Transatlantic cruise & weather

[LLD]

Wanted to know if anyone can help--Has anybody ever been on a Transatlantic cruise from Rome to Fort Lauderdale in October? If so, how was the weather? contemplating it and feeling a little hesitant about being at sea for 7 straight days! Any input would be great!

[FTLcruisers]

Last year, we did a TA from Barcelona to Miami - late Nov/early Dec and we had good weather. We're from Florida so we were concerned about cold days (that would be 60 for us) but it was quite comfortable - actually we spent days by the pool. As for the 7 days at sea - well, that was a little too much for me. We were with 2 other couples and they all loved the 7 days - my husband did too. I am someone who likes to see and do things so I was getting a little antsy by day 5. I wasn't ready to jump overboard and I wasn't bored, I just wanted to go do something. We were on the Celebrity Century so a nice ship with a FANTASTIC cruise staff who we got to know very well so that definetely helped make the days more enjoyable.

[Hlitner]

We love transatlantics and have taken 7 in the past 4 years. As to weather in October, it can range from perfect to awful and anything between. I know that is not the answer you want, but it is the truth. 5 of our last 7 TAs have had great weather, 1 had a few bad days and 1 was horrible (6 straight days of storms and 30 foot+ seas). The reason we love those TAs is because of the days at sea. The sea days are totally relaxing and it lets us catch-up on our reading.

 

Hank

[Keith1010]

As mentioned the weather can vary from cruise to cruise. The sea days are wonderful for those who enjoy cruising as it provides so many nice opportuniities to enjoy the ship. If you are concerned about the seas and the possibiliy of getting sea sick the key is to prepare by bringing some remedies with you. I also recommend getting a cabin that is mid ship and one on a lower deck.

 

Keith

[LLD]

Thanks everyone! Had some bad experiences in The Mediterranean for two days straight and that was enough! We had baddddddd storms one night and the next day we could not dock in Barcelona because Spanish authorities closed the port--that is how bad the weather was! We then had to stay at sea and the ship rocked and rolled like a toy for over 24 hours! Our ship almost rolled over, yes, almost rolled over! I thought it was my time to meet God! I am surprised I even went on more cruises after that! I have been on so many cruises and only a few where we really had some nasty weather but that time was the worst in my life! Not sure if I want to chance being in the middle of the Atlantic ocean and being on a ship swaying back and forth for several days. I know we have the possibility of having good weather but I am just not sure. I did enjoy reading your responses and would love to hear more experiences from anybody out there who wants to share! :)

[Hlitner]

Thanks everyone! Had some bad experiences in The Mediterranean for two days straight and that was enough! We had baddddddd storms one night and the next day we could not dock in Barcelona because Spanish authorities closed the port--that is how bad the weather was! We then had to stay at sea and the ship rocked and rolled like a toy for over 24 hours! Our ship almost rolled over, yes, almost rolled over! I thought it was my time to meet God! I am surprised I even went on more cruises after that! I have been on so many cruises and only a few where we really had some nasty weather but that time was the worst in my life! Not sure if I want to chance being in the middle of the Atlantic ocean and being on a ship swaying back and forth for several days. I know we have the possibility of having good weather but I am just not sure. I did enjoy reading your responses and would love to hear more experiences from anybody out there who wants to share! :)

 

You horrible experience in the Med just reiterates that there is no way to predict weather on the sea. We have probably cruised more than a year within the Med waters and have never had a single storm (they are rare in the summer). Although you can improve weather odds by picking the right time of year, it comes down to luck. With about 2 years on cruise ships our smoothest cruise (out of more than 50) was a transatlantic cruise (Grand Princess) where the seas were like glass for more than a week. Our 2nd worse cruise was another transatlantic were a horrible storm stayed with us the entire way from FLL to England. In case anyone is wondering, the worst cruise was a short 7 day crusie from NYC to Bermuda that happened to go right through a Hurricane (Bob).

 

Hank