Southampton to Caribean

Hi , am currently looking at a Caribbean repositioning cruise on the Britannia next year sailing over to the Caribean and flying home. Whats the Atlantic likely to be like on the Britannia crossing over in the end of October? I'm not great on smaller ships and hate flying!

You will get UK weather until Madeira or the Canaries, then gradually hotting up as you near the Caribbean. The sea will depend, but you are unlikely to have very rough seas, since I imagine the Captain will try to avoid any stormy conditions.

We have done the repositioning cruise but the other way round, flew out to the Caribbean and then sailed home. I don't mind being in an aeroplane but I hate all the airport thing - particularly Gatwick. I especially hate the overnight flight back to Gatwick, landing at 5am on a February or March morning is not my idea of fun. I can never sleep on the plane either. So we chose to fly out, which I can just about cope with and sail home. We have done this twice. As far as the weather is concerned I can say that both times we had wonderful sun until we got north of the Azores when it got colder. Neither of the times was the Bay of Biscay rough. However, the end of the cruise was vastly different on each occasion. Both times we arrived in Southampton on 9th April. The first time as we got nearer to the English Channel it got colder. When we docked in Southampton it was snowing! The second time as we neared the Channel it was really warm, so warm in fact that the day before we arrived we were sat out on our balcony and we needed to put suncream on, the sun was so fierce. We docked in brilliant sunshine and my daughter told us what wonderful weather they'd been having for the previous week. So I suppose the answer is you can never tell.

The only thing I'm sure of was that if we were to do a repositioning cruise again it would be flying out and sailing home. We arrived back without jet lag and didn't have to spend a couple of days getting over it.

Thanks for that. I was thinking it was only the one plane flight.

We did this cruise on Ventura a few years ago and it was fine, cool but ok for a day or say but you could feel the air warming up as you headed south. It was hot and sunny in Tenerife and then you just head across so it wont get any worse, it stayed nice most of the way across, we had some cloudy days but that was all. It was a nice cruise to do but I completely agree with annieuk, we came back from Florida on the Crown Princess in April and we would always do it that way in future, it's a day flight out and then all you do is eat and drink a lot whilst being delivered nicely back to the UK with no jet lag or uncomfortable night fights home.

Hi , am currently looking at a Caribbean repositioning cruise on the Britannia next year sailing over to the Caribean and flying home. Whats the Atlantic likely to be like on the Britannia crossing over in the end of October? I'm not great on smaller ships and hate flying!

P&O Repositioning? OMG

Immediately on embarkation, go to The Retreat and book the entire Cruise. You will not regret it.

Failure to do so will entail rising before 06.30 hours to ensure a sunbed selection, at the front of the ship. Your selection will probably then become part of a seal colony. This "prime" location has the title of The Serenity Pool Area, which becomes an oxymoron on sea days.

If not in The Retreat, or Serenity, always take a bed in front of the stacks, to ensure black stuff will not find you. PandOers know about the stacks, this is why the front section of ship is attacked first by the early risers, aka bed hogs.

Wish you luck.

Out of interest we live in the North and am wondering does the coach pick you up from Manchester (if you opt to fly back to that airport) to take you down to Southampton ?It seems a bit confusing. We live about 80 mins away from Manchester but could get a taxi/lift .

Yes you can book the coach to pick you up at Manchester airport coach station which is between terminals 1 and 2

Thanks for that. Are you able to book all the transport arrangements in advance?

Yes you can book with Evesway or Cruise Connect. Details In the brochure. We are being picked up at 8.00am to travel to Southampton. Just to give you some idea. We travel by rail and stay in the SAS Radison close to rail station and coach station

Thanks very much.