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Help visiting Europe (from US) w/someone who will not fly


ccc18
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Hi, and thanks for any thoughts you have to offer.

 

I've a cousin who will not fly, but might be open to cruising back-and-forth from US to Europe via two one-way cruises. I identified a few (very few) possible one-way trips via cruisecritics great search function, all offered by MSC.

 

I want to get him on the ground in a European city or two for a week or so. This means that cruises like the round trips offered by Cunard are of no interest to me.

 

But--I don't really know anything about cruises except they cost a lot more than flying. :(I'm looking for your creative ideas, or to be told that there are precious few alternatives, and I've already found them.

 

At the moment all I can see to do is to book 2 one-way cruises: a) US to Europe and b) Europe to US.

 

What am I missing?

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What you are missing is that the season for cruising to Europe and the season cruising from Europe are different times. Ships reposition to Europe for the Spring/summer season, and return in late fall. So unless he wants to spend a couple or three months in Europe between cruises, Cunard is your option. Here is a schedule of Transatlantic cruise for your perusal. Check it out, maybe you can find a Cunard crossing that will get him to Europe in time to spend a week or two and return on a fall repo. EM

 

http://www.cruisetransatlantic.com/cruises.html

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At the moment all I can see to do is to book 2 one-way cruises: a) US to Europe and b) Europe to US.

 

What am I missing?

 

Nothing.

 

Actually, the Cunard cruises are usually two B2B one-way sailings...often on the Queen Mary 2.

 

You can sail to Southampton, stay for two weeks and sail back to NY on the QM2.

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Nothing.

 

Actually, the Cunard cruises are usually two B2B one-way sailings...often on the Queen Mary 2.

 

You can sail to Southampton, stay for two weeks and sail back to NY on the QM2.

There are usually a couple of round trips that have a few days sailing a Southampton to Southampton round trip before the return Southampton to NYC leg. Useful, if the normal interval of two weeks between crossings is inconvenient.

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I had a straight up hard nosed conversation with my Dad.

He refused to fly. Played it up that he wasn't scared, but he was.

 

Told him that he was the only barrier in place and was keeping mom from living out her dream of visiting Hawaii. Asked him if he really wanted to be that lasting barrier.

 

We flew to Hawaii a few months later.

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What you are missing is that the season for cruising to Europe and the season cruising from Europe are different times. Ships reposition to Europe for the Spring/summer season, and return in late fall. So unless he wants to spend a couple or three months in Europe between cruises, Cunard is your option. Here is a schedule of Transatlantic cruise for your perusal. Check it out, maybe you can find a Cunard crossing that will get him to Europe in time to spend a week or two and return on a fall repo. EM

 

http://www.cruisetransatlantic.com/cruises.html

 

Thanks for that great concise list and pointing me to a useful website. (And, no, he won't want to spend a few months in Europe.)

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Nothing.

 

Actually, the Cunard cruises are usually two B2B one-way sailings...often on the Queen Mary 2.

 

You can sail to Southampton, stay for two weeks and sail back to NY on the QM2.

 

Good to know. I have now discovered a decent search engine for transatlantics (cruise-circle.co.uk) but hope to find even better.

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It's totally doable, but will cost MUCH, MUCH more, both in money and in time!

 

Neither of us will like the cost, but that seems to be the only way he'll get to Europe in this lifetime--and it's a once-a-lifetime trip.

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I had a straight up hard nosed conversation with my Dad.

He refused to fly. Played it up that he wasn't scared, but he was.

...

We flew to Hawaii a few months later.

 

Not a solution in this case. I've talked over flying more than once w/cousin, it's really out of the question for him.

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At the moment all I can see to do is to book 2 one-way cruises: a) US to Europe and b) Europe to US.

 

What am I missing?

 

Nothing, unless you're interested in the adventure of cargo ship "cruising". They're also one-way cruises, but they take a lot longer, are a lot less fancy, and they arrive and depart from cargo locations. But they offer a lot more options at all times of the year, and offer a really unique experience.

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Cunard also has a strict dress code in the evenings, a dark suit at the minimum and tuxedo if you want to go all the way. There are limited areas available to casual clothing in the evenings. This is just to let you know before going in what type of crossing it will be.

