Transatlantic Cruises - Recommendations? Thoughts?

[chicagopaul]

As the 15/16 schedules roll out we are looking at getting a cruise on the books. We've always been intrigued by a TA cruise. While we love interesting ports, one of our favorite things about cruises are sea days! So here are my questions for those of you who have taken TA cruises.

 

1. What has been your favorite TA itinerary?

 

2. What is the general age range on a TA? My assumption is older, which is fine with us but we just don't want to be the ONLY youngins on the cruise (we're 27 and 31).

 

3. Was there expanded entertainment options during the day on sea days such as trivia, lecturers, etc?

 

4. How did you book your airfare? International one way airfare is extremely expensive...did you use Choice Air?

 

As always thank you to everyone on this board for their input and advice!

[DavidYYC]

1. What has been your favorite TA itinerary?

- we are doing our second in April. So don't have a favourite yet. The Equinox in 2013 was from FLL-Nassau-Canary Isles-Lisbon-Gibraltar-Barcelona. It was perfect. The Eclipse is doing FLL-Nassau-Bermuda(overnight)-Portuguese Azores-Southampton. Pretty sure that will be perfect too.

 

2. What is the general age range on a TA? My assumption is older, which is fine with us but we just don't want to be the ONLY youngins on the cruise (we're 27 and 31).

- we are in our mid-50s and were at the younger end of the spectrum...but there were a few young couples and 4 children.

 

3. Was there expanded entertainment options during the day on sea days such as trivia, lecturers, etc?

-yes

 

4. How did you book your airfare? International one way airfare is extremely expensive...did you use Choice Air?

- we used a mix of hard cash and reward miles to get us from home to FLL and then back from Europe.

[TravelerThom]

As the 15/16 schedules roll out we are looking at getting a cruise on the books. We've always been intrigued by a TA cruise. While we love interesting ports, one of our favorite things about cruises are sea days! So here are my questions for those of you who have taken TA cruises.

 

1. What has been your favorite TA itinerary?

 

2. What is the general age range on a TA? My assumption is older, which is fine with us but we just don't want to be the ONLY youngins on the cruise (we're 27 and 31).

 

3. Was there expanded entertainment options during the day on sea days such as trivia, lecturers, etc?

 

4. How did you book your airfare? International one way airfare is extremely expensive...did you use Choice Air?

 

As always thank you to everyone on this board for their input and advice!

1. The TA I'm on. Note that the southern route (eg Med to FL) is generally pretty benign. Bay of Biscay and Northern route can be more turbulent.

 

2. probably mostly 55-70. Mostly retirees, But also some younger folks. We have encountered young professionals moving to a new job on the other side of the pond (in both directions). Also families who home school. etc.

 

3. Definitely more trivia and lectures. I have problems deciding which of the offerings to participate in.

 

4. For one way international, I have good luck with Choice Air.

 

Many years we do both a spring and fall TA. We have friends who do two each season (sail to Europe in the Spring, fly home, sail to Europe again - but we are not that hard core;))

 

Thom

 

PS When our plans are definite enough, we have also used a single round-trip airfare in combination with two TAs.

Edited February 25, 2014 by TravelerThom

[CathyCruises]

We have a whole group of previous strangers from all over the place who took a spring TA last year who had so much fun that we are all booked again. We are all in the 55-65 age range, or close, but we are a LOT of fun! So yes, the age group skews older but that's not to say dull and boring. We do a lot of our own activities (Mexican train, stargazing, murder mysteries, slot pulls, cabin crawls!) plus trivia, lectures, movies, and we stay busy and sometimes double booked. If there's a quiet moment, we live reading out on the deck or in the solarium if it's cool. TAs are all about the ship, so choose carefully, also agree that you will most likely have warmer weather and calmer seas headed to the Med than to England/North Sea.

[BBsails]

Here's something to keep in mind: On an East to West TA you gain an hour each night for about five nights, giving you 25-hour days. On West to East TA you lose an hour each night for about five nights, giving you 23-hour days. We prefer East to West but are doing West to East this spring.

