Back to Back (sort of) Transatlantic Cruises

Actually his friend did a bit more digging and found that Norwegian Airline have a 6.25am flight from Palma to Barcelona on the 30th October which arrives at the same time the ferry would - and the total cost is only 16 pounds 90 . Which is about $20. Much less than the other airlines or the ferryboat.

Gotta love those Norwegians.............................. way long layover though..................

Ah, but you forgot to include hotel in Palma on the night of the 29th. Besides, the ferryboat is easier to board than dealing with going to an airport, security, etc.

Oh, yeah...Getting from the ferry to the ship is much easier than getting from the airport to the ship.

Ah, but you forgot to include hotel in Palma on the night of the 29th. Besides, the ferryboat is easier to board than dealing with going to an airport, security, etc.

 

Oh, yeah...Getting from the ferry to the ship is much easier than getting from the airport to the ship.

Hotel?????? It will be airport camping for one night, flight is at 6.25am so no use getting a hotel, might oversleep and miss the flight.................... so will just regard it as a 30 hour layover at the airport.

Last cruise we went by bus from Dover to Prague and had 7 hours in Frankfurt Railway Station, not too bad as they had teams of cops patrolling with dogs, and then Prague to Warnemunde when we had a 6 hour layover in Berlin Bus Station, that was more challenging as its even more of a homeless hostel with drunk vagrants. Only 2 arrests by the cops that night there and it wasn't us.

Don't think I would do that bus journey again, too many changes of bus and exposure to very determined thieves and pickpockets who hang around bus stations in that part of Europe.

Hotel?????? It will be airport camping for one night, flight is at 6.25am so no use getting a hotel, might oversleep and miss the flight.................... so will just regard it as a 30 hour layover at the airport.

Last cruise we went by bus from Dover to Prague and had 7 hours in Frankfurt Railway Station, not too bad as they had teams of cops patrolling with dogs, and then Prague to Warnemunde when we had a 6 hour layover in Berlin Bus Station, that was more challenging as its even more of a homeless hostel with drunk vagrants. Only 2 arrests by the cops that night there and it wasn't us.

Don't think I would do that bus journey again, too many changes of bus and exposure to very determined thieves and pickpockets who hang around bus stations in that part of Europe.

Man...You're going to be one grumpy Irishman by the time you board the ship. I'll send an email to the Hotel Director alerting him to your impending arrival and probable disposition so he can alert the crew to be on the lookout.

Man...You're going to be one grumpy Irishman by the time you board the ship. I'll send an email to the Hotel Director alerting him to your impending arrival and probable disposition so he can alert the crew to be on the lookout.

I would rather hang around Palma airport than Barcelona, there are way too many pickpockets all over Barcelona.

Someone will come on here and say its not true but sadly it seems to be true.

I have warned people about Barcelona and pickpockets around the Ramblas and on the buses and trains, and at the airport or hotel and STILL they have had stuff stolen.

I duct tape my passport and credit cards to my chest in Barcelona. So I still have them even though I will now never win a hairy chest competition.

In fact I will go into Palma for the day, its just a bus ride into town from the airport. eat drink and hang out and then back to the airport for the night. I hope it works out but a hotel just isn't going to.

I would rather hang around Palma airport than Barcelona, there are way too many pickpockets all over Barcelona.

Someone will come on here and say its not true but sadly it seems to be true.

I have warned people about Barcelona and pickpockets around the Ramblas and on the buses and trains, and at the airport or hotel and STILL they have had stuff stolen.

I duct tape my passport and credit cards to my chest in Barcelona. So I still have them even though I will now never win a hairy chest competition.

 

In fact I will go into Palma for the day, its just a bus ride into town from the airport. eat drink and hang out and then back to the airport for the night. I hope it works out but a hotel just isn't going to.

