Struggling to make Trans Atlantic crossing arrangements.

I'm hoping that someone can help me with some trans Atlantic travel arrangement advice for myself and my 5 year son. I don't like flying and I would like to cross the Atlantic from the UK/ Ireland to somewhere on the east cost of Canada. I live in Ireland, but would be willing to board the ship in Britain or anywhere in Europe. I could cross with the Queen Mary but they want £2,000 from each of us; there are no children's rates :(

I'm looking for a trans Atlantic crossing that costs less then QE2 fares, I'm not fussy about dates or even the look of the room, as long as there is one bed and a bath of some sort available. I would like to travel from anytime after June 4th to the end of August 2015, get off the ship in either Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, or Quebec and then board a ship BACK to the UK / Ireland from either Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland or Quebec at any point. Ideally I would like to return to the UK /Ireland preferably a month later. I'm not fussy regarding when I return. Are these arrangements of this kind possible? I really need some advice planning this.

Many many thanks, my blood pressure is through the roof :eek:

The QE2 is the only ship that does regular transatlantic crossings. All the other lines have cruises heading east in the spring as they transition from the Caribbean to Europe, and then in the fall when they head back.

You may want to talk to a travel agent.

To my knowledge, there are few TA sailing on other than the queens. The other ones generally go from North America to Europe in the spring and return in the autumn.

At times in the past I believe Holland America has had some

My husband and I thought about doing this as we are not keen on flying either but when it comes to summer (June to August) all the other lines have done their Transatlantics and are doing their European summer seasons or are staying put in the US. Transatlantics are often March to April ( May at the latest) going East to Europe and September to October going West back to the states. Most of the Transatlantics also stop in the US (New York and Florida) and not Canada.

The only TA we found in the Summer was Cunard.I read an article about finding uncommon trading ships that travel all year round that have spots available for passengers but it would not be a cruise.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

In the end we took a quick flight to NY with United for our latest cruise...it was scary but worth it.

You might also consider a freighter cruise. Freighters regularly travel between Europe and the United States. Below are web sites with more information.

http://www.seaplus.com/mainmenu.php

http://www.freighterexpeditions.com.au/index.jsp

http://www.freightervoyages.eu/

http://wikitravel.org/en/Freighter_travel

We have done several round trip TA's but you need to be flexible and work with the cruise line schedules. Besides the Queen there are a few ships that do cross in the summer but nothing is cheap in that busy season. Holland America runs their Voyage of the Vikings cruise (usually in July) which is a 30 some day round trip voyage from Boston. They do sell some cabins for one way so that is another option. Oceania also does one summer cruise between the continents.

But finding a bargain during the busy summer tourist season is not going to happen. Of course another option is to get some anti-anxiety drugs from your physician and just fly :).

As to freighters, they are actually not inexpensive and most of the container ships with passengers have a minimum age (often 6). And freighters do not usually schedule far in advance (and schedules can change up until the last moment) so they are best for retirees and others who have lots of time and can make quick last minute decisions.

Hank

At that time of yr Cunard is about the only game in town & it will go to NYC

Not many stop in Canada & if you would be allowed to disembark there you would still pay full fare

There is a cruise Jul 2nd that stops in Halifax you would need prior written permission to disembark there

Not sure if Cunard offers last min deals but would be worth checking out with a TA

You might also consider a freighter cruise. Freighters regularly travel between Europe and the United States. Below are web sites with more information.

 

http://www.seaplus.com/mainmenu.php

http://www.freighterexpeditions.com.au/index.jsp

http://www.freightervoyages.eu/

http://wikitravel.org/en/Freighter_travel

This is exactly what I was going to suggest! Freighters are a great way to travel at a greatly reduced price!

You might also consider a freighter cruise. Freighters regularly travel between Europe and the United States. Below are web sites with more information.

 

Freighter trips are not any cheaper than cruises & really not suitable for a 5 yr old

Might work for more mature people with time on their side

You might also consider a freighter cruise. Freighters regularly travel between Europe and the United States. Below are web sites with more information.

