Key Aspects:
- A transatlantic cruise crosses the Atlantic Ocean between Europe and North America, usually taking around 12 to 14 nights, with several days in a row spent entirely at sea.
- Most sailings exist because cruise lines need to move their ships between regions at the change of seasons, which is why fares are often much cheaper per day than a regular cruise of the same length.
- Spring and fall are when most transatlantic cruises run; spring is the better bet for calmer seas, as fall sailings can overlap with hurricane season.
A transatlantic cruise is exactly what it sounds like: a cruise that crosses the Atlantic Ocean. Instead of sailing around a single region like the Caribbean or New England, you are making a proper ocean crossing, typically travelling between Europe and the United States or Caribbean over the course of two weeks or so.
I’ve taken many of these cruises, including working as a crew member, so let’s see what it’s all about!
In This Article:
- What is a Transatlantic Cruise?
- What Is It Actually Like?
- Why are Transatlantic Cruises So Cheap?
- How Long is a Transatlantic Cruise?
- Where Do Transatlantic Cruises Go?
- When is the Best Time for a Transatlantic Cruise?
- What Cruise Lines Offer Transatlantic Cruises?
- Pros of a Transatlantic Cruise
- Cons of a Transatlantic Cruise
- Final Tips for a Transatlantic Cruise
- Should I Take a Transatlantic Cruise?
What is a Transatlantic Cruise?
At its most basic, a transatlantic cruise is any sailing that crosses the Atlantic Ocean between Europe and North America. But in practice, most of these voyages exist for a specific reason, and understanding that reason explains why they look and feel so different from a typical cruise.
Repositioning Cruises
For many cruise lines, a transatlantic cruise doubles as a repositioning cruise.
Think about it. Most cruise lines move their ships throughout the year. A Royal Caribbean ship may serve a Scandinavian/Northern Europe itinerary throughout the summer months and then, in the winter, the ship might move to the Caribbean.
Similarly, a Norwegian Cruise Line ship might sail around Alaska in the summer and then go down to California and Mexico in the winter.
In short, cruise ships follow the good weather. However, it would be a waste of time and money for the cruise line to simply send an empty ship across the world, to reposition it for the next season.
Thus, repositioning cruises — like transatlantic cruises that might take a ship from Spain to Florida — allow the cruise line to simultaneously get their ship where it needs to go and make money from passengers keen to enjoy this unique voyage type.
Dry Docking Cruises
Very similarly, in some cases, a cruise line needs to send their ship off to the shipyard for dry docking and renovations. There are several top spots that cruise ships often send their ships for dry docking.
These include Navantia’s shipyard in Cadiz, Spain; the Chantier Naval de Marseille in France; and the Grand Bahama Shipyard in the Bahamas.
If a ship is currently positioned in the Caribbean and needs to go to Spain for an overhaul, the ship must make a transatlantic crossing. Again, the cruise line doesn’t want to simply send an empty ship there, so the line will bill the voyage as a transatlantic cruise.
A Nostalgic Experience
Some cruise lines simply offer transatlantic voyages because there’s a certain novel, nostalgic element to them. They hearken back to the golden age of ship travel. Think Titanic, without the tragedy.
Cunard banks in on this nostalgia factor with its roundtrip transatlantic crossings that aren’t at all repositioning trips, but simply an opportunity to travel in the footsteps of the Titanic via a New York City to Southampton and back itinerary.
What Is It Actually Like?
I worked on cruise ships for over eight years and have sailed as a passenger more times than I can count, and a transatlantic cruise is genuinely unlike anything else in cruising. That said, it is not for everyone. The North Atlantic can be rough for long stretches, so if you struggle with motion sickness on a regular cruise, a transatlantic crossing will test you.
What surprised me most was how quickly you get to know people. With so many consecutive days at sea, you end up seeing the same faces at dinner, at the bar, on the deck. Friendships form fast, and you get a real sense of the crew as people rather than just staff.
And arriving into port after days of open ocean is something you do not forget. Seeing the New York skyline appear on the horizon after two weeks at sea is one of those moments that reminds you why people have been making this crossing for over a century.
Why are Transatlantic Cruises So Cheap?
Just like any cruise, how much a transatlantic cruise costs will entirely depend on a range of factors, including itinerary, cruise line, length of cruise and more.
However, if you’re specifically sailing on a repositioning cruise, you may find that the day rates are more affordable than the day rates for a cruise of a similar length.
Cruise lines know that these transatlantic cruises aren’t for everyone, but they want to fill as many staterooms as possible, so they’re willing to drop their prices a bit.
You can find 14-night transatlantic cruises from Celebrity Cruises that go for around as low as $1,000 per person. Meanwhile, other 12 to 14-night cruises with the line that stick to regions such as Alaska can easily cost double that.
In other instances, wherein a transatlantic cruise isn’t for repositioning purposes, you may find that the prices are very comparable to what you’d normally pay for a cruise of the same length.
