Cruising Through The Bay Of Biscay: What to Expect (Real Experiences)
The Bay of Biscay is notorious for bad weather and rough seas but how accurate is this reputation?
During this post, we explore what cruising through the bay is like, how long it takes, why it has such a bad reputation and if it is dangerous.
I have made the crossing on a number of occasions and experienced both bad and good weather.
This post includes multiple first-hand accounts from cruisers who have made the journey.
How Far From Southampton is The Bay of Biscay?
The Bay of Biscay is 300 miles from Southampton and is in the Celtic Sea. The Bay of Biscay lies along the west coast of France and the north of Spain.
The average water depth of the Bay of Biscay is said to be around 5000 ft!
Bay of Biscay Location
Which Cruises Go Through the Bay of Biscay?
If you are cruising to the Mediterranean or the Canary Islands from the UK, you are most likely going to go through the Bay of Biscay.
Many cruises head straight from the edge of France downwards, so avoid a lot of the bay.
Many transatlantic cruises from the UK will go through the Bay of Biscay.
Transatlantic cruises often sail downwards before crossing the Atlantic – they may even stop in the Canary Islands, Portugal, and the Azores before crossing.
Many ‘Northern Europe’ cruises will also go through the bay.
Ferries Cruise Through The Bay of Biscay
There are some ferry routes which pass through the bay. One of the most popular being from Bilbao in Spain to Plymouth in the UK.
You are far more likely to experience rough conditions on a ferry than on a cruise ship due to the smaller size.
I personally wouldn’t dream of going on a ferry as I get so seasick! Find out the important differences between a cruise ship and a ferry in the article below:
It usually takes a day to cross the Bay of Biscay. Making a stop in the bay may extend journey time to two days but it rarely takes longer than two days.
It takes the best part of a day to go through the Bay of Biscay. This depends a lot of the ship and how fast it is going of course! Many cruises stop at La Rochelle which is in the Bay of Biscay.
What is Cruising Through the Bay of Biscay Like?
In my experience cruising through the Bay of Biscay can vary a LOT. I’ve been on crossings where you couldn’t feel any movement at all but also crossings where you really could.
I am an EXTREMELY travel sick person and I do get seasick when I cruise. If I am on a coach or a train for more than about two hours I usually take travel sickness pills so of course, I bring these with me when I cruise.
One of my worst travel sickness experiences for me was a cruise I took from Southampton to the Canary Islands at Christmas.
The weather wasn’t too bad through the Bay of Biscay, but as we continued down the side of Portugal, things got worse – and worse! Find out about that stormy cruise here:
I decided to ask the members of our Facebook Group for their experiences cruising through the bay, below are a few of their experiences:
I have been on 5 cruises from the U.K. and back through the Bay of Biscay. I know it can be bad, but we’ve never had anything major in 10 crossings; (August, April, February, May and December). I think the cruise ships are so well stabilised that it’s usually relatively comfortable. We did catch the tail end of a storm and even that was just a bit of movement as you wandered around the ship.
Sam
Never had any problems crossing the Bay. We had sea fog as we came around Portugal and Spain once, and also experienced Le Mistrale in Marseille, but I think the Bay of Biscay is a myth!!
Sarah
My last cruise through the Bay was particularly bad at the end of October 2017, most passengers and even some of the crew were looking a little green around the gills. My husband found it fairly challenging and was grateful for the Cinnarizine that is packed for him in anticipation of this very event!
Emma
In a worst-case scenario, a few guests may suffer motion sickness (although this is nothing to worry about).
Cruise ships do have medical supplies and medical teams on board who will look after you if this does happen:
The Bay of Biscay has a reputation for bad weather and rough seas.
We’ve all seen the videos of ships being thrown around and passengers clinging onto things for dear life, I won’t show you one of these here as it might put you off – but it shouldn’t. Rest assured, though, that crossings like this are extremely rare.
The ‘continental shelf’ extends into the Bay of Biscay and this is a reason, in part, for some of the rough weather often experienced.
In a very non-sciency way… bad weather comes over from the Atlantic where it has lots of room, it gets squished into the Bay of Biscay and becomes powerful.
Is The Bay of Biscay Always Rough?
The Bay is Biscay isn’t always rough. 45% of cruisers that have cruised through the Bay of Biscay at least once did not report any bad weather when crossing.
To answer this question I decided to survey our Facebook group members and the public on Twitter. I think the results speak for themselves. It seems to be around 50/50.
I asked “If you have cruised through the Bay of Biscay, did you experience bad weather?:
Cruising through the Bay of Biscay on a cruise is not dangerous. Safety is at the forefront of everything onboard cruise ships.
