what to expect on a transatlantic?

[rkr]

Hi,

We are going on our first Transatlantic cruise from Southampton to Ft. Lauderdale.

Help me:

how to pack for a September crossing

the conditions on the crossing

things to do

Can you be outside on the crossing days or is it just too windy?

 

Add your own thoughts because I am sure I have NOT asked the really good questions!

 

Thanks for your help,

Kathy

Edited May 26, 2012 by rkr

[ImADaneFan]

Hi,

We are going on our first Transatlantic cruise from Southampton to Ft. Lauderdale.

Help me:

how to pack for a September crossing

the conditions on the crossing

things to do

Can you be outside on the crossing days or is it just too windy?

 

Add your own thoughts because I am sure I have NOT asked the really good questions!

 

Thanks for your help,

Kathy

 

We did our TA in October of 2010. I don't think ours was a normal crossing. We caught the end of a Nor'easter as it headed up the east coast. The captain went as far south as he could considering we were headed to NYC. :p The temp wasn't bad, and if it didnt storm we definitely could have spent time out on the deck. Unfortunately we had 4 days of waves that peaked at 40+ feet. :eek: They closed some of the restaurants that were on the high decks because the waiters couldn't walk around, and everything would slide off the tables. The waves actually crashed onto the balconys on deck 12. Even with the storm I wouldn't have missed it for the world! But that's easy for me to say because I don't get seasick. :D. Check out some of the pics and video I shot. The link is in my signature line.

Linda

[Tips2Cruise]

I've always wondered if I could handle a TA with my family. I myself am ok with seasickness but my wife and daughter sometimes get it bad.

 

I talked with a waiter once about it and he said it can get REALLY rough and that even the crew gets sick sometimes! He told me that he hates TA voyages and prefers the Caribbean..... But don't we all :)

[DaveyJonesLockedup]

Isn't a Transatlantic cruise a bit boring? Not very many ports of call, and getting to the ports and exploring them and visiting the local sites are bets apt of a cruise to my mind.

 

How do people keep busy and not get bored on a transatlantic?

[smythouse]

my husband and I are sailing on Holland America 17 day transatlantic cruise from Ft Lauderdale to Copenhagen on April 18, 2016.

Anyone have any info, of any kind, on what to expect on this cruise??

We have sailed quite a bit, but never on a transatlantic cruise.....just wondering if there will be enough to keep us entertained on all those days at sea.

Looking forward to hearing from any who would like to offer advice or information, or any comments.

Thanks for reading...

Kathy

[navybankerteacher]

An Autumn trans-Atlantic will be a lot warmer than one in the Spring - the Atlantic will be at its warmest. The weather, of course, is unpredictable: we have had several with mill-pond like conditions: one from Harwich to Miami, and two from Rome to Ft. Lauderdale. This past November we had a rough crossing on QM2 Southampton to New York - with upper decks closed off; but temps were still low 60's to low 70's.

 

If you book a balcony cabin, go for port side (sunny) westbound, or starboard eastbound - it makes a lot of difference.

 

In September, you can expect temps from about 70 as you leave England, nearing 80 as you approach Florida.

[jmf123]

my husband and I are sailing on Holland America 17 day transatlantic cruise from Ft Lauderdale to Copenhagen on April 18, 2016.

Anyone have any info, of any kind, on what to expect on this cruise??

We have sailed quite a bit, but never on a transatlantic cruise.....just wondering if there will be enough to keep us entertained on all those days at sea.

Looking forward to hearing from any who would like to offer advice or information, or any comments.

Thanks for reading...

Kathy

 

Hi Kathy, check out your active Roll Call, for discussion and meeting others sailing with you on the Zuiderdam: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2163907. :)

[KiwiFunCruiser]

I would like to do a Transatlantic some day, as I usually go on a cruise to to enjoy the ambience more that just the ports.

[AKman2495]

Hi,

We are going on our first Transatlantic cruise from Southampton to Ft. Lauderdale.

Help me:

how to pack for a September crossing

the conditions on the crossing

things to do

Can you be outside on the crossing days or is it just too windy?

 

Add your own thoughts because I am sure I have NOT asked the really good questions!

 

Thanks for your help,

Kathy

 

We just did one last September. This is how our trip went. The weather in England was cool, but pleasant. Same with Holland. Paris was in the mod 70's and sunny.

 

As we proceeded south, it got warmer. Spain was like Paris and Lisbon was upper 70's. The Azores were also very pleasant and Sunny. We were very lucky with the weather.

 

After the azores we had 6 straight sea days. It was warm and humid during the crossing. It was windy-especially on the walking track. We tried to play ping pong up there and the ball wouldn't go over the net! It kept getting blown back!

 

Hopwever, on the Lido deck, it was warm and humid. We found it too sticky to spend a lot of time out there, although many did.

 

We had no idea what kind of sea conditions we would encounter-basically for our cruise, the sea was like glass. It was smooth all the way across.