 

http://www.seaplus.com/mainmenu.php

http://www.freighterexpeditions.com.au/index.jsp

http://www.freightervoyages.eu/

http://wikitravel.org/en/Freighter_travel

I doubt freighters would allow a 5 yo child...but I could be wrong.

Cunard's Queen Mary 2 is the only ship that will allow you to cross the Atlantic by sea, in either direction, in the time frame that you want. Other ships only make "repositioning" crossings which are westbound in October/ November and eastbound in March/ April.

Queen Mary 2 generally sails transatlantic between New York and Southampton UK. Fares are higher because the ship has formal afternoon tea and dinner service and provides entertainment during the day and evening. You also want to travel during peak summer vacation season. The only time this ship usually goes to Canada is for some cruises sailing out of, and returning to, New York. You would have to pay the entire fare for that segment even if you got off before the return to New York.

Since you mentioned that it's your son and yourself you are being charged the standard rate for two people to occupy a cabin. Sometimes there are promotions for a reduced rate for a third person in a cabin but your post sounds like you are a single parent traveling with a child.

It costs no less for a cruise line to carry a child than an adult. Your 5-year old will need a weight appropriate life jacket, will dine in the same dining room, and need the same attention by the cabin steward. At the same time parents expect age appropriate child care to be available during the day and well into the evening. It costs any cruise line to provide these services while your child won't be ordering from the bar, making purchases in the shops, booking spa treatments, or doing anything else that generates revenue.

I have to agree with LTH28 that a freighter is inappropriate for a 5-year old and I seriously doubt that any freight line's legal department would allow a child on board.

It's not my intention to "beat up" on you but you seem new to this. It's going to take some complicated planning to organize the itinerary and price that you want - if it's even possible. You're likely going to need a professional travel agent to do this. (And both of you will need a passport to travel to the USA.)

These boards are a great place to start your research and it won't cost you anything other than internet time. You might look at the Family Cruises and Cunard boards to start.

You might also consider a freighter cruise.

I would think a 5 year old would be incredibly bored on a freighter!

We've run into exactly the same problems OP - every time a relative in the UK gets married, has a baby etc. we say "oooh we should cruise there or back!" and every time those dang inconsiderate cruise lines put their bottom line over our convenience and have nothing available except Cunard's pricy-pricy options.

June through August you're unlikely to get any TA cruises, and certainly not cheap repositioning ones as you're too early for one way and too late for the other.

Lastly, regardless of whether you change your dates, pay a fortune, or decide to fly there's one thing you absolutely 100% need to know in case you don't already: one parent traveling with a child, even with proof it is your biological or adopted child, MUST also carry appropriate documentation that proves the other parent approves of the travel or cannot give that approval.

I have friends who are single parents because of divorce and spousal death - even the one with sole custody needs to carry a notarized letter from her ex that it's OK to take their kid out of the country, and the widow has to carry her husband's death certificate on all international trips. Both have been questioned and had to show the docs every single time they've crossed any combination of US, Canadian and UK borders - the divorcee was forbidden to enter the US on the one occasion she did not have her letter...

We've run into exactly the same problems OP - every time a relative in the UK gets married, has a baby etc. we say "oooh we should cruise there or back!" and every time those dang inconsiderate cruise lines put their bottom line over our convenience and have nothing available except Cunard's pricy-pricy options...

Both you and the OP are about 60 years too late if you intend to use a ship as A-B transportation. Not enough people want to sail across the Atlantic or there were be more ships than just Queen Mary 2 providing this service. Even she doesn't do it all year round - just May-December.

You might also consider a freighter cruise. Freighters regularly travel between Europe and the United States. Below are web sites with more information.

I'd love to get on one of those sometime!

