Straight from a ship engineer!

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

Thank you Thank you!

 

 

Your most welcome, hope it works for you! ;)

 

***

[exarolf]

So THAT'S why the Majesty was rocking and rolling all the time! I would've had a better vacation (in the early morning) had they used the stablizers and I probably would've rated the vacation higher than I did.

 

It seemed that EVERY morning, I woke up sick. At first, I thought it was because I drank too much the night before, but I don't normally drink to excess, so I cut back (and even went dry one night). The result was the same -- I didn't sleep well and I felt sick the following morning.

 

After my shower, my stomach seemed to calm down, but that certainly is abnormal. Now I know why!

majesty - your sig shows Freedom sails ??????

[nrdsb4]

Thank you Thank you!

 

The bracelet shown in the link is not the same one my husband used, but it appears to be the same concept, just different brand.

 

Good luck.

[BobandBrenda]

Why are we being charged a Fuel Surcharge and also have Stabilizers not in use? Then what is the use of the Fuel Charge?

 

I dont get it.

 

 

Brenda and Bob

Peoria,AZ

[exarolf]

Why are we being charged a Fuel Surcharge and also have Stabilizers not in use? Then what is the use of the Fuel Charge?

I dont get it.

Peoria,AZ

Fuel surcharge is not tied to use of stabilizers. Fuel surcharge is a nifty way for companies to recoup losses of profit due to rising energy rates. And at the SAME time, make a hefty profit (by overcharging - there's no law that says they must only charge the increase). I have no issue with it - because that is what businesses do - if they can get away with it, and the competition goes along.

 

Look at Resort fees at hotels (they never used to exist), or recently, luggage restrictions (2nd bag $25).

 

Once it's done, there's no turning back.

 

Now as for stabilizers, don't get me started :cool:

[Firefighterhoop]

I am almost sure that on my Jewel cruise in January in the eastern Carib that stabilizers were never on. At first I thought it was because we were experiencing our first aft cabin but I overheard others in the elevators.

Regardless of the drag they create, RCI still owes their passengers a calm ride. I noticed the motion alot in the diningroom each night. Anyone else cruise on Jewel on 1-26? I would be curious to hear your opinion!

 

 

I was on the 2 cruises prior, and felt nothing out of the ordinary.

 

A lot of people think that stabilizers will stop all movement. NOPE. They HELP REDUCE the SIDE TO SIDE motion of the ship. They do NOTHING about the front to back motion.

 

You are on a ship, there will be movement! My guess is if the Stabilizers need to be out, they will still use them, but if they don't they won't!

[Firefighterhoop]

Why are we being charged a Fuel Surcharge and also have Stabilizers not in use? Then what is the use of the Fuel Charge?

 

I dont get it.

 

 

Brenda and Bob

Peoria,AZ

 

 

If you look at cruise prices over the last 3 or 4 years, they haven't gone up that much, but gas has gone up about 200-250%

[Trainman-2]

The Captain of the ship is like the manager of a city that both floats and moves.

 

He has to keep costs down to avoid raising taxes (fares) yet still keep all of the people in the city (on the ship) happy.

 

Every decision the Captain makes is a compromise between pleasing his customers and holding down costs.

 

The cost of gasoline for my car has quadrupled over the last several years and the cost of a cruise has not!

 

I have no complaints!

[cookiersmom]

I have never heard of the electronic bracelet before - I am assuming those are different than the ones that you buy at the drugstore...if so, where can one be found? Thanks so much!

 

I, for one, do get seasick on just about any boat or ship. However, with the "patch" (scopalomine) which is prescription from your Dr., I never have an issue. It works much better than dramamine, and the only side effect is feeling a bit woozy for a day or two after back on land, and removing it! LOL

 

Even my DH, who "never" gets seasick found that our day in Hurricane Otis, he used one of my patches, and it helped him a lot. (Oh, to be perfectly honest, our Hurricane Otis day, even with the patch, I eventually gave in to the sickness!)