 

How to pack-pack light clothes for the southern part of the crossing. Also pack slacks and shirts for indoors.

 

Just remember England and Holland (if you go there) can be cool.

 

Otherwise, it will be warm...

 

As for things to do, it is a lot of sea days. There will be lectures and other events. But be prepared to spend a lot of time relaxing, watching movies, reading, chatting with friends and other passengers, playing games, perhaps going to the casino etc. etc.

 

Of course, shows at night and eating take up a bit of the time too.:)

 

If you have to be doing something all the time and can't stand being at sea, this is not the best type of cruise. Otherwise, it can be very relaxing.

[Floridiana]

We have sailed quite a bit, but never on a transatlantic cruise.....just wondering if there will be enough to keep us entertained on all those days at sea.

Kathy

 

Kathy,

 

If you liked sea days on your other cruises and not just as a break between ports, you will be fine. My husband plays bridge and would love the extended play time. I, however, would be bored out of my mind. There is only so much reading I can do and I am not an outgoing person who chats up fellow passengers. Also I think Trivia is trivial, I don't drink, I don't gamble, a real stick in the mud. :D On sea days, I look forward to the next port. What type of person are you?

[jocap]

On cruises with lots of sea days, we go to the lectures, join the choir, see the latest films, do arts and crafts and spend time reading. The latest thing we've heard of is on a ship which did the month's cruise from the UK-Caribbean and back again (very popular in winter) there was a knitting group which made hats and mittens for premature babies...over 600 items, we were told. I'm hoping there will be such a group on the month's cruise we're on. ;)

[Karysa]

I never pictured me in a cruise with more than 2 sea days in a row but we will have 5 in May of 2017 from Hawaii to Vancouver. I am very apprehensive about it for many reasons but thought that spending the last 5 days of a 3 week vacation with lots of time to edit pictures by day and dance by night would be worth it.

[Harry and Lucille]

The port stops were great. Paris, Rotterdam, Vigo, Lisbon and Azores. I purchased two 750 ml bottles of wine in Lisbon and two more in the Azores (local store. were great top shelf wines and the cost? 4.6 Euros total). Kept them in the cabin fridge, looked at the evening menu, paired the wine and took the bottle to the table. No problem. Unusual.

 

I am a smoker. Two Spanish cigars and from Lisbon four Cubans. One a day for the six day crossing. With a glass of Burgandy to go along with was delightful.

 

Weather was good all the way and sea was calm. You just never know tho. Layered clothing is the key. After our many cruises, we have gotten into the packing tricks. Interchangable outfits. One checked bag and one carryon each.

 

Just an old mans tips. Hope they may help. Happy Crusing.

[calliopecruiser]

Isn't a Transatlantic cruise a bit boring? Not very many ports of call, and getting to the ports and exploring them and visiting the local sites are bets apt of a cruise to my mind.

 

How do people keep busy and not get bored on a transatlantic?

 

Different strokes......being on the ship in the middle of the ocean is the best part of cruising for me. Never bored, but rarely busy either -- just wonderfully calm. My favourite cruises are those with maximum sea days and minimal port stops (in 2017 I'm planning on an 18 day cruise with only 2 port stops).

[dsrdsrdsr]

Hi,

We are going on our first Transatlantic cruise from Southampton to Ft. Lauderdale.

Help me:

how to pack for a September crossing

the conditions on the crossing

things to do

Can you be outside on the crossing days or is it just too windy?

 

Add your own thoughts because I am sure I have NOT asked the really good questions!

 

Thanks for your help,

Kathy

The Atlantic is no more or less windy than the rest of the world. Just like the Caribbean, it may be too windy to go outside; just like the Caribbean, it may be flat calm. Pack for a UK autumn for the first part, and a Florida autumn for the end - you can google average temperatures for both ports, and the temperatures in between will be between those averages. But remember that Southampton in Spetember can easily range from 10 (50) to 25 (77) degrees daytime temps, and possibly outside that. September is variable.

[iancal]

We did a TA three years ago. Rome-FLL. We had a port side balcony cabin. It was a late November cruise.

 

The weather was warm. We often sat out on our balcony. In fact once or twice it was too warm. Not much wind.

 

We would never do another one. We were both ready to jump after three days. Five sea days in a row were actually three days too long for us. We always wanted to try it, we were on an extended trip, and needed to cross so we did it.

 

The positives. We had some excellent Med stops. Our last stop in Spain. Celebrity allowed us to load up with wine and bring it aboard. There seemed to be no enforcement of the two bottle rule. Got a half dozen bottles of a great wine from the Douro Valley in Portugal. This helped somewhat to pass the time on those lazy afternoons.

 

Take some good books.

Edited January 5, 2016 by iancal

[Harry and Lucille]

We did a TA three years ago. Rome-FLL. We had a port side balcony cabin. It was a late November cruise.

 

The weather was warm. We often sat out on our balcony. In fact once or twice it was too warm. Not much wind.

