First time cruiser, Transatlantic or not? (Rapsody)

[SweetsugarNL]

Sure you can - who told you couldn't?

Because RCL dont aloud that.

 

Agents never can get me quotes.

Same for celebrity cruises.

 

We can only used Europe based agents.

[Clarea]

Because RCL dont aloud that.

 

Agents never can get me quotes.

Same for celebrity cruises.

 

We can only used Europe based agents.

We have friends who live in the UK and in Germany who use US travel agents to book cruises.

[SweetsugarNL]

Really, that is new to me.

Sometimes i get a "warning" that because outside of usa blablabla.....

[Biker19]

You have to find a US based TA who deals with overseas clients- then it doesn’t matter where you are booking from.

 

 

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[bobmacliberty]

I always suggest a 5 day Bermuda cruise to first time cruisers. Its not too long and you are in Bermuda in a day and half so on land pretty quickly. Then its just a day and half back to homeport. To me its a good way to judge whether you are a cruise person or not, whether you like cruises or not. My first cruise was a Princess cruises 9 days and thankfully loved it.

 

While I agree with the idea of starting with a shorter cruise, I would not suggest Bermuda from NYC. We did this once and Bermuda was beautiful, but we had rough seas in the Atlantic going in both directions (outside decks closed for a bit). If that had been DW's first cruise, it would have been her last. It's not an option (at least a cheap one) for the OP, but I'd start with a shorter Caribbean cruise where the seas are typically calmer.

[JAMESCC]

While I agree with the idea of starting with a shorter cruise, I would not suggest Bermuda from NYC. We did this once and Bermuda was beautiful, but we had rough seas in the Atlantic going in both directions (outside decks closed for a bit). If that had been DW's first cruise, it would have been her last. It's not an option (at least a cheap one) for the OP, but I'd start with a shorter Caribbean cruise where the seas are typically calmer.

Ya know it's so funny you say that but we have now been on 6 cruises and a 7th upcoming and I don't know it's just luck or bad seas don't bother me because I can't remember bad seas on one cruise. I mean slightly here and there but nothing I'd call bad or scary or anything like that. NCL a few years ago we left Bermuda 2 hours early because a hurricane was coming and it was slightly bad the first night. Either lucky or I don't realize bad seas.

 

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[island lady]

Agree with others. First cruise to me should be like an appetizer...try a short one first.

[Cinders411]

I agree with starting off with a shorter cruise as a new cruiser. We did a 5 day in Europe and then remained onboard for another 15 days for a transatlantic. We were fairly seasoned cruisers then but, even my DH who has never gotten sea sick, felt queasy during some of our transatlantic sea days.

[SweetsugarNL]

Thank you so much.

[JAMESCC]

I would only do a transatlantic crossing in a very big ship like the QM2 or Oasis. I would want serious entertainment and this do. I would also be more comfortable or feel safer personally.

 

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[cruisequeen4ever]

As an experienced cruiser, I’m dieing to do a Transatlantic, but if I was a brand new cruiser, there’s no way I’d do a Transatlantic as my first. 1) You don’t know if you’re prone to seasickness 2) tonnnnnns of days at sea, which can make some people stir crazy (not me; I could live at sea)

 

I recommend flying to Florida for a 7 day Caribbean cruise like you mentioned, and then if that goes well, book a Transatlantic.

 

 

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[George C]

I also am against a cruise that long for first. I would do a 7 day cruise I perfer larger ships voyager class and larger for the extra entertainment

[SweetsugarNL]

I think we like oasis class verry much. With al the activities and dinner venues.

[xxHadleyxx]

I find it interesting that you are seeing European cruises as expensive, but only pricing Oasis class, but then considering one of the smallest ships RCI sails for a TA with no shipboard experience.

 

Yes, the big ships tend to be pricier----this is very true in Europe where we have such limited opportunities to sail them. You are really not looking at apples to apples there.

 

If you feel you want an Oasis class ship, even for a shorter cruise with minimal sea days, then I strongly suspect you'd find a couple of weeks on one of the small ships to be boring. You're best bet is probably to book a low cost/shoulder season cruise on an Oasis class in Florida and maybe combine it with a week on land to make the airfare worthwhile.

 

As others have said, many US based travel agents will book for international customers.

 

Personally, I think 7 nights is ideal for a first cruise---long enough to get to know the ship but not too long if it doesn't appeal to you (and less likely to have a passenger base treating it purely as a booze cruise). Plus the price tends to be not much more than a 3-4 night cruise.