 

But, to the point of the original thread, I DO expect a smooth sail, as much as possible, and if there really were an intentional decision to reduce previous levels of passenger comfort for cost cutting (fuel savings for RCCL is NOT a green issue, it is a cost issue, never forget that), I would be most upset. RCCL is not hurting. As was posted on another thread on this board

 

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL) announced record net income for the fourth quarter 2007 of $70.8 million, or 33 cents per share, compared to $46.6 million, or 22 cents per share, in 2006. The company said revenues were better than expected, driven by stronger close-in bookings

 

So, RCCL is not losing money over all us "not so sea worthy" sailors that cruise BECAUSE it has been made comfortable for even those who might toss our cookies on a fishing boat. They are making plenty of profit for their shareholders.

 

JMHO

[nrdsb4]

I, for one, do get seasick on just about any boat or ship. However, with the "patch" (scopalomine) which is prescription from your Dr., I never have an issue. It works much better than dramamine, and the only side effect is feeling a bit woozy for a day or two after back on land, and removing it! LOL

 

Even my DH, who "never" gets seasick found that our day in Hurricane Otis, he used one of my patches, and it helped him a lot. (Oh, to be perfectly honest, our Hurricane Otis day, even with the patch, I eventually gave in to the sickness!)

 

But, to the point of the original thread, I DO expect a smooth sail, as much as possible, and if there really were an intentional decision to reduce previous levels of passenger comfort for cost cutting (fuel savings for RCCL is NOT a green issue, it is a cost issue, never forget that), I would be most upset. RCCL is not hurting. As was posted on another thread on this board

 

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL) announced record net income for the fourth quarter 2007 of $70.8 million, or 33 cents per share, compared to $46.6 million, or 22 cents per share, in 2006. The company said revenues were better than expected, driven by stronger close-in bookings

 

So, RCCL is not losing money over all us "not so sea worthy" sailors that cruise BECAUSE it has been made comfortable for even those who might toss our cookies on a fishing boat. They are making plenty of profit for their shareholders.

 

JMHO

 

If that is your only side effect, then the patch has worked exactly as it was intended to work for you. However, the list of possible adverse effects that the patch can cause is significant. Some people have experienced some serious effects and a lot of people have come onto cruise critic message boards to report multiple troublesome side effects.

 

Personally, I would only use the patch as a last resort, i.e. I'd tried everything else first with no success. Non-pharmaceutical relief is usually your best bet if it works because every drug you put in your body comes with a price. That's just MHO, even as a health care worker who administers drugs daily. Anyone with severe sea-sickness problems should investigate this option and of course read the fine print with regard to all the possible side effects. After you understand the risks, then you can make an informed decision.

[MrsCruise2007]

If that is your only side effect, then the patch has worked exactly as it was intended to work for you. However, the list of possible adverse effects that the patch can cause is significant. Some people have experienced some serious effects and a lot of people have come onto cruise critic message boards to report multiple troublesome side effects.

 

Personally, I would only use the patch as a last resort, i.e. I'd tried everything else first with no success. Non-pharmaceutical relief is usually your best bet if it works because every drug you put in your body comes with a price. That's just MHO, even as a health care worker who administers drugs daily. Anyone with severe sea-sickness problems should investigate this option and of course read the fine print with regard to all the possible side effects. After you understand the risks, then you can make an informed decision.

 

That is my worry about the patch - I have heard some people use it and have amazing success and others use it and get extremely ill...I am really petite and would worry that since it's a set prescription for everyone that it would knock me for a loop...I would really like to try it but I guess I am fairly worried about what could happen as a result....I wish I was just born with my darn SEA LEGS like the rest of my family who have absolutely no issues at all!

[FreewayFortune]

I'm one of those people who has no issue with sea sickness at all. Sometimes when the ship is really rolling I have problems with my balance but that's nothing too serious. But I have to say when I cruised on Liberty last month the ship was so smooth I often forgot we were even moving. But when I got back to dry land I felt like I was on a moving ship for a few days.

