Transatlantic Questions

[CruisinNewb]

Hi all:

 

We are considering our first transatlantic cruise and have a couple of questions that I am hoping those who have experienced a T/A cruise can help with.

 

1) Any preference on Eastbound versus Westbound trips?

 

2) How rocky does it get?

 

3) Are there enough activities to keep you occupied? I'm guessing a premium drink package would get a lot of use on a T/A cruise :)

 

4) Any issues getting acclimated back to land after being at sea for 7 days?

 

5) Any other information or suggestions you may have.

 

Thanks very much.

[woody14h]

Hi all:

 

We are considering our first transatlantic cruise and have a couple of questions that I am hoping those who have experienced a T/A cruise can help with.

 

1) Any preference on Eastbound versus Westbound trips?

 

2) How rocky does it get?

 

3) Are there enough activities to keep you occupied? I'm guessing a premium drink package would get a lot of use on a T/A cruise :)

 

4) Any issues getting acclimated back to land after being at sea for 7 days?

 

5) Any other information or suggestions you may have.

 

Thanks very much.

 

1.) Westbound gives you an extra 1 hour almost daily due to time zones. we have done both and we prefer Westbound.

2.) After 7 TAs we have had only one rocky leg Spain to Madeira (hurricane but ship was very stable.

3.) There are many lecturers with interesting topics. Always activities around. Great fun

4.) No issues whatsoever. No different than short cruises.

5.) Balconies are great for sunny days at sea.

You might become addicted.

 

Happy cruising.

[bobndee]

I've done only one T/A - April of this year - but I'll give you the benefit of my limited experience.

 

1) Our T/A was eastbound. Since there was a time zone change almost every day, each day was 23 hours long. A westbound T/A would have 25 hour long days.

 

2) We were on the Celebrity Silhouette. Most days were quite calm but we did have one stormy day with wind gusts as high as 70 knots and 20+ foot seas. The ship rode it quite well. Even the captain seemed quite proud of how well the ship handled the conditions. I didn't hear any reports of wide-spread sea sickness.

 

3) There were quite a few activities. Since X doesn't give perks on T/A cruises, we didn't get a drink package. :mad: We boarded with the allowed 2 bottles of wine and bought a bottle of Jack Daniels as an onboard gift to ourselves. Onboard we found bar staff selling half-priced bottles of wine outside the lunch buffet almost every day, so we were able to stay hydrated. :D

 

4) The nice thing about taking a T/A cruise is that when you get to your destination, you're already on local time - no need to get over jet lag or time change issues.

[ghstudio]

1 - we've done both east and westbound TA's. We prefer westbounds because there's really no limitation on what you can bring home (size/weight) and we're back on normal time when we arrive.

 

2-the weather is the weather. We've had glass smooth TA's and one with 30' waves for a day.

 

3-if you want hourly excitement, don't sail on celebrity. There are activities, but for most, it's relaxing time. Many of the activities are "selling"...shops, auction, etc.

 

4-no issue acclimating...you're on local time so you arrive refreshed.

 

5-try one...that's the only way you'll know if you enjoy five or six days at sea with no port stops.

[Jim_Iain]

I've taken many TA's and by my sailing history you will see I prefer Westbound. This is due to gaining an extra hour for 5-6 nights is very relaxing.

 

There is plenty planned on the ship to keep you busy. I have never been bored.

 

You are more likely to having a very smooth crossing on the southern routs the North Atlantic is much more likely to experience heavy seas.

[El Crucero]

1. we prefer westbound

 

2. You might notice some slight movement sometimes

 

3. So many activities on sea days we had a hard time deciding what to do next - movies, trivia, lectures, wine tasting, special events, casino, shopping, and more

 

4. No adjustment problems going ashore.

 

5. We love TAs and TPs.

[Tommy3putts]

We just returned from our first TA. We did a WB on the Reflection from Rome to Miami. We loved it and are looking forward to doing it again in 2018.

 

 

 

 

1) Although we have not done an EB yet, we think that going West suits us better. We liked getting the extra hour.

 

2). The seas were not bad. Overall great weather and seas, but you will feel some movement. We had no issues.

 

 

 

3) tons of activities on board. My wife especially liked the afternoon lectures. Me? I enjoyed lazy afternoons at the sunset bar.

 

 

 

4) While we had no motion issues during the cruise it did take a day or two to get used to being back on dry land. No biggie tho. Just weird. As for time, no issues because we were already on local time by the end of the cruise.

 

 

5) We loved it. Especially the 9 sea days. The first part of a WB cruise will be port intensive. Don't over plan your port days. Just relax and enjoy the cruise.

Edited December 8, 2016 by Tommy3putts

[mnocket]

For my upcoming TA I've selected EB. This is a 16 night cruise that crosses the Atlantic and then has port calls in Spain, France and Italy. I prefer the restful sea days upfront before the more active port days. I'm also extending the vacation with a few days in Rome. By going EB the only jet-lag is at the end of the vacation for our flight home. I much prefer this to jet-lag to start the vacation. It's true that I'll lose an hour/day on the TA, but it's vacation - I don't use an alarm clock and still get a full night's sleep. The time changes aren't a big deal to me.

[4774Papa]

1) Any preference on Eastbound versus Westbound trips?

 

 

We have done one TA in each direction. The longer days on the Westbound don't mean a lot, but we like having the TA after we have done some touring in Europe or another cruise there. We get to wind down after the big event rather than having the TA prior to the main event.

 

2) How rocky does it get?

 

On both of our TA cruises, the seas were calm during most of the cruise, exception was between the Azores and English Channel and North Sea. I think the seas are always stormy around the British Isles.

