Celebrity Transatlantic Cruise

[Floridastorm]

4 Celebrity ships depart in April out of Florida ports for Europe via transatlantic. Silhouette, Eclipse, Constellation, and Equinox. We have been on the Equinox which is a magnificent ship. For a two week transatlantic cruise, minus the port stops, what would be the pluses and minuses, including inside, ocean view, and balcony cabins. We are both very senior citizens but never get sea sick.

[4774Papa]

As I understand it, you want advise on type of cabin.

 

We normally take a balcony cabin, and have had them all over the ship that we are on. Also, we have booked an ocean view, and were upgraded to Aqua once and a Sky Suite once.

 

We have done two transatlantic, one in each direction. Both were in a balcony cabin.

 

Since transatlantic are generally less costly than other cruises, it is easier to afford a higher level cabin.

 

I suppose an inside cabin would be fine, but we would miss being able to see the ocean from our cabin. An ocean view cabin will have either a small or large window. You still have the view of the ocean, but do not have a balcony to enjoy.

 

During April, most of your crossing will have weather so you can sit on a balcony. It is nice on those long sea days to just sit on the balcony and enjoy the sea air, watch the ocean. Sometime I read on the balcony.

 

I think the pluses of an inside and oceanview are the lower cost. It is a question of whether or not the higher cost cabin with a balcony is a value for you.

[cruisincha]

They probably will be making a few stops along the way, but the big draw for us are the sea days. Sometimes as many as 8 - 9 in a row. We just love the way you have no choice but to relax. I personally cruise for the ship anyway, and really don't care about the ports.

 

I would prefer a balcony on the TA's, just to have a really private space to read/nap. It's usually an older crowd, and the prices are usually great.

 

Only problem with east bound TA's is that you lose an hour a day (not quite every day). We prefer the west bound, and have 2 booked, this year and next.

 

Highly recommend if you like sea days!!

 

Trish

[russg140]

The main question is if you are going to use a balcony or not. On every TA we've done the weather has been great so we were on deck and used our balcony both. Obviously there is a price difference. What were you in on EQ? That will dictate what you should go with.

[Floridastorm]

To be honest, on the two week Mediterranean cruise on the Equinox, we used the balcony very little. It was good for entering ports but we did not use it to have meals or drinks. Would rather use the savings to do port excursions. Just our preference. However, I can see why a lot of folks like balconies.

[excitedofharpenden]

Not directly related to the ports, but ship route is an important consideration for me because I like a bit of warmth and to able to be outside. For this reason I'd discount Silhouette and Eclipse because finishing in Southampton the last part of the cruise will be chilly.

 

Phil

Edited March 9, 2016 by excitedofharpenden

[teecee60]

4 Celebrity ships depart in April out of Florida ports for Europe via transatlantic. We have been on the Equinox which is a magnificent ship. For a two week transatlantic cruise, minus the port stops, what would be the pluses and minuses, including inside, ocean view, and balcony cabins. We are both very senior citizens but never get sea sick.

 

On the two week Mediterranean cruise on the Equinox, we used the balcony very little. Would rather use the savings to do port excursions.

 

I've done a few transatlantic cruises on Celebrity over the last 5 years. One on Solstice, two on Constellation, two on Reflection and three on Silhouette, mostly inside cabins, and absolutely LOVED each and every one of them. :D

 

If you shop the well known online sites, you can get prices that are EVEN LOWER than what is on the Celebrity website... and the prices for this April are LOWER than I have EVER seen them and they are changing every day. :cool:

 

Constellation 13 nights to Rome for $539pp for an Ocean View.

 

Eclipse 13 nights to London for $584pp for a balcony.

 

Silhouette 13 nights to London for $359pp for an inside. :eek:

 

Equinox 14 nights to Barcelona for $679pp for a balcony.

 

Reflection 16 nights to Rome for $799 for a balcony.

 

For an EXTENDED vacation, you can get the B2B 11 night med cruise on Reflection (inside cabin) for $599pp! :)

 

27 consecutive nights on Celebrity's newest ship for $1398pp is a fairly sweet deal. ;)

 

Even this late, booking your return flights through AIR2SEA (formerly Choice Air) is dirt cheap as well!

Edited March 9, 2016 by teecee60

[digital_curator]

We did a 16-day TA (RCI) and LOVED it. We are in our 40s and the crowd was definitely older, so you will be amongst your peers. There are rarely any children onboard.

 

We didn't have a ton of activities on our ship but certainly all the regular ones were offered (trivia, bingo, live music, evening shows?). We were never bored.

 

If you are headed to Europe, you will lose about an hour a day with the time changes.

 

You can encounter rough seas in the Atlantic, so even if you don't get seasick I would suggest a cabin towards the center of the ship. I'm claustrophobic, so I couldn't imagine an inside cabin for that many days but if you don't plan to spend much time, it certainly is the cheap option. We used our balcony a lot on our TA and we were in the North Atlantic!

