Transatlantic weather conditions?

Am considering a transatlantic cruise end October 2018. Just wondering what the weather/sea conditions may be like? We travel down to Madeira then 5 sea days across to the Caribbean. A friend has undertaken the repositional cruise the other way round and wouldn't do so again because the weather deteriorated substantially towards Southampton.

To be honest, this is like asking 'how long is a piece of string'. We will all have experienced different conditions, and just because the weather has been great for the last 5 years, this has no bearing on next year. We are off to the Caribbean and back in November. I am anticipating strong winds and rain for most of the trip. If the weather is better than expected, excellent.

My point is, if the enjoyment of your cruise is very weather dependent, I would look elsewhere.

Am considering a transatlantic cruise end October 2018. Just wondering what the weather/sea conditions may be like? We travel down to Madeira then 5 sea days across to the Caribbean. A friend has undertaken the repositional cruise the other way round and wouldn't do so again because the weather deteriorated substantially towards Southampton.

Going "the other way" as suggested by your friend the weather would get worse going towards Southampton. I agree this is likely because it would have been March. The ship would have stopped in the Canaries or Madeira but then after that the ship sails North towards the UK to get to Southampton the temperatures will drop significantly. Passengers have been used to Caribbean heat for a week and a half it's going to be colder in Southampton in March!

Travelling on the October cruise you will have been used to the colder UK weather. Sailing South to Madeira it gets warmer and warmer. This leg is always likely to be the coldest sector. After Madeira you sail West and drift Southwards as you go. The weather gets warmer and warmer. If you have been sensible you would have booked a Port side balcony and can sit on it facing the sun. The only downside of this direction is the long flight at the end when you are feeling a bit down.

Regards John

Yes thank you the other half has worked out we would be better with a port side balcony. I hate flying and at least it would only be the one way.

We are doing the round trip, and decided on starboard, so we can have the sun on the way home.

We do a Southampton round trip across the Atlantic every year and to be honest it's just as difficult to predict what the sea will be like as it is the British weather. On ventura, this january the Atlantic was flat all the way over and coming back the winds were stronger but we were able to get out on deck every day. However we were once delayed 48 hours in Southampton because of strong winds. You pays your money, you takes your chance!

Unlike Wowzz we have a port side cabin because we want the sun on our balcony on the way out and can immediately feel we're leaving the bad weather behind and start enjoying sunshine. We had a C deck balcony on Ventura towards the aft last year and found we got afternoon sunshine on our balcony. On the way back we've always stopped in the Azores and by the time we get there we know we've got 3 days of cool / cold / possibly wet weather ahead

We do a Southampton round trip across the Atlantic every year and to be honest it's just as difficult to predict what the sea will be like as it is the British weather. On ventura, this january the Atlantic was flat all the way over and coming back the winds were stronger but we were able to get out on deck every day. However we were once delayed 48 hours in Southampton because of strong winds. You pays your money, you takes your chance!

 

Unlike Wowzz we have a port side cabin because we want the sun on our balcony on the way out and can immediately feel we're leaving the bad weather behind and start enjoying sunshine. We had a C deck balcony on Ventura towards the aft last year and found we got afternoon sunshine on our balcony. On the way back we've always stopped in the Azores and by the time we get there we know we've got 3 days of cool / cold / possibly wet weather ahead

It's a toss up really. We wanted the sun on our balcony on the way home, to delay the start of the winter, you wanted it on the way out to start your holiday. It's a glass half full/half empty choice!

Thank you. Decisions, decisions!

Thank you. Decisions, decisions!

Personally i would fly out have a Caribbean cruise and fly back.

Personally i would fly out have a Caribbean cruise and fly back.

You don't know what you're missing

You don't know what you're missing

Several days at sea not for me i like to go into ports.

Several days at sea not for me i like to go into ports.

In my opinion you go in a cruise ship to cruise on the sea. You need a ferry to do port hopping on.

