Spring Eastbound TA weather?

[tamom]

My husband and I are going on our first transatlantic cruise at the end of April on Vision from SJU to Barcelona.  What can we expect for weather on the crossing?  I know the first part will be warm but wondering about mid Atlantic temps.  Also know there are variables such as storms, but what have others experienced? Thanks!

[taglovestocruise]

Have done 1 eastbound and 3 westbound TA'S. Weather is much warmer west bound and 6 25 hour days instead of 6 23 hours days going east. I would guess only the last two days will be cool/chilly.  Canary Islands will be mid to high 70's. Barcelona will just be warming up with temps in the high 60's low 70's daytime.  TA'S have become our favorite cruises.  happy cruising

Edited January 4, 2020 by taglovestocruise

[tamom]

Thanks!  I guess layers are the key!  

[hancock]

It's spring. The temps will be on the cool side.  The ocean has cooled over the winter.  A westbound is warmer since the ocean has warmed over the summer.

[Markanddonna]

We found the weather to be pleasant but brisk in the spring and all three sailings over the Atlantic were like glass. Cruisers in the Med in the fall can experience more turbulent weather. The Med was quite active this past fall and we sailed through a Medicane (hurricane like conditions in the Med.)

 

You just never know.

[evandbob]

We did a 15 day TA from Canaveral to Barcelona last April and had warm weather (no layers needed) and very calm flat seas during the ocean crossing.  It was hot in all the ports of Spain, no layers needed.

 

Of course, that is no guarantee of future weather.

 

One issue we didn't anticipate was the cumulative effect of all the time changes.  After 5 of them on board, my stomach was on breakfast time and the ship was serving lunch. 

 

The other problem we experienced was having a shoulder bag stolen as we walked down a pedestrian lane to our hotel in the Gothic District of Barcelona the morning of debarkation.  We got distracted when I thought I was the target of a pigeon dropping attack when in fact it was something like a vanilla shake thrown at me by a perp.  A small crowd of co-conspirators gathered and in that distraction, my bag disappeared.  

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Hlitner]

We have done more then 20 East bound spring cruises and had all kinds of weather from glassy seas and warm days to big waves/swells and awful weather.   A crossing from SJU to Barcelona is a pretty southern route so that should increase the odds of decent (and warm weather).  But there are no guarantees.

 

 Also consider that the prevailing weather systems also move easterly so you can get lucky or unlucky early in your cruise and that weather might stick with you for part or all of the way to Europe.  The worst weather we ever had on a cruise (and this is over more then 40 years of cruising) was on a RCI crossing (I think it was either the Jewel or Brilliance of the Seas) from Ft Lauderdale to Amesterdam.  Our first port of call in Europe was in Cobh.  The day after we left Ft Lauderdale we ran into a very powerful weather system that had caused spring floods in the USA.  It was a huge nasty weather mass and it stayed with us all the way to Ireland with its rain and high seas (often above 20 foot).  This only happened to us that one time, but it was a cruise to remember.  The day we got to Cobh that storm was still with us and there was horizontal rain on the pier.  It turned out to be a real enjoyable voyage because the passengers were generally good sailors and we made the most of the lousy weather by simply having more fun.  Suffice it to say that RCI sold a lot of booze on that crossing :).

 

Having done many crossings (both Atlantic and Pacific) they remain one of our favorite itineraries.  In fact we have another one booked this coming summer (NYC to Southampton) and also have a trans northern pacific (Japan to Vancouver).  DW and I just love all those lazy sea days. .

 

Hank

[tamom]

Thanks for all the responses!  I guess I will be prepared for anything!  Evandbob what a terrible experience!  I have read about this problem in Barcelona and we will be vigilant.  

[Markanddonna]

On 1/6/2020 at 6:05 PM, tamom said:

Thanks for all the responses!  I guess I will be prepared for anything!  Evandbob what a terrible experience!  I have read about this problem in Barcelona and we will be vigilant.  

Read Rick Steves' advice about theft on his website. 

[dogs4fun]

On 1/6/2020 at 9:36 AM, evandbob said:

We got distracted when I thought I was the target of a pigeon dropping attack when in fact it was something like a vanilla shake thrown at me by a perp.  A small crowd of co-conspirators gathered and in that distraction, my bag disappeared.  

 

On 1/6/2020 at 4:05 PM, tamom said:

Thanks for all the responses!  I guess I will be prepared for anything!  Evandbob what a terrible experience!  I have read about this problem in Barcelona and we will be vigilant.  

You will be just fine if you exercise reasonable caution - the pigeon poop scam is quite common. You can read about the more commonly used scams here:

https://suitelife.com/blog/moving-to-barcelona/barcelona-pickpockets-scams-and-street-scams/

https://vickiviaja.com/barcelona-scams/#The_most_common_tourist_traps_Barcelona_Scams_and_how_to_avoid_them

I carry one credit card, DL (if needed for audio guide rental) and money in a passport wallet worn crossbody inside my shirt/blouse/sweater. Other members of my family/group carry these essentials in a money belt. Passports, other credit cards & money remain in our hotel safe or stateroom safe. My purse, if it was stolen, contains nothing that I could not live without or that would present a hassle to replace.

For the record, we have visited Barcelona five times and have not been the victim of a pickpocket.

Barcelona is a beautiful city - enjoy!

[IrieBajan54]

I have done several TA's. I had far better weather (temps/sea conditions) by days with embarkation or disembarkation Florida. The opposite was true for NYC because the ships sailed farther north.

Edited January 25, 2020 by IrieBajan54
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