 

Betsy

[CathyCruises]

True, but going eastward in spring means you have lots of extra daylight to enjoy those cocktails in the Sunset Bar. On the westbound, it gets dark and chilly way earlier

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[ClaudiaB]

We've only done one TA - westbound - and there was a lot to do. We actually loved both lecturers which was great. There was a choir which I participated in, and that was so much fun. I watched a lot of Texas Hold 'Em where my husband donated a bit of money to some of his fellow cruisers.

Wine tastings, the usual. I brought my cross stitching and did a lot of that in different areas around the ship, just people-watching and getting to know some new friends. Sleeping late was just wonderful

We used iflyeurope.com the first time and got an "ok" rate. We have another westbound TA in the fall and we used choice air. Our total was about $450 each which included New Orleans to Miami and Miami to Barcelona.

We're going to be 60 this year and we find we're about in the middle age-wise, but we love meeting people of any age.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

True, but going eastward in spring means you have lots of extra daylight to enjoy those cocktails in the Sunset Bar. On the westbound, it gets dark and chilly way earlier

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

That is true Cathy, eastbound it dark out at 4:30 pm, westbound dark at 9:00 pm

Gain an hour means your are waking up at 5 am instead of 6 am

Losing an hour you are up at 7 am

Temp is fall is 50 to 60

Temp is spring 60 to 70

We have done to eastbound, and one westbound, doing our 4th in roll this April

Edited February 25, 2014 by Airbalancer

[midwestchick]

To the OP...I'm so glad started this thread. :) A TA is something that has also intrigued me. We've only done port intensive cruises and that is what we also have coming up, so you don't get a lot of "sea day" time if any. I'll be following along.

[JanineM]

We've done 2 TAs - both eastbound. My favourite itinerary was San Juan, St Martin, Azores, Gijon & Vigo Spain, La Rochelle & Cherbourg France, then on to Southampton. When we did that TA we were both in our mid 40s, and we were probably on the younger end of the age range. But on both TAs there were several younger couples.

 

Celebrity keeps you pretty busy during the day. There are lecturers, movies, cooking demonstrations, art classes (painting classes are super popular - expect to fight your way in!), dancing lessons, Zumba classes, etc., etc. I was never bored, and I'm not the type to sit around and read a book.

 

For air, we have found both times that Choice Air was able to get us the least expensive flights. Last time I told Choice Air exactly what flights I wanted (on Delta) and once booked, I immediately logged on to our Delta account & upgraded our seats to Economy Comfort.

 

Our TA last spring was in late April/early May and the temps ranged from the 80s when we left Florida, to the upper 30s on the second last morning. The other TA (my favourite route) was in late March/early April and it was cold as soon as we got a day out into the ocean. There was snow in Paris when we were in La Rochelle.

 

I love TAs - they're my favourite cruise and I'd go twice a year, but of course my boss wouldn't put up with it.

[chicagopaul]

Thank you everyone for your responses. They're very helpful! I especially appreciate the comments regarding daylight and number of hours in a day. I'm embarrassed to say I didn't even think of that!

 

I'm very happy to hear of all the activities to do on board during the day. Cathy - the cabin crawls, murder mystery dinners, etc. sound fantastic!

 

Lastly, I'm glad to hear of cheaper flight options. Paying $1,500 one way per person for airfare was always what kept us away from TA cruises, but with cheaper flight options I'm excited. I'd much rather spend that extra money on a nice hotel for a few days before or after the cruise.

 

I'll continue to follow this thread in hopes of more input but I appreciate everything thus far.

 

Cheers & Happy Cruising! :)

[CathyCruises]

Thank you everyone for your responses. They're very helpful! I especially appreciate the comments regarding daylight and number of hours in a day. I'm embarrassed to say I didn't even think of that!

 

I'm very happy to hear of all the activities to do on board during the day. Cathy - the cabin crawls, murder mystery dinners, etc. sound fantastic!

 

Lastly, I'm glad to hear of cheaper flight options. Paying $1,500 one way per person for airfare was always what kept us away from TA cruises, but with cheaper flight options I'm excited. I'd much rather spend that extra money on a nice hotel for a few days before or after the cruise.

 

I'll continue to follow this thread in hopes of more input but I appreciate everything thus far.

