Are Sea days on Trans-Atlantic cruises monotonous?

[luckyinpa]

OP i think the answer is simple for me at least. maybe for you too

 

in normal life, do you get more action or more rest. do you work 80 hours a week and sitting on a chair being waited on sound good? or you dont do much at home and you need some sort of adventure/action.

 

i, thankfully, dont have a real stressful life nor job. i could never sit 8 hours on any pool deck ever. i need stuff to do. recently on a canada cruise on a smaller ship than oasis we had 3 ports canceled. yes 3 on a 7 day cruise. so only 2 port days. so i got to experience a TA in essence. the casino got more money out of me and i did wish i was on a bigger ship than i was on. so id say go for the biggest ship you can if you are like me and like to do things.

 

if you do 100 surgeries a week and have 10 kids at home, you may want to stare at pool water splashing back and forth for 10 hours a day to relax 🙂

[LibertyBella]

I guess it just depends on personality, experience, age, and interests.

 

Well, with the transatlantic we enjoyed the voyage focus--but we realized we do prefer cruises with multiple port stops combined with a few sea days to recover from non-stop excursions. 

 

We have been on so many cruises, and we are still very healthy, so we can basically explore an entire cruise ship in two days and know our way around.  Yes, we sign up for activities, and go to shows, and the nightclubs, etc., but we do all that on every ship.  

 

When we travel with other family members (children or seniors), we are more apt to hang around the  ship and engage with them, but as a couple we do get a trifle bored after the first three days and need much more than the daily routine (we are the same on land tours--can only sit at a hotel pool for a day or so and then must go off and do something.). 

 

However, transatlantics are definitely relaxing, and the closest experience of replicating the seafaring lifestyle.

[retired dude]

difference between TA, trivia,  and watching latex paint dry-none....

[wdwkings]

On 9/4/2023 at 8:31 PM, Eddie Wilson said:

 

We love to hang at Solarium, and lounge, unwind as you say.....just not sure we can do it for a week.

Lots of good opinions here and I'll share we have done a few with long stretches or multiple sea days.  Our last cruise had 6 straight, we have done a TA and one 14 day cruise with only 4 port days so we have adapted and like those relaxing days. 

 

If you haven't done it but feel ok with cruising, you should be fine as there are still quite a few things to do on most sailings.  You may find it is not for you.  Since you have some experience, it could be beneficial to have a plan (brining a book or something that might interest you) for your down time.  

[Loracpin2]

On 9/4/2023 at 7:10 PM, Eddie Wilson said:

DW and I are contemplating a trans Atlantic cruise.  We don’t mind intermittent sea days, but generally book port heavy itineraries.  DW is worried 6 consecutive days at sea she will go batty.  

 

Do they have more and or different things to do on board?  Can only handle trivia so much?

 

Thanks for any help....

 

Eddie

Had the same concerns before our first TA. Evening before we docked, we said our so-long sto the group of people (12 including) we spent much time with over the past 7 days.  We ALL ageed....we never had so much fun being "bored" in our entire lives!!!!

[ssb]

No 

[hmorrow]

Our favorite cruise. TA or TP, Lots of days to relax, sit on our balcony, or whatever. OH and hardly any children..........

Yes! The best!

[jeh10641]

On 9/6/2023 at 10:18 AM, crusnbee said:

Do they ever do crossings back to back? I would love to go round trip!

CG

You can probably do a back to back transatlantic on Cunard.

[Eddie Wilson]

On 9/9/2023 at 7:30 AM, retired dude said:

difference between TA, trivia,  and watching latex paint dry-none....

That is exactly what I am trying to avoid

[SPacificbound]

On 9/6/2023 at 12:18 PM, crusnbee said:

Do they ever do crossings back to back? I would love to go round trip!

CG

You can find B2B on Cunard's Queen Mary 2, not all year, but if B2B is what you want, and a grownup ship is okay with you, take a look.

[Mom*3]

We would love to try a TA someday, but we are also a little nervous about being bored during the day. We enjoy sea days on a Caribbean cruise, but we spend all day by the pool. My understanding is that pool time is hit or miss on a TA.

 

I think we could do an Alaskan cruise, since there are port days to break it up, but I’m not sure about no ports and no sun.  Lol

[njkruzer]

2 minutes ago, Mom*3 said:

We would love to try a TA someday, but we are also a little nervous about being bored during the day. We enjoy sea days on a Caribbean cruise, but we spend all day by the pool. My understanding is that pool time is hit or miss on a TA.

