Thread: Help - is this a good idea for me?

Hi ~ DH & I are thinking of the October 30th Bermuda cruise out of Baltimore on the Enchantment of the Seas. This will be the smallest ship that I have sailed, not that I have much experience. I am somewhat prone to motion sickness though I wear the patch & take meclizine. Can someone who has been on this ship tell me if you noticed more movement on this versus a larger ship? We are thinking of the Grand Suite which is also more forward that we usually book as mid-ship is what we have been told to go for in the past.

Thank you so much for any words of wisdom!!

I sailed the Enchantment in the Caribbean before she was stretched. She is a beautiful ship and those that have sailed her before and after say she is even better. I have also sailed Explorer and the Freedom and she was not any more rougher than the bigger ones. Of couse the movement will depend on the seas when you are sailing. If it is rough you will feel it all over the ship. I personally use bonine and start the day/night before I sail and take one a day at about the same time. I have never been seasick.

Thanks so much! I have an inner ear problem so try to be careful but usually can control it with meds. Just a bit wary as we were on the Caribbean Princess for the "tilt" in October. Not a pleasant experience at all to say the least.

I figure that was my one bad time never to be repeated again. Looking forward to good times from here on. Your post made me feel much better. Thanks again!

Happy to help, she is really a beautiful ship. She is actually my favorite. Then she went to 5 days and we only get 1 cruise a year so we do 7 days. I even remember my cabin # LOL I am sure you will love her

Although I have not been on the Enchantment, I have been on some of her sister ships and in all 31 different ships. I have sailed on cruise ships ranging from 16,000 to 138,000 grt. The size difference between the Enchantment and the the 2 Princess ships you have been on is not very significant and far as ship motion is concerned. You may find a little more motion in the forward part of the ship. You should also take note that the higher up you are, the more possible motion. There is not way of knowing what the conditions will be during your cruise. I would suggest that you get a pair of SeaBands. The are a wrist band that uses a pressure point on your wrist. For some people they work great and no drugs involved.

Thanks, John! Actually, I do use the sea bands if I am queasy and they do seem to help. I believe we would be on the 8th deck for this cruise. Normally, we aim for just what you recommended, mid-ship and a lower deck.

Wow ~ you have certainly been on a great number of cruises! I am sure you are an expert by now!

Thanks again,
Kim

Your agent should have explained this to you, but it's not really fair to ask if anyone has sailed on this ship before, because it's never sailed out of Baltimore before. Sailing out of this area is different than sailing out of Florida. So it's more appropriate to find out if anyone has sailed out of Baltimore than it is to see if anyone has sailed on this ship.

The reason is that it takes 8 hours to transit the Chesapeake Bay. After that, you're in the Atlantic Ocean, which normally is much rougher than sailing into the Caribbean because it is a more protected environment and usually is no where near as rough as the Atlantic. Those who have sailed out of New York, Norfolk, Philadelphia, or Baltimore understand this and know what I'm talking about.

All ships sailing out of Baltimore are limited in size due to having to sail under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Because of the smaller size limitation, these ships are normally more prone to the 'motion of the ocean', as I call it, than the larger newer ships that have better stablizers.

With that said, it's best to make sure your cabin is more in the middle of the ship if you are prone to motion sickness. The front will afford you more motion. The aft will afford you less motion, but sometimes you can feel more vibration from the engines.

While no one has sailed on the Enchantment of the Seas out of Baltimore, since it's never been here before, the information I've provided is based on the fact that we sailed out of Baltimore on several ships, so this comes from alot of first-hand experience.

Pete

Thanks, Pete. We have never worked with a cruise planner. I usually deal with the cruise lines myself which may not be smart. We were thinking of Grand Suite which is on 8th deck & forward only. Junior suites are as well.

Maybe we should reconsider though I really would like the convenience of going out of Baltimore.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer and I may well give you call.

Keep in mind that dealing with the cruise line will often get you a reservationist who has only worked there for less than 6 months. This is a fact put out by CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association). Almost all of them have never even seen a ship, let alone been on a cruise. They have no personal knowledge to offer, especially in any of the ports. And they have no idea what you may or may not encounter departing one port versus another. They are simply there to take your money.

And if a special comes along that would lower your price, they'll never call you and let you know you're eligible for a price reduction.

It's never a good idea to book with the cruise line - they will look after themselves, whereas an agent will look after you - they represent your best interest and not the cruise line.

Just food for thought.

But going out of Baltimore is very convenient, even though most of the time the rates are much higher - the old supply versus demand. Hopefully, with the Carnival Pride and the Enchantment of the Seas both doing year-round cruises, it may have an impact on the prices. I really like how easy it is to get to the pier and check in, but I've found rates out of Florida with airfare for the same price out of Baltimore without airfare. It'll be interesting to see how things play out over the next year. Plus, we're really limited as to itineraries from this area, so if you want to do a Caribbean cruise, it's not a great option.

Pete

Thanks again, Pete. We may well follow your advice and decide this ship is not the best idea for me as all the Grand Suites are forward which is not good for me. May go back to EOS out of Bayonne as Grands are more mid-ship. We have an existing ressie that we will be moving but next time we cruise I will contact you first.

Thanks again,
Kim