[Dolphins]

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

 

They owe you a cruise, not a calm ride.

 

My goodness......

 

I disagree. If they advertise modern cruise ships equipped with stabilizers to provide a calmer ride, than that is what they should provide. If they make you sick after adding their fuel surcharge, they are adding injury to insult.

[alexkrn46]

I told my husband about this thread. I thought he made a good point, now they are charging for a supplemental fuel charge, what are we paying for if they pull in the stablizers?

 

Also to the people who like the roll there are other ships that don't have stablizers cruise on them. I agree the advertise that they will do everything to min the motion of the ship, they should do what they can.

[nrdsb4]

That is my worry about the patch - I have heard some people use it and have amazing success and others use it and get extremely ill...I am really petite and would worry that since it's a set prescription for everyone that it would knock me for a loop...I would really like to try it but I guess I am fairly worried about what could happen as a result....I wish I was just born with my darn SEA LEGS like the rest of my family who have absolutely no issues at all!

 

If it's any comfort, my husband is VERY prone to sea sickness and the electronic bands worked like a charm. You could add insurance by taking bonine (check with your doctor if you are on multiple routine meds) at bedtime every night (begin before the cruise).

 

You will be able to manage your seasickness, you just have to be a bit proactive rather than reactive.

[Desertbelle]

....

Also to the people who like the roll there are other ships that don't have stablizers cruise on them. ...

 

You are actually suggesting that if I like to CRUISE in a SHIP on an OCEAN and I like the ROLL, I should not cruise Royal Caribbean??? Perhaps, if you don't enjoy the ROLL of a SHIP on the OCEAN you should stay on LAND!!

 

What could possibly be the draw of a cruise vacation if you don't like the feel of being on the water?

[madforcruising]

I am glad to read the information on the stablizers. I was on Carnival Ecstasy in June 2006. We had a room at the front of the ship and just felt some minor vibrations. I was on Royal Caribbean Voyager for the April 6, 2008 cruise. Again we had a room at the front of the ship and we bounced all week. I thought a larger, newer ship would be more stable, but we could feel the bounce throughout the ship especially as we got into an afternoon storm. I'm glad to have some explanation for it. Have a great day!

 

 

Stability has nothing to do with size. Actually some of the huge modern cruise ships will show much more movement with stabilizers and all such features than some of the real small ships from ages ago, especially those built for sailing the rough seas of the Atlantic.

 

Part of the deal is that modern ships have a reduced draft but a tremendous squarefootage above the waterline.

[MrsCruise2007]

If it's any comfort, my husband is VERY prone to sea sickness and the electronic bands worked like a charm. You could add insurance by taking bonine (check with your doctor if you are on multiple routine meds) at bedtime every night (begin before the cruise).

 

You will be able to manage your seasickness, you just have to be a bit proactive rather than reactive.

 

It definitely is a comfort to know that people have had great success with the bands - I got a link from someone else about a digital one and I definitely think I am going to give it a whirl..and back it up with Bonine just in case! Thanks so much - :D

[cookiersmom]

You are actually suggesting that if I like to CRUISE in a SHIP on an OCEAN and I like the ROLL, I should not cruise Royal Caribbean??? Perhaps, if you don't enjoy the ROLL of a SHIP on the OCEAN you should stay on LAND!!

 

What could possibly be the draw of a cruise vacation if you don't like the feel of being on the water?

 

We don't cruise to feel the ocean! We cruise because we love all sorts of things about cruising. We like going to multiple places and having to only unpack once. We like meeting people at our table at fixed dining. We like the service. We like the food. We like all the exotic ports we have been to. We like the sea days as a time to relax, lay by the pool, and read. We like bingo, trivia, and other fun games. We like the shows. We like spending some time in a casino without being in Vegas.

 

GOSH, there are LOTS of reasons we go on a cruise, and not one of them has to do with the motion of the ocean!!

 

As said previously, with the patch, I don't mind it a whole bunch, but for years after our first cruise (before patches) we didn't cruise, because I did not like the constant woozy feeling. It is unthinkable that the growth of the cruise industry in the last 25 years would have happened if the only target market were couples or families that had no one who suffered from motion sickness.