 

I think we could do an Alaskan cruise, since there are port days to break it up, but I’m not sure about no ports and no sun.  Lol

We love TAs.  There is sun. How much depends on weather and time of year, same as on any cruise.  I find that Solarium is pleasant place. On some ships it's enclosed.   I also find that there are interesting speakers on a TA and events. When we went to Iceland and Greenland there was a naturalist on board who spoke about what we were seeing. So plenty to do.

[lovesthebeach2]

Just now, njkruzer said:

We love TAs.  There is sun. How much depends on weather and time of year, same as on any cruise.  I find that Solarium is pleasant place. On some ships it's enclosed.   I also find that there are interesting speakers on a TA and events. When we went to Iceland and Greenland there was a naturalist on board who spoke about what we were seeing. So plenty to do.

Were you on the Voyager last September on the Arctic Crossing? Because when we went thru Prins Christin Sund a lady was telling us all about what we were seeing.  It was so interesting.

they had her on the big TV on the top deck so we could hear her and still get to be outside to see the beauty.

[njkruzer]

6 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Were you on the Voyager last September on the Arctic Crossing? Because when we went thru Prins Christin Sund a lady was telling us all about what we were seeing.  It was so interesting.

they had her on the big TV on the top deck so we could hear her and still get to be outside to see the beauty.

No. TA in 2018.  Btw we had cold weather sailing along the west coast up from Mexico to LA.  So weather is unpredictable. 

Edited September 11, 2023 by njkruzer

[bonsai3s]

1 hour ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Were you on the Voyager last September on the Arctic Crossing? Because when we went thru Prins Christin Sund a lady was telling us all about what we were seeing.  It was so interesting.

they had her on the big TV on the top deck so we could hear her and still get to be outside to see the beauty.

I love posting these pictures...

 

Voyager, Trans-Arctic, 2022, Prinz Christian Sund, Greenland. (Pictures taken from our balcony.)

 

 

[shippmates]

On 9/6/2023 at 1:18 PM, crusnbee said:

Do they ever do crossings back to back? I would love to go round trip!

CG

Queen Mary 2 out of New York City do round trips to Southampton.  That would give you 14 sea days.  They are wonderful and have so much to do.  The ship has a planterium, a theatre, a series of lectures, ballroom dancing, dance lessons, English Pub.  If you look closely you can find really long cruises.  This year in May I did a 19 day crossing including 5 days in the Fjords of Norway.  TA's are the best way to avoid jet lag.

[jean87510]

Depends on which way you do for TA.  

 

I like the ones that start in Barcelona as I love that City.

 

I loved one where we did Cartegena, Malaga, Cadiz, 2 days in Lisbon then a 1 day break then we were in Ponta Del gada in the Azores, then 7 days.  We were on the Brilliance in a balcony.  This was October 2019.

 

We don't like sitting and staring at the ocean or trivia.  We aren't big drinkers and this was prior to us reaching Diamond status.  We don't shut off the world and keep every electronic device going.  This was pre Starlink so internet was a little slow but workable.  We would watch downloaded movies on our devices.  Both of us worked from the ship easily as we weren't retired and we were able to save some vacation hours and work remotely.  We did 2 a days at the gym.  It is different than a port intensive caribbean cruise.  We had a great time.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with downloading a series and bingeing onboard.  

[jeh10641]

On 9/11/2023 at 7:41 AM, Mom*3 said:

We would love to try a TA someday, but we are also a little nervous about being bored during the day. We enjoy sea days on a Caribbean cruise, but we spend all day by the pool. My understanding is that pool time is hit or miss on a TA.

 

I think we could do an Alaskan cruise, since there are port days to break it up, but I’m not sure about no ports and no sun.  Lol

Look for transatlantic cruises from Europe to Florida or Texas. The Fall cruises usually have warmer weather in the Mediterranean as well as stops in Madeira, the Azores or the Canaries. Look for Spring cruises from southern U.S. ports to the Med. Same reasons, same ports. On westbound Fall cruises, you gain an hour of sleep for five nights. You lose that hour going East. The super large ships have so much to do that you will not be bored. Smaller ships like HAL's have less bells and whistles but there are still lots of things to do. 

 

Jim