Transatlantic Cruises
Transatlantic cruises are popular among those who just want a laid back cruise experience. In most cases these cruises are designed as floating hotels. When a cruise ship needs to get from one place to another, instead of losing money on moving the ship they will advertise the passage as a transatlantic cruise to try book rooms. The result is a cheaper cruise with fewer stops. Most transatlantic cruises last anywhere from 6 to 16 days depending on where they originate and where they need to go. If you are considering this type of cruise, here are some basic things you should know.
Where They Go
In most cases transatlantic cruises will go between Europe and the United States. Since most major cruise lines have ports in several cities along the eastern US shore, you can find trips from Boston, New York City, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami. On the Europe side you can find ports in Rome, Lisbon, Copenhagen, Dover, and a few other places. The transatlantic cruise will go either from Europe to the US, or vice versa. You can find these cruises leaving out and arriving to any of the ports listed. Sometimes you can find round trip transatlantic cruises, but these aren’t nearly as common.
Stops Along the Way
Since transatlantic cruises are designed to simply reposition the ship between locations, they don’t typically make many stops. It’s not uncommon for these ships to stop only once or twice for a few hours at a time. This will give you time to explore some foreign areas, but not enough time to really experience the culture throughout the different areas. If all you want to do is do little shopping and sit on the beaches for a while, this is a good option for you. These cruises are designed more for people who just want to relax on a large ship, or enjoy what the ship offers over exploring other lands.
Themed Cruises
One of the benefits of transatlantic cruises is that you can enjoy several different types of themed cruises for a low cost. It’s easy to find singles cruises that are transatlantic. With these cruises you will have several opportunities to meet and mingle with other singles onboard. You can also find other types of themed cruises, such as casino cruises or jazz cruises. This is a good way to meet other people who share the same interests as you while enjoying a cruise experience.
Amenities
The amenities offered on board the ship will vary with the cruise lines and type of cruise ships you are on. At the very least, you should be able to enjoy fine dining, dancing, swimming in a pool, and dance activities. Some luxury cruises will offer more than just the basics. You may be able to find staterooms with private balconies or verandas, personalized service to your room, 5 star dining experiences, and even concerts or theatrical performances. The more the ship offers, the more you’ll pay. Still, when you consider how much you’d pay a night for a 5 star hotel with the same amenities, the cruises are much better deals.
Costs
Transatlantic cruise vacations will vary greatly in price. Since most often they are designed to redirect the ships to another port, the cruise line is simply trying to recoup some of the operating costs. As a result, these cruises are typically much less than other types of cruises. Since the experience is focused more on the ship itself rather than the destinations, the activities on the ship are the important part. You can usually find cheap cruises if you look for these. It’s also possible to save a lot on last minute cruise deals by choosing transatlantic cruises as well.