Advice For First Time Transatlantic

[d4m]

Be careful! Once you go transatlantic....its hard to do shorter cruises!

 

Only a couple of pieces of advice. Know the weight limit on whatever airline you fly so you know your luggage will be OK.

 

And check out Choice Air. They have great prices on one way fares across the pond for transatlantic cruises.

 

Choice Air is the way to go if you don't have miles to use. Our last two flights (from Rome and to Barcelona) cost us under $450.

 

Have fun on your roll call

I have meet some great people there

 

How right you are Mark:)

 

Jaddy, first thing is to find your roll call. The people you are with will make the cruise memorable with sail away praties and other activities. Tres inportant in many ways. Others have been on many TA's and will have lots of advice and experience to share along the way. Also, some of the excursions set by roll call members are terrific. Very important part of figuring out TA's is the experience of others.

 

First thing, TA's are wonderful for visiting a port beforehand. Don't go the day before - give yourself several days to visit and explore Rome and the area. this is a real bonus and bargain in my book.

 

Leaving for third TA in three years in a few weeks. Look forward to sea days, the itinerary, spending days in Holland after the cruise, but most of all you'll find some wonderful people on a great ship. enjoy every minute!

Edited April 1, 2014 by d4m

[Gracie115]

I have done 4 TA's and will be going on my 5th Easter weekend. We have joined or organized private tours in the ports with other roll call members. Many TA roll call members have traveled extensively and know great tour guides and companies. Traveling with 4 to12 people is much nicer than tour buses with 40 passengers and a very scripted tour. I have done a walking tour in Lisbon with a great tour guide, and toured Monet's house and garden with a guide who also does great Normandy beach tours ( he was a child in WW11 there). Our tour guide in Dublin took us to his home at lunch time. The best whale watch I have done was on a private tour in the Canary Islands. On a recent Caribbean tour we did a private 6 hour "wet" tour in Dominica that was the best tour in the Caribbean I have ever done.

 

Join your roll call and watch for the invitations to join groups. Use the port threads to check out info on the ports and tour companies to guide your decisions.

 

would love to know the name of your guide in both Lisbon and Normandy, can you provide here or email me at jr34951 at aol dot com?

[Aunt Tina]

The great guide we had in Normandy is Jacques Perreau. His e-mail is perreau.j@wanadoo.fr

 

Our tour of Monet's garden from Le Havre was great. He had previously done the Normandy beaches with one of our cruise mates.

 

I will need to check the Lisbon guide in my photo album from four years ago! I will get back to you!

[Gracie115]

The great guide we had in Normandy is Jacques Perreau. His e-mail is perreau.j@wanadoo.fr

 

Our tour of Monet's garden from Le Havre was great. He had previously done the Normandy beaches with one of our cruise mates.

 

I will need to check the Lisbon guide in my photo album from four years ago! I will get back to you!

 

Thanks, I appreciate your help, really interested in the Lisbon guide, so thanks again if you are able to track that down!!

[ptrpanpens]

Thanks, I appreciate your help, really interested in the Lisbon guide, so thanks again if you are able to track that down!!

 

I am butting in here because I was the one who organized the Giverney tour Aunt Tina was on (hi Chris!). Jacques is great especially for Normandy. But you must book him far in advance because he is always busy.

 

I used Inside Lisbon for Sintra and Cascais and the company is great.One of the best tours I have taken. Ask for Hugo, he is very responsive. I think they do the walking tours.

 

Hope this helps.

Anne

[Florida Snowbird 2]

On our Infinity TA last year, when we had the cruise critic meet and greet, there were about 250 people there. The roll call was over 300+.

 

We discovered that people that take TAs sometimes fall into one of these categories:

1) Retired people with plenty of time;

2) People taking a B2b with another cruise either before or after the TA;

3) TAs are inexpensive and some people manage the cheap one-way return air tickets and their vacations are dirt cheap;

4) People that don't fly, sometimes arrange TAs in both directions. Cunard has NY-London and return all season.

 

Loved your four reasons that people take TA's: Those who have enough miles to fly business class only one way.

 

Florida Snowbird 2

[sasset]

Loved your four reasons that people take TA's: Those who have enough miles to fly business class only one way.

 

Florida Snowbird 2

 

Always check Choice Air. We always thought we could do better on our own, but we checked Choice for a one way after an upcoming Transatlantic and got business (LHR-LAX) for only about $400 for than economy

Edited April 2, 2014 by sasset

[Gracie115]

I am butting in here because I was the one who organized the Giverney tour Aunt Tina was on (hi Chris!). Jacques is great especially for Normandy. But you must book him far in advance because he is always busy.

 

I used Inside Lisbon for Sintra and Cascais and the company is great.One of the best tours I have taken. Ask for Hugo, he is very responsive. I think they do the walking tours.

 

Hope this helps.

Anne

 

THANK you so much! Appreciate the help!! We are looking for a walking tour in Lisbon, so this is great.

[Aunt Tina]

I went to the ports threads and searched for Lisbon walking tour and found all kinds of good recommendations, including my old post! We had Isabel who is fluent in 4 languages, and could be reached at http://www.lisbongt.com

[4774Papa]

Loved your four reasons that people take TA's: Those who have enough miles to fly business class only one way.

 

Florida Snowbird 2

Florida Snowbird,

We used Choice Air on our first TA and paid about $600 pp on Air France from Heathrow to Miami.

Also, on our second TA this fall, we are flying to Copenhagen from Miami using 60k flyer miles on USAir for a one-way flight. NOT BUSINESS.

Try Kayak or

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/search...4-6cac12adb780