Advice on Transatlantic Cruise

[sealover155]

We've adored both our eastbound and westbound T/A's. On our westbound Dover-NY, we were supposed to go to Iceland but were re-routed due to storms and high seas at the end of hurricane season. We wound up with extra sea days and they were sheer bliss. When you travel eastbound with the time change, you wake up later, obviously, but the benefit of arriving in Europe on their time was significant. We had more energy at every port as well as well as during our time there post cruise.

[tally10]

We have done 4 transatlantics. Just returned from the March 30th Jewel of the Seas transatlantic. I think I prefer eastbound because all of the ports are at the end of all of those sea days. The one westbound was the Brilliance of the Seas this past december. You had all of the ports up front and then all of those sea days feeling like the best part of the cruise was over. The one thing I did like about that one was the dreaded long flight was overwith in the beginning instead at the end. On the Jewel, DH got either food poisoning from the tiger shrimp or Noro (along with 200 others) and had a large medical bill (2 days of meds and IV fluids), but he became ill on all of those sea days so he did not miss any ports at the end. One thing you must consider is the possiblilty of rough seas. We had 20+ foot seas while on the Jewel on many of those sea days (as did my sister in law who did a crossing on the NCL Jade in late Feb.):eek: . It did not bother us because of the patch and Bonine, but the waves looked a bit scarey-lol! We experienced some large waves last April on the Constellation eastbound, too, which sent DD (an adult) to the infirmary as well. It was her first and last cruise. We have been on the Constellation 3 times, though, and we love her. We are booked on the Equinox Nov.5, 2009 transatlantic also. Just be aware of the possibility of the high seas. No one can predict that, of course. But be prepared.

[bobbyleduck]

I wrote the following for another post, but much of it seems appropriate, so I'll just copy it and add addtional information after:

 

"We booked our flight with Celebrity for our Trans Atlantic last November, at least the part from Miami to Barcelona (Plane change in Madrid was no problem). It cost $300 each and included the one-way flight to Barcelona, airport to seaport transfer in Barcelona and seaport to Airport transfer in Fort Lauderdale when our cruise ended. It was part of a special for the cruise (Cruise cost, including taxes and fees for 14 day Trans Atlantic was $905.88 each), but was much cheaper than any alternative I could have planned. We made our own reservations for the Portland, OR, to Fort Lauderdale round-trip flight ($226 each), and transfer from Fort Lauderdale to Miami ($30 each). Total cost for two for all air and land transfers was $1,182. Factor in cost of cruise and we spent less than $3,300 for two, including gratuity."

 

Like others, we enjoyed the 25 hour days heading west. We booked our cruise in July - before the late November sailing aboard Millennium, and we had an Inside Cabin. Also, the westbound sailings give you those wonderful sea days (We had five in a row) right when you need them, after most of your port days. You're exhausted then, and you get 25 hours a day, at sea, to get over it.

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Bob

[Irishwhiskey]

Some of the best deals can be had with a repositioning cruise.Between the upgrades and free air deals to Europe that wewere able to get was kind of hard to pass up.I don't expect to see anymore airfare deals but we still look for them.You can book a veranda on a 14day cruise for under $1200 before tax.and fuel charges.Thats around $85.per day p/p.Our first two cruises were too Europe on a repositioning cruise.We are looking to go again in the fall of 2009.John

[Parrot Mom]

On a whim we booked the Equinox t/a for 11/09 before it was open to the general public and I cannot tell you how fast the prices at this point have TRIPLED for a CC cabin..so far the cruise line airfare is pretty expensive and we will wait until before the last payment to see if we can get a better deal..This Sept. will be our 4th trans-atlantic going west from Europe so we can chill out the last days at sea. In Sept.we booked our own fare and its just over $400.00 to Barcelona via Aer Lingus.. Dont think flights are going to be bargains in the next year or so.

[ISABELLA]

Well, we still planning on going - hopefully it will be calm. Coming all the way from Boston, so we will pick up Connie in FLL, but we also will take Jewel of the Sea in September from Harwich to Boston - great itinerary on this cruise. I did noticed the very " stupid" prices for the Summit this March, but the itinerery was not worth going.

[S1drfl]

This chestnut keeps coming up.

 

The ship, eastbound or westbound travels at the same speed both ways (currents and weather notwithstanding), so the actual amount of time the cruise takes, from start to finish, is the same, either way.

If a day is longer or shorter, so be it, but the cruise takes just the same amount of time.

 

Time is a constant for all of us; we can't change it just by altering a clock.

