Is the forward part of the ship really much rougher?

[disneyholic family]

The Dream and the Fantasy handle the ocean much better than the Wonder and Magic. I stayed forward on the Dream and didn't have any problems at all.

thanks Kathy!

i can't wait! Especially to try out Remy!!!!

 

[disneyholic family]

I've also noticed we felt very little movement on the Bahamas cruises (Dream/Wonder) vs. the Eastern Caribbean (Magic/Fantasy). I think there’s a lot of just floating around on the Bahamas cruises (especially on the double-dip). On the Eastern, they have to go fast to get there and there is a lot more ship movement. On our Eastern we are going to move more mid-ship.

they definitely do a lot of floating around - they don't have very far to go..

on our wonder cruise a few years back it became clear how close we were to the florida coast as we floated along on our 'sea' day..
someone on the ship had a medical emergency....
we had been floating around at sea, when all of a sudden, the ship starting burning rubber so to speak....really zipping along, when the captain announced the medical emergency and that we were heading in to palm beach....
it only took a few minutes and voila - there was palm beach...
so, clearly, we had been very close all the time...just far enough away that we couldn't see the coast....
the coast guard ship came racing out to us to pick up the passenger (a 12 year old girl in need of an appendectomy)......it seemed the entire ship watched as the coast guard came along side and she and her family transferred over.....there were also lots and lots of little boats/yachts that came up nearby....it was an exciting day in palm beach - the disney wonder showing up that way....

and then we were off....to float around again on our sea day, before heading back to port canaveral...

 

[TitanBrett]

These types of post come up often enough and I can tell you from my cruising and other maritime experiences that the conditions of the seas pay a much larger part in your comfort than position of cabin, stabilizers, size of vessel, etc.


Someone saying they cruised in a particular cabin and were fine is anecdotal unless your sea conditions are exactly the same as theirs which isnt going to happen.

Low and center is great but if the swells are big enough you will feel it. If you are forward and the ship is headed into a strong wind you will feel the pitch and think you are riding an elevator up and down.

The captain will try to minimize this as much as possible. As has been stated on sea days they will often look for calm waters. That is unless they have a deadline to get somewhere. First night out on a bahamas cruise is typically the worst, they need to get to Nassau on time and must cross the gulf stream. Other sea days on other cruises may be bad as well, if there are high swells between the ship and its next port and the captain must maintain his schedule then he will go through them and you will feel it.

 

[trimix]

You guys have me terrified! The DCL CM that I booked my trip with stated the AFT was the best area for least amount of movement. I said I had heard mid-ship he said no, AFT is better. I have never in my life cruised and took his word for it, now reading all of this I am terrified that we will regret being here. What's a girl to do? We have room #9662 on the Dream in May.

What a girl, boy, woman, or man should do is to accept that no matter where you are on the ship, if the seas are calm you won't feel anything but if the seas are high enough you will feel movement even if you are amidship at the water line. Bring along a motion sickness treatment such as Bonine, have anybody in the group who is particularly prone to motion sickness take a pill when you check in for the ship and as directed by the package afterward, and hope for the best.

 

[TitanBrett]

What a girl, boy, woman, or man should do is to accept that no matter where you are on the ship, if the seas are calm you won't feel anything but if the seas are high enough you will feel movement even if you are amidship at the water line. Bring along a motion sickness treatment such as Bonine, have anybody in the group who is particularly prone to motion sickness take a pill when you check in for the ship and as directed by the package afterward, and hope for the best.

Exactly!

 

[squirrel]

I'm the queen of motion sickness in cars, small boats, and rides. Never had a problem forward on the ship.

Great news! I'm in a forward stateroom and I get car sick if I sit in the back. I hope the seas are calmer than normal for our trip.

I'll bring something as I know the waters on the Pacific coast can be rougher.

 

[disneyholic family]

What a girl, boy, woman, or man should do is to accept that no matter where you are on the ship, if the seas are calm you won't feel anything but if the seas are high enough you will feel movement even if you are amidship at the water line. Bring along a motion sickness treatment such as Bonine, have anybody in the group who is particularly prone to motion sickness take a pill when you check in for the ship and as directed by the package afterward, and hope for the best.

we start taking bonine the night before the cruise, not at check in.
Bonine can cause drowsiness for the first few hours so we find it's better to take it before bed. We use the 24 hour version, so once a day before bedtime and you're good to go!

 

[Florida Dreamin']

You guys have me terrified! The DCL CM that I booked my trip with stated the AFT was the best area for least amount of movement. I said I had heard mid-ship he said no, AFT is better. I have never in my life cruised and took his word for it, now reading all of this I am terrified that we will regret being here. What's a girl to do? We have room #9662 on the Dream in May.

Stay Aft. I just had Aft on the Eastern Fantasy, there is absolutely NO MOVEMENT. Do not switch.

 

[TLSnell1981]

We were all the way forward on our July Dream cruise and I didn't notice a thing!

I'm the queen of motion sickness in cars, small boats, and rides. Never had a problem forward on the ship.

The Dream and the Fantasy handle the ocean much better than the Wonder and Magic. I stayed forward on the Dream and didn't have any problems at all.

We're forward. I hope, we have no issues with motion sickness.

 

[DisneyCruiseDad]

We have three children that get sick when turning in circles! I myself suffer from terrible motion sickness as well. We have been on numerous Disney cruises and have found if we take Bonine each day and wear the motion sickness bands we have no problems at all. We start the Bonine two days before we get on the ship and continue to take it two days after we get off the ship. One person cruising with us last year did not take it after getting off the ship and got very sick. Hope this helps, and enjoy your cruise! By the way one other thing that helps is a long walk up on deck in the fresh air!