[nrdsb4]

We don't cruise to feel the ocean! We cruise because we love all sorts of things about cruising. We like going to multiple places and having to only unpack once. We like meeting people at our table at fixed dining. We like the service. We like the food. We like all the exotic ports we have been to. We like the sea days as a time to relax, lay by the pool, and read. We like bingo, trivia, and other fun games. We like the shows. We like spending some time in a casino without being in Vegas.

 

GOSH, there are LOTS of reasons we go on a cruise, and not one of them has to do with the motion of the ocean!!

 

As said previously, with the patch, I don't mind it a whole bunch, but for years after our first cruise (before patches) we didn't cruise, because I did not like the constant woozy feeling. It is unthinkable that the growth of the cruise industry in the last 25 years would have happened if the only target market were couples or families that had no one who suffered from motion sickness.

 

Maybe so, but you can't have one without the other. The ship is sailing on the ocean, and while stabilizers can reduce the impact, they cannot eliminate it. Not to mention, if you hit a storm, you're going to bounce around, possbily a lot. Even WITH stabilizers. So while you may not like feeling the motion of the ocean, it definitely comes with the territory, stabilizers or not.

[Dolphins]

You are actually suggesting that if I like to CRUISE in a SHIP on an OCEAN and I like the ROLL, I should not cruise Royal Caribbean??? Perhaps, if you don't enjoy the ROLL of a SHIP on the OCEAN you should stay on LAND!!

 

What could possibly be the draw of a cruise vacation if you don't like the feel of being on the water?

 

Most people don't go on a cruise because they enjoy the roll of the ship. If that's the main reason you go on a cruise, you may have been living in the dessert too long. Most of us cruise because it provides a complete, relatively inexpensive (compared to a Las Vegas resort) vacation, with good meals, entertainment, interesting ports and a chance to escape winter weather under a palm tree. While dining, dancing and watching shows on board, we appreciate a minimum of motion, and so does the crew and the entertainers. If you enjoy motion, go to an amusement park.

[Sky Sweet]

Stability has nothing to do with size. Actually some of the huge modern cruise ships will show much more movement with stabilizers and all such features than some of the real small ships from ages ago, especially those built for sailing the rough seas of the Atlantic.

 

Part of the deal is that modern ships have a reduced draft but a tremendous squarefootage above the waterline.

 

Hi madforcruising :)

 

I agree with you. We took our first cruise during the seventies on a ship that was only 33,000 tons but it handled rough seas better than most modern mega ships. That is because it was built as an ocean liner while most modern ships are built as cruise ships. With the exception of Cunard, which still builds ocean liners, I can't think of any other cruise line that currently does.

[Aquahound]

I agree with you. We took our first cruise during the seventies on a ship that was only 33,000 tons but it handled rough seas better than most modern mega ships. That is because it was built as an ocean liner while most modern ships are built as cruise ships. With the exception of Cunard, which still builds ocean liners, I can't think of any other cruise line that currently does.

 

You are correct, as is madforcruising. Just because a ship is bigger doesn't mean it rides better. The higher up you put a swimming pool, the more the ship will role. Freedom Class, for example, are the biggest cruise ships in the World. But deck eleven has three large pools, huge H2O zone, and a handful of jacuzzis. Deck 13 has the Flowrider. This causes a lot of free-surface effect.

[rt1092]

This is from someone that has worked on the ocean for 40 years. The stabilizers help some they don't help much.

Ships will still roll.

[cruzincurt]

I disagree. If they advertise modern cruise ships equipped with stabilizers to provide a calmer ride, than that is what they should provide. If they make you sick after adding their fuel surcharge, they are adding injury to insult.

 

"Calmer ride" compared to what? My wife gets car sick if she rides in the backseat. It's all a matter of perspective. Some people get sea sick because they think they will, IMO.

 

It's a ship floating on the ocean.