Eastbound TA's

[Gracie115]

We have done the Spring TA the last two years. Yes, we all groan when the waiter says we have to set our clocks ahead a-gain! But the advantage that no one has pointed out is that it stays late much longer on the spring TAs, which means more time for drinks at the Sunset Bar!!

 

We do what you are proposing to do. The first year we got off a day early in Le Havre and spent a week in Normandy and Brittany, visiting the D-day sights and falling in love with Southern France. The we rented an apartment in Paris for two weeks cause it never seemed like we had enough time there, then went to visit family in London.

 

Last year we disembarked in Rome, spent a few days, took the train to France and rented a car and went back to Northern France!!

 

This year we are thinking of taking the train from Rome to Venice and then renting a car and driving over the Dolomites into Austria.

 

I don't think I'd enjoy a westbound because I really like having postcruise plans to look forward to! To get off the ship and fly home would be so depressing to me. . .

 

This is exactly the kind of plan we have....thanks for the reassurance!!:):D

[BosoxI]

 

 

This year we are thinking of taking the train from Rome to Venice and then renting a car and driving over the Dolomites into Austria. .

 

The Dolomites are simply magnificent, especially when the sun hits them at sunset. My family comes from there and I visit my cousins quite frequently. The food and architecture are quite different from that in the south. Have a ball Don't stay on the superhighways. The wonders of the area are best seen from the back roads and the Grand Dolomite highway between Cortina and Bolzano

Edited January 18, 2014 by BosoxI

[CathyCruises]

The Dolomites are simply magnificent, especially when the sun hits them at sunset. My family comes from there and I visit my cousins quite frequently. The food and architecture are quite different from that in the south. Have a ball Don't stay on the superhighways. The wonders of the area are best seen from the back roads and the Grand Dolomite highway between Cortina and Bolzano

 

We are all about back roads, even at home, so that fits perfectly with our modus operandi!! All we need to do is book a TA now!

[teecee60]

We are planning a special "retirement" vacation trip to take place in spring 2016. We plan for it to begin with a TA out of Miami or Ft. Lauderdale and once on the other side of the pond take another week to 10 days on mainland Europe.....

 

Is the one hour lost on many nights on a TA that big a deal? I didn't think it would be since you're on vacation and have no deadlines to get up/sleep....but I've read a few posts about people who felt tired out all the time because of it.....has anyone else had this happen or NOT had this happen ....... any input you can provide would be appreciated. :)

 

Done two E/B and two W/B transatlantics in the last 24 months, loved 'em ALL!

 

It's a VACATION! Forget the clocks and schedules, kick back and *E*N*J*O*Y* There are plenty of days I miss breakfast entirely!

 

The first European/Med-or-Baltic cruise after the TA can either be sold out well in advance, OR drop in price a LOT after final payment date. (if you want to try a B2B)

 

 

I have done 7 EB TA's and 6 WB TA's, I have found little if any negative from having 5 or 6 23 hour days. I have also found little positive from the WB TA's 25 hour days. Remember the crossing will be 14 days, so most days will be 24 hours.

A few of my EB TA's were on the QE2 which meant that every day was a short day as the crossing took 5 days.

 

Now THAT is MY idea of a really, REALLY, *R*E*A*L*L*Y GREAT strategy! I can't WAIT to catch up!

Edited January 18, 2014 by teecee60

[Gracie115]

Done two E/B and two W/B transatlantics in the last 24 months, loved 'em ALL!

 

It's a VACATION! Forget the clocks and schedules, kick back and *E*N*J*O*Y* There are plenty of days I miss breakfast entirely!

 

The first European/Med-or-Baltic cruise after the TA can either be sold out well in advance, OR drop in price a LOT after final payment date. (if you want to try a B2B)

!

 

Absolutely forget the clocks & schedules....:D....would love to do B2B...but have done a few Med cruises already and now want to get into interior Europe which is the plan for this trip....