Yeah..a few years ago on the last port of a Costa TA, I listened to warnings about pickpockets in Barcelona like yours, so I thought it would be wise to leave our passports safely on the ship secured in our cabin safe since we didn't need them to get back on the ship. The problem was I was an hour off on the time we were supposed to be back onboard and we missed the ship...without our passports.

Guess where the port agent put us until he could get us a hotel? We spent a few hours on the Costa Concordia while it was in port in Barcelona.

.

El Paso? You didn't tell us that. That's a cross country journey in itself. ... In your case you should fly to Ft Lauderdale, Miami, New York, Boston, etc., spend a night or two then fly to Barcelona or maybe some other European city.

... .

And, as I also said, my husband is mobility challenged and requires wheelchair escort at airports. That complicates matters since if overnighting in some interim city, it requires flying to that city, getting wheelchair escort to baggage claim, my claiming luggage, getting taxi, checking in/out of hotel, back to airport, checking in, waiting for wheelchair escort, security hassle, etc is more trouble than it's worth, especially with cost of hotel, taxi, meals.

The convenience of just one connecting flight is worth higher cost.

And, as I also said, my husband is mobility challenged and requires wheelchair escort at airports. That complicates matters since if overnighting in some interim city, it requires flying to that city, getting wheelchair escort to baggage claim, my claiming luggage, getting taxi, checking in/out of hotel, back to airport, checking in, waiting for wheelchair escort, security hassle, etc is more trouble than it's worth, especially with cost of hotel, taxi, meals.

The convenience of just one connecting flight is worth higher cost.

I thought the original idea from Griller above of flying into Palma Mallorca and then taking the ferry to Barcelona was an interesting idea and might be of help to you. I've been wanting to see Palma since I started cruising and the idea of an overnight ferryboat sounding less stressful than another airport and flight.

I've recommended this very idea to my mother-in-law. Take a Cunard cruise from New York to Europe. Cruise the Med or British Isles, and cruise home either on Cunard or a transatlantic on another line. It's a viable option, especially for those who are afraid of flying or only fly business or first class.

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I've recommended this very idea to my mother-in-law. Take a Cunard cruise from New York to Europe. Cruise the Med or British Isles, and cruise home either on Cunard or a transatlantic on another line. It's a viable option, especially for those who are afraid of flying or only fly business or first class.

 

 

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I looked at Cunard's website for doing a TA over, then a TA back for 2017 and found:

1) the Cunard prices were quite high, and for an inside cabin;

2) they did not have a cruise every week, in fact, they had significant gaps of weeks with no eastbound TA cruises.

http://www.cunard.com/cruise-search/book-a-cruise/cruises/qm/2397-m733-nyc1-sou1/

I thought the original idea from Griller above of flying into Palma Mallorca and then taking the ferry to Barcelona was an interesting idea and might be of help to you. ... :rolleyes:.

Flying from El Paso TX to Palma Mallorca is much more complicated than flying to Barcelona, which is straightforward: El Paso to Atlanta to Barcelona.

And no additional taxi airport/ferry/hotel, just airport to Barcelona hotel.

You'll love Palma if it's still the peaceful city we remember. We were there in 1991 for a day and night.

I looked at Cunard's website for doing a TA over, then a TA back for 2017 and found:

 

1) the Cunard prices were quite high, and for an inside cabin;

 

2) they did not have a cruise every week, in fact, they had significant gaps of weeks with no eastbound TA cruises.

 

 

 

http://www.cunard.com/cruise-search/book-a-cruise/cruises/qm/2397-m733-nyc1-sou1/

Maybe my info is outdated. When I looked a year or 2 ago, prices were comparable to Business class, $1,500 pp for a Cunard transatlantic.

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Maybe my info is outdated. When I looked a year or 2 ago, prices were comparable to Business class, $1,500 pp for a Cunard transatlantic.

 

 

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Yes, $1699 pp for a balcony. That is a lot for a six day cruise. We would still have to fly to NYC from JAX. FLA.

That was the cheapest rate I found. On other TA cruises a balcony was quite a bit more.