This is a cruise I would like

[CLEMM]

Leave from the East Coast, say NJ, transatlantic to the Med, do about a week's worth of ports, then come back to the East coast. No airfare, pack whatever I want, see the ports and have plenty of sea days to use the beverage package and use the casino. I see it as a win win. Celebrity makes money from the drinks and gambling, and I get everything I like best about a cruise, minus the airfare. How long would the cruise have to be if we went to 3 or 4 decent ports spaced close together? I would gladly pay for the extra cruise days if I could eliminate the airfare. Anyone with me?

[CruisingChick]

Leave from the East Coast, say NJ, transatlantic to the Med, do about a week's worth of ports, then come back to the East coast. No airfare, pack whatever I want, see the ports and have plenty of sea days to use the beverage package and use the casino. I see it as a win win. Celebrity makes money from the drinks and gambling, and I get everything I like best about a cruise, minus the airfare. How long would the cruise have to be if we went to 3 or 4 decent ports spaced close together? I would gladly pay for the extra cruise days if I could eliminate the airfare. Anyone with me?

 

I'm on that like white on rice!!! Sign me up immediately if not sooner. Glad to see someone else has the same dream as my DH and I.

[Momorider]

Not to be a bummer or anything but I don't think they make money on the transatlantic repositioning cruises, it is probably a "why sail empty" thing "maybe we can recover some of the cost". I'm sure if they though they could make money on it they would do it. :rolleyes:

[CruisingChick]

Not to be a bummer or anything but I don't think they make money on the transatlantic repositioning cruises, it is probably a "why sail empty" thing "maybe we can recover some of the cost". I'm sure if they though they could make money on it they would do it. :rolleyes:

 

This wouldn't be a repositioning cruise as it would come back to NJ therefore eliminating any airfare. Repositioning cruises are not popular because the leave from one port and return to another and I guess some people don't like a lot of sea days.

[Momorider]

This wouldn't be a repositioning cruise as it would come back to NJ therefore eliminating any airfare. Repositioning cruises are not popular because the leave from one port and return to another and I guess some people don't like a lot of sea days.

 

I understand that it is not a repositioning cruise and I am sure if they could make money they would do it. Running the motors at cruise speed 24/7 burns huge fuel that is why they would loose money on this venture but I am sure there are a select group of passengers that would be happy to pay the premium just not enough to keep a scheduled ship. :o

[cruisestitch]

Sign me up. I'll promise to order extra drinks to help X make money on such a sailing. You have just described my ideal cruise experience. Can we do it in April/May and again in October/November please?

[Booyakasha]

I wouldn't want to spend that much time sailing the open atlantic ocean. That is why they make planes. :D

 

B.

[cruzadict]

Why not think about QM2 NY to Southampton, Celebrity from Southampton to med and back and then QM2 back to NY!!!

[riandei]

terrified of flying ... usually go no more than 3 hours

 

count me in

 

dh dying to go back to europe

 

:(

[DanManBob]

Cheaper to drink and gamble in Atlantic City?

[mapsmith]

Okay,

 

One week over to Europe--cheapest cabin say $700.

One week in Europe--cheapest cabin $1000

One Week Back--cheapest Cabin $700

 

Total not including Port Taxes, Gratuities, etc. $2400 for three weeks in an inside per person.

 

(Balcony would probably be in the range of $8000, Suite would be well in excess of $10,000 per person)

 

No Thanks, I would rather spend a two weeks on Sea Dream in the Caribbean or fly to Europe and spend a couple of weeks in a suite

[Project_gal]

Yes and no! We want them to start and return to the UK, cross the Atlantic and head off to South America [for example]. We would consider anything but, probably, not the Caribbean as a destination across the Atlantic. We love the sea days and, like most people, would skip the air travel in an instant. We are saving the Med for when we can no longer aford the flights in the meantime we would love to be able to cruise to any non-European destination without flying.

 

I am sure the way things are going with air travel, cruise companies will at least start to consider these ideas.

 

Sue

[Momorider]

Okay,

 

One week over to Europe--cheapest cabin say $700.

One week in Europe--cheapest cabin $1000

One Week Back--cheapest Cabin $700

 

Total not including Port Taxes, Gratuities, etc. $2400 for three weeks in an inside per person.