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Although we have no problem with flying, we have taken several trips to Europe where we used cruise ships to get both to and from Europe. It really is not a problem if one is flexible (you must work with the cruise schedules), has the time and the money. With cruising do not think in terms of round trip but rather getting from Point A to Point B....and later from Point B back to Point A (or somewhere near Point A). For example we have used repositioning cruises to go one way (we have done this in both directions) and then used the Queen Mary 2 for the opposite direction. Of course this does mean getting to embarkation ports, but this can be done via rail or driving.

 

There is no reason to only be looking at one cruise line. For example, take a Celebrity cruise from Ft Lauderdale to Amsterdam and perhaps a few weeks later take the Queen Mary 2 from Southampton to NYC...

 

Hank

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Cunard also has a strict dress code in the evenings, a dark suit at the minimum and tuxedo if you want to go all the way. There are limited areas available to casual clothing in the evenings. This is just to let you know before going in what type of crossing it will be.

 

Whoa! A shock to my system but my cousin would love it.

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... With cruising do not think in terms of round trip but rather getting from Point A to Point B....and later from Point B back to Point A (or somewhere near Point A). ...There is no reason to only be looking at one cruise line. For example, take a Celebrity cruise from Ft Lauderdale to Amsterdam and perhaps a few weeks later take the Queen Mary 2 from Southampton to NYC...

 

Hank

 

It's good to have that strategy confirmed, and with real examples, since it seems to fit our needs.. I'm just beginning to grapple with the different opportunities that (one-way) cruising offers.

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Nothing, unless you're interested in the adventure of cargo ship "cruising". They're also one-way cruises, but they take a lot longer, are a lot less fancy, and they arrive and depart from cargo locations. But they offer a lot more options at all times of the year, and offer a really unique experience.

 

This really appeals to me--I'd just as soon visit a friend's basement as their living room! ;)clear.png?emoji-wink-1685

 

If anyone knows a good way to get the lowdown--sample prices and schedules and actual experiences--I'm open to suggestion.

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This really appeals to me--I'd just as soon visit a friend's basement as their living room! ;)clear.png?emoji-wink-1685

 

If anyone knows a good way to get the lowdown--sample prices and schedules and actual experiences--I'm open to suggestion.

 

There is a forum here on CC entitled "non-traditional cruising" that covers travel by freighter. Just know that for the most part, you are getting a cabin and meals with the officers, no entertainment outside of a TV and some CD's. The most recent poster on there is "cruisin cockroach" if I remember right. There will be a maximum of 12 passengers onboard. There will be no medical facility, other than one of the officers trained in first aid. As noted, you will be boarding, calling at, and disembarking in a cargo terminals, with totally different rules as far as security and access than a passenger terminal. You are a fringe business for the shipping line, so you and your comfort and convenience are a far distant second behind the container business. The ship will also travel significantly slower than a cruise ship making the crossing, as today's shipping is all about "slow steaming" to minimize fuel costs.

 

We are not allowed to mention travel agents here on CC, but if you google "freighter cruises" or "cargo ship cruises" you will find some. Some lines advertise directly, like Maris. Not all ships carry passengers, and not on all routes, and you may have to conform to their schedules and ports of embarkation/debarkation, even if another port is more convenient for you.

 

As stated, you can take a one way Cunard to Europe, stay a while, and take a one way back. Or Cunard one way, stay awhile, and another cruise line repo cruise the other way.

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Just went to the "freighter and non-traditional cruise" forum, and it was "oak hill cruiser" who posted last on their experience taking a container ship from Houston to Europe. Note that they had to change their plans at least once, due to a change in schedule of the original ship.

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This really appeals to me--I'd just as soon visit a friend's basement as their living room! ;)clear.png?emoji-wink-1685

 

If anyone knows a good way to get the lowdown--sample prices and schedules and actual experiences--I'm open to suggestion.

There are travel agents that arrange freighter cruises, and you can find articles blogs and travel reports of people who've done it on line (including pictures). There's a couple here in my neighbourhood that do it regularly to get to their winter home in Europe, because they're not in a rush, they can pack more, and since don't have any interest in visiting any ports when they cruise, so they don't care if they miss a port or if they stop at a few extra. You have to have both a spirit of adventure and the ability to entertain yourself. It's on my bucket list, if I can find someone to go with me.

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I would CALL Cunard about doing the round trip, with the desired amount of time in Europe.

 

But be sitting down when you get the pricing. :D

 

Get the pricing, check air fares for the same trip. Give them to cousin. Let them choose.

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