Celebrity Trans Atlantic Cruises

[LGW59]

Well I will (hopefully) be on my very first TA, May 1, 2021 on Celebrity APEX and I will be a solo cruiser!  Love the itinerary, Portugal, Spain, Italy, but even more I love the 6 consecutive days at sea, plus 2 more...Anyway, having never been on a TA, I wanted to ask for suggestions, thoughts comments from your collective experience, all comments wellcome, but espcecailly from the first timers.  So excited, let's get cruisning again!  Hope all are well and healhty!~!!

[jelayne]

Join the Roll Call for your cruise.  On TAs the folks on the Roll Call frequently plan fun activities for the sea days; things like a Slot Pull, Cabin Crawl, poker Run, Sail Away gathering, Wine tasting, Bridge, Book Club, games lots of possibilities.  

[kwokpot]

26 minutes ago, jelayne said:

Join the Roll Call for your cruise.  On TAs the folks on the Roll Call frequently plan fun activities for the sea days; things like a Slot Pull, Cabin Crawl, poker Run, Sail Away gathering, Wine tasting, Bridge, Book Club, games lots of possibilities.  

Just remember in the new environment not everything that was done in the past would be appropriate. I for one would never want groups of people coming into my cabin even with a mask on(And by the same token going into other peoples cabin).

[kwokpot]

One should look at TA's as time to relax, read, exercise, nap. Lots of people find the guest lecturers to be enjoyable since they're usually on esoteric topics one may not necessarily take time to research but attending them you'll learn some interesting stuff. Usually the topics are History, Science, The Arts and topics of that nature. 

 

As I mentioned a TA is a great time to visit a ship's FITNESS CENTER. There's always instructors there and if you've never been to a gym before you can always ask for help on using some of the gym equipment and some helpful hints on how to start. 

 

Having an electronic book reader like a Kindle or tablet makes it SO MUCH easier to access reading material without all the bulk and weight of paper books. Best to choose and download all your reading material before you board.

 

 

 

[Lady Arwen]

We’re booked on Reflection TA April 2021, but I just can’t see Europe opening up by then for international travellers.  I sure hope I’m wrong!  If the US/Canada border remains closed, we can’t get to Ft. Lauderdale.  We also booked a May 2021 Baltic cruise, but we probably won’t be on that one either.  Fingers crossed for our OctoberTA as it’s our only other hope for 2021.  We also will not cruise if masks are mandatory ( we do wear our masks at home when out and about, but no desire to wear one on a cruise) and only ship excursions are permitted.

[kwokpot]

8 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Fingers crossed for our OctoberTA as it’s our only other hope for 2021.  We also will not cruise if masks are mandatory ( we do wear our masks at home when out and about, but no desire to wear one on a cruise) and only ship excursions are permitted.

My prediction is that wearing masks on a cruiseship  will be required until the end of 2021.

[dolittle]

We did an X crossing in 2011 From Europe to New York . We were not sure we would like it  but it was great with a lot of great people . Agree on joining your roll call we had a great group (best ever) .

[LGW59]

Thanks all for the great suggestions.  Seems TA = R&R!!!  I can sure use a lot of that right now.!  

[journeymore]

I’m a solo cruiser. I’ve taken 3 TA cruises one being a b2b. I spend my sea days reading and attending the lectures. Join the roll call and join some of the private tours. Some don’t mind solo travelers. There is always a good crowd at the martini bar in the evening willing to tell you their story. Nice people watching spot also. Be mindful with the new normal things maybe a lot different. 

[Texed]

4 hours ago, LGW59 said:

Well I will (hopefully) be on my very first TA, May 1, 2021 on Celebrity APEX aall are well and healhty!~!!

 

The first scheduled TA for Apex was cancelled.  ☹️

[LGW59]

18 minutes ago, Texed said:

 

The first scheduled TA for Apex was cancelled.  ☹️

yes I was scheduled to be on APEX May 2020, for a 12 day Med....

[Arizona Wildcat]

5 hours ago, kwokpot said:

One should look at TA's as time to relax, read, exercise, nap. Lots of people find the guest lecturers to be enjoyable since they're usually on esoteric topics one may not necessarily take time to research but attending them you'll learn some interesting stuff. Usually the topics are History, Science, The Arts and topics of that nature. 

 

As I mentioned a TA is a great time to visit a ship's FITNESS CENTER. There's always instructors there and if you've never been to a gym before you can always ask for help on using some of the gym equipment and some helpful hints on how to start. 

 

Having an electronic book reader like a Kindle or tablet makes it SO MUCH easier to access reading material without all the bulk and weight of paper books. Best to choose and download all your reading material before you board.

 

 

 

Agree except For using the on board library.  Always head there first!

Again need to have things settle down a lot or there won't be any TA cruises.  April is possible.  Hope it works.

[LGW59]

2 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Agree except For using the on board library.  Always head there first!

Again need to have things settle down a lot or there won't be any TA cruises.  April is possible.  Hope it works.

