What is the calmest time of year to cross the Atlantic?

[jnnifer01]

What is the calmest time to cross the Atlantic (if there is one)? My dh has family in England and we would love to visit together. Since I gave up flying, the QM2 seems to be our answer (we'd have to do QM2 there and back, spending a couple of weeks in England). I do get a bit of motion sickness (sometimes), so this would make a difference to me as to when we would go. (I also carry a mobile pharmacy onboard in the event of illness) ;)

[jbailey]

You probably will want to select your cabin low in the ship and as close to the middle as you can get. The ride will feel the smoothest there. In any case, since the ship is so large and the movement slow, you may not get sick anyway.

 

Probably late spring or summer would be your best bet for weather.

[Richard Schmidt]

What is the calmest time to cross the Atlantic (if there is one)? My dh has family in England and we would love to visit together. Since I gave up flying, the QM2 seems to be our answer (we'd have to do QM2 there and back, spending a couple of weeks in England). I do get a bit of motion sickness (sometimes), so this would make a difference to me as to when we would go. (I also carry a mobile pharmacy onboard in the event of illness) ;)

I crossed on the QE2 in late September last year, and the sea was very quiet. That's no guarantee, of course. I am crossing in her again this December, and am hoping for heavier seas just to have more of a North Atlantic "feel" to the trip. I am lucky in that I don't get seasick. The advice about the cabin (low and midships) is good. You'll do fine. Have a great trip!

[mtbny7]

Why did you give up flying? A bad experience with an airline?

 

Michael

NYC

[jnnifer01]

I gave up flying because it wasn't worth the trauma. The more I fly, the worse I get, so I gave it up.

[Maryandi]

I gave up flying, too. After the small plane (10 pax) did a complete 360 in the air - no more tempting fate for me.

 

 

Taking the QM2 next Oct ('05) and no flying back, etc.

 

To answer your ???-the smoothest transatlantic will be the week before your cruise !!

[jnnifer01]

Yikes, wowzo. I think I would call it quits after that, too.

[juneann]

We crossed on the QM2 on July 5th and it was like a pond...not a white cap in sight. I was thrilled.

[Druke I]

Sea state is always a crapshoot.

 

Have crossed the Atlantic several times - and worst was late Aug 02, on Golden Princess, when we hit two large Atlantic storms, with 30 ft seas.

 

The ship was really bouncing about, and several windows along Prom deck shattered due to ship's flexing. We had bow-slap spray raining down on our balcony up on Caribe Deck (deck 10).

 

Crossed once Eastbound in March, and seas were very calm.

[Terri Lee]

I have sailed 3 times across the Atlantic in the Spring and found the sea like glass.Never had any problems.Mind you,the course was in the southern Atlantic.I would never sail in the northern Atlantic,much too unpredictable IMHO.

 

Terri;)

[cruisr]

Hi,

 

I have crossed 8 times. 7 on the QE2 and once on QM2. The QM2 crossing was the Maiden Voyage into NYC 16 April - 22 April. We had gale force 10 winds and 40 foot waves and it was GREAT. The ship handled so well. That being said, the 25 April crossing was like glass. I've also crossed in July, Aug & Sept and have had mostly calm/slight swell, but you NEVER can predict the Atlantic Ocean.

 

There are 26 crossings next year, so you'll have lots of choices on when you want to go and when youwant to come back. Whenever, you'll love it.

Bon voyage

[JPEvans]

Here's a site that you can check up on the predictions of the waves in the Atlantic before you sail. I checked it out before I went on the Tandem Crossing. And knew that it was going to be pretty much smooth the whole way. I was hoping to see what the QM2 was made of.

 

https://www.fnmoc.navy.mil/PUBLIC/WAM/all_natl.html

 

J.P.

[QE2 fan]

Like you I do not fly, but always wanted to visit the USA. For years I was put off from crossing by sea by stories of very rough Atlantic crossings. However, when it was anoounced that 2003 was QE2's last transatlantic season, I finally decided to go for it. We sailed from Southampton on 19th of June and made the return trip on 22nd July 2003. It was completely calm in both directions. I've had much worse weather in the Mediterranean. I think June and July are about the best time to cross. By August you can be affected by hurricanes. Also I've heard of some very rough crossing sin May.

[DocM3]

Oh dear! We are booked for May next year - I don't like the idea of a rough crossing - I'll keep my fingers crossed.

[MollyBrown]

I think it's really impossible to say when the Atlantic is more likely to be calm, although perhaps there's a greater chance in the summer.

 

I worried about rough seas, and that's what I got. So rough that I view the experience as a kind of initiation. Now I know you can never know what to expect, so you prepare for everything. Rough seas can be unnerving, and of course can make everyone sick, but there's a certain element of adventure to them as well. They add to the romantic nature of life at sea.

[ridealot58]

My fear of flying is getting worse also the two Xanax two wine trick didn't work so well last flight from Ireland severe turbulence over the open ocean had me gripping the seat so hard my hands hurt for days. You do not want to sit near me .lol

[loubetti]

Hi,

 

I have crossed 8 times. 7 on the QE2 and once on QM2. The QM2 crossing was the Maiden Voyage into NYC 16 April - 22 April. We had gale force 10 winds and 40 foot waves and it was GREAT. The ship handled so well. That being said, the 25 April crossing was like glass. I've also crossed in July, Aug & Sept and have had mostly calm/slight swell, but you NEVER can predict the Atlantic Ocean.

 

There are 26 crossings next year, so you'll have lots of choices on when you want to go and when youwant to come back. Whenever, you'll love it.

Bon voyage

 

Ah! We were on the same crossing! However that did not stop my girlfriend from throwing up at the Commodore Club one evening! She gave me a warning, I went up to the bar, and they did not even have barf bags or anything else available. "Oh well, you guys clean it up"!

 

I don't get sea sick, and have been on QE2 and QM2 on rough TAs. Otherwise, try the Summer months.

 

Otherwise, crossing the North Atlantic can be a crap shoot, but Summer is usually better.

 

By the way, I love it when it is rough, you get the ship more to yourself!

[kruznkanuk]

We've crossed 7 or 8 times and the QM2 is so large and well designed that even in 15 meter (48 feet) seas and gale winds there was very little movement. We've had far rougher seas in the Caribbean, Baja California, Hawaii and Mediterranean than on transatlantics. And far rougher on other large ships than on the Cunard liners. No guarantees of course, and a lower deck mid-ship or aft is smoother, but don't worry and go for it. We love the QM2's sheltered balconies on decks 5 or so--great value, open air and convenient to the public areas. And smoooooooooth sailing!:D