Always wanted to do a Trans Atlantic

[Jjg34219]

Looking around today, I see a new Atlantic Crossing 12/2024 Barcelona to FLL

25 dollar deposits, reduced airfare, couldnt resist!

Will probably add the Pre extension in Barcelona

 

And booked the lowest cabin too! With so many sea days, cant see much reason to spend more for priority excursions reservations, and even better yet we get 6 month final payment as we have another cruise on the books!

[longterm]

27 minutes ago, Jjg34219 said:

Looking around today, I see a new Atlantic Crossing 12/2024 Barcelona to FLL

25 dollar deposits, reduced airfare, couldnt resist!

Will probably add the Pre extension in Barcelona

 

And booked the lowest cabin too! With so many sea days, cant see much reason to spend more for priority excursions reservations, and even better yet we get 6 month final payment as we have another cruise on the books!

Found the link:

 

https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/caribbean-americas/atlantic-crossing/index.html

Thanks!

Edited January 18, 2023 by longterm

[basenji56]

Should be a nice cruise.  My only concern is that there is only one real port--Funchal.  Also St. Maarten but I have been there many times.

 

Also, watch the level of your cabin if you like to spend time on the veranda.  I found that the lower levels got sea spray rendering the balconies difficult to use if the seas were at all rough.  

 

But you can't beat that small deposit and six-month payment deadline.  And Viking ships are wonderful.

 

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, Jjg34219 said:

Looking around today, I see a new Atlantic Crossing 12/2024 Barcelona to FLL

25 dollar deposits, reduced airfare, couldnt resist!

Will probably add the Pre extension in Barcelona

 

And booked the lowest cabin too! With so many sea days, cant see much reason to spend more for priority excursions reservations, and even better yet we get 6 month final payment as we have another cruise on the books!

This is the cruise that the Viking Sky is doing to get it to FLL in order to begin the 2024-25 World Cruise.  My guess is there might be folks onboard who say on through to London!

[Jjg34219]

11 hours ago, basenji56 said:

Should be a nice cruise.  My only concern is that there is only one real port--Funchal.  Also St. Maarten but I have been there many times.

 

Also, watch the level of your cabin if you like to spend time on the veranda.  I found that the lower levels got sea spray rendering the balconies difficult to use if the seas were at all rough.  

 

But you can't beat that small deposit and six-month payment deadline.  And Viking ships are wonderful.

 

We usually travel off to some all inclusive adult only resort in December where we just enjoy quiet do nothing kinda days so the few port stops doesnt bother us at all and the pricing on this is way better than our all inclusive stays….and when we do cruise we just love the sea days! 

[Myrtle Ave. Mayhem]

Trans-Atlantic crossings are my favorite itinerary!! As most Viking cruises are port-a-day, I find that exhausting. With all those sea days, the ship becomes the destination. Have done several aboard Viking, most recently Viking Neptune. 

 

 

 

 

[LouChamp]

Aloha. A positioning TA is magical but if I may suggest a QM2 TA which really brings back the days of yesteryear!

[Heidi13]

8 hours ago, LouChamp said:

Aloha. A positioning TA is magical but if I may suggest a QM2 TA which really brings back the days of yesteryear!

 

Sadly the current Cunard is a long way from the once proud shipping line, prior to it being purchased by Trafalgar House Investments and latterly Carnival. Both the once great shipping lines of Cunard and P&O are a shadow of their former selves, due to the Carnavalisation process.

[Jim Avery]

I second Andy.  I sailed Cunard since childhood when a TA took 4.5-5 days.  Regularly over 30 knots.  Now QM2 takes 7-8 days for the same voyage.  A mere shadow of the former great ships.  To my knowledge QM2 hit 30.0 knots on sea trials before going active.  Never done it since.  A shame to sell the "illusion" of Cunard transatlantics. 

[oskidunker]

28 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Sadly the current Cunard is a long way from the once proud shipping line, prior to it being purchased by Trafalgar House Investments and latterly Carnival. Both the once great shipping lines of Cunard and P&O are a shadow of their former selves, due to the Carnavalisation process.

True. Also Princess.  We have 25 cruises on princess. Loved it but last cruise was flat out bad in every way. No more. Screw Carnival. I have heard the Holland America is improved. 

Edited January 19, 2023 by oskidunker

[Heidi13]

11 minutes ago, oskidunker said:

True. Also Princess.  We have 25 cruises on princess. Loved it but last cruise was flat out bad in every way. No more. Screw Carnival. I have heard the Holland America is improved. 

 

Just be aware that Princess & HAL, in addition to both being owned by Carnival, are both part of the Holland America Group - HAL, Princess, P&O Australia & Seabourn. As such they share many of the same managers.

[LouChamp]

3 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Sadly the current Cunard is a long way from the once proud shipping line, prior to it being purchased by Trafalgar House Investments and latterly Carnival. Both the once great shipping lines of Cunard and P&O are a shadow of their former selves, due to the Carnavalisation process.