 

The menus in the MDR were different each night, which was nice. The drink packages are not offered as a perk on the TA cruises but at these prices, paying extra for drinks is not a problem.

 

I would totally recommend it as a relaxing vacation and a great way to get to Europe!

[JanineM]

We've done TAs on both M class and S class. If I didn't have to go to work :mad: we would do one every fall and spring!

 

What we loved on the M class was the Thallosotherapy pool ... especially in the middle of the ocean in the evening when the ship was rocking a bit and you could just float and look at the stars. We also generally prefer the layout of the M class ships ... dining location, etc.

 

On the S class we liked the Persian Garden and the heated loungers where you could just watch the sea go by. If you're a reader, there are so many wonderful places to sit on the S class ships ...

 

We've always had balconies but if you're heading eastbound in the spring there is no point in having one unless you have the starboard side. The port side has nothing but shade the whole time. I don't think a balcony is a necessity on a TA, but our preference is to have a cabin with natural light. If you have many sea days then it's nice to know that you can sit in your cabin and read, watch tv, or find another way to amuse yourself while you have some light coming in.

 

I'm very jealous of you. Hope you find the perfect cruise :)

[ClaudiaB]

We prefer the westbound TAs because of the hour gain each day.

 

A balcony is absolutely essential for us. We do spend time in our cabin and like to walk out and see what's going on, sit out on the balcony, especially on sea days. Many people say they just sleep and shower and change in their cabin. That's not us. Our cabin is our home away from home and it would be very claustrophobic to us if we couldn't walk out.

 

We like to go to the lectures, and there are usually two or three series on a TA. Often they're really really good. There might be a flash mob to rehearse, a passenger choir (done that twice), and art classes (you don't have to even know how to paint, it's just fun). Sometimes scrapbooking (is that still a "thing?").

 

We like to spend time in the gym and we honestly won't spend a minute at the pool.

 

Our favorite cabins are the corner aft S1 Sky Suites. If it's in your budget, Not only is the location wonderful (this is S class ships) but the extra space is good, and you have access to Michael's Club (free drinks of any kind all day long and great private tours all over the ship), and Luminae (we LOVE this new venue for our dining room).

[az_tchr]

There are for example 4 port stops on the Equinox sailing. About the same as a regular cruise. The pluses are the 8 sea days where you can simply relax. There are lots of things to do on board and the people really get to know each other.

 

If you need to go go go then this is not for you. however if you are content to read a book, take a swim, eat, play a game of trivia or bocce ball, eat, and just relax this is perfect and less expensive than renting a beachfront home.

 

Cabin - definitely personal. We like a veranda. Some foodies like Aqua class because of Blu.

 

Do one each year and hope to continue doing so.

[Hlitner]

Since the OP has already cruised, not sure they need advice from any of us :). When you compare inside, outside, balcony and suites it is simply a matter of cost/benefit. Personally, if we can handle the cost we always opt for a balcony (or better) except on HAL where we might avoid a balcony because of the smoking issue (you can smoke anything on a HAL balcony).

 

For us there is absolutely no negative about a balcony other then the additional cost. Balcony cabins usually have a better view with floor to ceiling windows, you have the use of the balcony for breakfast, an afternoon cocktail, etc, and it is a place i can go to get away from my spouse if she decides to sleep late or perhaps take an afternoon nap.

 

As another senior...not sure this has anything to do with the topic :).

 

Hank

[rubinstein2r]

We did the TA in the reverse direction on Constellation in November. The weather was perfect every single day and there was no "turbulence" whatsoever. We stayed in a Aqua Class cabin. In addition to the balcony we enjoy the Persian Garden. We also enjoy eating in Blu not only for the food but for the more quiet atmosphere. My husband is hearing impaired and his hearing aids are less effective in noisy environments. We enjoyed both the shore days and the sea days and hope you do too.

[CathyCruises]

0P, you have missed the reflection 16 night transatlantic from Miami to Rome. That has lots of wonderful porch including an overnight in Barcelona and is the warmer route. Prices are incredibly cheap for this cruise and we have a really good rollcall going so if you decide to book come over and join us

[benbess]

I've done a few transatlantic cruises on Celebrity over the last 5 years. One on Solstice, two on Constellation, two on Reflection and three on Silhouette, mostly inside cabins, and absolutely LOVED each and every one of them. :D

 

If you shop the well known online sites, you can get prices that are EVEN LOWER than what is on the Celebrity website... and the prices for this April are LOWER than I have EVER seen them and they are changing every day. :cool:

 

Constellation 13 nights to Rome for $539pp for an Ocean View.

 

Eclipse 13 nights to London for $584pp for a balcony.

 

Silhouette 13 nights to London for $359pp for an inside. :eek:

 

Equinox 14 nights to Barcelona for $679pp for a balcony.

