Transatlantic Cruises

[SusieV]

We may have to change our plans for 2009 and take our cruise in November/December of this year instead.

 

I got an email with some great specials for transatlantic cruises including air so we're considering taking one.

 

We're looking at the 11/29 sailing on Summit, the 12/1 sailing on Century, and the 12/5 sailing on Galaxy, probably in that order.

 

We've never taken anything but a garden variety Caribbean sailing so I have a few questions.

 

Is it too cold to use a veranda in December? The sea days tend to be at the end of the itinerary so I don't know if that would change things.

 

We've never been to any of the ports before. Are there interesting things to do in the Canary Islands? Are shore excursions very expensive in these ports?

 

Is the "feel" of transatlantics different than that of a Caribbean sailing? I would assume that my husband and I will be among the youngest passengers (we're in our mid twenties).

 

Would you recommend that we choose a transatlantic or just stick with our chosen full transit Panama Canal itinerary, but in December instead of late January?

[sasset]

We made a similar crossing in late November 2006, Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale, (Millenium) and the weather was spectacular...Although everyone on board commented that the weather was unbelievable. You are looking at a southern crossing so you are likely going to get the best weather at the time. As you get closer to San Juan it will get warmer. We were using our veranda almost the entire cruise and we ended in Fort Lauderdale. Your canal transit will likely be warmer the entire cruise.

 

We are in our early 50's and we were among the "kids" on the ship...you will be amongst the youngest on a transatlantic.

Our only Canary port was Tenerife and we really enjoyed it. We heard many speaking of a mini 4X4 excursion that was really cool, although we didn't do it.

 

The feel is totally different. The five or six days in a row crossing are great, in our view as opposed to the almost a port-a-day on your typical Carribbean itinerary. An island stop before the end would be a nice way to end.

 

To us, either is a winner, although we have done the canal before and really enjoy the sea days of a transatlantic.

 

Regards

[Cruise Vanessa]

Last Dec. we did a 17 day Transatlantic from Barcelona to Miami. We loved it but you must be comfortable with several sea days in a row. Some people get itchy after 2 or 3 sea days. We had 7 sea days in a row and no problem for us. It was great to know that I didn't have to think about any responsibilities. Bring books to read and take advantage of the ship's activities - there were lots. We made 3 stops in the Canaries. On one, we took a tour of the volcanic region - very unique area. My favorite excursion was the camel ride in the desert. What an experience! I don't believe these were very expensive either. Also, I found some excellent silver jewelry in Tennerife. The shopping area here was close to the ship and mostly along a pedestrian mall. I think you'll find that these longer cruises have less children and more retired people so the ship atmosphere is a bit quieter - we enjoyed that. There was still plenty of nightlife and typical cruise atmosphere. Whatever you choose - enjoy!

[CajunLiner]

Susie, we did a full Canal crossing in March and a partial crossing in November. Both times, hot, hot, hot. We did a Transatlantic in October and in December. Both times, used the balcony every single day, evening, and night. Leaving Europe, the weather was a tad cold, but by the time you hit the Atlantic, it warms up quite a bit, assuming you are doing a southernly crossing.

 

Canary Islands, wasn't quite sure what to do there, so we did Celebrity's excursions. Prices were not bad. Like camels? You can ride them in Lanzorote. Like wine? Ever had volcano wine? No sulfites in this wine, even asthmatics can drink it. Wine galore in the Canaries.

 

I do have photos on webshots from our December TA crossing. Will see if link works: http://community.webshots.com/user/djorden

 

Either cruise will be great. And yes, you will be among the youngest.

 

Donna

[PHYLLISR]

We are thinking about Equinox Transatlantic for 2009. I haven't found any info- only that there will be one! Any thoughts?

[wrk2cruise]

We are booked on the 12/1 on the Century. I'm hoping the weather is warm. Last year we did the last Med sailing before the T/A on Century in late Oct and the weather was still very warm.

 

I just today printed out the shore excursions. They seemed very reasonable. More like the reasonable caribbean prices. We have recently sailed Europe and Australia/NZ where the excursion prices I thought were very high.

[judyfssw]

Hi Susie,

Rod and I will be on the TA on the Summit. Sure would like to see a familiar face. How did you do in Detroit.

[leoandhugh]

:) we agree with all the above posters, having made several TAs and the southern route out of Barcelona to Fla. or Puerto Rico is the best - usually great weather and interesting port calls. Nothing like a Caribbean cruise and that is exactly why we go for TAs or elsewhere - Caribbean cruises get very boring very quickly once you have done 3 or 4.

Usually your balcony will be usable, but remember that the ship will be going full speed for several days crossing the Atlantic and though weather may be warm, it will be windy out there. If you have a choice, book a cabin on the port side (left looking forward) of the ship to take advantage of the afternoon sun which tends to be more southerly at that time of year. And you gain 5 or 6 hours crossing east to west - 25hr days. As long as you are not people who have to be constantly entertained by others, you will have no problem with boredom. Some people just don't know what to do with themselves after 3 or more sea days.

