Are Bigger Cruise Ships Really Better for Seasickness? The Truth Might Surprise You!

Many would assume that the bigger the ship, the smoother the cruise will be – but is that actually the case?

Over the years, I’ve travelled on various ships of different sizes, and things haven’t always worked out as I expected.

In this article, we look at what actually makes a ship stable at sea. Are bigger ships better?

Does Size Really Matter?

There is logic behind why people think that bigger ships should be more stable.

They are heavier and have a deeper draft. However, larger ships can also be very tall, block-like, and less aerodynamic. They are designed to fit in as many balcony cabins as possible on the upper decks.

I felt sick when I sailed onboard the MSC Meraviglia. She was quite a new ship when I sailed on her. She has good stabilisers and is a large ship that can hold over 5,700 passengers.

You would think that she would be good in rough seas – but there were a lot of other factors at play:

• I was sailing in a “guaranteed” inside cabin. I didn’t choose my cabin position.
  • If I had picked my cabin location, it would be low down and central in the ship.
  • On this occasion, my cabin was high up and at one end of the ship, so I felt the movement more.
• We sailed over Christmas.
  • The seas in the Mediterranean can be rough over the winter.
  • It was a chance I took – and I was unlucky on this occasion.

Find out more about that cruise on MSC Meraviglia here:

Find out everything you need to know about guaranteed cabins here:

I Always Book Guaranteed Cabins on Cruise Ships – (Photo Examples, Regrets & More)

What Actually Helps? Modern Tech vs. Older Ships

Ship stability isn’t all about size. It is also about stabilisers and good ship design.

Modern stabilisers work to reduce motion, so that is why newer ships tend to handle rough seas better.

Older ships can be retrofitted with stabilisers to try and make them more stable.

Ocean Liners are very different from Cruise ships. They are designed differently for different purposes.

Find out more about that here:

Cruise Ships vs Ocean Liners – Measurable Differences You Need to Know

What are Stabilisers?

 Ship stabilisers reduce the ship’s roll/sideways motion.

All modern cruise ships have stabilisers. These are fins or rotors mounted beneath the waterline, and they come out of the side of the ship laterally to reduce a ship’s roll due to wind or waves.

A gyroscopic control system controls them.

They help keep the ship upright in rough seas, making the cruise far more comfortable for the passengers in terms of movement.

Stabilisers do also increase drag, decrease speed and increase fuel consumption.

My Worst Seasickness Experience To Date

My worst seasickness experience to date was onboard Fred.Olsen’s Bolette.

She is an older ship, built originally as “Amsterdam” for Holland America in 2000. In 2022, she was retrofitted with stabilisers.

I have never felt so seasick as on that winter cruise to see the Northern Lights!

I didn’t help myself – I broke a lot of my own cruise rules:

• I sailed across the North Sea, which is renowned for being rough, in February.
• I sailed on an older and smaller ship, which didn’t handle the rough seas as well as a more modern cruise ship would.

Find out whether I actually saw the Northern Lights, and learn more about that interesting cruise below:

Seasickness Tips

Choose The Position of Your Cabin Carefully

Choose your cabin position very carefully if you are worried about getting seasick. Cabins that are low down and centrally located feel the least movement.

Find out more about that here:

What is The Best Cabin Location on a Cruise For Avoiding Seasickness? (I’ve Tried Them All!)

When I took a transatlantic crossing on the last Ocean Liner at sea, Queen Mary 2, I had a low-down cabin that overlooked the central atrium area of the ship.

My parents were “Upgraded” from an obstructed-view balcony cabin to a regular balcony cabin a couple of weeks before the trip.

It quickly became clear that this “upgrade” wasn’t as good as it initially seemed! The cabin was right at the front of the ship and up on deck eleven.

As the journey went on, the seas got rougher and rougher. You could really feel the movement in their cabin – far more than mine.

My Dad actually felt quite ill for days on end. He had to come down to my cabin to lie down during the day, where the movement was less. He then felt slightly better.

Find out about that rocky transatlantic crossing here:

If You Do Feel Unwell…

I find that avoiding heavy meals and alcohol helps me avoid seasickness.

If I am feeling slightly queasy, I eat “little and often”.

I do take seasickness tablets when needed. These do make me sleepy, but I find the best cure for seasickness is to go back to bed and lie down.

Hopefully, when I wake up, the seas will be calmer, and I will feel better.

I don’t go on a cruise, thinking I will be seasick. I have been on over seventy cruises and have only been seasick a handful of times…

Find out about my other top seasickness tips here:

13 Actionable Tips to Prevent and Treat Seasickness on a Cruise

Important Things To Consider

Picking the right cruise if you’re worried about seasickness is very important.

• Consider the itinerary.
  • Some regions are naturally rougher than others.
  • Please don’t follow my example and take a transatlantic crossing in mid-winter!
• Focus on newer ships rather than just bigger ones.
  • Newer ships have modern stabilisers and should be better in rough seas.
• Choose your cabin carefully.
  • Choose a cabin towards the middle of the ship, on a lower deck.
  • Tick the box to say no upgrades. If you have spent time carefully choosing your cabin, you don’t want to find you have been moved elsewhere.
  • Remember, what the cruise line considers to be an “upgrade” might not suit you. You could end up with a cabin high up and at the end of the ship where you will feel the movement of the ocean very badly.

Consider the route you will be taking, the position of your cabin onboard, and the age of the ship – rather than just the ship’s size.

Before You Go

Find out some great reasons why you shouldn’t always avoid smaller, older ships here:

9 Reasons You Shouldn’t Avoid Cruising on Older, Smaller Cruise Ships

Find out what I pack to help keep me healthy when I cruise below:

Staying Healthy When You Cruise, Avoiding Seasickness – Medications and First Aid Items to Pack