WHATS THE ABSOLUTE WORST WEATHER YOU EVER SAILED INTO?

Our fist cruise was out of Tampa in late August 2008. There was hurricane on the go in western Caribbean at the time. The captain skirted the edge of the hurricane trying to avoid the storm which he did very well. We did the ports of call in a different order but at times we were in some choppy seas with a little sway which made it a tad hard to walk in a straight line. Some passengers were a bit sick and mops and pails were on the go in the main areas of the ship. This lasted for nearly 2 days but the cruise was completed without any major incidents.

Back on October 28 of 2012 we boarded the NCL Jewel for a 7 day Bahamas cruise out of NYC and got out of port 2 hours before it was closed for hurricane Sandy. The captain sailed straight south as fast as the ship could and squeezed between the coast and Sandy. It was an interesting night and I can recall laying in bed at 2am and the ship rolling to one side to the point I was going to roll out of bed and just at that point roll the other way where i was about to roll out of bed. According to the captain the next day we had encountered 30 ft seas. All outer decks were closed and it was raining very hard but was still able to step out onto the balcony. There were a few chairs thrown around and a few of the rails on the walk above the pool broke and there was a huge mess in the duty free shop but other than that there were no injuries or serious damage.

Big waves on the ms Zaandam

In January 2016, my family took a cruise on Liberty of the Seas. It was great, but we hit a cold front with strong winds and high seas on the way back. I'd estimate the seas were about 40 feet and we were driving in to them for the entire day.

We bounced around pretty good, but no real problems. They showed the movie Sully in the theatre. The motion added a whole new dimension to the film!

For the most part, the cruises we have been on have avoided difficult weather, missed many a port due to such though. So can't say we have seen "rough" at all. One time on the North Atlantic, back in 1997, we had two or three days of heavy swell, but that was about it. Coincidentally, in late September and October last year, we were on a cruise where giant storms were all around us, but the Captain circumvented them all, so the end result was just trying to avoid sun stroke. I.e.

"Cruise lines love to give romantic titles to their cruises, this one was "Havana Dreams, Panama Scenes". I suggest that it should have been the "Hurricane Dodger", LOL. When we left Anchorage, AK we were keeping an eye on a dying hurricane out in the Pacific off the Baja Peninsula in Mexico which had doubled back toward the mainland. Then we heard about Hurricane Michael moving into the Gulf of Mexico, which was likely to prevent us from visiting Cuba.

Survived those okay and had an enjoyable visit in Cuba and the countryside there, a great transit of the canal on a beautiful day all the way but then, five days after the canal, we returned to the ship after touring Acapulco, Mexico and found a letter from the captain on our bed explaining that a big, already Cat 5, hurricane was dead ahead of us, Hurricane Willa, with possible 40 foot seas and another smaller one coming up from the south toward our present position at the time. In order to put some distance between us and Willa we turned southwest for a day or so then northwest. Eight days sailing non-stop between North America and Maui, 3800 miles, instead of the scheduled six days to cross from San Diego. Our captain had chosen the most prudent course of action which was to bypass the planned ports of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on Tuesday and San Diego on Thursday and instead spend those days at sea navigating our course far away from the storm systems, with a new arrival into Kahului, Maui one day earlier than planned so an overnight stay was added. On the way across the Pacific we learned of Typhoon Yutu, which was the largest yet in 2018, it had just hit Saipan and Tinian on the other side of the Pacific from our location. At that time the Accumulated Cyclone Energy, or "ACE," was by far the highest ever recorded, or using that criterion, it was the worst hurricane season on record since records began early in the 19th century.

Our extra sea days were due to weather situations, the longest number of those we have experienced was nine and that was also due to an accident, a lady compound fractured her ankle so we had to turn back in order to get her off the ship for medical attention. All total we canceled two port visits due Willa, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and San Diego, Ca, plus one port canceled at the last minute due to political unrest, Nicaragua. Out of that we gained two more "At Sea Days" and another day and a night in Kahului, Maui."

The worst weather I have had on a cruise was in April 1998 on RCI Song Of America. in Puerto Vallarta Mexico before we left the port the Captain got on the P.A. "Welcome back aboard, Tonight we will be going through a storm, My I suggest staying in your cabin tonight, Room service can deliver your dinner and we have a selection of movies on your in cabin TV. If you do not need to be out of your cabin tonight I'd suggest you stay in your cabin".

We went to dinner in the MDR, it was about 75% empty. The clubs were also just about empty. When the ship started pitching and rolling bad I headed back to my cabin. I did wake up being rolled out of bed, had to grab hold of the bed rail to keep from falling on the floor. It was a fun cruise.

We were on the constellation in 2002 and had 25/30 foot seas. It was a little rough. Once sailing in Alaska the We pulled out of Glacier Bay and were to do College fjord the next day. Around 12 Captain announced their was a storm coming in with winds of 80 to 100 miles an hour. He put us into Whittier about the time the storm hit and we were safely tied up.

Sometimes I just don't get some people that expect smooth sailing and calm seas all of the time. Like, hey people .. hey .. your at sea .. things happen .. waters get rough sometimes .. weather happens and is unpredictable .. welcome to the real world. These same people that complain about some rough seas are the ones addicted to reality TV at home. Personally, I think they just like the drama.

Mind you the cruise lines do go to a lot of expense and trouble to show and promote these beautiful trouble free floating paradise vacations but all one has to do is to remember ... you are on a (by comparison) small floating thing in the middle of a huge sea.

Relax and enjoy the ride ... whatever that may entail.

Can't say we've ever been in a flat out hurricane, but over the years we've managed to get caught in what a dirt expert like me would call rough. The bridge info on tv would report wave heights, sea conditions, real and apparent wind over the deck etc. Im not afflicted by seasickness, and fortunately neither is she. Hard to enjoy much of anything when your gills are green. Depending on the ship, we usually wind up in a lounge with a good view of the ocean.

Having said that, modern technology has made the weather quite predictable. Not perfect, but close enough, especially at sea. The difference there is whatever the Captain thinks is the right balance between passenger comfort and maintaining a schedule, especially coming home. Passengers have flight connections, or get back to work, and I'd bet real money THAT would cheese them off more than missing a port during the cruise. Everything I read (or see on TV) tells me the Captain is responsible for EVERYTHING, including fuel consumption. If the Captain makes a mistake, and puts passengers actual safety at risk, that's a different story. And just how is anyone going to actually challenge his decision to sail one way and not another. The cruise line may refund some or all of your $$ as an apology, but that's about all you'll ever know.

Poor meal service, nickel and diming etc is one thing. But from the time you pay for the cruise, and agree to the conditions in the small print, what you're REALLY doing is putting your life (and your traveling companions lives) in the hands of that person up on the bridge, and automatically assume he knows what he's doing. From the minute you step on board until you disembark, whether you actually think about it or not.

KENN....got a notification you responded to at least a piece of mine re "the Captain"...unfortunately its not here...that's a shame, I look forward to reading your stuff. Nother glitch.