Has anyone relocated to Europe via a transatlantic cruise?

[Deep68]

I am planning to move to Spain next year and looking to do so via a cruise. I have heard of other people doing the same.

I will be taking a lot of luggage with me and have heard that some cruise lines will allow you to take extra luggage that can be stored as cargo rather than being delivered to your cabin.

Has anyone any experiance with this and which cruise lines will provide this service?

[Heidi13]

9 hours ago, Deep68 said:

I am planning to move to Spain next year and looking to do so via a cruise. I have heard of other people doing the same.

I will be taking a lot of luggage with me and have heard that some cruise lines will allow you to take extra luggage that can be stored as cargo rather than being delivered to your cabin.

Has anyone any experiance with this and which cruise lines will provide this service?

 

Back in the days of "Liners" most of the ships had cargo holds and we routinely shipped excess baggage, even vehicles. However, modern cruise ships do not have cargo holds and storage space is at a premium.

 

Your best bet will be to discuss with which ever cruise line you are considering. Many have limits on the amount of luggage you can bring. However, you will probably have to ship you additional personal effect with a commercial carrier.

[RICHARD@SEA]

I did a repo cruise 3 years ago(tho not to Europe) NYC - MIami on MSC...it was a 13 day cruise - I was trying out a move to FL....when i finished packing I had 14 suitcases/pieces of luggage.  I ordered a large UBER & when I arrived at the pier in NYC I apologized to the porter for so many bags - he said " this is nothing".

 

I was able to store the bags under the bed, alongside the bed & in the closets (less my clothes for the cruise).  Upon arriving in Miami I had an Uber van & friends pick me up - easy....

 

One thing i learned is that i could of left a third of the packing home - I also bought new clothes etc in Florida. So be prepared.

 

I'm going to Europe in September for 3 months w 2 suitcases & one carryon.  I'll have 39 days (RT transatlantic & 1 Med cruise)on ships - laundry service is great onboard.

 

Good luck....don't overthink or overpack.

[Hlitner]

We met a couple of did a relocation on a HAL cruise from Rotterdam to NYC.  But, in your situation I would first contact the cruise lines that have repositioning cruises to Barcelona.  There are some options including HAL, Regent Seven Seas, and Disney.  These would all be in the Spring.  Otherwise, your best bet is the Queen Mary 2 from NYC to Southampton (and than you need to deal with moving stuff to Spain.   You would need to directly contact each cruise line and ask about how much you can ship...and at what cost.

 

Hank

[ldock]

Wow, great idea!  Sounds so much better than a flight! Enjoy! 

[RD64]

In 2011 I did a transatlantic from NYC to Rotterdam. There were several American military families that were re-locating to  Brussels. There also was another family moving back to Spain, and family where the husband / father were moving to Europe to take up a position at the United Nations. The Americans told me that, although it was being paid for by the US government, the ship passage was less than regular airfare, plus they were able to take extra luggage and not wait to have it shipped.

 

In 2019 from Lisbon to Boston, there was a couple returning to live in Canada who were able to disembark in Halifax. There was also a 20ish gentleman immigrating to Canada who chose to come by ship - again because it was cheaper than the one way airfare.

[shippmates]

I have chatted with several passengers on the Queen Mary 2 transatlantic moving to France.  She was sailing to Southampton and then on to France along with her pets and lots of luggage.  I have also encountered people relocating from Europe to the US.  It is so much easier sailing than flying,  No dealing with jet lag on the ship.  The cruise lines would be able to answer all the questions that you have as I am sure they do this quite often.  

[NoBoozeCruise]

You can often find luggage restrictions on the cruise lines website, easy to find with the search function. The few I looked up said you can bring a much as you can carry. 

 

Just tip the porter heavily and you should be fine.

 

Do NOT sail to a different country. Southampton looks close to Spain, but after Brexit UK cargo delivery fees have tripled. Make sure you are sailing to as close to your final destination as possible or you will pay more to get your bags to Spain from the UK than the whole cruise cost.  

 

MSC often stop at Spanish ports enroute to Italy. Also check Costa. 

[heatherwillis]

Thanks for the luggage tip – bringing as much as you can carry is a game-changer.  And who knew about those Brexit-related cargo delivery fees? Yikes! Important heads-up for anyone sailing to the UK. Checking out MSC and Costa for Spanish ports is a smart move.  If you need help with the next steps after the cruise, Three Movers might have some helpful insights. Bon voyage and happy settling into your new European home!

[Down-Unders]

On 7/13/2023 at 12:00 PM, Heidi13 said:

 

Back in the days of "Liners" most of the ships had cargo holds and we routinely shipped excess baggage, even vehicles. However, modern cruise ships do not have cargo holds and storage space is at a premium.

 

Your best bet will be to discuss with which ever cruise line you are considering. Many have limits on the amount of luggage you can bring. However, you will probably have to ship you additional personal effect with a commercial carrier.

" Modern cruise ships storage have limited storage" Where did you get that information from ?

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, Down-Unders said:

" Modern cruise ships storage have limited storage" Where did you get that information from ?

 

From working on both the older liners and more modern cruise ships, as a Deck Officer.

[Down-Unders]

On 7/13/2023 at 2:20 AM, Deep68 said:

I am planning to move to Spain next year and looking to do so via a cruise. I have heard of other people doing the same.

I will be taking a lot of luggage with me and have heard that some cruise lines will allow you to take extra luggage that can be stored as cargo rather than being delivered to your cabin.

Has anyone any experiance with this and which cruise lines will provide this service?

Certainly you will be able to do this,  sorry I cannot advise what cruise line  as  you are going to Spain. You would maybe have to look at a repositioning with say Holland America,  sailed  Tampa to Barcelona with HAL, the ship was heading to Europe for the summer season, it was the Ryndam no longer in service, HAL still do repositioning cruises so could be a good idea to try them. Good Luck!

[cant_remember]

How do you guys hitch rides on lines such as MSC? Try as I might all I find is that those lines no longer take on passengers.

 

I only found one travel agency (Cruise People Ltd) that claims to have resumed transatlantic, but their website is no longer online (except a Wordpress blog), their email bounces back with "account disabled" and their office is now a vet clinic So I presume they've gone out of business.

[Heidi13]

6 hours ago, cant_remember said:

How do you guys hitch rides on lines such as MSC? Try as I might all I find is that those lines no longer take on passengers.

 

I only found one travel agency (Cruise People Ltd) that claims to have resumed transatlantic, but their website is no longer online (except a Wordpress blog), their email bounces back with "account disabled" and their office is now a vet clinic So I presume they've gone out of business.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic. May I suggest checking out the dedicated board for cruising on cargo ships. Here is the link

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/378-freighter-and-other-non-traditional-cruise-travel/

 

There were a few agencies listed in posts a few years ago, but I'm not certain that any cargo ships have resumed carrying pax, with the exception of the one operating in the South Pacific.