What is a TA like

We have been on 30 + cruises but never done a TA. What is it like? Do you get bored or tired of the usual day's offerings e.g., triva?

When there is inclement weather is it hard to maintain the cruise high for several days at sea? Ever have rough weather/seas for many days? What's that like?

I'd like to try it but DW say absolutely except when pigs fly.

We have been on 30 + cruises but never done a TA. What is it like? Do you get bored or tired of the usual day's offerings e.g., triva?

 

When there is inclement weather is it hard to maintain the cruise high for several days at sea? Ever have rough weather/seas for many days? What's that like?

 

I'd like to try it but DW say absolutely except when pigs fly.

We just did an eastbound TA in May. We had 5 days (and nights) of the kind of north Atlantic weather you read about. Rain, sleet, rough seas. The open port side and upper decks were closed.

Personally, I found it kinda fun. But I know there were those suffering in their rooms. Walking along the passageway and having the ship fall away from your foot was like doing zero gravity training.

I guess that someone could get bored with the typical ship's activities with that many days at sea, but I like having some down time on vacation. Just sit and read a book, or listen to music.

We have been on 30 + cruises but never done a TA. What is it like? Do you get bored or tired of the usual day's offerings e.g., triva?

 

When there is inclement weather is it hard to maintain the cruise high for several days at sea? Ever have rough weather/seas for many days? What's that like?

 

I'd like to try it but DW say absolutely except when pigs fly.

The answer really depends on you. DW and I have done more then 15 TAs and a few longer transpacifics...and totally love those cruises and the many sea days. On one Transpacific cruise...12 out of our first 14 days were at sea...and we were sorry when we reached land :).

We think there are two basic types of cruisers. Those of us who are just happy (as clams) when we are at sea, cannot sea any land for days, and simply love those lazy sea days. Some of us love to get into the daily activities, and others (DW and I fall into this group) prefer to do nothing other then spend our time reading, socializing, perhaps going to a lecture, etc. We never get bored on sea days as long as there is a place we can relax with our Kindles.

But, we have met others for which sea days are a very bad idea. They just cannot handle the lazy days, get bored with the typical ship activities, and whine (unless they are wining). The cruisers who love all those sea days are generally very good sailors...who simply love to be on a ship moving across the sea. But if you are a person who only cruises for the ports....you might want to rethink doing a crossing.

Hank

It very much depends upon the amount of external stimulation an individual requires to be happy. One aspect of TA's which is often overlooked in discussions like this is the fact that TA's are not simply cruises for the sake of cruising -- for us they are very enjoyable, comfortable and economical methods of getting from one side of the Atlantic Ocean to the other.

Sure, it might take ten to fifteen days to get yourself back from a trip to Europe - some of those days will be spent visiting European or mid-Atlantic ports, you will spend perhaps $1,000 to $5,000 doing it - but you will be far more comfortable than you would be sitting in an airplane seat which would cost you as much, or more.

If you have the time, if you are happy spending time with yourself or someone close to you, if you have the imagination to interact with others with somewhat similar attitudes - you will have a great time. If none of these apply to you - you certainly should stay off TA's.

It's an individual thing.......I love sea days, and my favourite cruises have a maximum number of sea days and a minimum number ports (my cruise next spring has 2 port days in a 16 day trip). To me, they're the most calming and almost meditative experience that I love, and I'm never bored. Others will feel differently.

Also, there will be a difference in different ships/cruise lines regarding what they offer on sea days. Crystal has a lot of different options, including some wonderful lectures (not sales pitches, but interesting lectures) and great classes (to learn a language, or learn to make a movie on your iPad, for instance).

When there is inclement weather is it hard to maintain the cruise high for several days at sea? Ever have rough weather/seas for many days? What's that like?

 

For many fans of Transatlantic crossings the cold wet weather and rough seas are an essential part of the "cruise high" which would actually be dearly missed in the case of unexpectedly mild days.

My first Transatlantic from Southampton to New York was a birthday present to myself--which is in August. Until we reached the coast of Canada the temperature was barely above 50. So much rain even a fully enclosed hull balcony was full of puddles. Waves crashing into the windows of the dining room at breakfast. And I was hooked, been on three more since.