One thing that isn't in the FAQs of those sites, but which I would really like to know. I could be totally wrong on this, but why would shipping companies with those huge ships carrying thousands of containers show even the slightest interest in at most 12 extra passengers paying just around $100 a day? That must be a really tiny percentage of total revenue and at the same time a huge amount of extra costs. Extra cabins, more procedures, more paperwork in ports, more complicated insurances, people ashore for reservations and questions, etc.

Maybe the Captain sometimes needs other people than his crew to talk with to keep emotionally stable?

I'd love to get on one of those sometime!

 

One thing that isn't in the FAQs of those sites, but which I would really like to know. I could be totally wrong on this, but why would shipping companies with those huge ships carrying thousands of containers show even the slightest interest in at most 12 extra passengers paying just around $100 a day? That must be a really tiny percentage of total revenue and at the same time a huge amount of extra costs. Extra cabins, more procedures, more paperwork in ports, more complicated insurances, people ashore for reservations and questions, etc.

 

Maybe the Captain sometimes needs other people than his crew to talk with to keep emotionally stable?

Having passengers on board gives a container ship docking priority in high traffic ports. Time is money.

Booking is done through agents who specialize in this sort of thing - there's a freighter forum if you are interested.

In any case no freighter would accept a child so the OP doesn't have that option.

... One thing that isn't in the FAQs of those sites, but which I would really like to know. I could be totally wrong on this, but why would shipping companies with those huge ships carrying thousands of containers show even the slightest interest in at most 12 extra passengers paying just around $100 a day? That must be a really tiny percentage of total revenue and at the same time a huge amount of extra costs. Extra cabins, more procedures, more paperwork in ports, more complicated insurances, people ashore for reservations and questions, etc...

Do talk to a cruising TA about this- I know that next Sunday's TA on the QM2 has a much reduced price to the one paid by my friends, as often happens with ships if they're not full.

Also, get him/her to check out the very small lines such as Fred Olsen and Cruise and Maritime, because they have unusual itineraries....although I believe that 2 of the C&M ships are adult only. :rolleyes:

I just want to thank everyone for trying to help me. I'm not a single parent, just a totally terrified of flying parent. I hate flying, it's scary, cramped, unpleasant and horrible in general. My family lives in St. John's Canada, I live close to Dublin. All I want is a basic TA crossing that can get me as close as possible to my family's home in Newfoundland.

I can't understand it. If TA is so popular, and TA crossings fill up so early, why can't it be more available and cheaper? There must be over a couple million people on this planet who would rather drink their pee over dinner with the anti Christ than get on a bloody plane. I'm sure that could translate into big cash for people who want to start up a TA business like the QM and grab all the people who just don't like flying.

The prices just make me furious. There's a cabin I could have for my son and myself on Fred Olsen leaving St. John's harbour to Liverpool on August 20; well over £6500. You have to pay for the entire trip, and you can't arrange anything last minute. Of course not. What if someone gets off and you have a cabin available? Wouldn't you want someone in there? The short answer is yes, but at the full rate. Even though the cabin will probably end up empty for the remainder of the cruise.

Another thing. Why can't an Iceland cruise company have a regular crossing to North America? I find that strange that they don't. Seems to me that could bring in a tidy little profit for someone.

Anyway thanks all,

Xxxxxx

I am not sure there is as much demand as you see for a TA. Yes, there are lots of people who hate flying. It just isn't the adventure it used to be. But in the US most people have limited vacation time. Lots of people hate sea days. There are worried they will be bored.

About 5 or 6 years ago, Princess tried the northern TA several times. We were lucky enough to see it and booked a b2b from NY to Dover and back. 18 days each way. We loved it. As I recall one year they did two crossings in each direction starting from Dover. So people like you could have had 36 days in North America between the first and fourth legs. For whatever reason Princess does not do these anymore.

Pity :(

If there were sufficient demand for regular trans-Atlantic ferry service, such service would exist. The fact is that no sufficient demand exists: people do not have the time or the money to support such service. No one enjoys sitting in a cramped coach seat for seven-plus hours - but that is the way to get yourself across if you cannot afford (or do not want) to pay for a more comfortable way.