 

Thanks again to all for answering....feel much better after reading some negatives about the Eastbound TA's!!!

[rebeccalouiseagain]

I think one of the aspects of the TA that is so exciting is the prospect of the adventure to come! The cruise itself is a fantastic voyage but at the end is the pot of gold, which is Europe. The anticipation is half the fun.

 

The reverse trip is just slowly taking you back to reality- work, schedules, responsibilities. So it is a bit different. I did the QM2 7 day Westward TA and it was very enjoyable and I especially loved sailing into New York City and seeing the sun come up over the NYC skyline and the Statue of Liberty. This was a great journey too but it was bittersweet coming home. Yes- I was happy to be in the US but sad that my vacation was officially over. :(

[Gracie115]

I think one of the aspects of the TA that is so exciting is the prospect of the adventure to come! The cruise itself is a fantastic voyage but at the end is the pot of gold, which is Europe. The anticipation is half the fun.

 

The reverse trip is just slowly taking you back to reality- work, schedules, responsibilities. So it is a bit different. I did the QM2 7 day Westward TA and it was very enjoyable and I especially loved sailing into New York City and seeing the sun come up over the NYC skyline and the Statue of Liberty. This was a great journey too but it was bittersweet coming home. Yes- I was happy to be in the US but sad that my vacation was officially over. :(

 

That's exactly what we thought....an Eastbound takes you to a fun adventure....a Westbound takes you back home, back to work, back to same old same old......don't think I'd enjoy all the sea days on a Westbound with nothing but "the end" of a vacation to look forward to.....:)

[rubinstein2r]

Unless you had the adventure first and used the sea days to recoop from them.

 

We want to book a 2015 Trans. Anyone know when the itineraries for them will be posted? There are many other 2015 cruises but not the trans...

[CathyCruises]

That's exactly what we thought....an Eastbound takes you to a fun adventure....a Westbound takes you back home, back to work, back to same old same old......don't think I'd enjoy all the sea days on a Westbound with nothing but "the end" of a vacation to look forward to.....:)

 

That's EXACTLY how I feel.

[Gracie115]

Unless you had the adventure first and used the sea days to recoop from them.

 

We want to book a 2015 Trans. Anyone know when the itineraries for them will be posted? There are many other 2015 cruises but not the trans...

 

Celebrity will post 2015 and early 2016 itineraries in Mar/Apr, at least that's when they've done it in the past.

 

6 sea days is just too long to recoop for us....but to each his own!!

[Wine-O]

Our first TA was an Eastbound. My wife complained because we had 7 days of relaxation then port, port, port, port, get up early to go on excursion, then arrive Rome, hop in taxi, head to airport, fly home, then go to work.

 

Since then we've done all Westbounds. We're going to do an Eastbound this Spring, but spend 4 days post cruise, then flying home. Don't have to go back to work this time. :D

[BosoxI]

Celebrity will post 2015 and early 2016 itineraries in Mar/Apr, at least that's when they've done it in the past.

 

6 sea days is just too long to recoop for us....but to each his own!!

 

Having to recoup is a lot easier if you're retired! Only have to face mowing the lawn or cooking for yourself:eek: East or west on the Atlantic , makes no difference to me. What I'd really like to do is a slow boat to China with as few stops as possible. A trip from China to the West Coast would not be the same for me.

[Gracie115]

Our first TA was an Eastbound. My wife complained because we had 7 days of relaxation then port, port, port, port, get up early to go on excursion, then arrive Rome, hop in taxi, head to airport, fly home, then go to work.

 

Since then we've done all Westbounds. We're going to do an Eastbound this Spring, but spend 4 days post cruise, then flying home. Don't have to go back to work this time. :D

 

Yes, but we aren't just doing the cruise. We intend to have at least a week on mainland of Europe...and when we fly home we will be ready to come home and hopefully tired enough that we sleep most of the way on that long ass plane ride.....