Even if one were to take a southerly route from the Med to Florida in the fall (the most likely for calmer seas, though of course not guaranteed) I would still add the recommendation that you should be comfortable with mainly indoor activities and taking all three meals each day (four if you add Afternoon Tea) in the MDR. You should take more pleasure in soaking in the T-pool with the water sloshing of its own accord rather than sitting on a deck chair waiting for non-existent sun. And rather than relaxing with a quiet drink evening activities can be crowded and boisterous (on both premium and mainstream ships) with everyone having confined their days to the interior of the ship.

For many fans of Transatlantic crossings the cold wet weather and rough seas are an essential part of the "cruise high" which would actually be dearly missed in the case of unexpectedly mild days.

 

My first Transatlantic from Southampton to New York was a birthday present to myself--which is in August. Until we reached the coast of Canada the temperature was barely above 50. So much rain even a fully enclosed hull balcony was full of puddles. Waves crashing into the windows of the dining room at breakfast. And I was hooked, been on three more since.

 

Even if one were to take a southerly route from the Med to Florida in the fall (the most likely for calmer seas, though of course not guaranteed) I would still add the recommendation that you should be comfortable with mainly indoor activities and taking all three meals each day (four if you add Afternoon Tea) in the MDR. You should take more pleasure in soaking in the T-pool with the water sloshing of its own accord rather than sitting on a deck chair waiting for non-existent sun. And rather than relaxing with a quiet drink evening activities can be crowded and boisterous (on both premium and mainstream ships) with everyone having confined their days to the interior of the ship.

My experience on "southerly route" TA's has been quite different. In late Octoberand until mid November as soon as you pass Gibraltar you are likely to enjoy 70 degree weather steadily warming to 80 as you near Florida. Yes, there can be rough seas and rain- but absent major storms, the crossing is likely to be warm and pleasant. It is very different from the North Atlantic experience between Southampton and New York, or comparable routes.

My experience on "southerly route" TA's has been quite different. In late Octoberand until mid November as soon as you pass Gibraltar you are likely to enjoy 70 degree weather steadily warming to 80 as you near Florida. Yes, there can be rough seas and rain- but absent major storms, the crossing is likely to be warm and pleasant. It is very different from the North Atlantic experience between Southampton and New York, or comparable routes.

That's what we found on our westbound TA several years ago (Barcelona to Port Canaveral via the Caribbean). We cruised late September into October, and the seas were like glass, with lots of sun the whole time.

BUT, I know that's fairly unusual for that time of year.

The majesty of raw nature attracts many people to TAs. There is also something liberating about not having to get up and get ready to go ashore. You're at your destination and can consult the program to decide what sounds interesting and suits your mood that day.

If you cannot stand sea days then your DW is right. Because you will have anywhere from 7-13 sea days depending on the ship's route. And the ship.

I'm very partial to Queen Mary 2 because she is the only ship in service that was specifically build for transatlantic crossings and the New York-Southampton voyage is typically 7 days. For that reason Cunard excels at indoor activities - lectures, games, demonstrations, movies, live shows. You won't be bored unless you work at it. And some cannot or will not fly so for them she is their transatlantic ferry.

Cunard still maintains traditional evening dress standards. If packing and wearing evening clothes is not for you, then the buffet is always available for those who want to go completely casual. But those who do excluded themselves from the elegance and ambiance that makes a transatlantic crossing special.

For many fans of Transatlantic crossings the cold wet weather and rough seas are an essential part of the "cruise high" which would actually be dearly missed in the case of unexpectedly mild days.

 

My first Transatlantic from Southampton to New York was a birthday present to myself--which is in August. Until we reached the coast of Canada the temperature was barely above 50. So much rain even a fully enclosed hull balcony was full of puddles. Waves crashing into the windows of the dining room at breakfast. And I was hooked, been on three more since.

 

Even if one were to take a southerly route from the Med to Florida in the fall (the most likely for calmer seas, though of course not guaranteed) I would still add the recommendation that you should be comfortable with mainly indoor activities and taking all three meals each day (four if you add Afternoon Tea) in the MDR. You should take more pleasure in soaking in the T-pool with the water sloshing of its own accord rather than sitting on a deck chair waiting for non-existent sun. And rather than relaxing with a quiet drink evening activities can be crowded and boisterous (on both premium and mainstream ships) with everyone having confined their days to the interior of the ship.

Oh yeah.....:):):)

Bob

My last two transatlantics were in January and were rough. Some of the evening shows were cancelled but most everything else indoors went on. I am one of those who love sea days so I have never gotten bored.

