Questions about Transatlantics

[emerald777]

Just booked the 29 Nov 2006, 17 night transatlantic on the Golden (I'm soooooooo excited!). This will be my first Transatlantic, 1st time to europe and longest cruise to date. Anyone who has done a transatlantic, please tell me your stories! What did you do for those 6 sea days? Are there lecturers onboard? Do they have local entertainers? Any info is greatly appreciated!!! Traveling with me will be my mother, so any advice on types of excusions with a senior is aso welcome!! We got one of the AFT balcony cabins too - C752. Is this a good location for sightseeing while cruising in and out of ports?? Thanks!

[Druke I]

Love trans-Atlantics and trans-Pacifics also. Find them very relaxing.

 

Never been bored with the sea days - there are many scheduled activities - pick and choose. I'm perfectly content to find a comfortable chair, with a good book, an ocean view, and people watch/read.

 

Not sure what you mean by excursions - there are none in the middle of the ocean! Once you have picked your cruise, then you can see what excursions are available for the ports before the sea days portion. There are some good ones offered in the British Isles, and other itineraries as well.

 

Some cruises do have guest lecturers - but don't know if there is a list of which ones, and who the featured lecturer might be.

[susancruzs]

I love those sea days! I think Princess always has things going on that you and your mom should be happy!

 

I always bring counted cross stitch with me and do that on sea days, also I'm an avid puzzle (jigsaw) fan and usually on cruises with sea days they have one set up and everyone pitches in, which is fun. I also read, I like to write so I dabble in that, too! I go to afternoon tea, maybe have a massage, exercise class, walk around the promenade and before I know it, time to get ready for dinner! :-)

 

Susie

[emerald777]

I guess it would have helped if when I asked about excursions I listed the ports, huh?! :) This cruise starts in Rome (civitavech...), then Livorno (Florence), Cannes, Barcelona, Cartagena, Gibralta, Casablanca and Funchal. After all these ports, those 6 days at sea will probably feel like heaven! Last year on the NOS, our 7 day cruise turned into a 9 day, and we did 4 days at sea, a port and then 5 days at sea. I remember that time just flew by!

 

I will definitely be spending a lot of time in a deck chair with a good book! And I WILL make it to afternoon tea this cruise!! I keep saying I'm going to so that and haven't quite made it yet.......'

[Druke I]

emerald

 

Reference Gibraltar - we went on one excursion there that included "the Rock", the Spanish border and crossing the airport's runway to get there, and the town itself. Really just an overview, but interesting. The town itself is very walkable, and we enjoyed it.

 

On Funchal, they offer street-sled rides, which are a real hoot (fun). Hard to describe, but almost a heart-stopper. We were laughing very hard at the end.

 

They offer pretty good excursions in the other ports listed also - find one to fit your interest.

[Smiles3usa]

Emerald, I hope you enjoy your trip. I had booked this cruise 5 months ago. I thought it was a really exciting itinerary....only 3 consecutive sea days, europe, africa and south america....wow, and quite the value for the 20! day trip. Well, Princess changed the itinerary...refunded my deposit, without asking me if I wanted to change cruises...and raised the price on the cabin I had on a 20 day cruise more than 800 pp for a 17 day cruise....what chutzpah. Anyway, I won't be doing that cross-atlantic now...but sure wishing those who do all the enjoyment and excitement that I had when I booked.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Like others here, transatlantics and transpacifics are my favorite too. And you will be on a great ship for one, with indoor pool facilities, because the outdoor pools can get kind of windy and cool during the crossing.

 

In Livorno, head to the Leaning Tower of Pisa ONLY if you must see it and haven't; otherwise, go to Florence for the real culture and attractions. In Funchal do the sled ride...it is a blast, then go into town at an outdoor cafe and drink some of the local wine (Madeira), it's great that you're going to Casablanca, because now you can say you've been to AFRICA, but it will be the most culturally different port on your cruise, so be prepared (and the street vendors are ruthless in their selling techiniques). Barcelona is my husband's favorite European city...you can go off on your own by taxi right around Las Ramblas, La Sagrada Familia, etc., or I really recommend a tour to Montserrat, an old abbey in the mountains. I really loved it...the scenery, the meaning, etc. I've been to Cannes, but by land trip, so can't point you in the best direction there as a cruise passenger.

 

On sea days...you are going the best direction (east to west), so you'll have several 25 hour days, and lots of early rising. Enjoy sunrises from your balcony, working out in the great fitness area, pampering yourself with spa treatments (even the kind you bring from home and do yourself), there will be lectures and games and movies throughout the day, take lots of books...the library gets VERY picked over on transatlantic cruises, needlepoint if that's your thing, anything you'd like to do at home but never have time to. We enjoy those days so much that at home, maybe once year, we'll have what we call a "cruise ship" day, where we lounge around, watch videos, get caught up on our reading, and don't leave the house or answer the phone all day. Very rejuvenating!

 

Enjoy yourselves...hope this helps.

[emerald777]

Smiles - So sorry they canceled on you! I would be pretty ticked too! I'll keep my fingers crossed that doesn't happen this time......

 

JMB - Thanks so much for the info!! I'll definitely plan on the street sled! Too funny re: Casablanca ....... That's exactly what I told my mother, after this, your can tell you're friends you've been to Africa! :) ANd having that AFT balcony will definitely make for many sunrise opportunities!

[lynwar]

To answer your question about the aft balcony. Yes, you will have plenty of sunrises. I enjoyed my time back there in the middle of the afternoon on my Zuiderdam cruise in 2003. However, my husband won't get another one, because you really can't see the port from back there. There are walls between each balcony so unless you stand on the railing you won't be able to see from side to side. However, if you have an end balcony and not one in the middle, you will have more of a chance of a view. Hubby also thought that there wasn't much of a breeze back there.

I must say, that on our last night out, I sat out there for over an hour after bedtime and the stars were just beautiful and it was very peaceful. Lynne