Choosing a bed for a guest who dreads the swell

Gandiva has two decks of cabins. Arjuna, Nakula and Sadewa are on the upper deck, with a sea view. Bima and Yudhistira are on the lower deck. Every cabin has air conditioning, an ensuite bathroom, a chiller and a safe box, so the choice is about the bed and the window, not the comfort.

In general, a berth low in the hull sits nearer the waterline, where a boat moves least in a swell. A berth with a window gives you the horizon, and many guests steady themselves on it. The two ideas pull in opposite directions, and we cannot tell you which one suits your stomach. Read this as general advice and not as medical guidance.

Tell us when you book if anyone in your party has been seasick before. We can then put the right cabin first in the plan.

The three upper-deck cabins look out to sea. For a guest who steadies on the horizon, that window is the thing to ask for: lie on the bed, look at the line where the sea meets the sky, and the world holds still for many guests.

Arjuna adds a private balcony and a freestanding bathtub under the windows, and it is the cabin made for a couple. On the open trip a seat there costs IDR 11,500,000 (≈ USD 706) per person; Nakula and Sadewa cost IDR 10,000,000 (≈ USD 613) each. They are doubles, with the same air conditioning and ensuite bathroom.

Arjuna is the only cabin with the balcony, so it sells first. If it is taken on your date, Nakula and Sadewa give you the same view without the bath.

Bima and Yudhistira sit lower in the hull, nearer the waterline. For a guest who feels the roll in the upper rooms, that is the case for choosing one. Bima is a double. Yudhistira has one double bed and two single beds for two to four guests, and both cost IDR 9,000,000 (≈ USD 552) per person on the open trip.

Lower is a fact. Quieter is not one we can claim, so we promise no quieter night. They are also not sea-view rooms, and we do not describe them that way.

If a window matters more to you than the lowest berth, take an upper cabin. If the swell worries you more, ask us about Bima.

Start with the sea, not the cabin. The sea is calmest in the spring months and again towards the end of the dry season, while the windy middle of the year raises the swell. The sea-by-month page has the table.

Then use what a photographer knows about steadiness. Keep your eyes on the horizon, and keep the camera down for the first hour. Stay on deck in the fresh air when the boat is moving, and sit towards the middle of the boat. Do not read on a bunk while the boat rolls.

Bring your own medicine, because our packing list asks guests to carry personal medicine, and we cannot give medical advice. Tell the cruise director on the first morning if you feel unwell, so that the day can be paced around you.

Three meals a day come with the fare, and coffee, tea, water, snacks and fruit are on hand between them. Eat something plain on the first morning and drink water before the boat leaves the harbour. An empty stomach and a heavy breakfast both make the first hours harder.

We ask for any vegetarian, halal or allergy needs when you book, so the kitchen has them before sailing. Alcoholic drinks are not in the fare; ask us before you bring any on board, and keep them for the evening.

The first morning tells you most. If the sea is flat and you feel well by midday, the day ahead looks easy. If not, the captain can change the sequence of the stops, and the cabin is air-conditioned and yours.