The pax will be much older than you because of the number of days involved - lots of retired, well-travelled (we have done 38 cruises) and very few children.

[mo&fran]

I agree with what everyone else has had to say. WE have done crossons for the last 4 years with X , Connie once, Millie twice, and the refurbished Century last year. We generally look at the itinery for selecting which ship to sail on. X had 3 ships doing repos wthin a week from BCN last year.

By all means check the roll calls for these cruises. In the past, T/A's have very active roll calls, and have a lot of posts by people with multiple crossings.

As far as wind gues, the Captaain does slow down during the day and goes faster at night. And if you can snag a family ocean view on the corner ( any of them , but the corner has the largest veranda) , wind will not be an issue.

[Muushka]

I saw the great deals on the TA's.

 

For those that have done them, if you are prone to seasickness, would you recommend doing an M class for more stability or is that not a factor?

[SusieV]

Hi Judy- it'd be nice to cruise with you again! Dan is still in Detroit but I had to work so I'm sitting this one out. So far he has won an event, didn't place in the second, and is entering a multi day team event today. The T/A on Summit is the one that is the most appealing to us but I'm not sure if we can do it because of dates- the fall nationals are November 20-30, not sure if his client would let him leave a couple of days early. We did our honeymoon on Summit and loved it.

 

We love sea days so I'm not worried about those. I guess I was just a little nervous that the cruise would be very different. We don't care that much about being the youngest onboard because we're not really into drinking and partying- you'd find us in the casino most nights after the show.

 

I think if I mention wine to Dan, he'll be sold :) He's a bit of an oenophile, at least he would be if we had a larger wine budget! Camels sound kind of cool too.

 

I have to wait until he gets home before we make our final decision, but I'm still trying to figure it out. The pricing is so appealing on these cruises, and Celebrity air is quite reasonable. I actually think that any of these three cruises is cheaper than the Panama Canal sailing we're currently booked on after air.

[judyfssw]

Hi Susie,

You are absolutely right about the pricing. We have a RS for this one because of it. I sure hope that you'll talk Dan into coming on this one.

[SusieV]

Judy, now you've got me dreaming lol. We can't really splurge on a suite, though, much as I'd like to. Maybe one day!

 

Now we just have to decide whether we'd rather do Panama Canal or a T/A. Any opinions, if you could only do one cruise (and it might be your last for a few years), which would you choose?

[MMDown Under]

If you decide on a transatlantic cruise, you may like to consider MSC Lirica's 18 night repositioning cruise from Genoa, Italy to FL, departing 15th November.

 

We were attracted to its unique intinerary with 8 ports of call and 9 sea days.

[garykool81]

SusieV --

 

Transatlantics definitely attract a different "breed" of traveler than the typical Caribbean cruises that you are used to. In most cases, folks on transatlantics seem to have spent far more time at sea and are much more passionate about being on the ocean than the average cruise guest that bobs around from island to island.

 

I've never sailed with X on a crossing, but I have spent four weeks on transatlantics with Oceania (very small, max. capacity of 680 people). We're also in our mid-20s and absolutely loved these trips -- and these were almost ALL days at sea except for one stop in the Azores. We found it to be much more relaxing than previous cruises and also had a chance to make great friends on-board that you'd otherwise not be able to socialize with quite as much if the ship were docking in a different port every day.

 

As far as the balcony is concerned, I personally feel that it is a waste of money. On our crossings, both of which involved storms with seas in excess of 30 feet (not so much fun), the balcony was so covered in nasty salt that it was essentially unusable.

 

Weather, as folks here have stated, can vary a LOT. You'll find crossings where the seas are smooth and the sky is sunny the entire trip. You'll also find crossings where you might hit some nasty weather.

 

On both of our crossings (Barcelona to Azores, then to Miami), we sailed a northerly route...not the best idea in November, but Oceania insists on doing this year after year for whatever reason, even after their ships continue to get $20,000+ of damage inflicted from broken plates, artwork, etc. Because of that northerly route, I suspect weather on our crossings (just like QM2) might not be as nice as the southern routes favored by other lines that shoot from Europe down to the Canary Islands or Funchal. On these itineraries, you're more likely to find smooth sailing with sunny, warm skies.

 

From the X itineraries I've looked at, you are getting an AWESOME deal...and I doubt you'll run into nasty seas like we did on the northern routes. Storms that whip up 30-foot swells are quite rare that far south in the winter :-)

 

Hope that helps! If you love sea days, you'll absolutely adore being on a crossing.

[SusieV]

If you decide on a transatlantic cruise, you may like to consider MSC Lirica's 18 night repositioning cruise from Genoa, Italy to FL, departing 15th November.

 

We were attracted to its unique intinerary with 8 ports of call and 9 sea days.