A lot of competition for activities. 25 tables for trivia, up and down corridor. It was not warm enough to sit outdoors so you had to get to pool very early. No chair hogs, people sat there all day. Even at night you had to get to the theater 30 minutes early to get seat.

When Oasis did her TAs one way the weather was good and people loved it. The other way was bad weather and from the reviews it sounded like there was almost an uprising.

I would listen to my husband. There is a reason TAs are cheap.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Forums mobile app

We have been on 30 + cruises but never done a TA. What is it like? Do you get bored or tired of the usual day's offerings e.g., triva?

 

When there is inclement weather is it hard to maintain the cruise high for several days at sea? Ever have rough weather/seas for many days? What's that like?

 

I'd like to try it but DW say absolutely except when pigs fly.

Hello PoppyandNana. I fall into the love TA category and the majority of my cruises are now TA. As others have said its all personal preference. I can't understand some people who choose an itinerary which includes a number of continuous days at sea and then complain that there were far too many sea days. If you don't like a lot of sea days then don't choose a cruise with a lot of days at sea. Happy cruising. :)

TA's are great for sea day lovers who can amuse themselves if none of the offered activities call out to them.

For me, a place to sit and read and intermittently enjoy the views and the scent of the sea for hours is pure heaven.

It seems like TA's used to be a best kept secret known by mostly well traveled cruisers, and the fares were very reasonable, even for solo cruisers. Now that the secret is out, and TA's seem to be a more "in" thing, the fares are not as good.

I have done 3 so far (two westbound and one eastbound) and will be doing another westbound in a few weeks. YAY!!!

Done three crossings and have two more booked :D Absolutely love them, after all a comfy chair, views of the magnificent ocean, good company and a drink in hand: what's not to love?

Have also done a more southerly trip, ie Southampton to Miami and that had 3 ports in 13 days. Have to say we enjoyed that as well.

We have been on 30 + cruises but never done a TA. What is it like? Do you get bored or tired of the usual day's offerings e.g., triva?

 

When there is inclement weather is it hard to maintain the cruise high for several days at sea? Ever have rough weather/seas for many days? What's that like?

 

I'd like to try it but DW say absolutely except when pigs fly.

Transatlantic crossings are our favorite because of the sea days. We will be taking our seventh at the end of this month. We prefer westbound because clocks are set back for each time zone change. But we have also done eastbound ones in April, including this past April.

No way to get bored since there are more shipboard activities offered than you could ever take part in. And just talking with other passengers is also enjoyable.

My husband does lots of socializing, takes part in all the trivia sessions, and many other activities. I enjoy the various lectures and any cooking demonstrations but I also spend lots of time reading.

We've been blessed in having only a few rough seas and never high waves. One crossing the captain changed from northerly route to southerly to miss a storm.

I have done four cruises that spanned between 14-19 days and fall into the category of preferring a TA, a TP or other cruises that have many sea days. The Caribbean does not fascinate me.

Most everyone on a TA is upbeat and very pleasant. We enjoy meeting other cruise critics for various gatherings and especially enjoy talking with people from other countries or regions.

If you are a person who requires others to entertain you, TAs may not be your thing. On our last two TAs we found a group who wanted to do a Bible study on sea days. We met some of the most uplifting and interesting people in those groups. The one group was standing room only, flowing out into the hallway. The other grew everyday until the room was full capacity.

We also appreciate dance lessons which many cruise lines provide on sea days. The lectures can be hit or miss. I wasn't interested in an economics lesson on our last cruise. I prefer history, travel or culture lectures.

We are also TA lovers. A great way on east bounds to "get to" Europe except one downside is after all those relaxing sea days it's port-port-port-port which can get a little exhausting. First one was more northern and had a little rougher seas and cold days but was still great. Second was more south into the Med via Canary Is. Miami to Rome was like combining a crossing with a western Med itinerary.

One thing that really stuck out for me on the first TA was after about four sea days, and seeing nothing, but water one evening a freighter going the other way passed about half a mile away. I thought "yes, the world still exists" and then had an even great sense of the shear expanse of the ocean.

A favorite "thing to do" is taking a picture of the ship position TV screen exactly halfway across.

We had our third TA booked for 2015 but had to cancel it due to an unexpected job change and back to the bottom rung for vacation time. :( We were really looking forward for the Miami to Copenhagen itinerary and exploring DW's roots in Sweden. TAs really are a good way to get to Europe.

