Best Way to Snag a TA?

[Lastdance]

Just wondering the best way to book a TA, besides when they first come out in November? Any hints or secrets involved with making this happen with a suite or AQ Class, or on the hump? Also, is there an advantage over east to west or west to east? Please share your secrets...

Many thanks!:)

[ClaudiaB]

We've only taken two, both westbound, once from Southampton and once from Barcelona. From the US, we like to get the long flight over with on the front end of the trip. And..... the sea days are 25 hours long.

What's not to love about that?!!! I'm not sure we'll ever take an eastbound one, but I guess never say never.

 

Secrets? Find an itinerary you like at a price you're happy with, with the cabin you want. We book sky suites. When we decide we're going to do a repositioning cruise we look at itineraries and pick one. We also check back for price reductions up until final payment. We do transfer to a big online travel agent for additional perks.

Edited May 5, 2016 by ClaudiaB

[Desertbelle]

On our TA that we just finished in April we booked when we saw a good price, about 10 months before the cruise and changed cabins 5 times. :D Every time I found a better one I liked we changed it. We finally picked ended up an AQ1 upgrade for $200 just before we sailed and got a wonderful location on the front hump across from the Spa and with the slanted huge balcony.

 

I would suggest you find one you like and keep watch on prices and cabins. A TA in the crappiest cabin onboard would still be better than staying home. :)

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

The advantage of going over on a TA: you arrive with no jet lag. The disadvantage: you have a lot of 23-hour days on the ship.

 

The advantage of coming back on a TA: you arrive with no jet lag. You get 25-hour days.

 

I tend to book these early and B2B them with other cruises in Europe. I like to have a lot of planning time.

 

My first TA, my friend and I started out solo in 2 regular balcony cabins paying the full single supplement. Then prices started dropping. We discovered we could share a Celebrity Suite for not much more money so we moved. Then along came a military discount and we jumped to a Royal Suite.

 

Linda

 

Edited May 6, 2016 by Happy Cruiser 6143

[cruzzzinma]

How do you deal with time changes? Going east is tough for me because you lose an hour almost every day. I much prefer a west bound TA where you gain an hour almost every day.

 

Our first TA was eastbound followed by five days in London. It is one of my favorite vacations of all time.

 

Last Fall we took a two week river cruise, followed by 5 glorious days in Rome and came home west bound in 70 degree weather on glassy seas. It too will forever be one of my favorite vacations.

 

We book very early to get a preferred cabin and I watch prices like a hawk.

[mandream]

How do you deal with time changes? Going east is tough for me because you lose an hour almost every day.

 

True, but you have a lot of sea days to adjust. Other than never being able to wake up for breakfast (since it effectively got an hour earlier each day), the adjustment wasn't that hard. Much easier than stepping off a plane losing 6 hours at once.

 

I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

 

Mike

[DrivesLikeMario]

IME, the best time to book a TA is after final payment and about 2 months prior to the ship leaving. Prices drop like crazy if the sailing isn't a super popular one. If you're particular about the type of cabin, don't wait this long though.

 

I've only done an eastbound TA and it felt weird by about the third day of losing an hour every day. I found myself staying up later and later and sleeping in later and later in the morning. That put me in a bad mood because I'd feel like I lost half my day. If/when I do a TA again, I'll do the westbound one for sure. I like getting the flying out of the way first vs. the long flight home at the end of the cruise.

[fleckle]

True, but you have a lot of sea days to adjust. Other than never being able to wake up for breakfast (since it effectively got an hour earlier each day), the adjustment wasn't that hard. Much easier than stepping off a plane losing 6 hours at once.

 

I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

The same for us.

On the cruise we can go to sleep and wake up whenever we like, so the gradual time changes on an eastbound cruise, only one hour at a time, are no problem for us at all.

 

We really like arriving in Europe rested and refreshed, already adjusted to the local time and ready to enjoy the next part of our vacation.

 

Hate needing to fly over there, arriving jet-lagged and zonked out for the first few days, in a fog not really wanting to see or do anything at all.

 

We have done it that way when necessary, but it is not something we would want to do again, if we have a choice.

It ruins the first part of our European vacation.

 

If we need to fly across the Atlantic Ocean at all, we prefer to fly westward because we don't care if we are jetlagged after we arrive back home.

 

If we lived in Europe, we would want to do it the other way around.

 

 

[bottomfeeder]

The same for us.

On the cruise we can go to sleep and wake up whenever we like, so the gradual time changes on an eastbound cruise, only one hour at a time, are no problem for us at all.

 

We really like arriving in Europe rested and refreshed, already adjusted to the local time and ready to enjoy the next part of our vacation.

 

Hate needing to fly over there, arriving jet-lagged and zonked out for the first few days, in a fog not really wanting to see or do anything at all.

 

We have done it that way when necessary, but it is not something we would want to do again, if we have a choice.

It ruins the first part of our European vacation.

 

If we need to fly across the Atlantic Ocean at all, we prefer to fly westward because we don't care if we are jetlagged after we arrive back home.

