Is the water typically calm this time of the year in the Gulf and the Caribbean?

[lovemykids]

Just wondering. Don't know if I could handle really rough seas. :eek:

 

We are thinking of leaving out of Mobile or New Orleans. Probably Mobile cause it is closer to us.

 

Also does Bonine work well?

 

TIA!

[Cotton]

At this particular time of year, the Gulf is pretty calm on a normal day.

 

Bonine - ahhh, worked wonders for me on my last cruise a coupla weeks ago. Just take one prior to boarding, and one every day throughout the cruise.

[judyzoo]

Seems to me that, unless there's a hurricane lurking around, the waters in the Caribbean are pretty calm at all times of the year.

[Bunkie103]

I thought the currents in the Mississippi caused more motion than we had in the Gulf of Mexico. :eek:

[miclane001]

I've only been on two cruises but there was one night on each of them where we had choppy seas. Bonine worked great both times.

[northerner]

and where do you get it? I assume it is sea sick med. Do I just go to my local pharmacy? I asked and they had a dramimine generic, but that was all. Can I get it on the ship? Theresa :confused:

[chieft26]

I got bonine at my local drugstore, right off the counter. The generics seem to work just as well as the brand names.

[winewanderer]

You can get the bonine at the Purser's desk for free. But you might want to buy some dramamine and take 1 before you get on the ship just to be on the safe side.

[sstamm]

Bonine is available over the counter. The generic form is meclizine and is just as effective. (This is the same ingredient that is in the prescription medication Antivert). Generally it is felt that it is more effective than Dramamine and may cause less drowsiness.

 

Most pharmacies should have it where they have the dramamine. If not, ask the pharmacist!

 

If you know you get seasick, it would be good to start before boarding the ship, then take it regularly. Don't wait till you feel sick.

 

Good luck! :)

 

Shelley (pharmacist)

[MRIrene]

Here is a cool website that gives the wave heights and weather for the seas.

Ocean Weather

 

Irene

[Wairebear]

I have noticed that Eastern Caribbean is quite a bit more ruff then the Western Caribbean.

[starznmoon]

Do a lot of people get seasick? I've never been on the sea, first cruise...what are my odds that someone in the family will? Should I bring something for us or the kids??:confused:

[nrdsb4]

Seems to me that, unless there's a hurricane lurking around, the waters in the Caribbean are pretty calm at all times of the year.

 

 

Not necessarily. I just returned from a land based trip to St. Thomas. I met several Carnival cruisers one day at Coki beach. I was complaining that we had not gotten to snorkle even once yet because of rough waters and she told me that their cruise was so rough that they had cancelled the shows the prior night as well as all day excursions in St. Thomas. So it just depends. Last year we cruised Thanksgiving week and had beautifully still waters. You just never know.

[makayjean]

Just wondering. Don't know if I could handle really rough seas. :eek:

 

We are thinking of leaving out of Mobile or New Orleans. Probably Mobile cause it is closer to us.

 

Also does Bonine work well?

 

TIA!

 

I just returned from sailing out of NOLA on the Sensation last Monday. Around midnight and until we reached Calica on Wednesday morning, there was a tremendous amount of rocking...barf bags were placed at the elevators and many of the passengers and at least one crew member that i know of spent most of the day in their cabins.

 

I didnt have any problems..I take the Walmart Equate brand of motion sickness pills and wear sea bands

[cmez]

Just returned from the Conquest on 11/7. The gulf was pretty smooth, but the Caribbean was a little rough at times. We had an aft cabin, so I dont know if that makes a difference.

[codered]

We just returned from the 11/14 cruise on the Conquest out of New Orleans. We had rough seas the first 36-48 hrs. The Capt said it was due to a cold front. Many people were seasick and cabin-bound especially during the first at-sea day. Crew members said it was the worst they'd seen in quite some time. Fortunately my wife and I didn't get seasick. We brought along Dramamine a/k/a meclizine just in case. The downside of taking Dramamine is the drowsiness.

