Latest posts for the topic "How choppy will the Ferry be?"

How choppy will the Ferry be?

karen72 — GMT

Hi there We have decided to take the Ferry from Newcastle to Zebrugge then drive from Zeebrugge to Niederau. When I have been telling my friends about this trip they have been saying to me that the sea will be very "choppy" at this time of year and will be horrendous! Now I am worried that we are going to spend the whole night puking instead of sleeping. Has anyone done this trip in February? Karen

How choppy will the Ferry be?

davidmpires — GMT

I think that will really depend on how much used to boats and sea you and your party is. If you have a couple of newcomers that may be a bit tricky but nothing that some pills won't solve, take one a hour before boarding and then one every 6 hours and you will do fine.

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

AJ — GMT

Hi Karen, I personally havent done that route, but have done Dover to Calais in December and it was like a mill pond.So i wouldnt worry too much. AJ Adele

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

bennyboy — GMT

Yeah it can be like a mill pond, as AJ said, or you could get really wild seas. North Sea is notoriously rough but doesnt mean it will be when you go. Could be totally smooth for the whole journey!! How long is the crossing?

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

RossF — GMT

It will be horrific. (Weather dependent of course)

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

ellistine — GMT

There is a cure for sea sickness that never fails - sit for half an hour under an apple tree. :mrgreen:

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

karen72 — GMT

Thanks for your replies. A mixed bag. Don't tiptoe around it Rossfra, say it like it is lol ) Here's hoping apple trees are in season when I go. do you think customs would let us on board with it? hehe the crossing, well we board at 5.30pm and get off at 9.30am. we have cabins so we will be able to sleep in a bed, well that is if I can get to sleep now without the worry that we will capsize with the choppiness of the waves. We have never been on a cruise or anything like that. The closest me and hubby came to that was a booze cruise down the Tyne. Karen

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

Wanderer — GMT

It should be no problem on the way out - you will be going skiing and sufficiently excited about the prospect of flying down the mountain .......... ........ but on the way back with PSD* setting in, it could be pretty grim :twisted: * Post Skiing Depression: An extremely well known condition to which members of this site are particularly prone. While looking at photos, videos and getting involved in sites such as this can alleviate the symtoms, the only known cure is to book another trip as soon as possible :lol:

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

Tony_H — GMT

Oh dear. The North Sea, in winter. You really are asking for trouble. The Channel might get away with the odd millpond day, as I have myself experienced, but more often than not you cant go in the duty free shop without hearing the "clank" of bottles! The good news is those boats you are going on are large and have stabilisers. The bad news is that when its rough, its REALLY rough, and stabilisers or no stabilisers, that mother will be lurching about all over the place, up down, left right, bumping and bouncing its way across the sea. They dont often sink of run aground, though. Get the other half to drive, and get lashed. Problem solved.

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

AJ — GMT

Tony_H wrote:

Oh dear. The North Sea, in winter. You really are asking for trouble. The Channel might get away with the odd millpond day, as I have myself experienced, but more often than not you cant go in the duty free shop without hearing the "clank" of bottles! The good news is those boats you are going on are large and have stabilisers. The bad news is that when its rough, its REALLY rough, and stabilisers or no stabilisers, that mother will be lurching about all over the place, up down, left right, bumping and bouncing its way across the sea. They dont often sink of run aground, though. Get the other half to drive, and get lashed. Problem solved.

Sheeeeeeeeesh you`ve just scared the crap out of Karen with that post Tony :lol: AJ Adele

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

RossF — GMT

Agree hands down with Tony_H!

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

AJ — GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6StG4hGExb4 Karen i think this is what the boys mean by lurching. :shock: I would rather die a thousand deaths by the sword than go on that. AJ Adele

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

RossF — GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eZiNrdsdQ4&feature=related

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

AJ — GMT

Or even this :shock: :hunf: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMk6D11FAhg AJ Adele

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

RoseR — GMT

There is no way in the world would I do a ferry trip and this is from some one who hates flying, I still do it 'cos I want my holiday but I still hate it

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

RossF — GMT

This isn't right. THE FERRY IS AWESOME KAREN WE LOVE FERRY.

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

RoseR — GMT

No its not fair, it will probably be fine, but using my professional status, we would always suggest, sea sickness bands, and stugeron. Also if there are cabins, try to lie down, even preferable to sleep. It interferes less with the balance mechanism in the ears, which causes sea-sickness. Also Buccastem tablets for adults.