Mine is for May 1, 2021, I remain optimistic, but....not certain

[ipeeinthepool]

Based on the Healthy Sail Panel Report, it looks like testing twice before you board maybe part of the plan to resume cruising.  I'm not sure how that happens if you need to fly across the ocean for a TA or TP and find a place to provide test results in less than 5 days.  I'm not sure I see any repositioning cruises next year.  Presumably, they can test you at the pier but I don't know how you will find the first test. 

[kwokpot]

23 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Agree except For using the on board library.  Always head there first!

 

While that is generally great advice I don't think there will be a library on the Apex. When The Edge debuted  it sailed WITHOUT a library of any sort. Subsequently a Book Lending Cart was added. I'm not sure if the Apex will have a similar cart. 

Edited September 23, 2020 by kwokpot

[jelayne]

2 hours ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Agree except For using the on board library.  Always head there first!

Again need to have things settle down a lot or there won't be any TA cruises.  April is possible.  Hope it works.

Agree.  No library on the Edge and unlikely to be one on the Apex.  DH loves”real” books and was severely disappointed when we boarded the Edge

[ipeeinthepool]

5 hours ago, jelayne said:

Agree.  No library on the Edge and unlikely to be one on the Apex.  DH loves”real” books and was severely disappointed when we boarded the Edge

 

I'll be surprised if libraries still exist in a post Covid world.

[Roger88]

Just now, ipeeinthepool said:

 

I'll be surprised if libraries still exist in a post Covid world.

The funny thing is that they really do exist. I mean if you go to Barnes and Nobles its basically a library of its own. You don't even have to purchase anything. But I mean, its still around and I doubt it will be going anywhere any soon 

[ipeeinthepool]

Just now, Roger88 said:

The funny thing is that they really do exist. I mean if you go to Barnes and Nobles its basically a library of its own. You don't even have to purchase anything. But I mean, its still around and I doubt it will be going anywhere any soon 

 

I was really talking about libraries on ships.  Libraries on land have procedures for "cleaning the books between usage".   It maybe as simple as taking the books out of circulation for a while and there may be other cleanings.  I doubt the cruise lines will do any of this but will rather eliminate the libraries.  

 

As far as Barnes and Nobles is concerned, you really have to look long and hard to find one.  They have changed dramatically over the last few years and they carry a lot less books.  I'm not sure they were going to survive even without Covid.  However a book store is dramatically different from a library.  In the store someone may only hold the book for a few minutes however library books may be read for days. 

[4774Papa]

We love TransAtlantic and TransPacific cruises.   We have done four TA cruises and prefer west bounds in the Fall, after doing a land tour on our own prior to the TA.

 

I don't do kindle, but take 4-5 books to read during a cruise.

[Arizona Wildcat]

4 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

I was really talking about libraries on ships.  Libraries on land have procedures for "cleaning the books between usage".   It maybe as simple as taking the books out of circulation for a while and there may be other cleanings.  I doubt the cruise lines will do any of this but will rather eliminate the libraries.  

 

As far as Barnes and Nobles is concerned, you really have to look long and hard to find one.  They have changed dramatically over the last few years and they carry a lot less books.  I'm not sure they were going to survive even without Covid.  However a book store is dramatically different from a library.  In the store someone may only hold the book for a few minutes however library books may be read for days. 

I live in a metro area of about 900K.  There are 15 public libraries and over 50 book stores plus Amazon ships some thousands of book orders daily.  

It would not be difficult to take books out of circulation for a couple days on a ship.  Understand Apex and Edge have no libraries.  Also have no interest in sailing on either.  My media visit was enough.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

23 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

We’re booked on Reflection TA April 2021, but I just can’t see Europe opening up by then for international travellers.  I sure hope I’m wrong!  If the US/Canada border remains closed, we can’t get to Ft. Lauderdale.  We also booked a May 2021 Baltic cruise, but we probably won’t be on that one either.  Fingers crossed for our OctoberTA as it’s our only other hope for 2021.  We also will not cruise if masks are mandatory ( we do wear our masks at home when out and about, but no desire to wear one on a cruise) and only ship excursions are permitted.

We are on the same cruise 

Canadians still can fly to the USA , just can’t drive there 🤣

[LGW59]

7 minutes ago, Airbalancer said:

We are on the same cruise 

Canadians still can fly to the USA , just can’t drive there 🤣

True but it may depend on where your destination is.  Some US states will make you quarantine for 14 days, though definitely all of them.  

[Ex-Airbalancer]

33 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

True but it may depend on where your destination is.  Some US states will make you quarantine for 14 days, though definitely all of them.  

Dont need quarantine for Florida 

 

We have meet a lot of solo cruisers on TAs , and now usually make plans to meet up with them on other TAs now 

[C-Dragons]

22 hours ago, Texed said:

 

The first scheduled TA for Apex was cancelled.  ☹️

Yes... and I'm still in mourning. 😥