Big ships...Rough seas

[papa60]

I have never been on a cruise with really rough seas. For those of you that have, how much wind and sea can these big ships stand? Just curious.
Papa

[janfred]

Papa 58
The highest seas we have been on were 12ft seas and winds of 65, it was a storm at night and I never even knew it until the next morning when passengers and crew were talking about the storm and the Captain mentioned it over the speaker that day. I never felt a thing. I have a feeling many have been in much worst storms, but my thinkng is the ship would stay clear of any major storm even if it missed a port to avoid it.

[mac91360]

I would think 50 - 60 foot minimum and probably higher. I think I read where Oasis hit 65 ft seas on its way to the US.

Highest we have ever encountered was 15 ft leaving Panama. It did make some sick, but overall was not that bad.

Mark

[Jim C.]

They can handle some huge waves without a problem. In fact on the Dream we were in what was easily 15 ft waves and I didn't know it until I looked out of the cabin window (Riviera ocean view) and saw water hitting the window. She was riding through them without any issue.

I would think wind is a bigger issue with profile these ships have. As long as he captain can keep the bow into the wind it wouldn't be an issue.

[LisaP]

Papa, they can withstand a lot. Dave and others can comment on this better than I, yet passenger vessels are put through a great deal of testing to ensure this.

Some ships handle it better than others. Some may bounce a little, others may sway lightly from side to side, and others (such as my beloved SS Norway) sliced right through it.

[Dave]

As Jim C said, motion is more likely going to be noticeable from winds across the ship's beam (sides) than from waves. Most modern ships have large flat sides which is referred to as the sail area. The worst cruise we've been on for ship motion had nothing to do with the water. Seas weren't perfect but they were less than 10 feet. What killed us was the trade winds were running 30 to 40 knots and always coming from the side and there was no way to avoid it given our course. It was the one cruise where I looked forward to the ports.

It is also correct that the Oasis encountered 65 to 70 foot seas on it's transit from the shipyard to Florida. They also had 65 knot winds but were able to sail into them. The waves seriously damaged the forward two rescue vessels but otherwise the crew told me (I was aboard a couple weeks later) it really wasn't that bad of a ride.