We are also TA lovers. A great way on east bounds to "get to" Europe except one downside is after all those relaxing sea days it's port-port-port-port which can get a little exhausting. First one was more northern and had a little rougher seas and cold days but was still great. Second was more south into the Med via Canary Is. Miami to Rome was like combining a crossing with a western Med itinerary.

 

One thing that really stuck out for me on the first TA was after about four sea days, and seeing nothing, but water one evening a freighter going the other way passed about half a mile away. I thought "yes, the world still exists" and then had an even great sense of the shear expanse of the ocean.

 

A favorite "thing to do" is taking a picture of the ship position TV screen exactly halfway across.

 

We had our third TA booked for 2015 but had to cancel it due to an unexpected job change and back to the bottom rung for vacation time. :( We were really looking forward for the Miami to Copenhagen itinerary and exploring DW's roots in Sweden. TAs really are a good way to get to Europe.

Good points generally about TA's - my only addition would be to advocate for westbound itineraries: the Atlantic is much warmer in October and November than in April and May; weather in Europe is generally close to its best for travel in October; the worst part of TA travel is the flight, so I would prefer to get it over with first, and not have to look forward to it -rather having a relaxing crossing on the way home; the time changes give you a half dozen 25 hour days westbound rather than 23 hour days eastbound.

We've been on three TA's, all eastbound and would do more in a heartbeat. Due to our business, doing westbounds in the fall isn't easy.

All of ours were in April. We didn't have bad seas on any of them, some slight chop and decent swells at times.

The weather of course started warm as we left Florida and gradually cooled. On one cruise there were a couple of days that were too cool to be comfortable outside, but mostly days were in the 60-70 range; warmer as we got closer to the Med.

We were worried about all those sea days the first time; learned to love, love love them and we were almost disappointed when we got to the Canaries! Had to get off the ship! (Didn't have to; really wanted to).

On the ships we were on there seemed to be more and varied activities on the long stretch of sea days, and better entertainment, especially the guest entertainers or lecturers than on a normal short cruise.

I admit thought, during the days, we mostly just relaxed, read, watched tv, walked, etc. I would like doing a western because then we would add an extra hour to several days going west; it is a bummer to lose that hour going east.

I can add a "yes" for the westbound TA, which we took as a back-to-back with a longer Med cruise. Total of 22 days. The port-intensive 16 days in Europe was wonderful, and then we used the next week to unwind, rest, and enjoy our memories of the places we had been.

A caveat, though--of the three of us, my DH is the only non-reader. He was not as enthused about the TA portion as three of us who can sit with a book and be very content, especially with a view and the smell of the sea......

It seems like TA's used to be a best kept secret known by mostly well traveled cruisers, and the fares were very reasonable, even for solo cruisers. Now that the secret is out, and TA's seem to be a more "in" thing, the fares are not as good.

 

Do TA's get very full? My husband and I love just relaxing, reading, working out, listening to music so I find it very appealing. We love the sea days or staying on the boat when it's in port because the boat is not that crowded. I wouldn't mind the crowds in the evening but if I could never get a break I would be less enthused.

Do TA's get very full?

Yep. I've done crossings on four different (larger) ships, all sailing at or very near capacity.

We loved our first TA two years ago so much that we're taking our next one in a couple of weeks. We loved the ports, and then thoroughly enjoyed the sea days. We did as much or as little as we wanted - took part in trivia, crafts, music, tea, wine tasting, etc., and when we wanted to just relax, we sat down with a drink and book either in our cabin or balcony, or in one of countless great places on the ship. If you get bored, go for a walk - you'll almost always find something new to look at on your travels around the ship. I can't tell you how many more TA's are in our future, but I can assure you, this won't be our last.

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

Do TA's get very full?

Yes - almost always sold out. Booking very early (like the day booking becomes available) is mandatory to get the cabin selection you want. We require accessible cabin for wife's wheelchair and have to book as early as possible. TAs are a twice a year thing for the re-positioning unlike the regular repeated itineraries within a season. So rarity and popularity fill the ships. Adding to this is the very low cost per day. Out last TA was $990/pp for a regular balcony for 15 nights or $66/nt. Our Alaska r/t next June is the same price for an inside or 7 nts so 141/nt.

Now that we are back on the West coast I see a good chance for a TP.