 

[scrapbookingtigger]

I love that tip on the bonine! I will remember that TY!

we start taking bonine the night before the cruise, not at check in.
Bonine can cause drowsiness for the first few hours so we find it's better to take it before bed. We use the 24 hour version, so once a day before bedtime and you're good to go!

 

[scrapbookingtigger]

We are staying aft 10th floor on the fantasy for our eastern carribbean cruise.....Ty for your words of encouragement! I have been worrying about it myself but ohh those balconies!!!

Stay Aft. I just had Aft on the Eastern Fantasy, there is absolutely NO MOVEMENT. Do not switch.

 

[flick]

I'm the queen of motion sickness in cars, small boats, and rides. Never had a problem forward on the ship.

I also have severe motion sickness and I can not handle the foward staterooms. If I can not have a midship stateroom I will go aft before I will take a forward stateroom. I still have to take Bonine no matter what but I still was sick the whole cruise when I stayed in the forward stateroom.

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

The individual, the weather definitely play's a part, the deck height and location all play a part in it and it is very very subjectional.

No one person can say what is right for another.

The laws of physics dictate that Midships and low down is best for less movement in rough seas, but some feel better with fresh outside air, so a higher up balcony Stateroom is better for them. Some just need to see the horizon so a lower down Ocean View Stateroom is enough. Some have a problem with the vibration of the prop's so lower down and Aft isn't for them. Some people have a problem with side to side rocking, other's up and down.

It really does all depend on the individual, location and weather!

Ex Techie

 

[KBeck28]

Remember that just because you feel movement doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to make you feel sick. I remember stressing about movement on our first cruise years ago...it was a small ship in the Norwegian fleet. It rocked and rolled all throughout the Western Caribbean! I remember being in one of the clubs and seeing people swaying all over the dance floor! Still, it never made me sick. Who knew? All that worry for nothing!

 

[Niebz]

The individual, the weather definitely play's a part, the deck height and location all play a part in it and it is very very subjectional.

No one person can say what is right for another.

The laws of physics dictate that Midships and low down is best for less movement in rough seas, but some feel better with fresh outside air, so a higher up balcony Stateroom is better for them. Some just need to see the horizon so a lower down Ocean View Stateroom is enough. Some have a problem with the vibration of the prop's so lower down and Aft isn't for them. Some people have a problem with side to side rocking, other's up and down.

It really does all depend on the individual, location and weather!

Ex Techie

Great post. It really is individual and subjective. I seemed to go against the norm as I felt the best high up on deck. My midship, lower oceanview room made me woozy and seeing the water splash up on the window made it even worse. Weather, wind, sea conditions and the individual reaction to such can be so varied. I'm trying out a verandah this cruise in the hopes that the breeze and fresh air will help as it did on my last cruise.

 

[disneyholic family]

Remember that just because you feel movement doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to make you feel sick. I remember stressing about movement on our first cruise years ago...it was a small ship in the Norwegian fleet. It rocked and rolled all throughout the Western Caribbean! I remember being in one of the clubs and seeing people swaying all over the dance floor! Still, it never made me sick. Who knew? All that worry for nothing!

good point - i have a terrible problem with motion sickness - both on land and sea (and in the air for that matter)...
i got terribly seasick on the statue of liberty ferry and on a smaller glass bottom boat (in the Mediterranean).

on the other hand, i didn't get seasick at all on the Wonder. We did have very smooth seas on our cruises, but the ship does move some as it crosses the gulf stream.

but strangely, i spent an entire week sitting out on a wildly rocking dock in the red sea, that had me going up and down and up and down, -yet i didn't get seasick at all. Very strange. So just because there's movement, doesn't mean for sure you'll get sick.

 

[Disneyof3]

We went on our 1st cruise March4-9 2012 Dream. We have a boat and my DH gets sick on it. He doesn't get sick on planes but going to US was a nightmare. All there rides made him sick. He had bonine x2 a day and he had seabands. We originally had a cabin in mid ship but was told by a CM that the front is the best. We changed everything over to a cabin facing the front of the ship(our windows were the slanted ones and we saw from our window the front peak of the ship). We had cabins #6000, #6002 connecting rooms. He never ever had issues on the ship when we were in our cabins. Cabanas on the other hand was a nightmare. Always felt sick and Animators Palate was the same. RP and enchanted not as bad. They are all mid ship though. So definately for DH forward was the best. The rest of us took the bonine(the no name from Walmart in the US) x1 a day. DS and DD took 1/2. None of us had issues except for DH. Next cruise we have #7000,#7002 booked because deck 6 was already full.

 

[Sorcerer Mom]

Stay Aft. I just had Aft on the Eastern Fantasy, there is absolutely NO MOVEMENT. Do not switch.

Curious to know what stateroom you had. There's been a lot of talk about vibration and would love to have your feedback...thanks in advance!

 

[lbgraves]

We prefer to stay forward on the ships. We were in 5516 on the Fantasy and never felt any movement in the room on the MV. On the other hand, the vibration in AP during early seating was so bad and lasted for so long that DH had to excuse himself and go back to the room. The MDRs in the aft always move a lot on the 7-night cruises and we order gingerale to help us while we are there. I take Bonine every morning starting the day before the cruise, and continuing for 2-3 days after we get off the ship.