"Tom K" wrote in message
news:jcdBi.2$1V2.0@newsfe12.lga...
>
> wrote in message
> news:1188344215.763671.223500@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
>>
>> We haven't actually done a TA, but are considering it for Fall 2009.
>> What we're considering is booking Oceania, as it includes free
>> airfare. Since most of our time would be spent on the ship as opposed
>> to stopping frequently at port, we don't mind spending a bit more for
>> Oceania since we'd be interested in the ship vs. the itinerary for
>> that kind of a sailing. I know there is a group going on Oceania next
>> November TA; you might see if you can get in on that one. Cal Ford
>> has that group going, I believe. He posts here frequently; he's with
>> Lido Cruises.
>>
>
> That's a TINY ship to be doing a trans Atlantic on... I actually had
> doubts about doing a Bermuda sailing during the fall on the Journey
> (another former Ren sister ship) because of her tiny size. I sailed
> through a Nor'easter on the tiny Zenith last year... it wasn't pretty. On
> the Explorer this past spring, we sailed through the remnants of a
> tropical storm, with waves higher than my second deck window... and until
> I opened the window I didn't even know we were in rough seas.
>
> I think I'd want a huge ship to do a crossing. Either a Voyager class or
> the QM2. Both from a stability stand point and having tons of stuff to do
> for 5-6 days.
>
> --Tom
IMO, that's not necessarily true, Tom. The ability to handle rough open
seas is often the effect of hull design as much as it is size of the ship.
In 2001, we sailed on the Crown Odyssey from New Zealand to L.A., a 30-day
cruise. For at least five days of that trip, we were affected by a huge
South Pacific hurricane, a storm that was as big as Canada on the radar. We
ended up changing our iteninerary a number of times (and we missed 3
scheduled ports!). We were never IN the hurricane, but always skirting
around the edges of it (every time we changed our itinerary, the hurricane
changed course and tried to intercept us again!) There were a number of
days that the doors to the outer decks were kept closed, including some days
between Hawaii and LA. Passengers in the forward cabins on lower decks were
orderd to keep their porthole covers closed. At one point, we were in the
dining roon and our table-mates scoffed at our story that a wave had struck
our cabin window, 3 decks above the lowest passenger deck, and relatively
amidship, only one deck below the dining room. Just then, a huge wave
pounded the dining room window, making them instant believers!
But that wonderful ship just plowed straight through the waves, rarely
pitching or rolling significantly in spite of the fierce seas.
And she was relatively small, especially compared to the behemoths at sea
now. She was about 35,000 tons and 1,050 passengers. If Orient Line had
kept her in service, we would have just cruised wherever she went.
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