"...The prices just make me furious..." You also made some other comments about empty cabins because somebody "gets off early".

What you want is the modern day equivalent of 2nd or Cabin Class travel on the old liners. A-B ship transportation is a model that no longer exists.

Let's say Cunard sails Southampton - New York with a stop in Halifax and you want to get off in Halifax. Nobody - with the very rare exception - will want to book just Halifax-New York. That's why one has to pay for the full distance. It would also take work on Cunard's part to ensure that Canadian immigration and customs would allow a passenger to disembark the ship.

An ocean crossing in 7 days burns more fuel than one lasting 9 or 10 days, thus higher fares. Since QM2 is the only ship doing this it indicates that there are not enough passengers willing to pay for expanded transatlantic service. Also keep in mind that this ship provides meals, daytime and evening entertainment, and other amenities geared to vacationers rather than those traveling on personal business. As with many things in life you have to pay for what you get.

Regarding the previous post, the Queen does have differential pricing almost like the old first class/steerage. For one of the crossings we did on the Queen, DW and I booked the cheapest inside cabin category on the ship. The cost of this cabin was actually a lot less than business class air and only a little more then the cheapest coach. But unlike that slightly cheaper coach we got to enjoy 6 days on the Queen. Even today one can book a crossing for less then $1000 which not only gets them transatlantic but also gets them a week cruise with all the food and entertainment.

There is another interesting facet of the Queen. She was designed to do crossings in 5 days. A few years ago after CCL (Carnival) bought Cunard they slowed down the Queen and started doing 6 day crossings. About 3 years ago they slowed the Queen down even more and started doing the same crossing in 7 days. The slower speeds are a win-win for Cunard. They save lots of money on fuel, and passengers simply spend more money aboard so the profit per passenger day is increased.

The Queen is one of the few cruise ships with a class system. When you book the higher priced suites you get to dine in the upscale "grill" and you also get access to a private deck area reserved only for the large suites.

Hank

Regarding the previous post, the Queen does have differential pricing almost like the old first class/steerage. For one of the crossings we did on the Queen, DW and I booked the cheapest inside cabin category on the ship. The cost of this cabin was actually a lot less than business class air and only a little more then the cheapest coach. But unlike that slightly cheaper coach we got to enjoy 6 days on the Queen. Even today one can book a crossing for less then $1000 which not only gets them transatlantic but also gets them a week cruise with all the food and entertainment.

 

There is another interesting facet of the Queen. She was designed to do crossings in 5 days. A few years ago after CCL (Carnival) bought Cunard they slowed down the Queen and started doing 6 day crossings. About 3 years ago they slowed the Queen down even more and started doing the same crossing in 7 days. The slower speeds are a win-win for Cunard. They save lots of money on fuel, and passengers simply spend more money aboard so the profit per passenger day is increased.

 

The Queen is one of the few cruise ships with a class system. When you book the higher priced suites you get to dine in the upscale "grill" and you also get access to a private deck area reserved only for the large suites.

 

Hank

It's true that the Queen has the remnant of a class system. Unlike the old liners, where only the first class passengers could access the grand salons, all passengers on the Queen have access to over 95% of the ship. Her designer specifically wanted everyone to have the grand ocean liner experience. "Grills" passenger have their own restaurants, the aft private deck that you mentioned, and a concierge lounge that nobody would even know was there unless they cut through deck 9. That's it. Every other public area is open to all passengers. Thankfully Cunard has NOT adopted a practice used on other lines where prime theater seats are roped off for suite passengers. (Now that's "in your face" class separation!)

I've often spared on the Cunard board with those who want lower fares and are quite content with longer crossings. Lower fares mean fewer amenities and I sail for a luxurious break and not a cheap cruise. Slower speeds cut into my vacation time as I'm still working and time-poor.