Transatlantic Question

[kiefaber455]

My wife and I are hoping to do a Transatlantic cruise in April of 2018. We have cruised many times but have never done this itinerary. Our choices are Serenade of the Seas, or Zuiderdam, which I understand is getting a makeover in October.

Both begin in Fort Lauderdale and end in Copenhagen, a couple of extra port days on the Zuiderdam, cost is comparable.

We did a Baltic trip two years ago on HAL, but it has been many years since we've sailed on RCCL. Would appreciate to hear from anyone who has been on either of these cruises.

[Essiesmom]

Not much help here, as for us if cost is comparable, the longer cruise always wins. EM

[Bankshot]

We've also not been on either ship but offer this suggestion. A Springtime crossing, heading East, has some built-in problems. For the first six days at sea you set your clock forward an hour each day. By the seventh day you are having dinner at 1:00 in the afternoon, body time. It also messes with your sleep pattern and you arrive tired and possibly in a foul mood. Turn it around, fly over in the Fall, spend a few days touring on your own and adjusting to the time change. Then get on your cruise relaxed and rested. There is also another bonus. Going West you set your clock back each day giving you more time for happy hour. We've done four TA's, one East and three West and would NEVER book another one heading East. Happy sailing.

[Markanddonna]

I'm not sure I agree with your logic, but there are many folks who would agree with you. I think one consideration is why you are going to Europe. Our REAL destination is Europe, so we want to arrive there with our body clocks reset and ready to hit the ground running. The weather is really about the same. We had 70 degrees and sunshine in early May in England, Sweden, Copenhagen, etc. No one can predict the weather.

 

Here are some advantages of the fall transatlantics:

 

You "gain five hours" while on the cruise, but in truth you will be forced to lose it on the flight. On a 14 day cruise, you have about 336 hours. Subtract five on the spring TA and that puts it into better perspective.

 

Advantages of Spring Transatlantics:

 

You arrive in Europe ready to travel and tour.

 

You have much more daylight. The month of May provides early sunrises and later sunsets.

 

Fall is hurricane season and that can affect the sailing and flights. We flew to Europe the day before Hurricane Sandy hit and had a few stressful previous days while we tried to convince Cruise Air and then United to let us on the earlier connecting flight. If I had not been the diligent one, I would have lost 2-3 days of my 4 in Rome. I learned to read my contract carefully. That experience taught me the problems with traveling in the fall on an important/expensive sailing. Yes, we had insurance.

On the other hand, if more people start to like the spring sailings, the prices will increase for me. So, I vote for fall sailings...

[taglovestocruise]

You might check out Brilliance of the Seas, Tampa to Amsterdam with prices below 800.00 pp. The first week of May Independence of the Seas has a 10 day FLL to Southampton with prices at 500.00 pp. As was posted above the Westbound gives you 5 25 hour days. Should you choose RCCL be sure to check out their air to sea flight options, we just booked Virgin Atlantic LAX to Heathrow for $569.00 pp premium seating, economy was under 400.00. happy cruising

[kiefaber455]

The reason to go east for us, is because we'd like to tour Europe after disembarkation and figure the weather would be better in May to do that.

[Dancer Bob]

I've done TA's both ways. Either direction, you change one hour per day, that ought to be a good rate to adjust. So whichever direction, you end up arriving ready for lunch at noon local time, dinner evening local time.

Flying is when you get hit all at once. Westbound or eastbound on a daytime flight, you're sort of in sync with local time until you adjust, an overnight eastbound makes the first days pretty exhausting. Cruise line options usually use the most inconvenient flights.

Some people get outraged because sailing eastbound, they pay for a full day but only get 23 hours.

[navybankerteacher]

The reason to go east for us, is because we'd like to tour Europe after disembarkation and figure the weather would be better in May to do that.

 

Actually, October is likely to give you better weather in both Britain and Southern Europe than May.

[Sequim88]

We did So. Caribbean on Serenade and a TA (Miami-London) on sister Radiance class ship Brilliance. Great ships. Zuiderdam (Vista class) is about the same size. Not too big, not too small. Won't know details of that HAL class until June on Oosterdam. We've only done eastward TAs and did appreciate the gradual time shift so we arrived already adjusted. Downside is all the port stops at the end gets tiring. Also in Spring the Atlantic is sort of "de-energized" so less stormy although cooler temps. I probably would prefer an itinerary stopping at Bermuda over Azores so as to not cross by notorious Bay of Biscay in Spring.

[jocap]

When we've sailed west to east, the hour has been removed at noon, so the simplest way of coping has been to miss lunch, then have afternoon tea. Depending on port stops on the way, this won't happen every day, so we haven't found it a problem.

If you're going to the Azores, you'll be sailing the northern circle, so won't be in the Bay of Biscay- you'll head NE towards the English Channel.... actually, having been through the BOB many times, it can be as quiet as any other sea. :)

[iancal]

You have to like multiple sea days in a row. We don't. After four days we were ready to jump ship. We very much enjoyed the ship however five or six days at sea was enough swear us off.

[Jacaluke]

We are looking at doing a transatlantic eastbound from NYC to Southhampton on Norwegian Breakaway in April 2018. We are from Australia so a big trip for us both ways. Any suggestions would be much appreciated - we are looking forward to our time in NY prior to the cruise and in London post cruise.

[Keith1010]

We are looking at doing a transatlantic eastbound from NYC to Southhampton on Norwegian Breakaway in April 2018. We are from Australia so a big trip for us both ways. Any suggestions would be much appreciated - we are looking forward to our time in NY prior to the cruise and in London post cruise.

 

Sounds like a terrific cruise.

 

If the seas are a concern for you I would book a room more mid-deck and just come prepared just in case the seas get a little rough.

 

Both NYC and London are wonderful places for pre and post cruises.

 

You'l be able to get a lot of information on the East Coast Departure Board about NYC and the British Isles Board about London.

 

Of course questions about NCL and the ship can be asked on the NCL Board.

 

Keith