Crossing The Pond

[Sandy]

Hi guys,

Although we can only afford to take one cruise a year, as soon as we make
our final payment on it, I am already looking ahead for another neat cruise
the following year. For us, it is the itinerary that is most important.
We like to go to new places and then take the excursions that are very
unusual.

Now my question is this;

When would be the best time, best price, and best itinerary to do a
re-positioning or trans-Atlantic cruise?

This would be for 2010 since our cruise for 2009 is in September,

Sandy

[Carol Eskra]

Not much itinerary involved in a crossing. With Cunard I sailed from NYC
to Southampton. Best to sail in the summer, although I sailed in Nov.
and the sea was very calm.

[D Ball]

Sandy, most of the re-positioning type of trans-Atlantic cruises (as
opposed to Cunard's regularly scheduled crossings) occur in spring and
fall. It makes sense. Say your favorite ship has been plying the
Caribbean all winter, but will be based in Europe for the summer.
Well, there will be a re-positioning cruise from, say, Florida in
probably late April or early May that will take the ship across the
Atlantic to Europe. Then, when they bring the ship back to the
Caribbean for the winter season, it will depart Europe sometime in
Sept. or Oct. usually, cross the Atlantic and let you off in Florida
or another US port. Often, the itineraries will include a few port
stops in Europe, but not many, i.e., the cruise is primarily a "sea
day" sailing across the Atlantic.

We've done just one trans-Atlantic, and it was an east-west (Europe-
US) crossing. I liked going that direction because the ship crosses
time zones gradually as you sail, so by the time you land in the US,
you are already on US time, with none of the jet lag associated with a
sudden time zone change. When you go from the US to Europe, I suppose
the reverse is true, such that you are nicely adjusted to Euro time
when you get there. But once you board the plane to fly home, you will
suffer the jet lag when you get home! Not a biggie, just a plus for
the west-east cruises.

I have generally been able to identify these cruises by using the
advanced search engine on Travelocity. Another place to look is
VacationsToGo.com. Once you've done some basic research to get an idea
of what's out there, your usual cruise TA should be able to help you!

So where are you going in September 2009?!

Diana Ball
Austin, TX

[jimbob]

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have cheap 13-14-15 day trand-atlantic
cruises. SOME are cheaper than a 7 day Caribbean cruise. The only thing
about that is the air. You wll probably pay morefor air than you will
the cruise.

For two a Trans-atlantic cruise with air will cost from about $3500.
(FROM)
Best time....from the US in April and beginning of May. From Europe,
Aug, Sep Oct depends on the ship.

JB

[Warren]

On Jun 25, 3:45*pm, jdr...@********** (jimbob) wrote:

> For two a Trans-atlantic cruise with air will cost from about $3500.

I'm doing a repo crossing this fall. The cruise line wants about $1000
for air.

One way non-stops that I priced were over $1300

But I found some connecting flights for about $360 as long as I don't
mind spending a couple of hours in Iceland or Dublin.

Warren

[Tom K]

"Warren" <oceanvoyager_nyc**********m> wrote in message
news:5c684655-c65b-4dab-8323-c25c1c630bc5@q37g2000vbi.************.com...
On Jun 25, 3:45 pm, jdr...@********** (jimbob) wrote:

> For two a Trans-atlantic cruise with air will cost from about $3500.

I'm doing a repo crossing this fall. The cruise line wants about $1000
for air.

One way non-stops that I priced were over $1300

But I found some connecting flights for about $360 as long as I don't
mind spending a couple of hours in Iceland or Dublin.

Warren

When we did the QM2 last spring, we found that Cunard air was cheaper than
air that we could get on our own. I suspect that's because Cunard buys a
round trip tix and then charges each person only half of that, while the
airlines tack on a huge one way surcharge.

--Tom

[Sandy]

Hi,
We will be going on Carnival's Freedom out of Ft. Lauderdale to Cozumel,
Costa Rica and Panama.
It leaves on 9/26/09. Is there any in the group going on the same cruise?
Sandy
"D Ball" <dianakball@**********> wrote in message
news:0b24981e-bf79-46a3-baba-f2337bc6bedf@m18g2000vbi.************.com...
On Jun 25, 10:41 am, "Sandy" <Sa...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> Hi guys,
> Although we can only afford to take one cruise a year, as soon as we make
> our final payment on it, I am already looking ahead for another neat
> cruise
> the following year. For us, it is the itinerary that is most important.
> We like to go to new places and then take the excursions that are very
> unusual.
> Now my question is this;
> When would be the best time, best price, and best itinerary to do a
> re-positioning or trans-Atlantic cruise?
> This would be for 2010 since our cruise for 2009 is in September,
> Sandy

Sandy, most of the re-positioning type of trans-Atlantic cruises (as
opposed to Cunard's regularly scheduled crossings) occur in spring and
fall. It makes sense. Say your favorite ship has been plying the
Caribbean all winter, but will be based in Europe for the summer.
Well, there will be a re-positioning cruise from, say, Florida in
probably late April or early May that will take the ship across the
Atlantic to Europe. Then, when they bring the ship back to the
Caribbean for the winter season, it will depart Europe sometime in
Sept. or Oct. usually, cross the Atlantic and let you off in Florida
or another US port. Often, the itineraries will include a few port
stops in Europe, but not many, i.e., the cruise is primarily a "sea
day" sailing across the Atlantic.