 

Cheers & Happy Cruising! :)

Just for fun, go in to choice air.com. Choose the tab that says, essentially, just looking. Pick celebrity silhouette and choose sailing date on 4/20. Then fill out the form for your home airport any time after 5/5 and see what results you get

[Hlitner]

We have done about 15 TAs (have another one coming up in a few months) and love the sea days. We have also done 3 TAs to Europe were we returned to the US on another cruise and totally avoiding the airlines.

 

As to one-way fares, besides checking the options from the cruise line there are some airlines that offer decent one-way fares....the best known being Aer Lingus and Icelandic. We have also twice booked round trip fares for a TA and used the return flight to get another TA (in the opposite direction) during the same year. One round trip air fare is perfect to handle those 2 TAs.

 

Itineraries can be chosen for many reasons. If we are cruising from the USA to Europe (like our upcoming TA) we booked our particular cruise because it was the only TA that stopped in Le Havre (the 2nd to last day). We wanted transportation to France (where we will stay for a month) and the cruise served that purpose.

 

Hank

[teecee60]

As the 15/16 schedules roll out we are looking at getting a cruise on the books. We've always been intrigued by a TA cruise. While we love interesting ports, one of our favorite things about cruises are sea days! So here are my questions for those of you who have taken TA cruises.

 

1. What has been your favorite TA itinerary?

 

2. What is the general age range on a TA? My assumption is older, which is fine with us but we just don't want to be the ONLY youngins on the cruise (we're 27 and 31).

 

3. Was there expanded entertainment options during the day on sea days such as trivia, lecturers, etc?

 

4. How did you book your airfare? International one way airfare is extremely expensive...did you use Choice Air?

 

As always thank you to everyone on this board for their input and advice!

 

I'm another one of those folks making up the group CathyCruises mentioned.

 

I seem to have recently developed a serious addiction to transatlantic cruises.

 

E/B Solstice April '12,

W/B Constellation December '12,

E/B Silhouette April '13

W/B Reflection Nov 13

and just booked on E/B Silhouette for April '14

 

I'm interested in economics/demographics and have asked every cruise, each time the average age has been 67, 68 or 69. Mostly due to having fewer than 20 guests under 18 each time! (Reflection had only 12!) :)

 

Where else can you cruise in Celebrity style for $35 to $45 per person per night? :eek:

 

The best deal was Reflection for $449pp with $250 OBC! :D

 

Good food, outstanding service, and exquisite relaxation! :cool:

 

Wait till after final payment and then move fast. 10 Days ago Reflection had over 200 cabins available after final payment so prices crashed... and they sold 150 of them in a week. Now, with only 60 cabins left prices shot back up.

 

Best deal now is an inside on Infinity to Harwich for $499 (414 for a military rate!) or a balcony on Silhouette to Rome for $876pp.

 

I've used Choice Air four times in a row with never even a minor glitch. :)

 

You can also book a round trip flight that "brackets" the dates of both a fall and a spring crossing.

 

Try it! You just might get addicted...

 

(We were posting at the same time... a lot of the same info... I can't wait to match Hlitner and his 15!!!)

Edited February 25, 2014 by teecee60

[Cruise_me_Crazy]

Reading everyone's comments makes me so jealous! We are doing a TA in Nov. Our airfares are more than a suite price :mad: but we have to pay 2x lots of one wayers! As with everything cruising choice air is more expensive than a one way qantas fare for us in Aus. :(

 

We ended up buying a package deal and long story short, happy with our final expenditure! The sea days and the chance to get a fleeting look at Europe was what sold us!:)

[misha1]

We've done 2 TAs - both eastbound. My favourite itinerary was San Juan, St Martin, Azores, Gijon & Vigo Spain, La Rochelle & Cherbourg France, then on to Southampton. When we did that TA we were both in our mid 40s, and we were probably on the younger end of the age range. But on both TAs there were several younger couples.

 

Celebrity keeps you pretty busy during the day. There are lecturers, movies, cooking demonstrations, art classes (painting classes are super popular - expect to fight your way in!), dancing lessons, Zumba classes, etc., etc. I was never bored, and I'm not the type to sit around and read a book.

 

For air, we have found both times that Choice Air was able to get us the least expensive flights. Last time I told Choice Air exactly what flights I wanted (on Delta) and once booked, I immediately logged on to our Delta account & upgraded our seats to Economy Comfort.