 

Hi Marion and Barry- thanks for the suggestion because that itinerary sounds very interesting but unfortunately it's a little too early for us. We have commitments in the third week of November. Maybe next time!

 

Gary- we do enjoy sea days and find them very relaxing. One of our favourite activities is sitting on the veranda with a drink and a good book, but if it might be unusable that would be a bit of a disappointment.

 

The idea of a crossing seems very romantic to me- like in the old days of cruising.

 

The ports on all three of the T/A itineraries look interesting, too. Although then again, the idea of going through the Panama Canal would be pretty neat, too. I've been looking at getting one of the oversized forward facing oceanviews for that sailing if we choose that.

 

I'm really not sure which way to lean! It'd be nice to have figured out my preference before my husband comes home :)

[judyfssw]

Hi Susie,

As to your question about which I would prefer - having done the Panama Canal cruise and never doing a TA, but dreaming about it, I would have to say get a verandah and do the PC cruise. I enjoyed it so much. Going through the canal was awesome. It was amazing to see such an accomplishment. I wouldn't mind doing a PC again.

Now, having said that, I am so looking forward to this TA cruise and it's itinerary.

Flip a coin and come with us. LOL

[garykool81]

Gary- we do enjoy sea days and find them very relaxing. One of our favourite activities is sitting on the veranda with a drink and a good book, but if it might be unusable that would be a bit of a disappointment.

 

SusieV -- Simply replace veranda with promenade deck, and you're in business :-)

 

You could always get a balcony and give it a go. We likely had a LOT more salt on ours then average due to the 24+ hours we spent in hurricane-like conditions. Additionally, X's entire fleet is well over twice the size of Oceania's small 30,000-ton vessels. That, coupled with the southerly route that X takes, should provide you with more enjoyment of the veranda if you choose to book one.

 

I've also been wanting to do a Panama Canal cruise for a long time. Right now, though, it is hard to take more than two weeks off at the same time. I've done it in the past, but 15+ days is cutting it close to what most employers will find acceptable (even if you get a month of vacation time like my partner and I).

[MMDown Under]

There is another MSC Orchestra repositioning cruise departing 16 December for 17 nights from Genoa to FL.

 

We are also looking at a repositioning cruise from FL, via Panama Canal, to either San Diego or Santiago, Chile, so will have best of both worlds.

[cowcatcher]

My husband and I are hooked on those sea days. The islands were only so so. The folks that enjoyed them the most seemed to take the tours or hire private taxis. We had a nice time on the island when we got a taxi.

 

The weather is temperate. We did use our balcony but try to get one on the southern side of the boat so you get more of the sun. We got nice tans but started each day in sweat outfits until we found a spot out of the wind but in the sun.

 

Great for relaxing. We really enjoyed the Spanish's ports-of-call in southern Spain.

[SusieV]

OK- Dan is home from Detroit so we finally had a chance to go over our vacation plans!

 

Judy, we would have loved to join you (we did Summit for our honeymoon and had a wonderful time) but unfortunately the cruise departs before the end of the fall Nationals in Boston.

 

We've had to to a contingency based on scheduling- we are doing the Galaxy transatlantic if Dan's team wins a major event (held in June), and we are doing the Panama Canal in February if his team does not win. Sounds weird but it's because our travel plans are in flux until we know one way or the other where he's going!

 

I'm hoping he wins- I'd love to see Rome, the itinerary is cool, and it's much cheaper than the Panama cruise! Although I do have 8004 on hold if we end up going to Panama :).

[SusieV]

It's interesting, actually... the cost of the air depends on which category you choose. I wonder why. For some insides and oceanviews, air is $989, some it's $700.

 

Well, that made my decision a little easier!

[judyfssw]

Hi Susie,

Sorry you won't be joining us for the TA but I understand about Dan's schedule. I hope that we meet again on another cruise.

Smooth Sailings to you and Dan.

[garykool81]

It's interesting, actually... the cost of the air depends on which category you choose. I wonder why. For some insides and oceanviews, air is $989, some it's $700.

 

Well, that made my decision a little easier!

 

 

You might want to consider booking the air on your own and flying out a day before the ship leaves. The airfare you'll book on your own will almost always be a better schedule with lower rates.

 

IE -- We've flown to Lisbon and Barcelona on one-way flights recently for transatlantics, and the airfare for both on United and Lufthansa did not exceed $450 per person including all taxes/fees.

[SusieV]

We're Captain's Club members so we would get a complimentary air deviation. We definitely plan to go a few days early so that we can see Rome.

 

We live in Canada and so far all the prices for air I've seen are horrific. Heck, my husband is flying RT to Knoxville next month and it's $600. $700 for open jaw air didn't look too bad to me!

 

I will keep my eyes open but currently Air Canada wants $2000 for the ticket that X is charging $700 for. I'd definitely go United if they have anything, though. We're Silver Star Alliance members so the airmiles on a trip like that would certainly be appreciated.