 

If we lived in Europe, we would want to do it the other way around.

 

 

 

You know, I honestly think the east vs west preference has a lot to do with how much vacation time and budget you have! When I retire, I agree with you that going eastbound and arriving in Europe refreshed and ready for further touring is perfect.

 

But until then, I have decided I am not doing another eastbound TA because this year the 25+ hours of being awake during my 3-flight journey home on Sunday completely wiped me out for most of the following week as far as being able to accomplish much at work. It was miserable!

 

Ideally until I'm retired I think I'd like to fly to Europe pre-cruise a couple of days in advance, get semi-adjusted to the time change and do a little touring in the embarkation city, and then get on the westbound TA. I'll have gotten the miserable flight part out of the way first and I can then proceed to relax for a couple weeks! :)

[grandgeezer]

IME, the best time to book a TA is after final payment and about 2 months prior to the ship leaving. Prices drop like crazy if the sailing isn't a super popular one. If you're particular about the type of cabin, don't wait this long thoughve only done an east.

 

We just got off the Silhouette Monday after doing the 13 day transatlantic and the 9 day Northern Europe cruise after it. We booked about six weeks before departure. We had a 1A cabin, midship for the ta and a 2B, with an oversized balcony for the second leg although it was too cold to use it. We paid $1,605 p.p. Which included all taxes and fees, gratuities, and the classic drink package for the 9 day one. $73 per day, per person isn't too shabby. Choice Air, from Amsterdam to Phonix, was $720 p.p. For Comfort Plus, on Delta, for the whole trip.

We've done three transatlantic each direction and this will be our last one headed east, three hour time change to Ft. Lauderdale and one more hour six times over the next nine days is a killer.

[2theship]

We've done six transatlantics, all of them westbound. Travelling in Europe is hard work and I like the restful days afterwards. Living in the eastern US, I also like the relatively short travel time to get home at the end of the cruise.

 

Eastbound sailings tend to be a little cheaper but a TA is still the best cruise value out there. The trouble with Celebrity is that they usually do not offer their booking perks on TA's. I guess they don't want you drinking six days in a row on their dime.

 

Our only complaint is that lately TAs have been spending more time in the Caribbean and less in Europe. You can visit Rome a dozen times and still have more to do or re-do. After a few visits to any Caribbean port, I'm ready to stay on the ship for the day.

[Turtles06]

Our only complaint is that lately TAs have been spending more time in the Caribbean and less in Europe. You can visit Rome a dozen times and still have more to do or re-do. After a few visits to any Caribbean port, I'm ready to stay on the ship for the day.

 

I share that complaint. We have very little interest in a TA that includes Caribbean ports. If we want a Caribbean cruise, we'll take one.

 

Responding to the OP: we've taken four TAs so far; the first was eastbound, the others were westbound. We much prefer the 25-hour days going westbound. Even though losing one hour doesn't seem like much, when it happens nearly daily for five or six days, it starts getting to you. We haven't ruled out another eastbound TA, and I think we'd be better prepared for it if we took one, but we do like to fly over to Europe, do our land touring, and them come home via ship. It's a great way to travel.

 

We tend to be early bookers -- we care about cabin location, and the best way to get the cabin you want is to book early.

 

A tip for which side of the ship: if you'd like to have the sun, book the port side on a westbound TA, starboard side on eastbound.

[ptrpanpens]

I have never been bothered by the time changes going east on a TA. But I have always been zonked out for the first few days flying over. So I prefer the eastbound TAs and being refreshed from day one in Europe.

[ISABELLA]

Last November we did TA on Silhouette from Rome to FLL. We booked the first day when it was available for CC members back in March of 2014 and got our preferred AQ cabins on the hump. All AQ was sold out in a short time. And price for AQ 2 or 1 never dropped. Last schedule came out in December 2015 with 30% increase for AQ and now there are plenty of cabins. We booked another TA for 2017 with speculation of the price drop, but at least we got the cabin wanted.

[Desertbelle]

On our westbound transatlantic on the Radiance of the Seas last year, they took the hour away in the middle of the afternoon. So, at 2 pm, it became 3 pm. There simply wasn't anything planned on the schedule at 2 pm. The first day it was a little bit weird, but after that it was great!! No loss of sleep, and we didn't at all feel deprived of that hour.

 

This April on the Reflection they took that hour away at night and it was difficult....I could barely get out of bed before 10 am by the end of the crossing.

[Lastdance]

Thanks to all of you who shared important information[emoji844] i am going to book the Reflection for next April onboard my cruise in one week...

[paul929207]

We are booked on an eastbound next April. Figure we would rather have the daytime flight home rather than the overnight go to Europe.

[navybankerteacher]

We prefer westbounds for several reasons: they usually sail late October or early November when the Atlantic is a lot warmer than it is in April or May when most eastbounds sail; a pre-cruise stay in Europe in mid-October likely gives you better weather than is likely in early May; the 25 hour days westbound sure beat the 23 hour ones eastbound; the toughest part of the trip: the flight - is gotten out of the way first thing and does not hang

over your head.