How to make the most of a Transatlantic Cruise?

[the penguins]

On 10/2/2022 at 7:52 AM, abbydancer said:

OP is active on the roll call.  

 

My first cruise was my honeymoon (DHs 3rd I think).  On day 2 I decided I was never going on another one.  (cruise started with 3 sea days).

By day 4 I was hooked.

3rd Honeymoon or cruise?

[abbydancer2003]

5 minutes ago, the penguins said:

3rd Honeymoon or cruise?

Actually, if you count the long weekend we took right after the wedding, and the fact that he was married once before, could be both.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

On 8/4/2022 at 1:12 PM, Jim_Iain said:

Yes John Maxtone-Graham was my favorite speaker.   For the life of me I couldn't remember his name.  He was such a nice man and his wife complemented him so well.   A legend, I feel privileged to have seen him a number of times.  

TA and TP aficionados are a special breed.  Making a crossing is probably as close as we can come to reliving the Golden Age of ocean travel when a crossing was “The Only Way To Cross” (thank you John Maxtone Graham).  JMG was the Dean of what I call The Ocean Liner University…a club that every ocean liner lover, who has made a crossing, belongs to.  Many people do not realize that when they are enjoying those six days at sea they are actually experiencing the rituals and daily routines that were in practice for the past 170 years.  A few of us here were fortunate enough to have experienced some of the great Atlantic Ocean liners before the jet hastened their demise.  For those of you who are about to embark I would highly recommend that you read “The Only Way To Cross”.  John Maxtone Graham’s book is a history of his love affair with the Atlantic crossing.  The book will give you a better understanding of the rich history of sea travel when there was no other way to travel between continents.  I also knew JMG and Mary MG.  They were great fellow voyagers.  

[Ex-Airbalancer]

2 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

TA and TP aficionados are a special breed.  Making a crossing is probably as close as we can come to reliving the Golden Age of ocean travel when a crossing was “The Only Way To Cross” (thank you John Maxtone Graham).  JMG was the Dean of what I call The Ocean Liner University…a club that every ocean liner lover, who has made a crossing, belongs to.  Many people do not realize that when they are enjoying those six days at sea they are actually experiencing the rituals and daily routines that were in practice for the past 170 years.  A few of us here were fortunate enough to have experienced some of the great Atlantic Ocean liners before the jet hastened their demise.  For those of you who are about to embark I would highly recommend that you read “The Only Way To Cross”.  John Maxtone Graham’s book is a history of his love affair with the Atlantic crossing.  The book will give you a better understanding of the rich history of sea travel when there was no other way to travel between continents.  I also knew JMG and Mary MG.  They were great fellow voyagers.  

TAs are just best value for your dollar , that is one the reason I do them 

I think you are  over thinking 

one problem is Celebrity is making cruising a class system again with a retreat area 

 

 

[motherchic]

3 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

TA and TP aficionados are a special breed.  Making a crossing is probably as close as we can come to reliving the Golden Age of ocean travel when a crossing was “The Only Way To Cross” (thank you John Maxtone Graham).  JMG was the Dean of what I call The Ocean Liner University…a club that every ocean liner lover, who has made a crossing, belongs to.  Many people do not realize that when they are enjoying those six days at sea they are actually experiencing the rituals and daily routines that were in practice for the past 170 years.  A few of us here were fortunate enough to have experienced some of the great Atlantic Ocean liners before the jet hastened their demise.  For those of you who are about to embark I would highly recommend that you read “The Only Way To Cross”.  John Maxtone Graham’s book is a history of his love affair with the Atlantic crossing.  The book will give you a better understanding of the rich history of sea travel when there was no other way to travel between continents.  I also knew JMG and Mary MG.  They were great fellow voyagers.  

Had the wonderful opportunity to hear his lectures. What a phenomenal couple! He was a true joy to talk to

[tomcruiser1234]

On 10/1/2022 at 12:22 PM, Jim_Iain said:

 

I agree.   Remember when they were the least expensive cruises because they were considered a "Re-Positioning Cruise".       

 

Party Line ---- TA's are terrible and Caribbean Cruises are so exciting and so much fun.

 

Crazy. Our first Trans was on the Millie. 2006   We had veranda and only spent $1k for both. For 14 nights that was like $35 per day each. However the Bar bill was Ouch….

[CGTNORMANDIE]

8 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

TAs are just best value for your dollar , that is one the reason I do them 

I think you are  over thinking 

one problem is Celebrity is making cruising a class system again with a retreat area 

 

 

I have no problem with the different price levels currently being offered on all the major  lines.  I can’t think of one line that does not offer an upper tier experience.  If you want more luxury and more amenities then you have to pay for it.  This has been the case for the past 170+ years.  The Retreat is simply an extra tariff venue no different than the other extra tariff venues being offered onboard.  You have to pay extra to gain admission.

