Transatlantic East or West???

[Lastdance]

Only problem is Celebrity prices has increased drastically for their TAs , not sure if you find a really good price as them have removed 2,500 cabins starting April 2017 TAs

 

 

Supply and Demand???

 

 

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[Azulann]

Just thought I'd help you out a little and correct your post... :eek: :D ;)

 

Eight transatlantic cruises and two transpacific cruises in the last 5 years, both directions on both oceans...

 

They are the most enjoyable, relaxing, and reasonably priced vacations you can get!

 

GO THERE!!! DO THEM *A*L*L*!!! ENJOY! :)

 

Just booked my first Transatlantic for April 2018! It is a long way off, but really looking forward to relaxing sea days. Love being retired and now I can do this!

[sandav]

Breakfast is the best meal not to miss...isn't it? Don't they travel around bad weather? Haven't done it yet, but plan to on April 22, 2017[emoji41]

 

 

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Eclipse TA from Miami to Southampton April this year was due to stop in Nassau, Bermuda and Lisbon with the stop in Bermuda being an overnight. A bad storm around the Bermuda area led the captain to cancel that port stop. The stop date for Lisbon was changed( causing some consternation for those with private tours) and Le Havre ( for Paris) was added. Also a sick passenger also led to a detour to Ponta Delgado in the Azores for a medical evacuation.

Some passengers were upset about missing Bermuda and there were mixed feelings about the stop in Le Havre with many Americans happy to get the chance to go to Paris or the Normandy beaches and some Brits wishing the extra day had been added onto Lisbon. So yes as with any cruise the captain will always take passenger safety into account first. It was a great cruise despite all this with mostly very good weather. You just have to be flexible and be aware weather not the cruise line is in charge.

[HokiePoq]

We've done several Eastbound TAs and love them. Didn't remember the time changes until reading this thread, no problem for us. We like arriving in Europe rested rather than jet lagged. We can recuperate when we get home. Have always linked them to a following cruise or a land tour before flying home. Not sure I'd do one without the linking.

We've never chosen a westbound because of the Atlantic hurricane season and college football season tickets. We usually stay around home in the fall to protect property in case of storms hitting the US coast.

[cl.klink]

Done 16 TAs, half east- and half west-bound.

 

The itinerary is much more important than the direction. Have no need for 25 hour days (and 23 hour days not a problem) so that is not a factor. Gaining or losing 5 or 6 hours over a 10 or 11 day period no issue, arrive with no jet lag either way.

 

Do the itinerary that best fits your needs.

 

I think this point of view is probably right.

 

But there is another issue that affected me on our westward TA a few years ago. We love sea days, but when we had visited out last port, and began the 8 days across the Atlantic, it kinda felt like the trip was over after that last port. Psychologically, I did not like that feel. We're planning to go eastbound in April and I think starting out with sea days will have a different feel psychologically for us.

 

Maybe I am screwed up, but that's the way my mind has worked.

 

- Joel

[Turtles06]

Eclipse TA from Miami to Southampton April this year was due to stop in Nassau, Bermuda and Lisbon with the stop in Bermuda being an overnight. A bad storm around the Bermuda area led the captain to cancel that port stop. The stop date for Lisbon was changed( causing some consternation for those with private tours) and Le Havre ( for Paris) was added. Also a sick passenger also led to a detour to Ponta Delgado in the Azores for a medical evacuation.

 

 

I'm sorry that you were not able to do the itinerary you had chosen.

 

Speaking only for myself, I hate that Celebrity has tacked a Bermuda/Caribbean cruise onto some of its TAs. If I want to take a Caribbean cruise, or a cruise to Bermuda, I'll do that. It's the last thing I want at either end of a TA. Obviously, I'm speaking only for myself.

[teecee60]

 

Only problem is Celebrity prices has increased drastically for their TAs , not sure if you find a really good price as them have removed 2,500 cabins starting April 2017 TAs

 

Time to look elsewhere... I recently booked RCCL's Brilliance OTS on a 14 night transatlantic, Tampa to Barcelona for April of next year...

 

Ocean View cabin for $699pp with $550 OBC. :eek: :D :cool:

 

Didn't think it possible, but Diamond on Royal is just as good, if not even better than Elite on Celebrity.

Edited August 13, 2016 by teecee60

[donaldsc]

Done 16 TAs, half east- and half west-bound.

 

The itinerary is much more important than the direction. Have no need for 25 hour days (and 23 hour days not a problem) so that is not a factor. Gaining or losing 5 or 6 hours over a 10 or 11 day period no issue, arrive with no jet lag either way.

 

Do the itinerary that best fits your needs.

 

Totally agree w you on the 25 or 23 hour day comments. I can't imagine that a difference of 1 hour per day really makes a difference to anyone - unless you have convinced yourself that it does.

 

DON

[peteukmcr]

Done 1 in each direction and have 1 more westbound booked.

 

Each time done for a specific event (major birthdays) so timing was the spur for us and the itineraries.

