How to Find that Perfect Balance

[Lovincruisin1321]

We sailed last year on a great TA to Europe. 8 days at sea then a very port intensive itinerary that left us exhausted.

 

Aside from looking at every itinerary separately, is there a way to search for a TA that has port stops broken up with sea days? I guess another answer is do the port intensive up front then sea days at the end.

 

Just looking for a balance.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We've never done a TA but wouldn't a fall TA from Europe to the Caribbean give you the port days before crossing the Atlantic with all the sea days?

[Wine-O]

Just choose a Westbound Transatlantic. Celebrity only has 3 ships to choose from - Reflection, Silhouette, and Eclipse.

 

If you don't like any of those itineraries, look at RCCL.

[cb at sea]

You know, you don't HAVE to do major things at every port, if relaxation is what you're after! But, I'm with you...I prefer a mix of port/sea days...I would hate a TA since sea days aren't my cup of tea!

[Lovincruisin1321]

I looked on both Celebrity and Royal websites. Most are the straight eight days at sea then the five consecutive port stops. I guess the destinations are too close together to have a day at sea in between.

 

In answer to just resting at the port stops, yes, a good approach but when am I going to return and have the opportunity to experience a different area and culture? I'm one of those people ......

 

I think if I want to do this again, we need to fly to Europe, do the port intensive up front and have the TA on the way back to Florida.

 

Btw, if you haven't been to Malaga, you should! Beautiful.

[Wine-O]

I looked on both Celebrity and Royal websites. Most are the straight eight days at sea then the five consecutive port stops. I guess the destinations are too close together to have a day at sea in between.

 

Look at the Fall Transatlantics - Ports first then 7-8 days at sea.

[d4m]

Look at the Fall Transatlantics - Ports first then 7-8 days at sea.

 

I agree, much more relaxing that way.

 

Question - do you remember the name of the cab company you used to get to Bruges a couple years ago? I tried to find the info but must not have kept it. Thanks either way!

[Wine-O]

I agree, much more relaxing that way.

 

Question - do you remember the name of the cab company you used to get to Bruges a couple years ago? I tried to find the info but must not have kept it. Thanks either way!

 

Rony’s Taxi’s Bvba

rony@ronystaxis.com

 

They only pick up/drop off at port entrance. You have to take the bus to/from. You are better off getting one when you get off the ship that can get to the pier. They'll be waiting right there when you dock.

[ClaudiaB]

Westbound TAs are for us the way to go. Get the long plane flight over with at the outset, stay a couple days in the embarkation city, and then do the 5 or so stops first. Then you have the sea days on the way back that are 25 hours long!!

I have seen some TAs that left Europe and went to Bermuda, New York, and then a sea day or two and then a stop or two in the Caribbean. That gave sea days in the middle with less ports on the front end, which would meet your criteria, but we were never interested in them. We like the port days up front.

 

Our TA a couple years ago on Equinox that left Barcelona and did 3 additional Spain ports and two in the Canary Islands was great. We spent 3 wonderful days in Barcelona ahead of time. I agree with the poster who said Malaga is beautiful. We took private small tours everywhere with Spain Day.

[bottomfeeder]

Given that a TA has to traverse the Atlantic Ocean, and there are very limited choices for ports in the middle of the ocean, I think you are kind of stuck with a long stretch of sea days! It may be that TA cruises are not for you if you don't enjoy that. :)

 

Me, I'm getting ready to take my 2nd TA this year.

[wallie5446]

We sailed last year on a great TA to Europe. 8 days at sea then a very port intensive itinerary that left us exhausted.

 

Aside from looking at every itinerary separately, is there a way to search for a TA that has port stops broken up with sea days? I guess another answer is do the port intensive up front then sea days at the end.

 

Just looking for a balance.

 

Not really, since there is not any land to stop at in the middle of the ocean.:D

Not being a smart B--t:eek: it takes 5-6-7 days to sail across.

[Rala]

I have to agree with the above post. There are not many places to stop in the middle of a large ocean hence you are going to have several sea days in a row. :)

[DrivesLikeMario]

A lot of the Princess TAs will stop in the Azores and sometimes Bermuda, but those are really your only choices of places to stop in the Atlantic.

[Lovincruisin1321]

Given that a TA has to traverse the Atlantic Ocean, and there are very limited choices for ports in the middle of the ocean, I think you are kind of stuck with a long stretch of sea days! It may be that TA cruises are not for you if you don't enjoy that. :)

 

Me, I'm getting ready to take my 2nd TA this year.

 

Actually, I loved the TA. It was the consecutive, long port stops getting up at 5am to get a good breakfast, meeting tour at 7am, getting back at 5pm, having a cocktail or two for sail away, shower, dress for theater, 8:30pm dinner, maybe a martini after dinner if I'm awake and crash. Do that five days in a row!

 

Yup, it was an insane, "Gotta get it all in" schedule. I am totally readjusting that for the next one!

:cool:

[2theship]

European cruises are exhausting - there is so much to do and the ports are so close together that you are on the go constantly. After a Greek Islands cruise in 2008, we boarded our plane for the long trip home. At that point I said to my husband, "next time we sail back". For a while, westbound transatlantics were an annual event. We would run our butts off for a week to ten days in Europe then relax and enjoy the sailing home.

 

If you're interested in breaking up the sea days more, consider a transatlantic that takes the northern route with stops in Iceland and Canada on the way home.

[Poconolady]

Perhaps you might want to consider a transpacific, leaves out of Honolulu and has stops in Maui, Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea, Auckland, Bay of Islands, Mew Zealand and ends in Sydney. There are days in between most posts that breaks up the itinerary. Lots of time at sea and a number of port calls. 19 days.