My Experiences on my First Transatlantic

[TravelBluebird]

If you are interested in what it was like to take a Transatlantic, I did a LIVE blog here on Cruise Critic on my recent experience on the Carnival Venezia:

 

 

Additionally, here is my video on what I thought about taking a TransAtlantic Cruise, with a ton of pros and cons:

 

 

[graceinga]

Great video!

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Done 10 TAs , don’t need to watch your video 🤣

[HopefulCruiser123]

On 7/18/2023 at 8:35 PM, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Done 10 TAs , don’t need to watch your video 🤣

Odd response.  I  appreciate your video.  Thank you for posting.  

[Ex-Airbalancer]

9 hours ago, HopefulCruiser123 said:

Odd response.  I  appreciate your video.  Thank you for posting.  

People post videos to get views so they can make money , they can go some place else to get their clicks 

[Heidi13]

On 11/24/2023 at 6:53 PM, HopefulCruiser123 said:

Odd response.  I  appreciate your video.  Thank you for posting.  

 

I thought @Ex-Airbalancer post was right on the money.

 

They did 1 TA and consider themselves experts and made a short film. I completed 2 TA's in my first 4 months at sea, spending over 35 years at sea, so have lost count of the number of TA's completed. BTW - I never watched the film, since I know from extensive experience what it is like crossing the Atlantic, in most months of the year, and know that very few TA's are a similar experiences.

 

If you want qualified opinions on a TA, I suggest asking some real experts, who have crossed in both directions, in most months of the year.

 

Personally, I don't pay any attention to clickbait films designed to make revenue for the publishers. With some research, you will find lots of relevant info from pax and Officers/Crew that have more experience.

[MBP&O2/O]

3 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

They did 1 TA and consider themselves experts and made a short film. I completed 2 TA's in my first 4 months at sea, spending over 35 years at sea, so have lost count of the number of TA's completed. BTW - I never watched the film, since I know from extensive experience what it is like crossing the Atlantic, in most months of the year, and know that very few TA's are a similar experiences.

 

Agree, and in those days ... minimal creature comforts, minimal 'fresh food. Obviously no Internet and computers.

BP said they would try and get you home in six months but don't count on it.🫡

Having said that they supplied a box of three, three reel films of dubious quality🙂

[Heidi13]

11 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

 

Agree, and in those days ... minimal creature comforts, minimal 'fresh food. Obviously no Internet and computers.

BP said they would try and get you home in six months but don't count on it.🫡

Having said that they supplied a box of three, three reel films of dubious quality🙂

 

P&O were exactly the same. I joined Wild Auk for 4 months in January 1977, finally got off after 9 months in September. The company wanted to keep us on for the upcoming drydock, but the Master took pity on us and directed the Agent to get us flights home from Yugoslavia.

[Hlitner]

I do find "one cruise wonders" posts quite interesting.  Am all for folks posting their experiences/opinions and we find it fascinating to read conclusions based on a single experience on a single line.  Also fun to read Heidi's posts about the ole days on various vessels.  As we have previously posted, having done dozens of both TAs and Trans Pacifics, we are truly addicted to the longer cruises with lots of lazy sea days.  But at this point of our life we do avoid the ships that still have "hairy chest competitions,"  diving for spoons, etc :).    My ideal cruise would be 10+ consecutive days at sea without a single PA announcement 🙂

 

Hank

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Our Celebrity TA on the Constellation just had 8 seaday as the cancelled the Azores and add Gibraltar do to bad weather , so it was Gibraltar to Nassau, and they could have skipped Nassau for what it is 😁

wasn’t the smoothest crossing but it was warm out 

 

[mawvkysc]

I enjoyed the video but didn’t find it on this thread.  I happened to just find it perusing YouTube. 

[travelgma]

Enjoyed this video.  We are going on our 1st TA in April.

[MBP&O2/O]

One of our HQ office 'experts', who had never even seen a company ship, suggested the best and quickest route from Uddevalla to Baltimore was the transatlantic route using a Great Circle course, starting when we had sailed around the top end of Scotland ........... in December? The isobaric chart looked like the scribbling of a demented child😁

We went South 🙄

( fao Andy .... Wild Marlin and a full load of tractors👍)

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

One of our HQ office 'experts', who had never even seen a company ship, suggested the best and quickest route from Uddevalla to Baltimore was the transatlantic route using a Great Circle course, starting when we had sailed around the top end of Scotland ........... in December? The isobaric chart looked like the scribbling of a demented child😁

We went South 🙄

( fao Andy .... Wild Marlin and a full load of tractors👍)

 

On completion of the Haifa/UK citrus shuttle, we also loaded a full load of tractors on Wild Auk, sailing from Antwerp to Wilmington, North Carolina. Spent the entire crossing with the other cadet walking each tween deck daily, tightening the spanish windlasses.

 

Fortunately it was early April, not winter. One of my few TA's where we enjoyed smooth sailing.

[MBP&O2/O]

Which made me think .... completely off topic .... Wild boats and such .... apart from Puerto Bolivar, were there any other ports that loaded bananas, manually,  through the side doors? Odd question but grandson doesn't believe me🙄

[Heidi13]

9 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

Which made me think .... completely off topic .... Wild boats and such .... apart from Puerto Bolivar, were there any other ports that loaded bananas, manually,  through the side doors? Odd question but grandson doesn't believe me🙄

 

Puerto Bolivar is the only port I know of.