 

The rate of the ship, provided it is not late at either end, is irrelevant to the question. Assuming a 6 time zone difference between ends, those traveling west will be on the ship 12 hours longer than those traveling east.

[rebeccalouise]

I have done both the Westbound and Eastbound and have to say the the Eastbound one felt like a real adventure.

 

The Westbound one on the QM2 was really nice though.

[rebeccalouise]

I think the rough seas and your being ill took the wind out of your sails. I was fit and healthy on both my TAs and they were fantastic.

 

QM2 is great for the north Atlantic but I wouldn't even consider another vessel in the North Atlantic. The southern route was fine on Millenium- smooth as silk (Ft. Laud-Barcelona).

[Parrot Mom]

In February booked the Constellation for Sept 09, 2008 from barcelona to Bayonne, N.J and when the Equinox opened its itineary we booked for November 2009 from Rome.. We are paying more on the Constellation with a similiar CC cabin..The prices on the Equinox (these are west to east) have tripled in cost and show no signs of stopping..lol.. The moral of the story is that the minute the itineraries open up for 2010 Im going to book something..lolWe definetly prefer the west to east and have gotten nothing but calm seas and warm weather..even in December.. This Sept. will be our 3rd trans-atlantic.. but we have also done a complete cruise of the Panama Canal where we ran into rough seas in the Pacific

[jerseygirl3]

In February booked the Constellation for Sept 09, 2008 from barcelona to Bayonne, N.J and when the Equinox opened its itineary we booked for November 2009 from Rome.. We are paying more on the Constellation with a similiar CC cabin..The prices on the Equinox (these are west to east) have tripled in cost and show no signs of stopping..lol.. The moral of the story is that the minute the itineraries open up for 2010 Im going to book something..lolWe definetly prefer the west to east and have gotten nothing but calm seas and warm weather..even in December.. This Sept. will be our 3rd trans-atlantic.. but we have also done a complete cruise of the Panama Canal where we ran into rough seas in the Pacific

 

Aren't the late fall (i.e., December) sailings East to West? You mention you prefer West to East. Just wondered which you really meant, or if I misinterpreted what you were referring to.

 

We're doing the November Equinox (East to West) and we're praying for calm seas. It'll be our first TA and we can't wait!

 

Jo-Ann

[Parrot Mom]

Well, according to Celebrity going from Europe to the US is WESTBOUND. We are doing the Constellatin 9/9/08 from Barcelona and the Equinox with you November 5, 2009 from Rome to Ft.Lauderdale.. We have done so far from Barcelona two cruises and both had calm weather.. December 2007 we did the Galaxy and except for a few rainy hours we had hot, hot, hot weather.. We just booked our hotel..wheww. The only problem we had was a bad night on the Brilliance of the Seas going from Harwich to Boston...but it rocked me to sleep..lol Going from Europe to the US has its advantages.. you get a chance to unwind the last few days at sea.. opposed to doing it the other way and flying home exhausted. We are hooked on trans-atlantics for many reasons

[tally10]

Each way has its advantages and disadvantage-you will have to decide for yourself! Personally, I think we enjoyed the 3 eastbounds better than the 1 westbound, but it all could be that we just didn't care for the ship experience or the ports. You will be fine as long as you are prepared for the seas. We did not have bad weather on the March 30th crossing-just those 20+ ft seas and it was cold. There is a photo posted on the Jewel thread looking out of the porthole on deck 2 on a calm day and one on one of the high seas days. They are actually under water! We were on deck 7 and got lots of wind and spray. As I said earlier, Bonine or the patch work wonders! The westbound one (Dec. 2, 2007), the seas were calm (6ft) and it was warm. The pools were packed everyday (and I had brought winter clothes). We just couldn't believe it! The transatlantics are wonderful and the pricing is pretty good, too.

[jerseygirl3]

Well, according to Celebrity going from Europe to the US is WESTBOUND. We are doing the Constellatin 9/9/08 from Barcelona and the Equinox with you November 5, 2009 from Rome to Ft.Lauderdale.. We have done so far from Barcelona two cruises and both had calm weather.. December 2007 we did the Galaxy and except for a few rainy hours we had hot, hot, hot weather.. We just booked our hotel..wheww. The only problem we had was a bad night on the Brilliance of the Seas going from Harwich to Boston...but it rocked me to sleep..lol Going from Europe to the US has its advantages.. you get a chance to unwind the last few days at sea.. opposed to doing it the other way and flying home exhausted. We are hooked on trans-atlantics for many reasons

 

I'm still confused (doesn't take much, believe me). So when you said you prefer the "west to east" you do not mean the westbound? I believe westbound means going from east to west.