Aloha. Do agree as we have been blessed to have sailed on the QE2 prior to Carnival and several times on the QM2. That said there something magical of a transatlantic voyage. All the best!

[powlan]

On 1/17/2023 at 3:38 PM, Jjg34219 said:

Looking around today, I see a new Atlantic Crossing 12/2024 Barcelona to FLL

25 dollar deposits, reduced airfare, couldnt resist!

Will probably add the Pre extension in Barcelona

 

And booked the lowest cabin too! With so many sea days, cant see much reason to spend more for priority excursions reservations, and even better yet we get 6 month final payment as we have another cruise on the books!

FLL to Rome. Also, lowest cabin and couldn't resist the deposit. First time on Viking. Usually on Oceania but this TA sounded good. 

 

[shipboy]

We have this route booked for next year, albeit in the opposite direction.  We will be continuing on from the LA to FLL cruise on a BtB. We did the Southern Atlantic crossing last year and even though the original ports were changed, we loved the cruise and sea days

[chatdad]

On 1/19/2023 at 3:38 PM, Heidi13 said:

 

Sadly the current Cunard is a long way from the once proud shipping line, prior to it being purchased by Trafalgar House Investments and latterly Carnival. Both the once great shipping lines of Cunard and P&O are a shadow of their former selves, due to the Carnavalisation process.

Have done four transatlantic on QM2 in the past few years and loved each one of them.  Will admit the last one (last year) was not to the standard of the previous ones (pre-pandemic) although one would be hard pressed imho to find any of the typical Carnival traits on the Cunard ships.  Am booked on our first Viking Ocean TA this coming March and looking forward to seeing how it compares to what we've experienced.  I'm fully prepared to have a much more limited number of activity options (wife will miss not having her daily dose of watercolor classes) and limited entertainment, but do expect the food to be a cut above and not having to bring a tux or dress suit and tie will be nice.  Also expect the 'ride' to be a bit more of rock and roll.   Can't wait.  

[Jim Avery]

Did you ever sail Cunard prior to Carnival?

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Did you ever sail Cunard prior to Carnival?

 

Jim,

 

You not only know and experienced Cunard before Carnival, you know and experienced the Cunard way from before they were purchased by Trafalgar House Investments.😁

[Haqdeluxe]

I would say comparing the QM2, even now with Conard owned by Carnival, to Viking Ocean is something of a apple to an orange. I don't see them as being in the same market or targeting the same clientèle. We love Viking and sail them almost exclusively, BUT! The TA we did on the QM2 in 2016 was most memorable and provided the nostalgic ocean liner experience we sought. Look ma top of the world! 😊

[chatdad]

17 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Did you ever sail Cunard prior to Carnival?

I'm not that old (well yes I may be but our transits on QM2 were within the last four years).  Prior to that the only other transatlantic was on behalf of the Department of Defense on the USNS Geiger (Dad change of duty station to Germany).  Am sure the 'golden age' of cruising prior to all the absorption of smaller lines by CCL and RCCL (and others) was a much different experience.  Have sailed with 11 different cruise lines and the Cunard experience is still special.  

 

[Heidi13]

7 hours ago, chatdad said:

I'm not that old (well yes I may be but our transits on QM2 were within the last four years).  Prior to that the only other transatlantic was on behalf of the Department of Defense on the USNS Geiger (Dad change of duty station to Germany).  Am sure the 'golden age' of cruising prior to all the absorption of smaller lines by CCL and RCCL (and others) was a much different experience.  Have sailed with 11 different cruise lines and the Cunard experience is still special.  

 

 

The Carnivalisation of Cunard started in the late 1990's, about 5 yrs before they purchased P&O Cruises. I never worked for Cunard, but did work for P&O and know many of the P&O Captains that also served on the Cunard ships. At one time the Commodore and Captains/Staff Captains on QM2 were all from P&O.

 

Jim has extensive Cunard experience and when we compare, P&O was just slightly below the Cunard standards. Sadly P&O today is but a shadow of the once great cruise line and I have no doubt Cunard is the same.

 

If your first Cunard cruise was only 4 years ago, the Carnivalisation process was well advanced and while still better than Carnival/NCL, etc. it would be a shadow of the incredible service that Jim experienced in the 60's. Back in those days the waiters were exemplary, completing flawless "Silver Service"

[FetaCheese]

On 1/24/2023 at 9:44 PM, chatdad said:

Have done four transatlantic on QM2 in the past few years and loved each one of them.  Will admit the last one (last year) was not to the standard of the previous ones (pre-pandemic) although one would be hard pressed imho to find any of the typical Carnival traits on the Cunard ships.  Am booked on our first Viking Ocean TA this coming March and looking forward to seeing how it compares to what we've experienced.  I'm fully prepared to have a much more limited number of activity options (wife will miss not having her daily dose of watercolor classes) and limited entertainment, but do expect the food to be a cut above and not having to bring a tux or dress suit and tie will be nice.  Also expect the 'ride' to be a bit more of rock and roll.   Can't wait.  

