Transatlantic Crossings

            If you love simply being on the open sea while experiencing everything a cruise ship has to offer – such as a room service breakfast in bed, playing games on deck, perusing the ship’s library, attending a lecture, chatting with fellow passengers over lunch or treating yourself to some pampering at the spa – a leisurely transatlantic cruise may be for you.

            Some cruise lines, like Cunard Line, sail regularly across the Atlantic. Several others, including Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises, offer transatlantic cruises in the spring and fall, when they move ships between the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.

            Transatlantic cruises range from six to 20 days, with a variety of embarkation and debarkation ports. For example, you could start in Rome and end in Ft. Lauderdale; start in Boston and end in Amsterdam; or start in Barcelona and end in Miami. Most of these cruises include very few port calls – you might visit a location like the Azores Islands on a southerly route, or Iceland on a northern route. But, most of the cruise will be spent at sea.

            Guests say they love the relaxed feeling of a transatlantic cruise, with lots of time to read, exercise and socialize without feeling that they’re missing something on shore. Cunard Line even offers a list of "101 Things To Do on a Transatlantic Crossing,” which includes taking a watercolor painting class, learning to cha-cha or watching professional actors perform scenes from Shakespearean plays.

            A Cruise Holidays personal cruise expert can help you find a wonderful transatlantic cruise opportunity. Note that because your cruise will begin and end in different places, you won’t be able to book round-trip air tickets, which may mean a higher price for your airfare However, with the help of your personal cruise expert, a good transatlantic cruise value will help offset that cost.