 

But as I said I could be wrong. All I know is I think when I'm on the Equinox on November 5, I'll be going east to west, i.e., westbound. But I've been known to get lost easily and geography was never my strong suit!LOL All I know is I want to be on that ship come Nov. 5, regardless of whether it goes east, west, north or south!

 

Jo-Ann

[hermang]

Exactly correct.

We booked the Solstice April 2009 TA when it came out in March. Since then, the category that we booked has gone up $600 p.p.

It's a win win situation. If the prices go down, I only have to call X and ask for the new lower rate.:)

 

Check out Equinox TA for November. When we booked a Verandah 2C was $1179 today it is $2249 + port taxes

[hermang]

ARE YOU SERIOUS??? It is the busiest roll call have ever seen..pages and pages..there are even t-shirts that have been designed... come on over..lo;

 

We are on that cruise - if you look at Palma De Mallorca - there is a shorex Valdemosa and Soller train which we would love to take. Shorex says 8 hrs yet ship will be in port from 7-2 - don't look like 8 hrs to me?

 

Am I crazy or will port times and or shorex be adjusted as time goes on??

[dmk]

Check out Equinox TA for November. When we booked a Verandah 2C was $1179 today it is $2249 + port taxes

 

 

Wow! You're right. It makes me feel very pleased with myself for booking early!

[jerseygirl3]

Check out Equinox TA for November. When we booked a Verandah 2C was $1179 today it is $2249 + port taxes

 

We also booked a 2C, and I thought we were getting a bargain at $1,478 pp. Didn't realize it had been even less expensive before we booked. We didn't receive the initial Captain's Club offering (not sure why, since we're Elite), but heard about it here at CC. What would we do without CC?

 

Jo-Ann

[bostom]

I did noticed the very " stupid" prices for the Summit this March, but the itinerery was not worth going.

 

I'm at a loss to understand what "stupid" prices are - if by that you mean the $1000 pp we paid for 12 days in a Concierge Class cabin overlooking the SUMMIT's stern with a 260 sq ft balcony, well, I must be stupid.

 

I'm surprised (just as I was on the ship) by just how much I enjoyed the cruise. Short port stays? Indeed, but hey, there's not that much to do in Gijon. I don't think we were the first cruise ship: I think we were the first tourists. But Cherbourg was fascinating, the Azores had an amazing botanical garden, there were great pubs and restaurants in Vigo in which to relax after (perhaps ill-advisedly) climbing to the top of the fortress above town. La Rochelle? You have to sleep in sometime...Right there, I made up for all those 23 hour days.

 

Yes, some days were 23 hours long but that's not exactly hard to deal with. Yes, the seas were rough, but I grew up on Cape Cod, had a boat from the time I was 6, and loved it - this cruise was the roughest I've ever been on and it was not - compared to some I've heard about - all that rough. But having expected a half-closed ship with carpenters already working en route to the drydock, we were blown away by the food and service (our waiters were superb and I had no problem - unbidden - to rate them as "excellent."), enjoyed the entertainment staff, from the CD (Gary) to the child-care workers, met and drank at night with the cast of the show - did you know that Freddy, one of the lead singers, is from Boston? - and met some terrific folks on board. There was no sense that stocks were low in anticipation of the refit, no sense (to me, anyway) that upkeep had been neglected, nor any lack of enthusiasm by the crew. Our cabin was in far better shape than some we've seen, so I even questioned the need for the refit.

 

The cruise was the centerpiece between a stay in San Juan (Who knew? I loved the place. I'd been to the airport and the cruise port before, but was blown away by the restaurants, bars, friendly people, and the combination of American familiarity with Latin relaxation) and a week in London on the other end. The prices there are actually scary, so way past stupid, but it's London and getting to the UK by ship was a vast improvement on - and cheaper too - than flying into Heathrow.

 

So Celebrity's "very stupid prices" were welcome to us - they offset what I thought were way stupid prices in London like $8 to ride the underground and $19 for a tuna sandwich. Maybe because our expectations were low and knew what to expect - this was our fifth transatlantic - we liked it more than we otherwise would but I cannot say enough good things about this cruise.

[Jo]

Thank you for all the input. We just booked the Eurodam TA Eastbound April 2009. It was a tough call. We ended up going with HAL mainly because that is what we know the best.