Calmest waters?

[mrandmrscruiser]

Hi,

My husband and I are looking into booking our very first cruise. I tend to get motion sick in cars so I am terribly nervous about how I will be on a cruise ship. I know I have heard that you cant really know what waters will be calm since it depends on the weather.etc. . . But I was wondering if anyone knows if there is any cruise that is more likely to be calmest waters? I know there is no guarantee but just wondering what the best chance of that was? We were thinking bahamas or Mexico?? DH wants to eventually go on a Alaska cruise, how is the water in alaska?

 

Thanks!

[Sheffie]

I have been to neither Alaska nor the Bahamas, but have traveled some in the Puget Sound area and up farther north. The waters there are very protected and were not rough.

 

The following is just my observation:

I have found that cruises that go out into the Atlantic are more apt to be rougher than those that stay in the Caribbean.

 

That being said, I know many people who get carsick and don't get sick on a ship unless the water is VERY rough. Those big beast have stabilizers that help keep them from pitching a lot. There are remedies that can help keep you from getting seasick, also.

 

Have fun planning. I am sure you will love cruising once you get on that beautiful ship.

[cruiserking]

Hi,

My husband and I are looking into booking our very first cruise. I tend to get motion sick in cars so I am terribly nervous about how I will be on a cruise ship. I know I have heard that you cant really know what waters will be calm since it depends on the weather.etc. . . But I was wondering if anyone knows if there is any cruise that is more likely to be calmest waters? I know there is no guarantee but just wondering what the best chance of that was? We were thinking bahamas or Mexico?? DH wants to eventually go on a Alaska cruise, how is the water in alaska?

 

Thanks!

 

 

Certainly during a Caribbean Cruise most of the time the ocean is very calm. An Alaskan Cruise as well would include calm seas during the inside passage portion. However, you may well encounter rough seas during the Atlantic Ocean section from Florida to the Caribbean or during the initial departure from Vancouver or Seattle for Alaska.

 

Have you considered a river cruise? There are several in Europe. Or you may consider the Queen Mary 2 to the Caribbean out of New York City. She handles rough seas like a champion, you might still rock a bit but, much less than a cruise ship.

 

Jonathan

[Travelcat2]

Alaska inside passage is definitely calm (many cruise lines do Vancouver to Seward -- 7 night cruise -- no need to go out of Seattle where there is rough water).

 

Also, there are so many things that prevent seasickness. At one time we could get seasick looking at a ship bobbing up and down. We use an electronic band and back it up with 1/4 of a Bonine. Works perfectly!

[noobcruiser]

We just cruised alaska (7 night seattle round trip) on NCL and found it to be very smooth. My wife didn't feel the need to take meds whatsoever.

[cb at sea]

There's no way to predict what the seas will do. It could be smooth as glass today, and be kicking up a storm tomorrow....there is no one area that is ALWAYS calm! Even the Great Lakes have sunk ships!!!! (Don't worry, you won't sink!!!)

Unless the seas are over 8 ft. or so, you really don't notice it much, but you should take some sort of meds....for PREVENTION! Once you start feeling bad, it's hard to correct!

[lman2b]

Thats such a tough one. My family and one other family went on a 4-day Disney cruise in November '04 in the Caribbean - Nassau and Castaway Cay. We took the "patches" from the doctor, I have no idea what meds they were. On the bus to the ship, 3 of us adults put the patches behind our ears and not long after embarking we were all sick. The other mother who did not put the patch on was fine. Within maybe 5-6 hours after leaving we took them off and felt fine again. It was crazy, the patches made us sick!

 

But, my husband and I still had a difficult time with sickness, him much worse than I was. It just made me somewhat queasy a few times, especially while eating breakfast and the ship was visibly rocking. It was somewhat of a mental thing with me, I had to try to ignore it and just not think about it. My husband gets very car sick, he can't read in any way or he'll be sick. He had a hard time on the ship and had to lay down a few times.

 

I'm leary of booking a 7 day as I'm scared how he will do. I did read a long time ago that the Eastern Caribbean might be much more pitchy than the Western one.

 

You won't know until you try it, so you might want to go for a shorter one to start out with in case its bad and you'll know then for the future.

[kitty9]

I've been on 2 Alaska cruises and at least one day on both cruises had very rough waters. Don't cruise the Caribbean in summer because of hurricane season. Even though the hurricane could be hundreds of miles away, the seas could still be very rough. The Pacific can be quite rough, especially out of Acapulco to San Diego. We've had some pretty rough seas in the Pacific. You might want to consider a cruise around Hawaii. You're never that far away from the islands so it could be pretty calm.

[Keith1010]

As you suspected you have received many different opinions. And part of the reason is because the waters are different even the same waters.

 

My recommendation is Alaska but round trip from Vancouver; an inside passage cruise.

 

I would also book early and secure a cabin that is mid ship where you are less apt to feel the rough seas than say being quite forward on the ship.

 

A lower deck is good too.

 

If you get motion sickness consider some remedies such as something such as Bonine which is sold over the counter. The key is to take one before you feel sick so I would take one the day you board the ship. Read the instructions carefully. Another option is to talk with your doctor about getting a prescription for the patch but again know what the side affects will be such as a dry mouth for many people. Others find taking ginger either by tablet or buy chewing on some ginger is very helpful.

 

Keith

[hannibal54]

I have cruised to Alaska, Bahama's and Mexico. On the Alaska cruise we encounter large swells that gave us a rocking motion.. Last year we did a Mexico cruise out of L. A., our visit to Catalina Island was canceled due to the seas so we just rocked and rolled out at sea all day. My GF got a little quisey but nothing too bad. We also took a Western Caribbean cruise. On the way back from Belize we hit some really rough water where the pool level would drop 4 feet at one end causing the other end to rise 4 feet. My GF and a buddy of mine were laid up in the cabins all day sick. A lot of passengers and crew were sick, this lasted all day long. I have been on other cruises where the seas are perfect. Having served 4 years in the US Navy on an aircraft carrier the seas don't bother me. Even a bad day at sea is better than being at home. Enjoy.

[mrandmrscruiser]

Thanks everyone!! Thats what I figured, a different answer from everyone! Lol. Thats ok, I think what I am hearing is to stay away from the atlantic and go more toward the carribean & the interior passage to alaska. Sounds about right to me.

I dont fly so a cruise on the river in Europe is out of the question for us.