 

We would never do another one. We were both ready to jump after three days. Five sea days in a row were actually three days too long for us. We always wanted to try it, we were on an extended trip, and needed to cross so we did it.

 

The positives. We had some excellent Med stops. Our last stop in Spain. Celebrity allowed us to load up with wine and bring it aboard. There seemed to be no enforcement of the two bottle rule. Got a half dozen bottles of a great wine from the Douro Valley in Portugal. This helped somewhat to pass the time on those lazy afternoons.

 

Take some good books.

 

Some of the best wine that I have ever had. Purchased, brought on board,placed in cabin fridge, paired with evening meal and brought the bottle to dinner with us. No problem. Waiter offered to carry it to the table, pour it and offered an ice stand to hold it.

 

Europe has a whole different take on wine. It is a way of life.

 

The US is so up tight. Makes me wonder. Duhhh. Maybe catch up with the rest of the worlds realistic nature?

[Grandma Dazzles]

Check the bulletin board by guest services. Fellow passengers often post group activities that they would like to get involved with.

 

Examples - people looking for card players, Scrabble, trivia, etc. Met a delightful group on the Independence - group of ladies who liked to knit, crochet, cross stitch, etc. we met daily - loose time frame - many of the men played cards at the same time.

 

We used the card room by the diamond lounge, deck 13 or 14. There was a piano in the room and a guest who was a university level music professor played the piano just for relaxation and was wonderful.

 

Check your roll call. You may find planned activities.

 

My response was aimed towards RC cruises - not sure if all TA are the same.

 

Have never been bored. Lots going off - guest lectures and so on. You can be busy or sleep all day!

Edited January 6, 2016 by Grandma Dazzles

[babs135]

Love transatlantic crossings; we've done 3 and have never been bored.

 

Last one was in November/December. Flew to New York and spent five manic days running from a to b and then 8 days of blissful rest - pure heaven. Also helped that having spent so much we had to buy another suitcase and unlike flying, we just loaded it onto the ship, no hassles, no extra fees.

 

There were a lot of activities which, if we had wanted, would have kept us busy from getting up until going to bed; but we attended a few lectures, read a lot and people-watched (always entertaining). And we ate a lot :D

 

We were able to get out on deck most days and apart from a night and following day the sea was kind to us. It was rough, but we were on the QM2 which handles bad weather very well.

[navybankerteacher]

I have to wonder how people who find sea days too boring spend their time at home when not at work: going to a mall or supermarket, cleaning house, being stuck in traffic, etc. all strike me as unexciting drudgery --- while having time to read and interact with others (and my own imagination) while free from much of the day to day routine is a regenerating opportunity.

[euro cruiser]

I learned not to express my boredom out loud in front of my mother as a kid because her inevitable response was to hand me a stack of chores to do, enough to fill every available moment of my time off.

 

A few years later, in high school, a teacher I admired admonished me for saying I was bored by saying "you're an intelligent, resourceful person with an active imagination, there's no reason for you to ever be bored." She went on to suggest that when I found myself slipping into a state of ennui I should look around and consider everything I don't know about a place, or situation, event, etc. and what I would need to do in order to learn what I don't know. It's a sobering exercise almost every time (just when you think you know everything ...) and it leads to interesting questions and conversations with myself and others.

[FluffyFiFi]

We did our first TA in November and were apprehensive how we would enjoy 7 days at sea, I had signed up for CC gatherings and thought we would go to the lectures and join in the quizzes and games that were organised. In the event we got on board and totally chilled out, we went to the bars, enjoyed our meals, spent time together drinking coffee and people watching. The weather was very good and we even managed a couple of afternoons outside by the pool. We didn't go to any of the organised activities and each night were happy to have a table for two and didn't want to spend time chatting with others. It was a surprise to me how we didn't want to interact with anyone else and it was the first time in years we could totally relax. We have now booked another TA for March and can't wait for the sea days when you don't feel guilty for doing nothing. As everyone is different a lot of people will get bored and would not want to spend so much time at sea but we both loved it. I think it is something you have to experience for yourself. The sea was a bit rough a couple of nights but we soon got used to walking around a moving ship, the funniest thing was try to have a shower when the water around your feet is going backwards and forwards.

[Dancer Bob]

In reply to eurocruiser, yes, but not paying thousands of dollars to do something I could do more efficiently at home.

I've done TA's on Cunard, Costa, Crystal and Holland America. Only on HAL was I debating whether I would be throwing good money after bad by staying on the ship after Madeira (westbound). I would laugh at the Saturday night paint drying contest except they didn't even have that, daytime activities were so mundane, except the library, I can't remember any. Every other ship had more than enough to keep me occupied.

On Cunard's old Queen Elizabeth 2, the florists' pet peeve was that their refrigerated storage got taken over when the morgue was full. I have no idea how large HAL's are, or how many passengers in HAL's age group could statistically be expected to die over a 17-day period.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Dancer Bob