The North Atlantic in November

[CruiserByHeart]

Thank you everybody for already posting a ton of great reviews and insights.

 

While I've already read through the boards and threads, I've still come up with questions to which I cannot find answers... so, if the answers are already out there, please forgive me for asking again :confused:

 

Okay, here goes;

What's the weather like on sea days? Will we be able to sit outside with a book and enjoy a drink from the Sunset Bar?

 

There seems to be four hours time difference between the UK and the US on our itinerary. How much and when is the clock set back?

 

Does Celebrity still offer an unlimited specialty dining package? Is this truly unlimited (in number of visits to each dining venue)

 

Will they serve Afternoon Tea in Murano? And may this be covered by one of the dining packages?

 

Once again; thank you for taking your time to share your experiences and thoughts :)

[Essiesmom]

Not an expert, but I think you might find it bumpy and chilly. Balcony might be usable if you bundle up and have one port side (where the sun is). But for more experienced advice, you might ask on the Cunard board where the Winter Crossing experts reside. EM

[Mr. Click]

If you are sailing from Florida ports, once you get north of Bermuda the weather starts to get chilly and breezy. How chilly and how breezy is all in the luck of the draw. The farther north you get, the cooler it will get so do that outdoor stuff early in your crossing. We have found the ship resets the time each morning as they cross time zones, at least that is what we found on other cruises. We have not done a TA. Oh, the time difference between the East Coast and the UK is 5 hours.

[DebbieMacG]

The unlimited dining package no longer exists, now you buy a package for a number of nights and can eat at any speciality restaurant. This doesn't include lunches or afternoon tea.

[CruisinNole]

Thank you everybody for already posting a ton of great reviews and insights.

 

While I've already read through the boards and threads, I've still come up with questions to which I cannot find answers... so, if the answers are already out there, please forgive me for asking again :confused:

 

Okay, here goes;

What's the weather like on sea days? Will we be able to sit outside with a book and enjoy a drink from the Sunset Bar?

 

We were on a TA in November, 2014 from Southampton. Our first port was supposed to be NYC but the ship was diverted to Madeira, Portugal due to bad storms in the North Atlantic. From there on to NYC, it was pretty chilly and rough -- not balcony weather. In fact, it was even a little chilly in Port Canaveral which was our last port before arrival in Miami. We're booked on the Eclipse TA departing on Oct 28 and we're hoping that the weather will be different this year. It should help that we're departing in October instead of November 9 like the 2014 TA.

[mamamzee]

We did a TA from Barcelona to Florida in late November. The weather was lovely and the ocean was like a lake the entire crossing.

 

You just don't know.

[north29]

Luck of the draw. weather wise. I no longer book balcony cabins on TA.

[MEcruzr]

The NORTH Atlantic in November will be COLD. Especially the sea days. It's not unheard of for us to have snow the 3rd week of November in Maine.

 

Where is your cruise from/to?

[rose6]

On the Eclipse transatlantics tea was not offered on a daily basis in the Murano restaurant. They may have offered a special tea on one occasion, of course, for a fee. If you are in Captain's Club, they usually have one sea day afternoon Elegant Tea at no additional charge in the MDR. If you are eligible, you will find an invitation in your stateroom when you arrive. On a daily basis, there are traditional tea items like small sandwiches and scones and jam offered at the buffet.

[ECCruise]

We've done the North Atlantic route in November 3 times over the last few years.

Each time we have had a diversion due to weather. You really need to expect cooler weather and the potential for storms. Comparing this to a Barcelona to FL route is definitely apples and oranges (we've done 7 or 8 southern Atlantic crossings, never a diversion, usually quite warm).

 

There are 5 hours difference UK and US. You will change your clocks virtually every crossing day.

 

We would do another northern Atlantic crossing since we find the ports generally more interesting.

[Jim_Iain]

We did the Northern Crossing from Dover to Port Liberty a number of years back. The only northern crossing out of 9 TA's

 

Crossing - Cold (you can sit out if you wish they have wool blankets instead of towels at the pool). If you are protected from the wind in can be enjoyable. We also had some high seas, storms and really dense fog (one day). It is definitely different from a Southern Crossing

 

There is a 5 hour difference between East Coast and UK 6 if you depart from the continent. Depending on you crossing and ports the crossing is about 6-7 days. Almost nightly the clocks go back 1 hour during the crossing. Sometimes on a slower crossing there may be a gap of a day. The crew love it as they also get an extra hour.

 

They do have Tea in some of the Specialty Rest. Also they plan a big Tea in the Main Dining Room. In addition depending on you CC Level you will be invited to a Special Tea.

[caribill]

If you are traveling west to east, you will lose 5 hours on the crossing.

 

What time of day does Celebrity set the clocks ahead one hour?

 

I have been on other cruise lines where it is set ahead at 1 AM and on another cruise line where they did it at 12 Noon so that sleep hours would not be shortened.

[CruiserByHeart]

Thanks to everybody for chipping in with great info.

 

Weøll be traveling East to West and I just got myself confused with the time difference as Europe sets back the clocks the day after we leave Southampton and the US won't until after we've arrived in Boston... Hence, we'll experience the usual five hours time difference ;)

 

But, as Caribill noted, will Celebrity set back the clocks at night or at day?

[gardening_diva]

Thanks to everybody for chipping in with great info.

 

Weøll be traveling East to West and I just got myself confused with the time difference as Europe sets back the clocks the day after we leave Southampton and the US won't until after we've arrived in Boston... Hence, we'll experience the usual five hours time difference ;)

 

But, as Caribill noted, will Celebrity set back the clocks at night or at day?

 

We did Southampton across to Boston last October (2016) on Eclipse. We had a couple of choppy days but I wouldn't call them rough. On a couple of sea days it was warm enough to sit on the (port side) balcony wearing shorts & t-shirt. On another couple of days (the bumpy ones) the top deck was closed because of the wind. You just don't know.

 

The ship's clocks were adjusted at night, so you got an extra hour of sleep :) Small thing, but I enjoyed having an extra hour most of those sea days! Although when we went to Bermuda when we lost an hour again!

[DrivesLikeMario]

For me during the first week of November, it was amazingly clear and beautiful out but COLD!! I mean take-your-breath-away-cold. :eek: We passed through a quick rain system but otherwise, it was nice and sunny. Just freakin' cold. :eek: I was glad I didn't get a balcony. Two guys were braving it out on the deck under multiple blankets. The swells were huge and the wind was strong too. IT depends a lot on which route you take. The more northern, the colder it will be.

[bogofman]

Depends where you come from, If you live in Arizona it will be cold!!!!, if you live in the UK it will be cool :D

 

Last November we did the southampton to Boston, NY to Miami route

 

 

We had a couple of mildley rough seas, Nothing to bother is, and a few sunny days, where we were able to sun bath on the balcony ( that was a surprise)

 

 

Getting to NY it was warm enough to not need a coat, even at the top of empire state building at night.

 

 

The most rough night was after leaving NY on the way to Florida, but we were asleep so did not notice just found the balcony a mess the next day. some passengers reported feeling rough all night but not us.

I think it is all down to luck

 

 

it can be mill pond fat ( it was some days) or rough others

 

 

We have crossed the north sea to Norway a few times and its always been flat ( in June) whereas others have reported very rough seas on thier sailing

[chaching]

We came across on a TA which left Europe on November 5th. I believe there was only one day that we could sit outside by the pool. The rest of the days were too windy and cool. If I were you, I would plan on COLD.