For example, Cunard is a luxury line and its 14-day roundtrip transatlantic crossings on the Queen Mary hover at around $2,000–$3,000 per person. You’ll pay around the same for a 14-day Cunard cruise that just sticks to New England and Canada.
How Long is a Transatlantic Cruise?
Most transatlantic cruises are at the absolute very least a week, though normally they average about 12–14 nights.
If you’re taking a transatlantic cruise that only lasts a week, an offering you’ll find from Cunard, note that you’ll have very few stops and the voyage will really just be about crossing the ocean rather than seeing anything interesting in port.
Where Do Transatlantic Cruises Go?
Most often, transatlantic cruises go between a handful of key destinations in Europe and North America.
Most often, embarkation or debarkation ports in North America include those in New York City, Boston and Florida. Embarkation or debarkation ports in Europe could include those in England, Spain, Italy, France or Portugal.
Between your embarkation and debarkation ports, if your cruise is going to stop at certain points along the way, it’ll generally stop by popular mid-Atlantic islands such as Bermuda or the Azores.
You may find that they also stop at Atlantic port cities along the European Atlantic coast, such as those in Portugal or Spain. A transatlantic cruise that crosses the North Atlantic might stop in Greenland or Iceland.
As an example, a 15-night transatlantic cruise on Royal Caribbean, between Southampton and Galveston might include a first day at sea, followed by stops in Spain and Portugal, another day at sea, another stop in Portugal, nine days at sea and then finally arrival in Galveston.
When is the Best Time for a Transatlantic Cruise?
If you’re looking for a Caribbean cruise, you can find one that leaves Florida ports like Miami and Fort Lauderdale just about every day of the week, even multiple times per day. That’s not the case with transatlantic cruises. They’re not available quite so often.
Given that repositioning generally takes place at the change of the seasons, you’ll find the greatest number of transatlantic cruises available in the spring and fall.
If you’re choosing between a spring or fall transatlantic cruise, there’s one consideration to keep in mind: weather.
The spring months, after February, are generally considered best for crossing the Atlantic if you’re worried about weather and rough seas. (Though, note that an Atlantic crossing can be rougher than what you’re used to anyway, even if you are a long-time cruiser, so don’t be surprised if you get a touch of seasickness.)
Additionally, fall sailings may coincide with hurricane season, which lasts June through November and could impact your sailing.
What Cruise Lines Offer Transatlantic Cruises?
Just about every cruise line offers transatlantic cruises, but they might not offer transatlantic cruises regularly — just when they’re repositioning.
You can find transatlantic cruises from Celebrity Cruises, Cunard, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America, Disney Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Silversea, Seabourn, Viking and Carnival Cruise Line.
Pros of a Transatlantic Cruise
Plenty of Time on the Ship
Yes, the ample sea days during a transatlantic cruise can be a con for some, but for others, they love that you can spend consecutive days upon days on the ship during a transatlantic cruise.
If there’s a ship that you’ve been dying to sail on, or a ship with lots of amazing facilities and amenities — like the newer ships from Royal Caribbean or MSC Cruises — this type of cruise will give you plenty of time to explore and enjoy the waterparks, all the restaurants, the rides and more.
Likewise, if you’re wanting a very low-key, relaxing cruise with little pressure to go out and spend all day, every day in port, a transatlantic cruise delivers. You can kick back, relax, go to the spa, lounge by the pool, with no guilt.
It’s Not Your Normal Cruising Experience
If you’ve been on your fair share of cruises like me, sometimes you just want a little something different.
If new ships or new destinations simply aren’t scratching your itch for a more unique sailing experience, try a transatlantic cruise. It really is an experience that stands far apart from your typical Caribbean or Mediterranean cruise.
You Can Save Money on a Transatlantic Cruise
As mentioned above, you can potentially save more money per day on a transatlantic cruise. In some cases, you could spend half of what you might pay for a round-trip cruise in one region, and still get the same number of nights on vacation.
More Time to Get to Know Your Fellow Passengers
One of my greatest joys over taking so many cruises has been getting to know other avid cruisers. It’s the same for them. You take these cruises, get to know people who frequently sail the same itineraries or lines, and soon you’re planning trips together.
If you dream of establishing similar friendships with other cruisers, a transatlantic cruise may just be the best place to make it happen. You’re all together, for longer amounts of time, for more sea days, and you never know when the opportunity to form a friendship will strike.
More Time to Get to Know the Crew, Too
Along these lines, you’ll also get to know the crew more, too, including your cabin steward or butler if you have one, and the cruise director.
Not only can this lead to better service during your current cruise, but you may find that you come to really appreciate certain crew members and want to sail with them in the future.
It’s not uncommon for frequent cruisers to track the schedules of favorite cruise directors and then specifically book cruises where they’ll be in charge.