 

(Balcony would probably be in the range of $8000, Suite would be well in excess of $10,000 per person)

 

No Thanks, I would rather spend a two weeks on Sea Dream in the Caribbean or fly to Europe and spend a couple of weeks in a suite

 

My guess would be that those crossing fees you have shown are all the market would handle for a crossing and not the actual cost so it would probably cost way more. :eek:

[smtcan]

This wouldn't be a repositioning cruise as it would come back to NJ therefore eliminating any airfare. Repositioning cruises are not popular because the leave from one port and return to another and I guess some people don't like a lot of sea days.

 

The number of people who could do this without any air travel is limited to those within driving distance of NJ. If I have to fly, I would rather fly to Europe and spend extra time there than be limited to cruise days. People who live close to cruise ports have advantages that the majority do not share when it comes to last minute deals and flexibility with travel plans. BTW I love sea days!

[cruisestitch]

Not so, I'm from the Midwest and I would gladly fly to NJ to do this proposed cruise. Here's my ideal:

 

First it would be on Connie (Perry Grant is the draw there)

She would begin in NJ, go to Europe, hit four or five ports and return to NJ

Then she could go back to Europe for the regular summer season.

 

In the fall, after the summer in Europe, she would head to NJ, hit a couple of East Coast ports, go back to Europe, do four or five ports and return to NJ and then go down the East Coast to start her winter season in the Caribbean.

 

Now, this would allow anyone to do any of the following:

 

In the spring:

 

A complete NJ to NJ round trip OR

NJ to Europe transatlantic for which there would be two choices each year OR

a Europe - NJ - Europe round trip

 

In the fall

 

Europe - NJ to Europe round trip

Europe to NJ transatlantic, with again two choices of dates

NJ to NJ round trip

 

All just by adding two more TA crossings for those of us who love them, and you would get home in the same season. I love it.

[Cruiser Susie]

Leave from the East Coast, say NJ, transatlantic to the Med, do about a week's worth of ports, then come back to the East coast. No airfare, pack whatever I want, see the ports and have plenty of sea days to use the beverage package and use the casino. I see it as a win win. Celebrity makes money from the drinks and gambling, and I get everything I like best about a cruise, minus the airfare. How long would the cruise have to be if we went to 3 or 4 decent ports spaced close together? I would gladly pay for the extra cruise days if I could eliminate the airfare. Anyone with me?

 

Sounds wonderful to me... and maybe they could vary the port stops in Europe so that the itineraries would appeal to lots of people. I'll go with you!

 

Not to be a bummer or anything but I don't think they make money on the transatlantic repositioning cruises, it is probably a "why sail empty" thing "maybe we can recover some of the cost". I'm sure if they though they could make money on it they would do it. :rolleyes:

 

The Cunard line makes these crossings all the time! I am sure they are not losing money.

[sonavogel]

My husband and I had something like this the end of May, through Cunard: It was a transatlantic from NY to Southampton, then on to Brugges, Rotterdam, Cherbourg, back to Southampton and then across the Atlantic to NY.

 

It took 18 days, and it was more like a cobbling together of two TAs and a four-day port interim cruise; but for us, it was a single cruise in the same balcony cabin, and it was wonderful. It was a bit tiring (for no explainable reason) to dress up for something like 9 formal nights (!), and the North Atlantic is not exactly warm enough to enjoy the balcony at the end of May. But the QM2 is an ocean liner that kept everything stable, and the atmosphere on board is everything you could wish for. I enjoyed the indoor pool on several days, worked out, used the spa facilities a few times, gorged myself on desserts, slept like a baby.

 

It's not cheap, but it's not outrageous, either. And it's exactly what the OP would want, I should think--a lovely way to travel from NY to Europe, see a few ports (Cherbourg was amazing), and return home the same way. NO PLANES!!! :D I wish a few other lines would offer something like this.

 

--Sona

[Denny01]

I'd love it and would sign up as soon as it was avail. We've done two TA's - last one was a flt to Rome, a 10N E Med and then the 13N TA from Rome to FLL. Loved it, and considering the extra costs of flying, staying in Rome to catch the ship and so on, a back/forth would be nice.

 

Looked at the costs of TA's and a 7N Europe cruise:

Inside TA $900-$1200

Inside 7N $1200

 

Baclony TA $1600

Balcony 7N $1400

 

So for an Inside, would expect about $3200 and a Balcony for $4600+. Our TA's were full and very popular, so I'd think this would do well. As to it being a repositioning and therefore Celebrity discounting them a good deal and not making money or having higher costs due to more underway time- not sure of that. There is most fuel costs, but there also the customers onboard the entire time spenind money. But even if they tacked on more, it would still be in that ballpark for costs.

