Question for transatlantic cruisers

[itgeekgal]

+1 for round trip! We're headed east on QM2 then returning west on HAL's Zuiderdam in August... can't wait!

[ZN1300]

We've done both. We prefer the westbound cruise. We fly to Europe a few days early to kill the jet lag and have time to visit which ever city the port is in. Then bounce around the Mediterranean, hitting a number of ports. After that you cross the ocean and have many days to relax and enjoy the cruise. Then disembark in FL and fly home.

 

 

 

The seas have generally been calm for us going both directions. Last year the Mediterranean was a bit choppy for us. Even out into the Atlantic to our last European port, Tenerife. You can't predict the weather. But once the ship headed further south the seas calmed down and we had a smooth crossing.

[DeepWaterMariner]

I've done 6 east bound and 7 west. West is always easier but eastbound isn't that bad, especially with time changes at midday rather than at night. Roundtrip is the way to do it and avoid the long flights all together. Even though west bound is easier, a few days straight of nightly time changes even when your gaining an hour, still has an impact on your body.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

We perfer Westbound

 

 

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[navybankerteacher]

Westbound - for several reasons:

1)We prefer to get the flight over with first and sail hometown the US.

2)Most westbound repositionings are in the Fall when the Atlantic is much warmer than in the Spring when Eastbounds are common.

3) Westbounds give you 25 hour days rather than 23 hour days Eastbound due to time changes.

4) We spend a week, or several, in Europe and find that the weather is better there in September and October than in April or May, so linking with a Westbound is a natural.

[knittinggirl]

We did Voyage of the Vikings and first go east, then west on this round trip Boston cruise.

 

 

We really liked having that last "fall back" time change the night before we disembarked.

 

Both Holland America repositioning cruises had the time change in the middle of the night, but on Legend of the Seas (Royal Caribbean), they did it from 11:59 AM to 1:00 PM with an announcement from our captain.

[penny49]

I want to take my first transatlantic cruise and am wondering which direction you prefer east bound or westbound? Thanks for any advice

 

We have done several Westbound TA's and just one Eastbound.....I love the Westbound not just because it is so fun to enjoy the anticipation of getting on the ship with a few days in a lovely destination, and the extra hours of sleep are nice, but the best reason is to get that awful long flight done first. Then just enjoy your vacation and relax on the TA, on that dreadful last night aboard, throw everything in those bags (pop for the luggage direct) and then just have a short ride home schlepping no luggage and remembering a wonderful voyage!... We love them (TA's) so much we are doing another in December ....the inaugural cruise of the Nieuw Statendam...can't wait....

[catl331]

For those offering advice to the OP: he chose eastbound, FLL to Amsterdam

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2638604