If the captain and crew thought that sailing through the Bay of Biscay was dangerous they would not do it.
Weather is one of the main reasons that cruise itineraries are changed last minute. This happens for a number of reasons, read this post to find out more:
It’s worth noting that if cruise lines are completely within their rights to change the cruise itinerary at any time. They may do this months before the cruise or actually on the estimated day of arrival.
After departure, Princess does not guarantee that the ship will call at every port on the itinerary or follow every part of the advertised route or schedule or that every part of the Package will be provided. Princess reserves the absolute right to decide whether or not to omit any such port(s) and/or to call at additional ports and/or to change the advertised route, schedule or Package.
Does The Ship You Are On Make A Difference To Seasickness?
Yes definitely! If you travel through the Bay of Biscay on a smaller, older ship, if the weather becomes bad, you will really feel it.
I recently sailed through the Bay of Biscay on my way to Barcelona from Southampton. I was on P&O’s newest and largest ship, Arvia. We had bad weather, missed ports, and even picked up a lost lifeboat, but despite me being a seasick person, i felt fine. Ariva dealt with the rough seas remarkably well.
Find out more about that cruise here:
How to Deal With Sea Sickness When Cruising Through The Bay Of Biscay
Anybody who knows me knows that I am not a good traveller. I get car sick, plane sick, coach sick, if something moves it’ll make me feel sick. I would go as far as to say that I could get seasick stepping over a puddle.
The best thing you can do is BE PREPARED.
Getting seasick on a cruise is not something that should worry you. It definitely shouldn’t put you off of cruising.
I’ve been on over seventy cruises to date and would say I’ve felt sick on about 4 or 5 of them.
If the ship is entering a patch of bad weather the captain will let you know ahead of time, in this situation I take some sea sickness medication and then I’m right as rain.
My seasickness pills of choice are either Sturgeon or Kwells. Whenever I take them, I think, ‘Is this what everybody who doesn’t feel seasick feels like!? This is amazing!”.
Note: Some cruise lines have travel sickness pills that you can buy from reception for a few pounds if you get caught short – they’re sometimes even free. Alternatively, you can usually get a seasickness injection from the medical centre for a fee.
Seasickness Tips:
Find out my best seasickness tips in this article:
If you are worried about cruising with the Bay of Biscay – please don’t be!
You may experience bad weather, but you may experience it when cruising in any part of the world.
I’ve experienced worse weather in the Mediterranean and Norway than I have in the Bay of Biscay.
If you are worried about being seasick I would definitely recommend you bring some medication. It makes all the difference.
Find out about my worst ever seasickness experience in the video below. I sailed across the North Sea to Norway “In search of the Northern Lights.” I broke all my own rules by picking a smaller, older ship for the journey.
Find out whether i saw the Northern Lights, and whether i thought the seasickness was worth it here:
Other Experiences From Our Facebook Group Members
I was really worried first time when they said very rough Bay of Biscay crossing the next day and to secure everything in cabin and started tying down everything loose on deck. We were on Oceana which is a relatively small ship and does bob about a bit. The next day was quite lively and the MDR was half empty that night. I was delighted to discover that I don’t get seasick and rather enjoy a rough sea.
Judi
Have crossed this stretch of water both ways on almost every cruise I’ve been on, never had any major issues. We’ve crossed in all school holidays so Dec, Feb, May, Aug and Oct. Had far rougher conditions around Norway!
Sam
We had a crazy experience, there we were sitting st the pool bar , weather fab then suddenly it was like a scene from pirates of the Caribbean, the ship started to sway , the sea fog just came in over the sides, the pool was swishing back & forth , everything at the bar was moving , awesome experience. Later that night was hilarious trying to dance in the night club & watching people stagger sideways . So don’t fear it embrace it , your quite safe.
Kay
It was the perfect excuse to have a couple more cocktails and nobody knew if it was the waves or the beverages. It was fine to be honest
Jeanette
On an Azura May cruise, it was calm as a millpond going down but rough coming back. Bellissima cruise was rough in March! It’s 50/50.
Gavin
I came through the Bay of Biscay on the Independence of the Seas in a force 9 a few years ago. Modern cruise ships are so well built and stable it was hardly noticeable how rough the sea was (although I am fortunate in that I do not suffer sea sickness). But there was an older cruise ship following us and that was being tossed around somewhat.
Tony
Before You Go
Find out the five ways cruises are good for your body and brain here:
The maps are available to buy for cruises back to 2015 and for any future cruises. They come in different sizes and colours. All you need to know if your cruise dates and where you started and ended, the team will work out the rest.