 

3) Are there enough activities to keep you occupied? I'm guessing a premium drink package would get a lot of use on a T/A cruise

 

We don't every buy the beverage packages, since we are Elite and enjoy the free drinks at happy hour. We don't drink all day. Our bar bill for a 14 day cruise will run $250-$300.

There are activities as others outlines, as well as some organized on the cc roll calls. Some roll calls have a murder mystery, cabin crawl, gift exchange, etc.

 

4) Any issues getting acclimated back to land after being at sea for 7 days?

 

Never had a problem with that.

 

5) Any other information or suggestions you may have.

 

What attracted us to a TA was the low prices. Both of our TA cruises cost us about $7-800 pp for a balcony. Since airfare in one direction can run $400-$700, that makes the trip very cheap. We are booked on the Eclipse TA from Southampton to Miami that is 15 days with stops in Boston, NYC, Bermuda, Nassau ending in Miami. That cruise will cost us $1400 pp, but it includes some great ports. We find that more TA cruises these days don't just zip across the Atlantic, they stop at more ports, which is great, but it does push up the costs.

[digital_curator]

We've only done 1 (westbound, 16-night) but love the extra hour to sleep in!

 

We had a few spots of bad weather with some rocky seas but nothing worse than we have experienced on Caribbean cruises.

 

We were never bored on our 5-sea days. Got into a routine of participating in trivia and other events, mixed in with some exercise, lounging by the pool, and meals! We actually wish that more cruises had extensive sea days. :) We did ours before drink packages and, from what I have heard, few people have them on TA's because they aren't offered as a free perk. :(I guess those cheap TA fares could help offset the big expense though....:p

 

I had a really hard time with "land-sickness" after this cruise- I felt like I was swaying for several weeks. But this does not seem to be a common issue for most cruisers.

 

In terms of advice, I would suggest to pack light and think of outfits that can be easily mixed and matched and to take advantage of the all-you-can-stuff laundry bag sales for things like socks and underwear. We were gone for a total of 3 weeks and kept it to one bag/one carryon each.

 

I would love to do another but the timing is not good with my work. I am hoping to do a Transpacific one day though!

 

Cheers,

[Orator]

Before taking my first TA I thought I'd be bored and climbing the walls. I was hooked after that first TA and have been on more than 15 with more booked. I agree with those who prefer Westbound due to the favorable time changes. I've found plenty to do, in fact I've had to make choices. I really enjoy the lectures and variety of speakers. Mornings seem to be more crowded with things to do then afternoons. I've experienced very few rough sea days. Some missed ports on Northern Routes due to weather, but felt no real discomfort on the ship. The ship does feel crowded when the weather is too cold or too windy to use the pools since more people stay inside. The age of the typical passenger is higher on a TA since most people who work cannot take time time. However, I've seen quite a few in their 30's and 40's. There are usually few children on these cruises. The most experienced cruisers tend to take TAs. There were 9 Zenith level cruisers on my last TA and lots and lots of Elites and Elite+ cruisers. TAs are not for everyone, but just give it a try and you might become seriously addicted.

[Lastdance]

We are doing my first eastbound in April on the Reflection...if we like it, we are planning to take a TA over, stay in Europe for several months, and then return on an eastbound TA! Can't wait to give that a try in the future..bucket list.

I agree with the others, gotta try it first; only you can decide!!!

 

 

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Edited December 8, 2016 by Lastdance

[jules815]

We just did our first TA; a 13-day westbound on RC Harmony of the Seas. We definitely plan on doing another, hopefully in 2018, and next time with Celebrity.

 

We love sea days, but I was still a little worried the 9 in a row might be too much, but they were not! Different vibe on the ship. Definitely more upper tier and an older demographic, although we also met quite a few couples from Europe who were in their late 30's - 40's. Loved the lectures on sea days.

 

The only things we might do differently would be to add a couple more days up front in the embarkation/debarkation port. We spent 3 nights in Barcelona pre-cruise, but only had 2 good days for sightseeing. Could have easily added a few more. Also, wouldn't do another TA on that big of a ship. It was our first Oasis class cruise, but we didn't love the ship.

[CruisinNewb]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond. The more I read the more excited I am to try one.

 

We are sailing on the Reflection next month. I think I may be booking one then.

 

Thinking westbound October 2017 or 2018. Who knows, Maybe both!

[2Fltravelers]

Westbound is the best for the reasons given and also because you can tour in Europe first and then get plenty of rest on the return. Get a balcony on the port side fir the most sun in this direction. The opposite for eastbound TA's. Our last TA in late October was smooth as glass. Our first one in late November was not as calm. Time of year has a lot to do with it. We were never bored!

 

 

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[SPacificbound]

1) Any preference on Eastbound versus Westbound trips?

We do both, and enjoy both. I am not a good long haul flyer. You lose the hour Eastbound and gain it back Westbound, so for me it's a draw.

 

2) How rocky does it get?

We have only been on one rocky TA and that was Westbound in November 2016. Our TP was much rockier.

 

3) Are there enough activities to keep you occupied? I'm guessing a premium drink package would get a lot of use on a T/A cruise

It depends on the cruise line. There are activities but it depends on the individual if it keeps them busy or not. DH & I both read a lot and do some walking. I just love being out to sea.

 

4) Any issues getting acclimated back to land after being at sea for 7 days?

Neither of us have ever had any problem getting acclimated after leaving the ship. Our longest continuous cruise (b2b2b2b2b) so far was 51 nights.

 

5) Any other information or suggestions you may have.

If you have the time off book a TA and the cruise before or after, and try that out. :)

Edited December 9, 2016 by SPacificbound