On our Dec. 2022 V Sea TA, they had hosted watercolor classes on Sea days in the Wintergarden.  Each day was of a different drawing subject/theme.  Very popular, had to sign up in advance.  Supplies provided.  Wife really enjoyed them.  End of cruise, they had an art show, displaying everyone's masterpieces, deck 3, atrium.  Such talented pax!

Edited January 26, 2023 by FetaCheese
Addl info

[Reuben's 3rd]

We have done 7 transatlantics on the QM2 since 2013, and enjoyed them, particularly the lectures, the promenade and the music.  We encountered varied weather, from smooth as glass to converging storms, Force 10, and the tail end of a hurricane, but then the QM2 was built for the North Atlantic, and we were fine.  We cancelled our last one, for April of 2021, when Cunard would not answer whether or not their crews were vaccinated against Covid.  Viking seems to offer everything that we enjoyed, and had a much more reassuring regimen concerning Covid, but we wondered how Viking would handle rough seas.

Last week, we completed the Viking Venus, Barcelona to Tilsbury, to test out the Bay of Biscay.  The Bay lived up to its January reputation.  After leaving Vigo (on, I believe, the 17th) we were experiencing 20 ft swells (and heavy rain).  My source was one of the speakers.  Certainly, there were a lots of things falling over and crashing.  I believe that we changed course further away from the continental shelf, and as a consequence missed a port call in Portsmouth.  Disappointing but understandable.  I am happy to say that we personally had no ill effects, and booked a crossing while on board, San Juan to Barcelona, for March of 2024. 

We enjoyed QM2, but Cunard's admin was generally sub par. I do believe that we are set to become loyal to Viking!

Karen

[chatdad]

10 hours ago, FetaCheese said:

On our Dec. 2022 V Sea TA, they had hosted watercolor classes on Sea days in the Wintergarden.  Each day was of a different drawing subject/theme.  Very popular, had to sign up in advance.  Supplies provided.  Wife really enjoyed them.  End of cruise, they had an art show, displaying everyone's masterpieces, deck 3, atrium.  Such talented pax!

Thanks for the info.  Wife will be excited to learn it may be an offering.  

[farmecologist]

21 hours ago, Reuben's 3rd said:

We have done 7 transatlantics on the QM2 since 2013, and enjoyed them, particularly the lectures, the promenade and the music.  We encountered varied weather, from smooth as glass to converging storms, Force 10, and the tail end of a hurricane, but then the QM2 was built for the North Atlantic, and we were fine.  We cancelled our last one, for April of 2021, when Cunard would not answer whether or not their crews were vaccinated against Covid.  Viking seems to offer everything that we enjoyed, and had a much more reassuring regimen concerning Covid, but we wondered how Viking would handle rough seas.

Last week, we completed the Viking Venus, Barcelona to Tilsbury, to test out the Bay of Biscay.  The Bay lived up to its January reputation.  After leaving Vigo (on, I believe, the 17th) we were experiencing 20 ft swells (and heavy rain).  My source was one of the speakers.  Certainly, there were a lots of things falling over and crashing.  I believe that we changed course further away from the continental shelf, and as a consequence missed a port call in Portsmouth.  Disappointing but understandable.  I am happy to say that we personally had no ill effects, and booked a crossing while on board, San Juan to Barcelona, for March of 2024. 

We enjoyed QM2, but Cunard's admin was generally sub par. I do believe that we are set to become loyal to Viking!

Karen

 

We are considering a Viking transatlantic at some point.

 

Having never done a transatlantic crossing before, we do have some concern about ocean swell, etc...compared to a Caribbean sailing that usually has minimal swell.  Note that we do take seasickness meds as a precaution as I am a bit prone to seasickness on occasion ( we have used one a day generic chewable Meclizine tablets for years without issue ).  

 

Bottom line...I wonder if we could handle a transatlantic crossing without being miserable when rough seas happen?

 

 

 

 

 

[CCWineLover]

3 minutes ago, farmecologist said:

 

We are considering a Viking transatlantic at some point.

 

Having never done a transatlantic crossing before, we do have some concern about ocean swell, etc...compared to a Caribbean sailing that usually has minimal swell.  Note that we do take seasickness meds as a precaution as I am a bit prone to seasickness on occasion ( we have used one a day generic chewable Meclizine tablets for years without issue ).  

 

Bottom line...I wonder if we could handle a transatlantic crossing without being miserable when rough seas happen?

 

 

 

 

 

You'll never know unless you try it.   Depends on how adventurous or risk-taking you are.