Transatlantic Crossing... What do I pack?

So my husband and I are not 1st time cruisers, but we usually stick to the Caribbean...so packing is pretty obvious here. We are sailing on the Norwegians new Escape leaving Southampton October 29th and ending up in Miami 10 days later. As I have never done a Transatlantic...or even been overseas before, I have absolutely NO...and I mean...NO idea what to pack or what to expect temperature wise. I was wondering if anyone has done this, could give me some pointers. Also, keep in mind were trying to keep our baggage weight down so I can't exactly pack everything. Help!! Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer.

I don't know where you'll be stopping but I would pack sweaters and/or sweatshirts and a rain slicker. Temperatures will be in the low 60's (except for Miami!)

Glenn:cool:

The Atlantic keeps summer warmth well into November. You are likely to be in the 70's from the third day on - reaching the 80's as you near Miami. Of course there could be rain and high winds - but as likely sunny skies and calm seas. If you booked a balcony, I hope it is on port side: good chance it would be sunny all day, every day.

This is all great information. Thank you so much. Yes, we are booked on a balcony, but I'll have to double check which side! I figured that the 1st half of the cruise will be colder then the 2nd half. Since we are sailing into Miami, we are going South. Thank you again!!

This crossing will be warmer than if you were doing one to NYC or further north but you should be prepared to layer.

If you are spending time in London prior to your cruise it might be cool at that point in time.

I would have a water proof jacket, and sweater or sweatshirt or fleece and some other items to keep you warm and dry but also by layering you can remove items should it be warmer outside.

I would have long sleeve tops too.

One thing I will tell you from all my crossings is that the weather is never the same.

You might even have some warm weather.

Keith

A crossing from Southampton to Miami will generally use a straight route (with some adjustment for the curvature of the earth). In late October you should experience relatively warm weather with a constant warming trend as your ship gradually moves south. Before you even leave home for England, check the long range weather forecasts for Southampton which will give you a general idea of the temperatures you will experience in England. As to the crossing, bring typical clothes for warm weather (60s - 80s) with layers that you can use in cooler and damper weather. Of course the temperatures inside that huge ship will not change due to the outside weather and many folks find cruise ships somewhat chilly.

Hank

Welcome to Cruise Critic, amore4paws! Inaugural cruise, wow! Your cruise has a huge roll call thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2018230 You may want to connect with your fellow cruisers there, although working your way through a 3,300 post thread would be daunting. (I would start at the end and work backwards.)

The days will become progressively warmer, so bring layers: t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, lightweight sweater, rain jacket, etc. Don't forget to bring an e-reader or some books you've wanted to catch up on; there will likely be times when you don't want to do anything except relax with a good book. We loved our trans-Atlantic last fall - I hope your experience is as lovely as ours was.

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

One thing I really used on a similar TA was a very cheap lightweight fleece "blanket." Found at stores like Walmart - I don't mean a heavy duty one - paid around $5. Very useful on the one-way TA flight (unless airline provides). Also used on the balcony on the cooler, damp days leaving England. Even when the temperature rose as we crossed it was still cool and windy on deck and on our balcony. Rolled up in carryon bag - very light.

So my husband and I are not 1st time cruisers, but we usually stick to the Caribbean...so packing is pretty obvious here. We are sailing on the Norwegians new Escape leaving Southampton October 29th and ending up in Miami 10 days later. As I have never done a Transatlantic...or even been overseas before, I have absolutely NO...and I mean...NO idea what to pack or what to expect temperature wise. I was wondering if anyone has done this, could give me some pointers. Also, keep in mind were trying to keep our baggage weight down so I can't exactly pack everything. Help!! Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer.

Layering is your best, with mix and match colors. We have done several ta's in both directions. You will be taking the southern route which gets warm quickly. I packed a turtleneck which could be worn under a blouse on the first cooler days and could also be worn by itself to dinner in any restaurant.

I also packed two lightweight sweaters which could be layered over anything. Other than those two items I packed as if for the Caribbean since once you leave European area the weather warms up quickly.

We did the crossing from Southampton last Nov 1 on RCCL. Prior to the cruise, we spent 4 days in Paris, 4 days in London and a week in a B&B south of London with a rental car. The weather was unexpectedly warm. We sweated our bums off. (There's a little British slang for you.) :p

All my research was useless when it came to the actual weather when we were there. We got to Paris on October 16. We were dressed for 50 to 60 F but instead had 75 F most days.

England was a little cooler but not much. The day we left it was so warm, I packed my jacket in our checked baggage at the last minute; then realized the passports were in the pocket. They tracked down the suitcases finally and we got our passports and made it onboard.

All your posts were great. Thank you for all the great information. I was lost when it came to what to bring, but now I know. I realize that the weather can change on a dime, but I didn't know where to start!!

This is our honeymoon cruise...got married in June and have been waiting for this crossing in October. We are so excited and can't wait.

I'm also excited that I signed up with Cruise Critic. There has been such great information and I've learned so much.

Thank you all again for your posts...Big giant smiles from me!!!:):):):)

Congratulations on your wedding! What a lovely trip for a honeymoon. I wish you a lifetime of love, laughter, and wonderful memories.

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

Since we are sailing into Miami, we are going South. Thank you again!!

If you were going to New York, you'd still be sailing south! ;)

Temperatures in Southampton will be anybody's guess. They're forecasting possible frost at night in parts of England this week (though they do like to accentuate the negative), but who knows, October can be a good time for an Indian summer.

We have done two TA cruises, but we departed from the Mediterranean. I would suggest layering as has been stated by others. Most of the cruise will be in warmer climes and you will be comfortable with spring/fall wear. Now weather can be a bit interesting in the fall. We had a storm with 85 knot winds hit us in the Northern end of the Mediterranean. While DW and I thought this was interesting, several people were injured.

Doc