 

Being Brits, east bound was good as we did Caribbean islands before crossing to the Azores which gave us the warmer weather before returning onwards to the chilly UK (in comparison :D). No long travel home after arriving in the UK was another bonus for us.

 

Our 1st west bound was good for our US friends as they saw a lot of Europe, and I suppose we did too, but we then had the dreaded transatlantic flights home to contend with when we arrived in Florida. Due to time restrictions we couldn't spend time in Florida before we returned home so that was a bit of a downer (as well as the flights!) as we always enjoy our time in Florida. But work beckons and 15 days is about the max we can manage.

 

I now see that more west bounds don't visit many European ports but travel across the pond and visit the Caribbean which is more attractive to us.

 

Our next though is on Eclipse and has what to us are great ports, Boston, New York, Bermuda and then Miami. So that's why we picked it. 23 or 25 hour days not matter to us at all.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Time to look elsewhere... I recently booked RCCL's Brilliance OTS on a 14 night transatlantic, Tampa to Barcelona for April of next year...

 

Ocean View cabin for $699pp with $550 OBC. :eek: :D :cool:

 

Didn't think it possible, but Diamond on Royal is just as good, if not even better than Elite on Celebrity.

 

But there is no sunset bar on RCL :eek:

[teecee60]

But there is no sunset bar on RCL :eek:

 

But they DO have a VERY dark helipad that's open for stargazing!!! :p

[MarKay525]

Just booked my first Transatlantic for April 2018! It is a long way off, but really looking forward to relaxing sea days. Love being retired and now I can do this!

 

Hi - thanks to the OP - this has been a very helpful thread as we prepare to book our first TA.

 

Question for Azulann - how were you able to book April, 2018 already? We want to book a spring, 2018 eastbound TA but nothing is showing on the Celebrity website and when I talked to the Captain's Club rep a few days ago she said the schedule wouldn't be released till later this Fall for 2018.

 

Am I missing something? Thanks.

 

(Apologies if this is considered hijacking.)

[Azulann]

Hi - thanks to the OP - this has been a very helpful thread as we prepare to book our first TA.

 

Question for Azulann - how were you able to book April, 2018 already? We want to book a spring, 2018 eastbound TA but nothing is showing on the Celebrity website and when I talked to the Captain's Club rep a few days ago she said the schedule wouldn't be released till later this Fall for 2018.

 

Am I missing something? Thanks.

 

(Apologies if this is considered hijacking.)

 

Good question.

I did not want to say here , but I am jumping cruise lines for the first time.:o

Sorry Celebrity...

i am sailing on the Viking Sky in April 2018. Viking Ocean has their schedue for early2018 out already.

As others have said, Celebrity will probably have schedule out in late November/Dec for 2018.

[MarKay525]

Nice - brand new ship - have a great cruise and thanks.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

I'm in the camp of preferring more ports in Europe on my Transatlantics. Having been to almost all of the Caribbean islands I can take or leave them. On the other hand the European ports never get old for me.

 

Ship design and layout also are really important. One of the biggest issues I had on the Escape last fall was lack of public spaces on days where the weather was poor and the upper decks unusable. For the first time ever I felt claustrophobic on a ship! I'm trepidatious about my upcoming Epic transatlantic this fall for the same reason, but it's a more southerly route so hopefully that would help. I think in future I would be hesitant to book a ship without a covered pool, or at least a large variety of public lounges with decent views to the ocean.

 

All that said I think Celebrity have the best ships for transatlantic voyages - plentiful lounges with great ocean views, beautiful solarium, excellent and varied dining, large and comfortable cabins, excellent service, and on longer voyages good lecturers ad guest entertainers. Now if only GoBig/Better/Best were offered...

Edited August 14, 2016 by AtlantaCruiser72

[HS2BS]

Transatlantics are seasonal with Eastbound in the spring when waters are cold and destinations could be as well. As others have posted, the ports are what makes a TA interesting and the sea days are for relaxing, reading, ect., and meeting new friends. The fall transatlantics have two different routes, the northern toward Iceland and the southern toward the warm Atlantic waters. The earlier the fall TA the higher possibility of dodging a storm, later the weather and waters usually calm down. A few years ago we left Rome on the Equinox in early December for Fll and that was the warmest and smoothest TA that we have done. Having been on 8 TA, with 5 of them being west bound, the time changes have a minimal effect, but when you dock that shorter flight home does.

 

Hal

[NancyC]

I have done transatlantic in both directions and I prefer the Eastbound because I do get jet lag and prefer to arrive in Europe rested and ready to tour.

[grandgeezer]

We prefer the westbound. Eastbound, we lose three hours the first day, coming from Phoenix. Then we lose an hour six out of the next eight days which we adapt to very poorly. After trying it twice, we said never again. Never again came this past April. We were able to get a 1A balcony on the Silhouette TA, $600 plus fees, for thirteen days. For that kind of savings we thought it would greatly outweigh the clock changes. WRONG. Our position now is no eastbound TAs at any price.