You don't know what you're missing

We can't lie in the sun since Pauline had a skin cancer removed so i would be bored silly on a Transatlantic cruise.

We can't lie in the sun since Pauline had a skin cancer removed so i would be bored silly on a Transatlantic cruise.

I can't lie in the sun either (very fair, freckly, northern skin). There is plenty to do apart from that.

Anyway this is not the topic of the thread.

In my opinion you go in a cruise ship to cruise on the sea. You need a ferry to do port hopping on.

We have done 45 cruises plus several ferries before we got on cruise ships

Since Pauline had a skin cancer removed we have had to stop one of our favourite past times(Sunbathing) and 45 minutes a day in the gym is enough.

A day or even two at sea is great but because of not sunbathing i get incredibly bored so getting off the ship and even walking around shops for a couple of hours is good.

I can't lie in the sun either (very fair, freckly, northern skin). There is plenty to do apart from that.

 

Anyway this is not the topic of the thread.

No it is not,i know Carlisle well and we are from Durham.

We have done 45 cruises so have some experience of sailing.

If you are doing a TA Southampton to the Caribbean and flight back in November would be better than sailing back to the cold in March.

Personally i would fly out have a Caribbean cruise and fly back.

Done that, but now we are time rich we prefer the round trip option. No airport scrummage, no weight restrictions, no jet lag, take a bottle or two of you own wine, lovely,

Done that, but now we are time rich we prefer the round trip option. No airport scrummage, no weight restrictions, no jet lag, take a bottle or two of you own wine, lovely,

If you have the time a round trip would cut out the dreaded jet lag and airport waiting time.

If you have the time a round trip would cut out the dreaded jet lag and airport waiting time.

I think that is what I just said!

I think that is what I just said!

Yes i was agreeing with you it has a lot of plus points but 5-6 days at sea not for me,the recent Aurora engine room fire in the Atlantic was a concern too.

Yes i was agreeing with you it has a lot of plus points but 5-6 days at sea not for me,the recent Aurora engine room fire in the Atlantic was a concern too.

If you worried about what might happen, you'd never do anything or visit anywhere. IF I thought about terrorist attacks, there would so many countries I'd never visit - including London UK!

I took early retirement so I'm also time rich. Like wowzz, a TA isn't about sun-worshipping for me (which is just as well sometimes) but I go to bed late, sleep late, join the choir, do the line-dancing, go to the talks, do lots of reading which I love but never have time to do at home, walk as much as poss to keep up my daily 10000 steps, watch catch-up videos on my iPad, spend time chatting, sit by the pool, browse the internet for the ports, eat good food .. and so on. It's not about sun-bathing but it's so, so relaxing to do all these things when it's sunny and warm and the time just flies by.

If you worried about what might happen, you'd never do anything or visit anywhere. IF I thought about terrorist attacks, there would so many countries I'd never visit - including London UK!

 

I took early retirement so I'm also time rich. Like wowzz, a TA isn't about sun-worshipping for me (which is just as well sometimes) but I go to bed late, sleep late, join the choir, do the line-dancing, go to the talks, do lots of reading which I love but never have time to do at home, walk as much as poss to keep up my daily 10000 steps, watch catch-up videos on my iPad, spend time chatting, sit by the pool, browse the internet for the ports, eat good food .. and so on. It's not about sun-bathing but it's so, so relaxing to do all these things when it's sunny and warm and the time just flies by.

I don't worry,i have travelled to foreign countries for 50 years,been on 45 cruises even been in a force 11 in the Bay of Biscay.

I even travelled to a place North of Hadrians wall called scotland and just got back from Belfast.

Yes, we did a round trip to the Caribbean and back last Christmas. We had slight concerns about all the sea days (16) but they flew by. For me it was a chance for total relaxation, plus some activity time. And no, we don’t sunbathe either.