 

Just a guess, but I'd seriously consider it.

 

Denny

[Anniecan'twait!]

OP's comments really hit a chord with me! My DH & I would LOVE such an opportunity--skipping the long flights, airport & luggage hassles! We spend lots of time on our balcony--we are "mesmerized" by the sea! That sounds marvelous to me--leaving out of NJ especially-such an easy drive for us Marylanders. Especially since Celebrity so abruptly abandoned Baltimore's perfectly fine cruise terminal. We would definitely be interested in such an itinery! Annie:)

[Project_gal]

Not so, I'm from the Midwest and I would gladly fly to NJ to do this proposed cruise. Here's my ideal:

 

First it would be on Connie (Perry Grant is the draw there)

She would begin in NJ, go to Europe, hit four or five ports and return to NJ

Then she could go back to Europe for the regular summer season.

 

In the fall, after the summer in Europe, she would head to NJ, hit a couple of East Coast ports, go back to Europe, do four or five ports and return to NJ and then go down the East Coast to start her winter season in the Caribbean.

 

Now, this would allow anyone to do any of the following:

 

In the spring:

 

A complete NJ to NJ round trip OR

NJ to Europe transatlantic for which there would be two choices each year OR

a Europe - NJ - Europe round trip

 

In the fall

 

Europe - NJ to Europe round trip

Europe to NJ transatlantic, with again two choices of dates

NJ to NJ round trip

 

All just by adding two more TA crossings for those of us who love them, and you would get home in the same season. I love it.

 

Brilliant, suits those of us on both sides of the pond!

 

Sue

[Momorider]

Sounds wonderful to me... and maybe they

The Cunard line makes these crossings all the time! I am sure they are not losing money.

But a budget one way is $2,500 not $700. :D

[C-Dragons]

The OP's wish sounds like a dream come true!

Why couldn't they do it with Silhouette? She will already be sailing from N.J. to the Caribbean roundtrip. Celebrity could add one or two of these special TA itineraries a year to her schedule to break up the monotony. We'd book it in a heartbeat! :D

[Andy]

Hi Everyone !

 

It's an interesting idea, but I cant see Cruise lines doing it on a regular basis. Current Oil prices are way too prohibitive, and most folks Cruise for the Ports (I don't - but Im in the minority). In the OP's scenario, you would be Cruising for about a month, for a week's worth of ports. Most guests cant travel that long. I believe there are better and more profitable itineraries for Cruise lines to explore.

 

I can see this having a chance for consideration, when European bookings slow, or when Oil prices are significantly lower. IMHO, at least 1 of those events, and probably both, will happen within a few years. This will force Cruise lines to start thinking outside the box, regarding their itineraries. Maybe a better plan is to start small, by offering it once or twice a year.

 

BTW, Cunard is doing a smiliar itinerary, in reverse. It's a 1 time offering in December 2011 on QM2: Europe ---> Caribbean ---> Europe. Here is the itinerary : http://book.cunard.com/find/pb/cruiseDetailsItinerary.do?ship=&subTrade=&date=&duration=4&orderBy=&pageOffset=1&voyageCode=M135A

 

If Celebrity ever offered this type of itinerary from Ft Lauderdale or Miami, I'd seriously consider it, though taking a month off from work is a huge challenge for me.

[atb]

DH and I would love this - we absolutely HATE flying anymore - not so much the flying - but the entire inconvenience of airports and all is just terrible.

We would love to drive to a port and have a R/T transatlantic. That is our most favorite cruise.

[cruisestitch]

Dear Host Andy -- take a look at the scenario I proposed -- it isn't a month of sailing unless you want it to be -- it's over and back (either direction) but it could also be thought of as just two transatlantics back to back with a week in Europe in between. So that would take four weeks. but the regular transatlantic would only be the standard two weeks. Something like this:

 

A Day 1-7 Transatlantic eastbound

B Day 8-13 European ports

C Day 14-21 Transatlantic westbound

D Day 22-28 East Coast US/Canada ports

E Day 29-35 Transatlantic eastbound

F Day 36-42 European ports

 

Living in the US, I would do A B and C for 21 days r/t

Living in Europe, someone might choose C D and E for 21 days r/t

 

From a practical point of view, they would probably each be 7 day cruises, of which I would be doing three B2B2B but there is also the option for someone to choose A and B for 14 days as a standard TA cruise, or E and F as a standard TA cruise. Or C and D if they wanted a westbound TA cruise in the spring, an option which X currently doesn't offer, to my knowledge.