[I Luv Crusin]

We just returned from the 11/14 cruise on the Conquest out of New Orleans. We had rough seas the first 36-48 hrs. The Capt said it was due to a cold front. Many people were seasick and cabin-bound especially during the first at-sea day. Crew members said it was the worst they'd seen in quite some time. Fortunately my wife and I didn't get seasick. We brought along Dramamine a/k/a meclizine just in case. The downside of taking Dramamine is the drowsiness.

Don't the ships have stabilizers??? And use them? Our last cruise was on the Sensation out of Tampa skirting Isabel and I'm 99% sure that they used the stabilizers because I heard them come out and it made a noise the whole cruise but it wasn't too rough until coming back in to Tampa. The stabilizers came in(turned off or whatever) because it was quiet but the ship really rocked back and forth...........until the stabilizers came out again(with the noise) but the ship smoothed out.

This worries me but I've got some Dramamine and am getting Bonine!!!

[codered]

Conquest does have stabilizers and I'm quite sure they were in use. We were encountering 30 knot winds (I think that equates to around 40 mph) so I suppose even the stabilizers have their limitations. I think our experience was an anomaly. We've never seen such rough water for so long in our prior cruises.

[sme]

We were on ms Zandaam last December and followed a tropical storm that rocked us pretty good :eek: . Seasoned travellers (it was our first) said it was unusual to feel the seas like we did. Unless there is another freak late storm it should be great.

 

17 days til the Truimph!!!

 

 

ms Zandaam December 04

[L2J]

http://members.dsli.com/schooner/triumph/

 

Happy Trails.

[kfgarrow]

Do a lot of people get seasick? I've never been on the sea, first cruise...what are my odds that someone in the family will? Should I bring something for us or the kids??:confused:

 

On a normal cruise, very few people get seasick. Most of the time you will barely be able to tell that the ship is moving. However, there are areas that are prone to more motion. Some examples: Sailing down the east coast of Florida you can sometimes feel more motion until you get into the Caribbean sea. There is more motion on the Mississippi River until you get into the Gulf. Bermuda cruises in the Atlantic have more motion, etc. If you hit a front with winds or larger than normal waves, you can sometimes feel lots of motion. I'm not talking hurricane here, just routine storms.

 

What to do? Come prepared. Bonine is cheap and can be purchased at any drug store. I get mine at Wal-Mart. Take one pill the night before the cruise and every night thereafter. No problems, even if you are motion sensitive. If you get your sea legs and feel great onboard, stop taking the bonine and see what happens. You probably don't need it under normal conditions.

 

I took bonine on our Pride cruise and the last night we experienced 30-40 foot swells. The ship was rockin' but we had not troubles.

[Shiiilo]

Hi,

 

We just got back from our cruise to mexico out of New Orleans. We did have rough seas unfortunately. I am not sure if this is common at this time of the year because this was our first cruise. My husband ended up gettting the needle on board and my mom missed the entire time of formal night due to seasickness. Judging by the empty tables I suspect that a few people were sick. Once we docked they got much better and we enjoyed the rest of our trip. One thing to mention is that of the 10 of us, 4 of us were still experiencing rocking feelings 3 days after getting off the boat. Although by Dr recommended against the patch because it can make you so drowsy I think I would never leave again without one. Another couple recommended sharing one patch between two people.

Still a great time though :).

[runner1909]

Does bonine make one drowsy? That's what I don't like about dramamine. I have been wearing sea bands and they work well, but thought I should also have a back up plan. I've never gotten sick in 6 cruises, though.

[1tonysmom]

Bonine generally will not make you drowsy. I have stocked up on it, as we are leaving this Saturday. Only 3 days til our Glory-ous cruise! Happy Cruising.

 

Joanne :D

[stinger]

Best thing to do is ask your pharmacist or doctor. We just returned from a 5 day trip to the W. Carribean on 11/13. The seas where pretty rough the second, third, and really bad the fourth night. In fact on that Tuesday night people had a hard time standing on the deck during the party that night.

 

Before we left our pharmacist recomended meclizine that is non-perscription pill that he had in the back and not out in the store. It worked for us on our first cruise.