For me, holidays like this are not just about seeing the destination, but the journey to get there... Being only mid Atlantic after 4 days at sea. Travelling round Oz, and only seeing sand and terminate mounds all day between Outback ‘stations’. Being mid Drake Passage on a research vessel going across to Antarctica...etc, etc. One really gets to appreciate the journey to these places, the scale of the world, how impressive travel was 200+yrs ago, etc.. Yes, people can fly to these ports and cities, heaven forbid, even Antarctica now :( , but this removes the challenge and scale of the journey, the ‘expedition’, the feeling of really being somewhere different. There’s nothing like the feeling of excitement one gets, on reaching a destination after a journey like this. It’s totally unlike that after a flight.

Plus on a transatlantic, I can wind down after work. Then enjoy the ports fully, and be very active, then rest again on the way home. After the one at Christmas, I was so relaxed, I felt as though I’d had a holiday, I didn’t return to work feeling I needed another holiday to get over that one! No flights, little lugging of luggage, no weight limits, no airport stress, no jetlag. My husband is unable to fly now, so it was a relief the transatlantic was fully enjoyed! So much so, we’re going back again next Christmas for the same, but slightly longer.

And if anyone is worried about a fire on a ship, don’t be. The chance of it happening and it causing a problem is minimal. I was on my parents boat when I was 15 and it exploded. At least on water there’s a chance of survival. I’d be more concernedabout a plane engine exploding, and the chance of that is low too. There’s a higher risk in your own home, or in a car, or even as a pedestrian.

My dream cruise is a world cruise, when the Govt finally lets me retire... I have plenty of time to save up ;)

Yes, we did a round trip to the Caribbean and back last Christmas. We had slight concerns about all the sea days (16) but they flew by. For me it was a chance for total relaxation, plus some activity time. And no, we don’t sunbathe either.

 

 

For me, holidays like this are not just about seeing the destination, but the journey to get there... Being only mid Atlantic after 4 days at sea. Travelling round Oz, and only seeing sand and terminate mounds all day between Outback ‘stations’. Being mid Drake Passage on a research vessel going across to Antarctica...etc, etc. One really gets to appreciate the journey to these places, the scale of the world, how impressive travel was 200+yrs ago, etc.. Yes, people can fly to these ports and cities, heaven forbid, even Antarctica now :( , but this removes the challenge and scale of the journey, the ‘expedition’, the feeling of really being somewhere different. There’s nothing like the feeling of excitement one gets, on reaching a destination after a journey like this. It’s totally unlike that after a flight.

 

Plus on a transatlantic, I can wind down after work. Then enjoy the ports fully, and be very active, then rest again on the way home. After the one at Christmas, I was so relaxed, I felt as though I’d had a holiday, I didn’t return to work feeling I needed another holiday to get over that one! No flights, little lugging of luggage, no weight limits, no airport stress, no jetlag. My husband is unable to fly now, so it was a relief the transatlantic was fully enjoyed! So much so, we’re going back again next Christmas for the same, but slightly longer.

 

 

And if anyone is worried about a fire on a ship, don’t be. The chance of it happening and it causing a problem is minimal. I was on my parents boat when I was 15 and it exploded. At least on water there’s a chance of survival. I’d be more concernedabout a plane engine exploding, and the chance of that is low too. There’s a higher risk in your own home, or in a car, or even as a pedestrian.

 

 

My dream cruise is a world cruise, when the Govt finally lets me retire... I have plenty of time to save up ;)

I always have a receptive mind.

Your post was very interesting and given me food for thought.

Currently my wifes mam who lives with her son is 95 and has mixed dementia along with a host of other health problems and needs 24 hour care and because her sister walked away 2 years ago and said she will never come back we cannot go away for more than 7 days and next year we have booked mini cruises only.

Pauline said she would like to do a TA and your post has took my blinkers off.

Regards.

Graham.

Interesting replies. Its a good job we are all different and like different things. I do think that we would all agree that a cruise is a time to recharge the batteries and escape from all the things happening at home. Cruising certainly gives you a very small idea of how huge the world is and how much there is to see.