First timer... situation

[Raptisoft]

Hi all...

Let me explain the situation. Wife and I decided to try something new and take a week's vacation in the Bahamas. To get there, we took the Balearia Bahamas Express ferry. Big mistake! Turns out wife and kids are very susceptible to seasickness... and the day we came over had 8-14 Ft seas. It was literally like the pirate ride at the carnival. I can't subject my family to that again.

To get back, we booked on the Bahamas Celebration cruise liner, which had a vacant midship interior cabin. Since then, I have been anxiously, almost obsessively watching wave height reports. Not enjoying vacation at all.

Can anyone tell me about the conditions within a ship like the Celebration's in 9-11 foot seas, with a 4-6 foot swell (Sunday night's forecast)? I think the big ship will be more stable (its about 550 Ft long), but I am worried that I will turn things into the ferry ride, but across 14 hours instead of three.

Dramamine not an option because of some medical conditions (son allergic to milk, wife breastfeeding).

Please help, we feel trapped here! Taking plane not an option, no vacancies.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Raptisoft

Hi all...

Let me explain the situation. Wife and I decided to try something new and take a week's vacation in the Bahamas. To get there, we took the Balearia Bahamas Express ferry. Big mistake! Turns out wife and kids are very susceptible to seasickness... and the day we came over had 8-14 Ft seas. It was literally like the pirate ride at the carnival. I can't subject my family to that again.

To get back, we booked on the Bahamas Celebration cruise liner, which had a vacant midship interior cabin. Since then, I have been anxiously, almost obsessively watching wave height reports. Not enjoying vacation at all.

Can anyone tell me about the conditions within a ship like the Celebration's in 9-11 foot seas, with a 4-6 foot swell (Sunday night's forecast)? I think the big ship will be more stable (its about 550 Ft long), but I am worried that I will turn things into the ferry ride, but across 14 hours instead of three.

Dramamine not an option because of some medical conditions (son allergic to milk, wife breastfeeding).

Please help, we feel trapped here! Taking plane not an option, no vacancies.

Paper bags? I mean, what do you think we can do, make the sea calm?

[Alecadi]

With big ship you will not have any problems. You will not even feel the movements of the boat

Try ginger. Very good for sea sickness. No problem with allergy or breast feeding.

[Alecadi]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Paper bags? I mean, what do you think we can do, make the sea calm?

Jedi, don't you have a stick with which you can strike the waters and make them disapeared?

[jdives]

Having had to administer to numerous crew incapacitated by seasickness I feel for your situation, its a really bad spot to be in. I hate to say it, but all things being equal if they are VERY sensitive to motion sickness you're better dealing with the pain for 3 hours rather than 14.

IF they can handle a moderate motion, by all means go with the larger ship - you'll still feel her moving but nothing at all like a ferry. In addition, if you have a cabin they will be able lay down and try to sleep. Sleep is the best (only?) cure for sea sickness once it takes hold of someone.

-Jack

[Kettlewell]

I think the OP is confusing this with a forum about being on cruise ships. This is a forum for people cruising on their own boats mostly--yachting, if you prefer.

But, depending on the conditions, even big vessels can get tossed around, though it is unusual. I've taken some trips across the Channel from England to France on the huge car ferries where the vessel was heaving and rolling pretty badly--I was the only one in the restaurant eating breakfast, hanging onto my tray with one hand to keep it from sliding off the table.

[Raptisoft]

Jedi, just wanted to know a bit about how bad it would be. If its going to be bad, we might opt to take the ferry, since that would be over in 2 hours of crossing the gulf stream... whereas the cruise ship is going to take 15 hours to cross the same distance.

[cfarrar]

Jedi, for someone who contributes to a Cruiser's Forum, you seem callously unsympathetic to the concerns of fellow Cruisers. Maybe instead of the snarky comments you could share something useful like Shuffleboard Strategies, Pina Colada recipes, or post-cruise diet regimes?

[Sailmonkey]

the ferry will bounce and heave....as you already know. The bigger ship, if it moves at all, will be a very slow and steady roll, with a few odd rolls thrown in.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by cfarrar

Jedi, for someone who contributes to a Cruiser's Forum, you seem callously unsympathetic to the concerns of fellow Cruisers. Maybe instead of the snarky comments you could share something useful like Shuffleboard Strategies, Pina Colada recipes, or post-cruise diet regimes?

Oh yes the shuffleboard, my favorite!

I have this secret backhand push while the ships rolls and pitches simultaneously. Can't beat it!

[MarkJ]

It could be terrible!

Those ships are not as big as they look. Especially when they are out at sea. But the seas look bigger when the seas are at sea. Massively bigger.

Hugely massively bigger than big and remember that channel between the Bahamas and Florida, well, its bigger than it looks! If the seas are bigger the ship can't cross, it just goes round and round in circles till the seas abate in a few days time. Hopefully it circles only for a few days... But it could be weeks out there, going back and forth in mountainous seas.

The only hope is the seas sickness drugs that, unfortunately, are suppositories. You know, you gotta ram them where the sun don't shine. and BIG. They are like those seas: HUGE!



I'd fly.

[Ramblingman]

This is a tough call but this might help decide;

Do they have the same issues on planes? If so you might want to skip the big ship.

As mentioned before - Ginger.

Look here;

altmedicine.about.com/od/healthconditionsdisease/a/motionsickness.htm

Google some other natural things too.

Once started, motion sickness is difficult to get over until your back on land and the horizon no longer moves.

[Raptisoft]

My apologies, everyone, I did think it was a cruise ship forum.

We are indeed in a miserable situation. We've been on smaller excursions without problems, but the Gulf Stream was well beyond our expectations. For what it's worth, the ferry advertises easy trips to the bahamas, but during the crossing more than three quarters of the passengers were vomiting the entire time.

[Capt.Alex]

You could always fly...problem solved

[Raptisoft]

Tried... Everything booked up-- unless we want to go to Europe first.