pretty rough departure from Bluff, and a lot of people were stuck in bed for the first day or two. Then we proceeded to have some pretty rocky seas the rest of the trip due to weather and other factors. By the time we reached the last stretch, we were in the middle of the Drake rocking enough that the desk chairs were sliding back and forth across the room. Yet all the people who’d been sick at the beginning had acclimated and were doing fine. We had a broken arm but very little seasickness. As PP said, it’s not a magical body of water that makes people sicker. It’s just famous for being statistically more likely to have rough conditions.

 

Also, most ships plan around being in the middle of the Drake at its worst for safety and comfort reasons. A few weeks ago, every ship heading south waited a day for some intense weather to pass. (The trip I was on was in a unique situation and didn’t have another option.)

[Starlight Durban Cruising]

thanks everyone for the advice. We are looking forward to this cruise when we go in Feb next year.

 

(Some years back I did a repositioning cruise from San Diego to Vancouver in April, and it was "pretty wild" sea activity so there were bags taped in all the passages the last few nights as we headed north; and most passengers were not out-and-about the ship while I am walking around checking the waves, checking the pool sloshing up and down, and it was just fine. So I am looking forward to a-bit-O-Drake-Shake. 🙂 LOL). 

[PerfectlyPerth]

14 hours ago, mpk said:

 

I'm not so sure...?

 

I once had mighty sea legs.  On one especially bad cruise, the hallways were empty of cruisers and crew.  Barf bags were posted all over.   No effect on me, I walked around and enjoyed watching the swimming pools heave water over the sides.

 

Fast forward a decade or so...   the last cruise over Christmas/New Years, it was a rocky ride due to high winds and all I wanted to do was sleep.  I didn't turn green or throw up, but definitely in a different place sea legs wise.

As it all relates to inner ear balance and equilibrium - a simple thing like a blocked ear from a cold or swimmers ear or a bulging ear drum (which I've been dealing with for two years now so I feel motion sickness sitting on my sofa!) can change how you feel. But it doesn't change you suddenly into a seasick person for life. So the next time you are on water you will likely return to your mighty sea legs. 

[Woodrowst]

On 11/1/2023 at 4:19 AM, Starlight Durban Cruising said:

For those who have done one of the (sail-by) cruises on a larger ship e.g. Norwegian or similar, I have a few questions about Cabin Location and Drake SHAKE.

 

 

 

Keep in mind that when it comes to smooth sailing, ship are like icebergs (hopefully an apt analogy for Antarctica cruises).  It is not so much what is above the water (size) but what is below the water (draught).   The large modern ships of mainstream cruise lines - the ones that do a drive-by of Antarctica- are built with small droughts that make them top heavy.  This is not a problem in the Carribean but can cause significant left to right heaving in heavy waves such as the Drake passage.  Of course modern stabilizers help with that but do not entirely compensate for the shallow draught.  Modern expedition ships (and the old ocean liners) are/were built with much deeper draughts that provide significantly more stability.  So if you are looking for less port to starboard roll, consider an expedition ship.

 

 

 

) are 

 

[Ziggy99]

On 11/1/2023 at 7:19 PM, Starlight Durban Cruising said:

For those who have done one of the (sail-by) cruises on a larger ship e.g. Norwegian or similar, I have a few questions about Cabin Location and Drake SHAKE.

 

1. Were you in a cabin towards the front of the ship when you experienced Drake Shake?

2. Did it feel more "extreme" in such a cabin location in relation to rather being towards the middle of the ship (at time when not in cabin and perhaps elsewhere on the ship)?

 

We are a family of sea dogs (sailors) - the rougher the water the better - LOL, so haven't had "unwell" experiences in a range of sea conditions over the years. But I know that Drake Passage is in a league of its own if it turns to Drake Shake time. (We're going in February month, and have the same cabin booked as regular on NCL Star... (front - near casino - Don't ask !!! LOL).

 

 

In high seas you get a more comfortable ride further back from the bow, if it's a conventional design. It's simple physics.