 

But that's why they go both ways...some like going East and some West and since this will be our first TA...who knows maybe we won't like it at all...but I seriously doubt that.....:)

[celebritydave]

I have not done any eastbound but have done 3 westbound TA's and here's why: 1. you gain an hour each day while crossing which is usually at least 6-7hrs in total. So you are getting 25hr days for the ride back. I guess it depends if you enjoy sea days or not as well. 2. And the most important to me is that the ports calls in the Med, and usually there are many, are very tiring for the most part, would be at the end of your cruise. Then again, you will have 10 more days to relax before having to head back home though. I just find it quite relaxing to have my sea days at the end of a cruise before heading back to the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Weather also may play a factor and I prefer Europe in the fall and not the spring. Personally, I would never book an eastbound TA, unless the price was just too hard to pass up. . Just my opinion....

 

I agree, we have done TAs both ways and the Westbound is better. However, sometimes the ports may dictate which one you choose

Dave

[upwarduk]

But that's why they go both ways...some like going East and some West -----

 

The TA' s are repositioning cruises, to get the ships to the decent weather in the winter(Westbound) or summertime in Europe( Eastbound)

[WAVTAM]

Last TA on Princess going East bound, they changed the lost hour at 2 PM (Not 2 AM) so your circadian rhythm was not screwed up.

[grandgeezer]

We always do B2Bs on transatlantics, to make it worthwhile. We are on the Equinox in October for 13 day Med. cruise and then 14 day TA. That'll be 14 ports in 20 days, so the 7 sea days at the end will be welcomed to say the least.

[upwarduk]

On our westbound Infinity TA in Oct/Nov '13, they rescheduled theatre lectures to 9am, instead of 10am. Breakfast in the MDR was also scheduled earlier, although I think Elite breakfast remained at 8am.

[CathyCruises]

I have heard on HAL they change the hour at noon--I like that idea.

 

We also signed up for team trivia every day at 10--one day we were awakened by the Captain's "Noon Announcement", inexplicably delivered at 10 AM (:confused:) so our team was a little short that day! Learned to have our coffee delivered by 9 AM after that experience. But that gave us all the more reason to take an afternoon snooze in God's Waiting Room, aka the Solarium, which was the perfect place for a read and a rest before the evening festivities.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We've done 3 east-bound TA's. The time changes are a minor inconvenience, but not really that bad. We just found that we slept that much later in the morning. It's not nearly as hard on the body changing gradually like that as when flying.

 

I'd love to do a west-bound in the fall, but that time doesn't work well with our schedule. A few cruises, like Panama Canal and Hawaii, where we have turned the clock back were great!

 

We love the Transatlantics--so relaxing, and then great places to visit in Europe with only a one-way long haul flight.

Edited January 18, 2014 by Nebr.cruiser

[upwarduk]

I have heard on HAL they change the hour at noon--I like that idea.

 

We also signed up for team trivia every day at 10--one day we were awakened by the Captain's "Noon Announcement", inexplicably delivered at 10 AM (:confused:) so our team was a little short that day! Learned to have our coffee delivered by 9 AM after that experience. But that gave us all the more reason to take an afternoon snooze in God's Waiting Room, aka the Solarium, which was the perfect place for a read and a rest before the evening festivities.

 

The Captains announcement was at 10 am every morning on our Infinity TA.

[CathyCruises]

The Captains announcement was at 10 am every morning on our Infinity TA.

 

It was just that it was listed in the Daily as "Captain's Noon Announcement--10AM" that cracked us up!

[Gracie115]

I am more excited than ever to plan our trip now after hearing all these positive statements about TA's...we've been hesitant before....but now I'm ready to BOOK IT!!!!:):D

[CathyCruises]

Which ship will you take?

[grandgeezer]

The person asked for opinions, just because their opinion doesn't jive with yours doesn't mean there's wrong, or yours is right. Everybody has different views and requirements when the form an opinion and shouldn't be subject to ridicule or unnecessary attention.

It's not a statement of fact, it's just how that person feels on a subject.