 

Our TA last spring was in late April/early May and the temps ranged from the 80s when we left Florida, to the upper 30s on the second last morning. The other TA (my favourite route) was in late March/early April and it was cold as soon as we got a day out into the ocean. There was snow in Paris when we were in La Rochelle.

 

I love TAs - they're my favourite cruise and I'd go twice a year, but of course my boss wouldn't put up with it.

There is probably one part of trip planning that I really dislike and that is air. I wondered if Choice air would not have booked those Economy Comfort seats for you. When I book open jaws, I will speak directly to an agent and get the best possible seats. DH and are are quite tall, and FC is price prohibitive on open jaw flights. I guess what I am asking, in preparation for our first TA is...if I would use Choice air, do they take care of upgrades too or do I have to go on line and do that? Julie

[Holly g]

We just booked KLM for May return from Venice. Had to take economy seats from Choice air and then upgrade directly through the airline. Depends on the airline because for some of the airlines Choice air had economy and business class seats. Hope that helps.

Edited February 25, 2014 by Holly g

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Just for fun, go in to choice air.com. Choose the tab that says, essentially, just looking. Pick celebrity silhouette and choose sailing date on 4/20. Then fill out the form for your home airport any time after 5/5 and see what results you get

We are also part of Cathy ( and Teecee60 :rolleyes:) group

You have to clink on one way fare, because that will get you the cheapest airfare from Europe, if you clink on multiple cities the price will be much higher

The Canadian dollar is killing me this year up 10%

This will our 4th TA in roll

Equinox Nov 2012 EB

Silhouette April 2013 WB

Equinox Nov 2013 eb

Now Silhouette April 2014 WB

Each time we have done Choice Air to or from Europe for about $450

we got Rome to Toronto with one lay over in London for 2 hours on BA for $449 US. British Air wanted over $3300.

I know EB end of November, it was dark and cool to sit outside at sunset bar at 5 pm, I believe things could change because the TAs are leaving a month earlier now compared to last couple of years

Tee Cee 60, how was early Nov at the sunset bar , daylight at 5 pm ?

Edited February 25, 2014 by Airbalancer

[Turtles06]

As the 15/16 schedules roll out we are looking at getting a cruise on the books. We've always been intrigued by a TA cruise. While we love interesting ports, one of our favorite things about cruises are sea days! So here are my questions for those of you who have taken TA cruises.

 

1. What has been your favorite TA itinerary?

 

2. What is the general age range on a TA? My assumption is older, which is fine with us but we just don't want to be the ONLY youngins on the cruise (we're 27 and 31).

 

3. Was there expanded entertainment options during the day on sea days such as trivia, lecturers, etc?

 

4. How did you book your airfare? International one way airfare is extremely expensive...did you use Choice Air?

 

As always thank you to everyone on this board for their input and advice!

 

1. We've done 2 TAs and have our third booked for this fall. We absolutely love sea days. I'd probably be happy without any ports, but it's certainly fun to have some, and the itinerary of our TA this fall is effectively a one-week Med cruise followed by the crossing. Two big factors to consider are where you embark and disembark -- how easy is it to get to and from those ports, and do you want to spend additional time in either of them?

 

One of these days, I'd like to do a TA that includes Iceland and Greenland (I think HAL has an itinerary like that). I have little interest in the newer Celebrity TA itineraries that include Caribbean ports; if I want to visit the Caribbean, I'll take a Caribbean cruise.

 

2. At your ages, you will definitely be on the very young end of the spectrum.

 

3. On sea days, usually lots of stuff going on. Some times so much that I've had to choose between things at the same time. Caution: one of the mistakes we made on our first TA was being too scheduled (we'd signed up for team trivia that wound up meeting every morning); on our second, we did not do anything like that and it was more relaxed.

 

4. As for air travel, if you have sufficient frequent flyer miles, they are great to use for one-way flights, as many of the airlines (e.g., United) don't penalize you for going one way -- they only "charge" half the number of miles you'd have to use for a RT ticket (very different than if you were paying cash).