 

That said, RCI has several 3-4 night sailings out of South Hampton (and at least one out of Rome).

[SweetsugarNL]

Thank you. The other TA cruise we looking at was with the msc seaview to brazil( and fly to chile for visit something). I cant find oasis class ship for 2020 in europe. I would like to make the med cruise with the sympfony this year but it dont fit in our plans. So that the reason we dont have done this. I think fly to florida is the best option.

[Clarea]

... I cant find oasis class ship for 2020 in europe. ...

Royal will normally release more cruises in the March/April timeframe.

[SweetsugarNL]

Thank you.

[xxHadleyxx]

adding to Bob's post---if you watch for when 2020 itineraries are released and book right away, the prices are often at or near their lowest (especially for Oasis class in Europe)---so it might be worthwhile to keep a lookout if that is what you are interested in.

[SweetsugarNL]

Thank you, that is good to know!

[Desert Cruizers]

I recommend to my friends thinking of cruising, to start out with a 7 to 10 day cruise. There they can see if they enjoy cruising and keep closer to home. Some like only 7 days others enjoy the longer cruises. I think our 1st Transatlantic was 5th cruise. Sweetsugar, our Foreign Exchange Student was from Naarden, she now lives in the States.

[HTFCcruiser]

It depends on time of year, I have done 2 TAs one on Voyager of the Seas and in the Independence of the seas. Both sailings eastbound in April both like mill pond crossings no motions felt. They are amazing value 30% less per night than any other itinerary. We didn’t do it for our first we did the Baltic States which is a good starter and a little cheaper than the med’. I would recommend a TA as a first many of options for port stops including Caribbean and the halfway point at the Azores.

 

 

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[JAMESCC]

I would do a transatlantic crossing in a heartbeat if it were round trip. I think Cunard might do a few but they are super expensive and too luxury/high class for this truck driver. [emoji16]

 

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[HTFCcruiser]

Lots of short taster cruises out of Southampton which would be fairly easy for you to get to, P and O have them all year round with the other cruise lines having occasional ones.

 

 

 

We love transatlantics but I wouldn't recommend one for a first cruise, my worry would not be so much the weather but if you actually like cruising, it's a long time to be stuck on a ship if you hate it. Saying that, on every TA we've taken, we've met people who were on their first cruise so people do it all the time, luckily all the ones we've spoken to were enjoying it.

 

 

 

Julie

 

 

 

You don’t get the real feel of a cruise atmosphere on a sampler cruise you get the feel of a booze cruise weekender that could taint a view of a ship unfairly

 

 

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[Desert Cruizers]

For me in doing a TA, I would go with a Radiance up to Freedom Class. I would like to do one on an Oasis class so I had more days to enjoy the ship, 7 days isn't enough time especially if you have never cruised the mega ships.

[LB_NJ]

How big is the change that we get motion sickness?

I would love to go on a transatlantic cruise but the Oasis dont sail back with guests to America next year.

 

A good option is the Rapsody but it is a small ship, i think we prefer a bigger one like oasis class.

 

 

Is a transatlantic cruise a good idea for a first time cruiser?

And how is that with the Rapsody? Is that a nice ship for a 15 night cruise?

 

 

 

If we go than we debt between RCL Rapsody Spain to Florida or a MSC/Costa Spain to Brasil/Argentina.

 

 

The quintessential transatlantic cruise ship is the QM2 by Cunard. If I were going TA that is the only ship I would use.

 

Personally, I would go on a very short cruise just to see if you like it before committing to TA or a 15 day cruise. You might decide you would go stir crazy on a cruise that long or you might love it. Everyone is different. I know people who absolutely hate cruises while others absolutely love them.

 

As to seasickness, that is very simply person specific. No one can say whether or not another person is going to get seasick. Also, it is also almost impossible to predict the weather, especially TA. The ocean could be flat, it could be 15' or higher waves and they close all the pools/hot tubs and the outside walkways. So the question is how do you do on boats and ships (e.g., ferries, etc.). Personally, I would not think about a TA cruise if you do not know how you do on boats in general. While modern ships have stabilizers the ship will rock in 15'+ seas.

 

I was on a cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Grand Turk and the first day out there were swells and many people to got seasick and one person in the hair salon to fell down while doing my wife's hair. I and my wife were generally OK, not perfect. I was on another cruise from NY to Canada and the seas were relatively flat, no ship motion that I could detect.