[the penguins]

On 10/6/2022 at 10:30 AM, CGTNORMANDIE said:

TA and TP aficionados are a special breed.  Making a crossing is probably as close as we can come to reliving the Golden Age of ocean travel when a crossing was “The Only Way To Cross” (thank you John Maxtone Graham).  JMG was the Dean of what I call The Ocean Liner University…a club that every ocean liner lover, who has made a crossing, belongs to.  Many people do not realize that when they are enjoying those six days at sea they are actually experiencing the rituals and daily routines that were in practice for the past 170 years.  A few of us here were fortunate enough to have experienced some of the great Atlantic Ocean liners before the jet hastened their demise.  For those of you who are about to embark I would highly recommend that you read “The Only Way To Cross”.  John Maxtone Graham’s book is a history of his love affair with the Atlantic crossing.  The book will give you a better understanding of the rich history of sea travel when there was no other way to travel between continents.  I also knew JMG and Mary MG.  They were great fellow voyagers.  

We have all of John's books and each is a revelation. His talks were indeed the highlight of any cruise and it was truly a previledge to listen to him. The only lecturer we have heard that comes close, although on a different topic, is Jim Kennedy who was the Director of the Kennedy Space Center throughout the moon landing period. His talks are usually packed. His talks are preceeded by various personal videos of the astronauts.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

3 hours ago, the penguins said:

We have all of John's books and each is a revelation. His talks were indeed the highlight of any cruise and it was truly a previledge to listen to him. The only lecturer we have heard that comes close, although on a different topic, is Jim Kennedy who was the Director of the Kennedy Space Center throughout the moon landing period. His talks are usually packed. His talks are preceeded by various personal videos of the astronauts.

All of John Maxtone Graham’s books were superb.  His love affair with the SS Normandie was particularly poignant.  When he was a teenager he managed to get down to the Manhattan docks where Normandie was being raised and refloated after the tragic fire that destroyed her.  Somehow JMG managed to carry off the ships’ wheel,

a trophy that stood in his front hall for the rest of his life.  JMG also discovered the famous statue “Normandie” languishing in a garden at the the Fountain Bleu Hotel  in Miami.  He had no idea that the iconic statue had survived the fire and demolition of the Normandie. The beloved status was subsequently purchased by the Chandris family and placed at the foot of the grand staircase to the dining room onboard the Celebrity Summit.  It has now been moved to the front of the new Normandie restaurant onboard Summit saved in perpetuity by Chandris/Celebrity.   
 

[Nado44]

What a fun thread. 

 

We have friends who are sailing TWO "back to back" transatlantics this month and traveling with only carry-on luggage.

 

1. BEYOND from Barcelona to Cape Liberty (12-24 October)

2. APEX from Rome to Fort Lauderdale (29 October - 12 November).

[canderson]

3 minutes ago, Nado44 said:

What a fun thread. 

 

We have friends who are sailing TWO "back to back" transatlantics this month and traveling with only carry-on luggage.

Hope they're in a RS or higher with free laundry service!

 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

8 minutes ago, Nado44 said:

What a fun thread. 

 

We have friends who are sailing TWO "back to back" transatlantics this month and traveling with only carry-on luggage.

 

1. BEYOND from Barcelona to Cape Liberty (12-24 October)

2. APEX from Rome to Fort Lauderdale (29 October - 12 November).

Why ? 
I wonder if he would have the pants that the legs zip off 🤔😁

A pair of my shoes take up 1/2 of my carry on 🤭

[JeriGail]

A question about TA menus - are there different menus in the MDRs each night, or do the menus repeat after 7 days?

Edited December 13, 2022 by JeriGail

[the penguins]

2 hours ago, JeriGail said:

A question about TA menus - are there different menus in the MDRs each night, or do the menus repeat after 7 days?

X has different menus in the MDR for everything upto 17 days after that it repeats. No need to worry on a TA just make sure that if you see something you like in the main menu to order it as you won't see it again.

[Jim_Iain]

18 hours ago, JeriGail said:

A question about TA menus - are there different menus in the MDRs each night, or do the menus repeat after 7 days?

They have a 14 day rotation and start with day one regardless of length.   After 14th day they have day 1 menu again.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Also ask for the vegetarian menu, sometimes they have some nice choices there 

[JeriGail]

2 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Also ask for the vegetarian menu, sometimes they have some nice choices there 

Thanks - since I'm not a vegetarian, I wouldn't have asked to see that menu.

[taylortime05]

On 10/3/2022 at 3:46 PM, Andrewgary said:

I HATE transatlantics. I hate them so much we're already printing out our luggage tags for our Rome to Ft. Lauderdale in a month, which incidentaly will be our 7th TA. We've already booked #8 for next October.

