Rare Harters Posted June 16, 2023 #1 Share Posted June 16, 2023 (edited) We're toying with the idea of a transatlantic in the next couple of years and would value folks' experiences about whether it's better to travel east to west (generally a late autumn cruise) or west to east (generally a spring cruise). Does one see more favourable weather and sea conditions? My instinct at present is that west to east probably suits us better, as there would be no jet lag issues at the end of the cruise - so we get home rested rather than wrecked as usual after visiting the States. But are there any other criteria I should be considering? TIA John Edited June 16, 2023 by Harters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basenji56 Posted June 16, 2023 #2 Share Posted June 16, 2023 (edited) Strongly prefer east to west. Two main reasons: (1) You gain six to seven hours rather than losing them. (2) If going from Europe to America, you spend 5-6 days in heavy activity and then have a week to relax. Losing those hours is a real drag. On my last TA this Spring, we lost one hour every night for six days. Edited June 16, 2023 by basenji56 7 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlerRob Posted June 16, 2023 #3 Share Posted June 16, 2023 57 minutes ago, Harters said: We're toying with the idea of a transatlantic in the next couple of years and would value folks' experiences about whether it's better to travel east to west (generally a late autumn cruise) or west to east (generally a spring cruise). Does one see more favourable weather and sea conditions? My instinct at present is that west to east probably suits us better, as there would be no jet lag issues at the end of the cruise - so we get home rested rather than wrecked as usual after visiting the States. But are there any other criteria I should be considering? TIA John Weather and seas are unpredictable at best - we've had little success in relying on seasonal trends. I think your instincts are good regarding the spring and W-E. It may be a bit cooler, but I'd agree that arriving home without a 6-hour jet lag would more than make up for the loss of hours when sailing east. Autumn TAs, while likely a bit warmer, are always at some additional level of risk as it's hurricane season. We prefer the E-W flavour, but that's due to our NA location. Either direction, we greatly enjoy the extended ocean passages - good luck with your decision! 🍺🥌 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted June 16, 2023 #4 Share Posted June 16, 2023 When we did the TA form NYC to SOU I found I was so tired at the end of it Glad we spent 4 days in SOU to recover Everyone reacts differently 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhD-iva Posted June 17, 2023 #5 Share Posted June 17, 2023 I cruised Rome to Miami (NOV) and Aruba to Lisbon (MAR). I like to start my day at the gym, but by the third day of losing an hour, I just couldn’t get out of bed in the morning…… Other than that, everything was wonderful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basenji56 Posted June 17, 2023 #6 Share Posted June 17, 2023 10 hours ago, LHT28 said: When we did the TA form NYC to SOU I found I was so tired at the end of it Glad we spent 4 days in SOU to recover Everyone reacts differently Flying to Europe is miserable but I recovered faster than losing one hour at a time on an eastbound cruise. By the time we hit the Azores, sunset was at 10:30 pm—in April. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted June 17, 2023 #7 Share Posted June 17, 2023 1 hour ago, basenji56 said: Flying to Europe is miserable but I recovered faster than losing one hour at a time on an eastbound cruise. By the time we hit the Azores, sunset was at 10:30 pm—in April. Yes I prefer to fly then by the next day we are almost on local time I have a hard time adjusting when we get home but DH is back to normal routine right away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabbycat Posted June 18, 2023 #8 Share Posted June 18, 2023 Having done both directions, I strongly recommend East to West. In doing it this way you end up with a bunch of 25 hrs days rather than 23 hr days, which one would think wouldn't be a huge deal, but somehow is. We are scheduled for another Europe to N.America sailing this autumn, and Oceania does not disappoint with these sailings with lots of fun activities. I cannot recommend their autumn TA sailings enough. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare hmorrow Posted June 18, 2023 #9 Share Posted June 18, 2023 We've done many Trans Atlantic's, and imho, east to west is much better, due to the repeated fact of gaining an hour a day. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ToxM Posted June 18, 2023 #10 Share Posted June 18, 2023 On 6/16/2023 at 2:03 PM, Harters said: We're toying with the idea of a transatlantic in the next couple of years and would value folks' experiences about whether it's better to travel east to west (generally a late autumn cruise) or west to east (generally a spring cruise). Does one see more favourable weather and sea conditions? My instinct at present is that west to east probably suits us better, as there would be no jet lag issues at the end of the cruise - so we get home rested rather than wrecked as usual after visiting the States. But are there any other criteria I should be considering? TIA John As a Brit W-E suited us as no jet lag at the end of the cruise. Losing an hour most sea days was tiring, but its a sea day, it doesn’t really matter 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classiccruiser777 Posted June 18, 2023 #11 Share Posted June 18, 2023 Take a ship both directions. If not O, Cunard’s QM2 goes back and forth frequently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackdeb Posted June 18, 2023 #12 Share Posted June 18, 2023 We have done the Atlantic in both directions and the time changes haven’t bothered us in either direction, we still manage to get 8 hours of sack time. Judge your own sleep patterns accordingly. As always look at the itinerary, if the ports of call appeal to you or are you more interested in the sea days on the ship. Enjoy it in either direction. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shepherd really Posted June 19, 2023 #13 Share Posted June 19, 2023 I've done both ways several times. It made no difference which direction. It's still much better than flying in any class. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare PaulMCO Posted June 19, 2023 #14 Share Posted June 19, 2023 Support the Europe to US sailings. We will do a stay (3 days to relieve the jet lag) then a pre-sailing TA so have a week of ports then head home on a leisurely trip with lots of sea days. Usually end port is MIA or FLL so we hope in the car and home in 2 hours. Last one was on Regent. Rome to Barcelona then Barcelona to MIAMI. Our next on SS is Lisbon to Lisbon and then to FLL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare the more ports the better Posted June 19, 2023 #15 Share Posted June 19, 2023 We have done both and prefer East to west. Mainly because seas are warmer in October than in April so the weather is usually nicer outdoors at sea in the fall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ToxM Posted June 19, 2023 #16 Share Posted June 19, 2023 14 hours ago, Classiccruiser777 said: Take a ship both directions. If not O, Cunard’s QM2 goes back and forth frequently. Too big, too stuffy, too expensive for what it is (from experience!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hambagahle Posted June 19, 2023 #17 Share Posted June 19, 2023 We have done multiple TAs in both directions. The change of time has never been an issue. However since we live in Switzerland it is very nice to arrive home without jetlag - so I suppose if you are an American the other way is better. The only "stuffy" one I have done was on Cunard. That was OTT stuffy!! Regent and Oceania both use a southerly route which we much prefer over the north Atlantic one. Nicer, warmer weather and fewer storms as a rule. Aside from that - Regent has better lectures etc than Oceania and neither is large nor stuffy. Take a highlighter with you so you don't miss interesting things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Harters Posted June 30, 2023 Author #18 Share Posted June 30, 2023 My thanks to all. I note that the vast majority of respondents are from North America and I note almost all prefer east to west. The two replies from my fellow Europeans note that, for us, west to east means no tiring jetlag at the end of what should be a relaxing holiday, so confirming my initial thoughts. It may prove to be something of a moot point. We have just returned from Nautica's cruise from/to Barcelona. It was very enjoyable but, in truth, the full cost has left us wondering whether future cruises with O are (1) affordable and (2) represent value for money for us. I will write a review in the coming days and will share that on the forum as well as the review pages. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabbycat Posted July 3, 2023 #19 Share Posted July 3, 2023 On 6/30/2023 at 2:05 PM, Harters said: My thanks to all. It may prove to be something of a moot point. We have just returned from Nautica's cruise from/to Barcelona. It was very enjoyable but, in truth, the full cost has left us wondering whether future cruises with O are (1) affordable and (2) represent value for money for us. I will write a review in the coming days and will share that on the forum as well as the review pages. John While it is true Oceania is costly, It is not a lot cheaper than an equally long cruise in a suite on a premium line such as Celebrity, Princess, or Cunard. Our 10 day Retreat cruise on Celebrity was more than half the price of my upcoming 20 day Oceania cruise in a suite. And I find the ship and food much better on Oceania. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hlitner Posted July 3, 2023 #20 Share Posted July 3, 2023 We have done several dozen crossings (in both directions at times ranging from March - November) and honestly do not think the gradual changing of the clock is a big deal. On East bound crossings, quite a few ships will push the clock ahead in the afternoon (usually at noon or 1) rather than night. It does make those lazy sea days (which we love) a little shorter, but we seldom miss the lost hour. We think both the spring and fall are terrific times to do crossings and we have sometimes done both in a single year (and can use one round trip air fare to cover both cruises). On our many crossings the weather has varied from gorgeous to awful with no way to predict more than a few days in advance. Hank 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted August 21 #21 Share Posted August 21 I read this topic since we are currently booked for a Spring crossing from Bayonne to Rome. However…we are in the process of changing the cruise from Spring to Fall sailing from Rome to Bayonne! This post has a lot to say about hours lost and gained…not a big concern to us at all! Our biggest concern (worry) would be which season is better regarding weather and sea roughness. Would anyone who is experienced with this type of cruise please comment? Our cruise is on Royal Odyssey of the Seas. Thank you in advance for any recommendations…much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d9704011 Posted August 21 #22 Share Posted August 21 My experience is that you are more likely to encounter bad weather on the east to west TA in the fall. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted August 21 #23 Share Posted August 21 So much to think about! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlerRob Posted August 21 #24 Share Posted August 21 12 minutes ago, PPPJJ-GCVAB said: I read this topic since we are currently booked for a Spring crossing from Bayonne to Rome. However…we are in the process of changing the cruise from Spring to Fall sailing from Rome to Bayonne! This post has a lot to say about hours lost and gained…not a big concern to us at all! Our biggest concern (worry) would be which season is better regarding weather and sea roughness. Would anyone who is experienced with this type of cruise please comment? Our cruise is on Royal Odyssey of the Seas. Thank you in advance for any recommendations…much appreciated! Weather and seas are unpredictable at best - we've had little success in relying on seasonal trends. We have had delightful, smooth crossings and others completely opposite - both spring and fall. Fall TAs, especially in the North Atlantic should be a bit warmer, but are always at some additional level of risk as it's hurricane season. The last two years have caused a number of disruptions. Choose the direction and timing that works best for you and go with the weather flow - you can't change it anyway! 🍺🥌 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted August 21 #25 Share Posted August 21 Thank you @CurlerRob and @d9704011 for these comments. I think the relaxing sea days (whatever the conditions) at the end of the cruise rather than beginning is the biggest factor for us. Appreciate your opinions. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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