Cons of a Transatlantic Cruise
Fewer Port Stops and More Sea Days
If you cruise because it’s a mode of travel that allows you to visit multiple destinations in one easy trip, you might not appreciate a transatlantic cruise. The port stops can be minimal, depending on the cruise chosen.
For example, on Cunard’s roundtrip, 14-night crossings between Southampton and New York City, you literally are only going from New York to Southampton and back, spending all your other time at sea.
Other itineraries are a little more generous, as is the case with various transatlantic cruises from Celebrity Cruises. For instance, an itinerary between Southampton and Florida might make stops in Spain, Portugal, the Azores and Bermuda.
Still, though, that’s only four days in port out of 14 total sailing days. You’re spending the other 10 days at sea.
So, if you prefer port days to sea days, this might be a con for you.
It’s Not Your Normal Cruising Experience
This is another one that’s both a pro and a con. Since transatlantic cruises are far from your average cruise experience, they may not be the best fit for new cruisers.
If you’ve never been on a cruise before, you might not know if you like sea days or port days more. You might not even know if you get seasick!
A newbie cruiser could step onto the ship, realize that cruising is not for them at all…and then they’re stuck at sea for two weeks. It’s not an ideal situation.
As such, get your feet wet with a shorter, more standard cruise first.
Transatlantic Cruises Are Often One-Way
While you can find round-trip transatlantic cruises from Cunard, that’s not the standard offering. Remember, most cruise lines are repositioning their ships for new itineraries or dry docking. As such, once they get to their destination, whichever side of the Atlantic it’s on, they’re staying there.
This leaves cruisers with the job of getting themselves back home. Not only does this bring in the extra hassle of getting from the cruise ship to the airport and flying back home, but it also brings in extra costs.
While you might save $1,000 per person on your cruise fare, you could easily end up spending that much or more if you have to get from, say, a European port city like Cadiz, Spain, to a small Midwest town like Cincinnati, Ohio.
Final Tips for a Transatlantic Cruise
If you decide to take a transatlantic cruise, there are just a few more things you’ll want to keep in mind during the booking and planning process.
Pick the Right Stateroom
On a typical cruise, you might decide to save some money by booking an inside stateroom. After all, you’re going to be in your stateroom to sleep only — who cares if it’s small and cramped?
You don’t want to think that way on a transatlantic cruise. You’ll be spending more time than ever on the ship, so you want to be comfortable. If that means you need to get a larger or more luxurious stateroom, consider doing so.
Think About How You’ll Stay Entertained
If you don’t have your heart set on a particular cruise line or ship for your transatlantic sailing, really consider how you’ll stay entertained during the voyage.
As you pick your ship, will it have enough entertainment options for you to stay occupied for 10 or more days? Can you easily fill your days with pool lounging, thrill rides, shows, drinking, dining, classes and shopping?
Or will you need to pack your own fun that you might normally not even consider bringing on a cruise, such as that pile of books you’ve been meaning to read?
Consider Extending Your Trip
Lastly, since transatlantic cruises are one-way, you might consider taking advantage of this fact by extending your trip in your destination.
After all, there’s no rule that you must land in Spain and immediately fly back home. You could easily stay longer in your disembarkation port and enjoy an extended trip before returning.
This might even save you money, if you’re willing to travel to another city near the port, where airfare back home is cheaper.
Frequently Asked Questions
They can be. The North Atlantic is not the Caribbean, and even seasoned cruisers are sometimes caught off guard by the motion. That said, modern cruise ships are large and well stabilised, so it is rarely as bad as people fear. If you are prone to seasickness, pack medication just in case.
Yes. You will be crossing international waters and arriving in a foreign country, so a valid passport is essential. Make sure yours has plenty of time left on it before you sail.
Yes, and most people do. Since the majority of transatlantic cruises are one-way, you will need to book a flight home from your final port. Factor this into your budget when comparing the overall cost against a roundtrip cruise.
Look at repositioning sailings in the spring or fall, when cruise lines are moving ships between the Caribbean and Europe. Inside cabins on these voyages can work out at a very low cost per night, often less than you would pay for a much shorter cruise.
Probably not as a first cruise. With so many days at sea, you want to already know that you enjoy life on a ship before committing to two weeks of it. A shorter cruise first is a sensible way to find out if cruising suits you.
Should I Take a Transatlantic Cruise?
So, is a transatlantic cruise right for you? Ask yourself a few key questions.
Do you prefer sea days or port days? Are you a new cruiser or a long-time cruiser? Do you have it in your budget to pay for airfare back home after your cruise is over? Or will the savings you get from taking a transatlantic cruise leave enough wiggle room in your travel budget to cover the airfare?
Read Also: What Is a Transpacific Cruise?
Whatever you decide, a transatlantic cruise is a one-of-a-kind experience that, at least for avid cruisers, should be on your bucket list. What’s certain is that it’s an experience that you’ll never forget.
