When sailing to alaska from seattle or vancouver are the waters really rough?

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David in Kenai

You're in the cruise travel section, so I'm assuming you're planning on being on a "Loveboat" sort of cruise ship.

1) the Inside passage is mostly very protected waters, not open to the North Pacific. The exceptions are a stretch north of Vancouver Island but south of Queen Charlotte Island and the much longer stretch through the Gulf of Alaska east of Prince William Sound

2) even in those areas, big cruise ships have computer-controlled active dampening achieved with blades on the bow (like the diving blades on a submarine). That reduces motion a lot. Check if your ship is so equipped or not

3) Even the State Ferries (which are aren't so well equipped) aren't bad north of Vancouver island. They can be knocked around in the Gulf of Alaska, though.

4) some cruises don't even go all the way to Seward or Whittier (hence they don't cross the Gulf of Alaska. They turn around in Haines or Glacier Bay National Park.

5) If a big storm is in the Gulf of Alaska, it will be rough in any boat outside of the Inside Passage. Sailboaters hole up on either end and try to dash across quickly when it looks like their a window of decent weather. When there are 50-foot waves, everyone heads for port (actually, they should already be in port)

Take home message : if this is a big concern for you either a) bring scopolamine patches or b) book an itinerary entirely south of Haines.

Sx Doc

The waters in the Inside Passage are usually very calm and the sailing is smooth. OF course you will be cruising on a Cruise vessel which is usually very stable and the motion is limited due to the stabilizers, which most large cruise ships have. The waters tend to get a little rough up north (above Anchorage) in the last week of august and on september, when the raining season begins, but if you are cruising on july or august you will be OK. Eat well, take some sea sickness pills with you and drink some ginger ale...it will help in case you feel a little motion. Hope this helps.

California dreaming

I have sailed from Seattle to Alaska this past June. The ship was quite smooth. I was on the Oosterdam (Holland America).
It was the best cruise I've been to. It is much better than Royal Carribean and Carnival.

marapeg

I sailed from Seattle to the inside passage on Princess in 2003. It was my first cruise and I loved it. We had 15 to 25 foot swells on several occasions and I even loved that. It was like being rocked to sleep each night. I have been on 6 cruises since and if I ever win the lottery I will be cruising the 7 seas for the rest of my life. If I could buy a cabin on board one of those big beauties I would.

maggiemay

When we cruised to Alaska a few years ago with Princess Cruises we really didn't feel any rough seas at all. It was very calming and I slept better than I did at home. It was my best vacation. Have a great time. Alaska is beautiful.

kanaoly

Kind of depends on the water conditions, the type of vessel you are sailing on, and what the currents are like ... also depends on how you define rough. If rough is gusty winds and squalls, then there are portions of waters that are like that.

Yarn Junkie

I sailed on the Celebrity Mercure June 16, 06 and the waters were simply horrible. Many people were sick, including the crew.. We were told repeatedly that things would 'be better very soon.' Two days of rough weather that made walking idifficult and impossible in heels. This made us late to ports, excursions were cancelled--worst cruise I was ever on.

jessicaaaaaaa

I just traveled on NCL about a week ago, and for most of the trip it was really smooth. However, at some points, when you could feel the roughness, it can get really painful. But, I mean that was always at night so if you just go to sleep you can't feel anything and when you wake up, everything is back to normal.

If you can endure those few moments, it's really worth it because the views you get from the ship are spectacular and Alaska is really beautiful =)

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