[Jack Horner]

As the 15/16 schedules roll out we are looking at getting a cruise on the books. We've always been intrigued by a TA cruise. While we love interesting ports, one of our favorite things about cruises are sea days! So here are my questions for those of you who have taken TA cruises.

As always thank you to everyone on this board for their input and advice!

 

 

Repositioning cruises are one-way vacations and are usually very reasonably priced and will give you a unique opportunity to embark on an out-of-the-ordinary journey to see multiple destinations in different continents of the world. The most common itineraries are trans-Atlantic voyages from US to the Mediterranean in the spring and the reverse in the fall, although there is an endless combination of itineraries periodically offered throughout the year as ships move from region to anther region around the globe.

 

Repositioning cruises appeal to travelers who seek unique itineraries with relaxing days at sea and like the idea of using a cruise ship as a leisurely means of travel between destinations. Transoceanic repositioning cruises are frankly adult-oriented. As such passengers generally tend to be upper-middle-class older demographic seasoned travelers who want to spend days relaxing and being pampered onboard luxury resort-style ships as they cruise from one seasonal cruise region to another. The other attraction is stopping to explore interesting ports along the way but for most the ship is the destination and ports along the way though interesting are expensive distractions.

 

When at sea cruise lines provide extra entertainment and activities to prevent passengers from getting bored by providing a wide choice of entertainment & activities. Plus enrichment programs with topics that range from finance, astronomy, to wine education, Smithsonian sponsored lectures covering wide number topics or listen to well-known authors and motivational speakers. You can also attend lecture/talks by the crew on subjects like navigation, ship maintenance, ship design etc. Demonstrations on fruit and ice carving, culinary demonstrations or cooking competitions by the ship's various chiefs. Most ships have a library and onboard a spa and fitness center plus activities like taking dance lessons, playing bridge, attending shows. Or you can do nothing and just chill out, watch a movie or read a book or do some people watching.

 

Because you are going from one part of the world to another you will need to make travel arrangements to board the cruise ship and to return home. To be safe because there is a great distance between the port of departure and your next port of call you will want to give yourself some wiggle room when booking your flights. Arrive at your departure port one or two days in advance of embarkation, for your return budget some time for ship and airport delays and other emergencies.

 

When packing for a repositioning cruise, you'll need warmer clothing than if heading for a Caribbean cruise. Don’t forget a pair of good walking shoes and a windbreaker for shore excursions. You will also need to include a few dressy outfits for the evenings, as most repositioning cruises host formal elegant dinners. (The longer, more expensive up-scale cruises take "formal night" to extremes. Tuxedos are suggested, but even the most exclusive ships will accept a dark suit and tie.) Generally, the mood on board a repositioning cruise is country club casual. Dressy shorts, slacks, jeans and other casual attire is the norm throughout the day. Swimsuits, t-shirts, sarongs, tanks, trunks and workout clothes are reserved for the ship’s deck, gym and pool.

 

The economics of repositioning cruise is extremely attractive. Where else can you vacation in luxury 5-Star environment excellent service with full breakfasts, 5 course lunches and dinners plus entertainment and activities all for $80 - $120/per person per day?

 

 

Caveat: If you cruise with the expectation that the ship is the destination then choosing the right cruise line becomes vital. Low end mass market cruise lines though good value for the money will not be a refined and elegant experience. The upper end of the income spectrum passengers cruise with the top luxurious cruise lines like: Regent, Crystal, Silversea, Seabourn, Orion and Oceania. Though the majority of fixed income upper-middle-class older demographic seasoned travelers travel budget does not extend to this level of luxury cruising. This leaves cruising options in the so-called “Premium” cruise lines like Celebrity, Cunard, Holland America and Princess. As to the cost differentiation between the “Luxury” and “Premium” cruise lines can be substantial. On a 16-day transatlantic it is in the region of nearly 60%, in round numbers $5,000 vs. $8,500.

 

Currencies vary depending on your port of call, but credit cards are widely accepted in many destinations worldwide. Direct-dial phones are available onboard. You can send and receive emails and faxes from the ship’s Internet café. Wireless Internet usually is available either in public areas or your stateroom. Charges will be billed to your onboard account. As for cell phones, you can make and receive calls onboard if your wireless provider has a roaming agreement with the cruise line.