We've booked our first TA on the Ascent next October.  Which ship are you on next October?

[taylortime05]

On 9/30/2022 at 7:15 PM, Jim_Iain said:

My biggest problem on longer B2B's is that after while I loose track of what day it is.   I really enjoy just deciding what I want to do when I want to do it instead of a steady schedule. 

We have our 1st TA booked for next Oct on Ascent from Barcelona to FLL.  Would you recommend a cabin on the port side? 

[Canuker]

We prefer the east-bound TAs over those westbound. The reason is that the weather conditions on deck are generally much better.

Why? East-bound you are traveling with the prevailing SW winds. With the ship's speed and direction the wind is relatively light. Westbound you are against the prevailing wind so the perceived wind speed on board is that of the wind plus the speed of the ship. Very different.

Some of the best sea days we have ever had have been on east-bounds from Florida; day after day of blue skies, calm seas and light breezes. Gorgeous. Make the most of them as once the ship sails north of Africa, the weather cools quite a bit. And if you are sailing across the Bay of Biscay (off western France) be prepared for some rolling seas.

Oh, and if you like the sun and are thinking of a balcony, book one on the starboard (right) side of the eastbound ship. 

Lastly, and this goes for any cruise, if it seems too breezy outside, wander around a bit; there are always nooks and spaces out on deck that are protected from the elements, even on the highest decks.

Edited December 31, 2022 by Canuker

[Ex-Airbalancer]

28 minutes ago, Canuker said:

We prefer the east-bound TAs over those westbound. The reason is that the weather conditions on deck are generally much better.

Why? East-bound you are traveling with the prevailing SW winds. With the ship's speed and direction the wind is relatively light. Westbound you are against the prevailing wind so the perceived wind speed on board is that of the wind plus the speed of the ship. Very different.

Some of the best sea days we have ever had have been on east-bounds from Florida; day after day of blue skies, calm seas and light breezes. Gorgeous. Make the most of them as once the ship sails north of Africa, the weather cools quite a bit. And if you are sailing across the Bay of Biscay (off western France) be prepared for some rolling seas.

Oh, and if you like the sun and are thinking of a balcony, book one on the starboard (right) side of the eastbound ship. 

Lastly, and this goes for any cruise, if it seems too breezy outside, wander around a bit; there are always nooks and spaces out on deck that are protected from the elements, even on the highest decks.

Have too disagree we have that on the westbound TAs included on an Arctic TA , were we at the bow of ship Northern light watching , not freezing our Axx off 😁

we prefer westbound because we like to travel before the cruise as I just like to go home after the cruise 

And 25 hour days are nicer 

portside for Westbound if you want a sunny balcony 

on Eastbound it really doesn’t matter 

 

[shipgeeks]

We love TAs.....except for the flights toi/from.

IMO, one of the best aspects of the many sea days is the fact that no one goes ashore (duh), so meals and activities are well-attended, for those who want to participate, and most importantly, evenings are quite festive, with everyone having the time and energy to dress, dance, enjoy a leisurely dinner and conversation with tablemates. 

[smtcan]

3 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

We love TAs.....except for the flights toi/from.

IMO, one of the best aspects of the many sea days is the fact that no one goes ashore (duh), so meals and activities are well-attended, for those who want to participate, and most importantly, evenings are quite festive, with everyone having the time and energy to dress, dance, enjoy a leisurely dinner and conversation with tablemates. 

The best comment that I heard on a TA was from a lady who said that it was a pity there were so many sea days together.  She thought the cruise line could have spaced them out better.

[Shiba_Lover]

We did a TA on the Apex, and it had a lot of art classes.  Both formal instructor led and do it yourself "adult coloring" type activities.  If offered on your ship, TAKE THEM.  Even if you think you may not enjoy it - give it a try.  It was very enjoyable.  The onboard instructor was really good.  The instructor led classes turned out really well.  Those of us who thought we could not draw actually wound up with some really nice pieces.  The classes were a great way to spend time.  You can bring a glass of wine or a drink, and just give it a try.  The do it yourself ones were in the grand foyer bar area, and the activities manager put out some pre-made heavy quality papers with really intricate designs.  They provided some nice water color pens and then you could just get a drink, and spend some time mindlessly "coloring" the pre-made designs.  Quite a few people did this.  As it is at your own pace - you just spent the amount of time doing it that you wanted.

 

Even if this is not something you would do under normal circumstances, just give it a try once.  Even if you think "I can't do that" - give it a go!  

 

[Andrewgary]

On 12/30/2022 at 8:55 PM, taylortime05 said:

We've booked our first TA on the Ascent next October.  Which ship are you on next October?

We'll be on the Reflection starting October 9 for a ten day Greek Islands cruise followed by 14 day transatlantic starting in Barcelona on October 19 and ending up in Fort Lauderdale.