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

caron-a — GMT

Look at the horizon or the moon if it's too dark. personally I wouldn't lie down (trencher's sick icon...)

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

tino_11 — GMT

get a cabin on the lowest deck possible, less movement. ......was on a 22,000*** tonne cruise ship in the Bay of Biscay in a hurricane when I was 12, they closed all ports and we had to strap ourselves to our bunks with our life vests on whilst the captain turned across the direction of the 60ft waves into the eye. that was exciting :D ***only a little larger than a ferry

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

Tony_H — GMT

I repeat. Let the OH drive, and get hammered. Nothing like skating across the revolving dance floor as the ship lurhces 45 degrees at 4am wit a bottle of voddy in your hand......

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

Trencher — GMT

Tony_H wrote:

I repeat. Let the OH drive, and get hammered. Nothing like skating across the revolving dance floor as the ship lurhces 45 degrees at 4am wit a bottle of voddy in your hand......

I once crossed the Irish sea on a ferry with a couple of hundred Irish Rangers who had stacked the decks with beer at Heysham. After indulging in a beer or two with the squadies, I found a nice on deck nook to put my sleepng bag into. I drifted off to sleep just as the sea took a dramatic turn for the worse. I awoke in the calm of Belfast harbour and surveyed a scene of yuck. The decks were strewn with hundreds of empty beer cans floating in a sea of vomit. Dozens of uniformed bodies lay passed out amid the mess. Those guys knew how to do a crossing in style. which reminds of the best ferry crossing advice - don't put your bags on the lower shelves of the lugage racks. Trencher

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

tino_11 — GMT

Tony You just reminded me off the Newcastle to Amsterdam overnight ferry... .....for some reason much rougher on the way back :?:

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

karen72 — GMT

well wow!! lol Yes thanks for scaring the crap out of me and also for the contribution of visulization just in case I didn't get the drift. tehe. I think I better keep these posts to myself. this skiing trip is because I wanted it. One of the reasons for dong this trip via ferry is to 1> to keep costs down and also hubby thought it would be an "adventure" for our boys. what is it with men and adventures?? I think the idea of getting hammered wouldnt be a bad one but I think I better stay sober just in case I need to find mine and the kids lifejackets and go man overboard. exactly how far is it from shore? I may even just sleep in the lifeboats just to be on the safe side. I hope my legs wont be too wobbly to ski after that.

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

karen72 — GMT

ok so now I am searching and come accross the zeebrugge ferry disaster. Now I am really papping my pants!!

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

Trencher — GMT

karen72 wrote:

ok so now I am searching and come accross the zeebrugge ferry disaster. Now I am really papping my pants!!

After which safety, design and inspections standards were raised. Should be a lot safer now. Trencher

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

Tony_H — GMT

Chill. Ferries dont sail out of port with their dorrs open anymore, so there wont be another Herald of Free Enterprise. Which reminds me, I sailed on that ship a couple of weeks before it went down, Zeebrugge to Dover, returning from a school trip to Venice. Planes also dont fall out of the sky, so dont worry about anything. Rough seas are like turbulence on a flight - see it as the same as being on a bumpy road in a car, which I would imagine does not cause anyone to panic? I used to love driving through Europe - we used to do it when the kids were younger, south of France, northern Spain, and it was great when diesel was 50p a litre over there. However, with fuel costs soaring, motorway tolls increasing, and endless speed cameras popping up all over the place which can and will prosecute you back in the UK, it has made the driving to a ski destination a non starter for me. However, it is an adventure, enjoy.

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

RoseR — GMT

Dont forget Karen if the person who is driving after the ferry trip, takes sea-sickness pills unfortunately they all have a drowsy effect in which you are advised not to drive with them.

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

Trencher — GMT

RoseR wrote:

Dont forget Karen if the person who is driving after the ferry trip, takes sea-sickness pills unfortunately they all have a drowsy effect in which you are advised not to drive with them.

Always good to have an expert on a forum :thumbup: Trencher

Re:How choppy will the Ferry be?

karen72 — GMT

Thanks Rose. Hubby will be driving. He doesnt like MY driving!! bloody cheek! :shock: Hopefully if he does have to take a tablet it will be before he puts his head down for bed and with having a sleep it should be out of his system. That is of course if we dont end up all night "lurching" and ending up on Utube off someone with a video mobile. Still, I do feel somewhat reassured by some of the posts ). I do tend to worry too much instead of just going with the flow. Karen