 

Reflection 16 nights to Rome for $799 for a balcony.

 

For an EXTENDED vacation, you can get the B2B 11 night med cruise on Reflection (inside cabin) for $599pp! :)

 

27 consecutive nights on Celebrity's newest ship for $1398pp is a fairly sweet deal. ;)

 

Even this late, booking your return flights through AIR2SEA (formerly Choice Air) is dirt cheap as well!

 

Wow.

 

Where are you finding these prices?

 

Thanks!++

[Texed]

(you can smoke anything on a HAL balcony). :).

Hank

 

For medicinal purposes I am sure. :p

[Wine-O]

Wow.

 

Where are you finding these prices?

 

Thanks!++

 

You gotta keep checking to when it hits its low - around 4 or so months out. I got the Constellation TA for $499 for an OV, with the Military Discount.

[Hlitner]

Wow.

 

Where are you finding these prices?

 

Thanks!++

 

We get flamed when we post this simple advice. In nearly all cases it is a bad deal to book directly with any cruise line! When you want to book any cruise, shop around among multiple reputable high volume online cruise agencies.

 

And you also need to understand that most of the great deals are actually authorized by the cruise lines, but agencies are prohibited from publicizing or marketing the deals. They only share the best deals with registered customers and it is done via e-mails. So it behooves the bargain hunter to have their e-mail address (and you can set up a separate e-mail for this purpose if you do not want to have your regular e-mail flooded with offers) registered with a group of top agencies. Most agencies do not charge anything for such registrations, but they can only disclose special offers to their registered users or to somebody who happens to call their phone numbers. We are registered with about a half dozen good cruise agencies and the offers we receive (just about every week) are quite amazing.

 

We will also state that the best deals are usually "last minute" offers which means just inside the final payment period (this varies by cruise line and length of cruise). The best deal we have had in many years was on a Regal Princess cruise (last October) which we booked just 10 days before the cruise. But we got a very high category balcony cabin (on a 10 day cruise) for less than $45 per passenger day (when adjusted for On Board Credits).

 

Hank

[flyingv4me]

Quick question if I may. I understand that the drink package perk isn't available on TA's, but can you still purchase a drink package if you are so inclined?

 

Thanks!

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Quick question if I may. I understand that the drink package perk isn't available on TA's, but can you still purchase a drink package if you are so inclined?

 

Thanks!

No drink package perk since 2013

Yes you can buy a drink package

[Ex-Airbalancer]

With the fire sales they've had the last few weeks, in order to fill the ships, maybe a lot of people feel this way. Example: 13 day TA on Silhouette, is $599 p.p. for a balcony which is $46 per day.

 

$599 usd which is like $2000cad :D

[Floridastorm]

We utilize AIRBNB for renting apartments/Condos when we travel. Has anyone looked at the prices in Copenhagen and Lisbon? Even at times in London? I think that Motel 6 is more expensive. Me thinks we're heading for a worldwide economy collapse. However, I'm not going to complain if the ship companies can't fill their ships and want to give away the cabins. Looks pretty close to that situation now.

[teecee60]

 

We get flamed when we post this simple advice. In nearly all cases it is a bad deal to book directly with any cruise line! When you want to book any cruise, shop around among multiple reputable high volume online cruise agencies.

 

And you also need to understand that most of the great deals are actually authorized by the cruise lines, but agencies are prohibited from publicizing or marketing the deals. They only share the best deals with registered customers. So it behooves the bargain hunter to have their e-mail address registered with a group of top agencies. Most agencies do not charge anything for such registrations.

 

We are registered with a half dozen good cruise agencies and the offers we receive (just about every week) are quite amazing.

 

We will also state that the best deals are usually "last minute" offers which means just inside the final payment period.

 

 

THANK YOU for your post... it confirms what I have been telling fellow cruisers for the last five years.

 

I am CONSTANTLY flamed by people who REFUSE to believe the ridiculously low prices I pay, by simply shopping the online sites.

Edited March 11, 2016 by teecee60

[excitedofharpenden]

THANK YOU for your post... it confirms what I have been telling fellow cruisers for the last five years.

 

I am CONSTANTLY flamed by people who REFUSE to believe the ridiculously low prices I pay, by simply shopping the online sites.

 

I'm sure you do get some great deals and you aren't shy at telling us. The majority of your posts are on the subject. Perhaps those that "flame" you are a bit fed up of having the fantastic prices you've got mentioned all the time. After all we can't talk of specific travel agents on this board.

 

Phil

[Ex-Airbalancer]

THANK YOU for your post... it confirms what I have been telling fellow cruisers for the last five years.

 

I am CONSTANTLY flamed by people who REFUSE to believe the ridiculously low prices I pay, by simply shopping the online sites.

 

the only reason you find low prices is because you have 2009 in your search bar:D

It is 2016 , the prices are out of this world :eek:

People should only cruise the Caribbean, so they are close to home