[CathyCruises]

We have done about 15 TAs (have another one coming up in a few months) and love the sea days. We have also done 3 TAs to Europe were we returned to the US on another cruise and totally avoiding the airlines.

 

As to one-way fares, besides checking the options from the cruise line there are some airlines that offer decent one-way fares....the best known being Aer Lingus and Icelandic. We have also twice booked round trip fares for a TA and used the return flight to get another TA (in the opposite direction) during the same year. One round trip air fare is perfect to handle those 2 TAs.

 

Itineraries can be chosen for many reasons. If we are cruising from the USA to Europe (like our upcoming TA) we booked our particular cruise because it was the only TA that stopped in Le Havre (the 2nd to last day). We wanted transportation to France (where we will stay for a month) and the cruise served that purpose.

 

Hank

Hank, we did that two years ago--used the ship as a means to get to Normandy

and stayed in Europe for a month. It was essentially the same price as the airlines, and we disembarked in Le Havre which was exactly where we wanted to begin our journey!

[teecee60]

Repositioning cruises are one-way vacations and are usually very reasonably priced and will give you a unique opportunity to embark on an out-of-the-ordinary journey to see multiple destinations in different continents of the world.

 

The economics of repositioning cruise is extremely attractive. Where else can you vacation in luxury 5-Star environment excellent service with full breakfasts, 5 course lunches and dinners plus entertainment and activities all for $80 - $120/per person per day?

 

Caveat: If you cruise with the expectation that the ship is the destination then choosing the right cruise line becomes vital. Low end mass market cruise lines though good value for the money will not be a refined and elegant experience. The upper end of the income spectrum passengers cruise with the top luxurious cruise lines like: Regent, Crystal, Silversea, Seabourn, Orion and Oceania. Though the majority of fixed income upper-middle-class older demographic seasoned travelers travel budget does not extend to this level of luxury cruising. This leaves cruising options in the so-called “Premium” cruise lines like Celebrity, Cunard, Holland America and Princess. As to the cost differentiation between the “Luxury” and “Premium” cruise lines can be substantial. On a 16-day transatlantic it is in the region of nearly 60%, in round numbers $5,000 vs. $8,500.

 

Exceptionally well written and comprehensive synopsis! ;)

 

I'm one of those "fixed income" types you described, so I have to REALLY concentrate on the bargain hunting! :o

 

This will be my fifth 14-15 day transatlantic cruise with Celebrity and I haven't hit $5,000 of spending yet... for ALL of them! (not counting airfare of course...) :D

 

I know EB end of November, it was dark and cool to sit outside at sunset bar at 5 pm, I believe things could change because the TAs are leaving a month earlier now compared to last couple of years

Tee Cee 60, how was early Nov at the sunset bar , daylight at 5 pm ?

 

2012 Constellation from Southampton in December was too cold and dark until we hit the Canaries.

 

2013 Reflection from Rome in early November was FANTASTIC! Enjoyed the sunset... (from the sunset bar!) every night from 5-6 PM

 

It was pretty dark by 6:30 but the moon, stars, and Venus were beautiful after sunset. ;)

 

I think Celebrity's plan to end their European season and cross a few weeks earlier is a great idea.

Edited February 25, 2014 by teecee60

[Hlitner]

Hank, we did that two years ago--used the ship as a means to get to Normandy

and stayed in Europe for a month. It was essentially the same price as the airlines, and we disembarked in Le Havre which was exactly where we wanted to begin our journey!

 

When we go over in the spring (use a repo cruise to get to Europe) we are always thinking, "can we find another cruise to get us home." Sometimes it works and sometimes there is nothing convenient. We have used the Queen Mary 2 when we could easily get to either Hamburg or Southampton, and actually love crossing back to NYC on that ship. If you book one of the cheapest inside cabins it is a lot cheaper then business class, and a lot nicer. One year we came home on the Rotterdam, which was doing a special commemorative crossing from Rotterdam to NYC..and that was fun. Friends of ours came home that same year on the maiden voyage of the Norwegian Epic. We are always looking for ways to minimize the flying and maximize the cruising. This year we are doing a one way crossing from the US to Auckland (only 38 days) but have to, unfortunately, fly home since we cannot find another return cruise that same time of year.

 

Hank