We've done just one trans-Atlantic, and it was an east-west (Europe-
US) crossing. I liked going that direction because the ship crosses
time zones gradually as you sail, so by the time you land in the US,
you are already on US time, with none of the jet lag associated with a
sudden time zone change. When you go from the US to Europe, I suppose
the reverse is true, such that you are nicely adjusted to Euro time
when you get there. But once you board the plane to fly home, you will
suffer the jet lag when you get home! Not a biggie, just a plus for
the west-east cruises.

I have generally been able to identify these cruises by using the
advanced search engine on Travelocity. Another place to look is
VacationsToGo.com. Once you've done some basic research to get an idea
of what's out there, your usual cruise TA should be able to help you!

So where are you going in September 2009?!

Diana Ball
Austin, TX

[Rosaly Z. Greenberger]

Transatlantic cruises are my favorite and have done many over the years.

For the past 3 years we sail Oceania's Regatta which, imho, is the most
luxurious and elegant ship I have ever sailed on.

We leave Miami (in March) and sail to Barcelona with stops along the way
in Funchal, Madeira, Casa Blanca, Malaga and sometimes other stops.

There is nothing so relaxing as to sit in the HOrizon lounge and watch the
sea . Since I am somewhat disabled, I hardly get off at ports since I
have seen them all in the past.

This company (Oceania) not only gives 2 for l, but includes airfare and
gratuities and shibboard credit. You couldn't ask for more.

rosaly

[Tom K]

"Ray **********" <ray@*********************> wrote in message
news:r5b845917ekeveo78r19o9suor2upt73eb@********...
> On Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:38:14 -0400, "Tom K" <tkanitra@**************>
> wrote:
>
>> It's kind of a 180 degree experience
>>from snorkeling on Cozumel... but magical, none the less.
>
> Hi Tom,
>
> Thanks for posting your detailed description of a QM2 crossing. You
> really do it justice.

It was VERY magical... and having friends like Charles, Mark SF and his
friend, my work buddy Bill, and our sons added to the experience.

And without having the ports... you immerse yourself into the different
things the ship has to offer, like lunch in the British Pub, the lecture
before lunch... and even the horrible "getting dressed up for dinner" wasn't
quite so horrible when that's the "event" of the day.

The ship is just so "un Carnival", "un Royal Caribbean", "un Princess"...
yeah they had some of the tchotchke (sp?) things like fake gold by the inch,
but instead it's a candles on the dining room table kind of thing. Todd
English is very nice. And I enjoyed the "Chef's Galley" a kind of Emeril
live at sea. Charles didn't like that meal, but he doesn't like chicken,
maybe we should have done a different night for that. There are no rock
walls, no ice rinks, no belly flop contests.. but those would be out of
place on that ship. Instead the ship is about history, tradition, elegance,
ballroom dancing. And dining.

The daily schedule becomes anticipation of little things... like scones with
strawberries and whipped cream in the afternoon, or high tea later in the
afternoon. Or the planetarium show. And later dinner. The food is
superb... the best of the cruises I've been on (though I haven't been on
Oceania, Crystal and the like).

Even the buffet restaurant is set up differently than on most ships. It's
actually on the promenade deck, and there are tables in little areas that
jut out into the promenade deck, so that you can watch the sea go by as you
eat breakfast and lunch.

I'm so glad that I tried that ship. She's a pleasure from a very different
perspective. She's a ship that "ship people" really should try. People
like Peg and Derek, people like Ken G. Ben. Cupcake was a ship person... I
could see why she liked that ship so much.

It's not a ship that I'd put the Vikings on though... jumping off a pirate
ship in Antigua is more their cup of tea (which I can also get into)...
though I think Susette is enough of a ship person that she might like it.

--Tom

[MTV]

Sandy wrote:
> Hi guys,
> Although we can only afford to take one cruise a year, as soon as we make
> our final payment on it, I am already looking ahead for another neat cruise
> the following year. For us, it is the itinerary that is most important.
> We like to go to new places and then take the excursions that are very
> unusual.
> Now my question is this;
> When would be the best time, best price, and best itinerary to do a
> re-positioning or trans-Atlantic cruise?
> This would be for 2010 since our cruise for 2009 is in September,
> Sandy
>
>

Most are in Oct-Nov, and April-May, at least for ships plying the
Caribbean in the winter and Mediterranean in the summer. Some shift from
Gulf ports to Pacific ports or shift to So. America. Don't know where
the Boston/NE ships go.

Marv