Transatlantic or TransPacific-Spring or Fall

[DbPA]

Considering a repositioning cruise. What is weather like?  Which region and which season will have better weather?  I am apprehensive about rocky seas?? I worry about Fall during Hurricane season.  Appreciate thoughts from frequent cruisers. 

[Pratique]

The open sea can be fickle. The North Atlantic is notorious, but crossings further south may be better.

 

The ships will navigate away from hurricanes, but strong ones can send swells out for hundreds of miles.

 

My perspective is that it is better to be on a massive modern cruise ship with stabilizers than one of those rickety wooden boats that plied the seas a couple hundred years ago. Everyone has their tolerance level - some things that used to cause motion sickness for me no longer do, while others that didn't before may do so now - and if it happens then I am better at managing it now than I used to be. My wife finds that lying down with head and feet pointing toward the sides of the ship helps a lot. These cruises are really great for folks who like to be at sea and my humble opinion is that if you are one of those, then you should give it a go.

Edited April 23 by Pratique

[barbeyg]

We are currently on the Odyssey TA. While we could have rougher seas ahead of us, the most we’ve had so far is 7 to 8 foot seas. Tomorrow is projected to be 5 to 6 foot seas. Yesterday, if we hadn’t known better we would have thought we weren’t moving, it was so smooth. People I’ve met who’ve done both spring and fall said the negative to spring is moving forward one hour multiple nights in a row (we did our first last night). Seas may be calmer than the fall. YMMV
 

For the fall coming back to US, potentially rougher seas due to late tropical activity and fall cool fronts. But you gain an hour multiple nights. 🙂 

 

We plan to do both. Multiple times hopefully. If you’re prone to sea sickness, you could potentially be just as sick in the Caribbean. 

[taglovestocruise]

1 hour ago, DbPA said:

Considering a repositioning cruise. What is weather like?  Which region and which season will have better weather?  I am apprehensive about rocky seas?? I worry about Fall during Hurricane season.  Appreciate thoughts from frequent cruisers. 

We have done 4 transatlantic in the fall. Barcelona to FLL, Rome to FLL and Southampton to FLL.  Weather has been great for all of them.  A little cool until you leave the Med then shorts and t shirts every day.  Seas have always been calm even in a slight rain burst. We have done one Eastbound and it was cold and windy every day. Our favorite is on a Oasis Class.  Remember if you get a balcony that the sun never sees the Port side eastbound or the starboard side west bound. 

[RobInMN]

We have not done a TA or a TP yet, but have Allure TA booked for Fall of 2025. The way my wife and I look at it, we'd rather have the long international flight at the start of our vacation, and the short domestic flight at the end. So, to that end, Fall TA from Europe to the US, and someday a Spring TP from Australia to the US. Retirement plan - Fly to Australia, land tours of Australian/New Zealand of things you wont get from a cruise, then B2?/3?B (Australia/New Zealand B2B's), then B2B TP's back to the US (or Vancouver if that's what we have to do)

[SbbquilterUT]

We have sailed spring and fall, both were lovely cruises with no real weather, but you never know.  Fall was warmer than spring though both so much fun and so much better than the long flight.

[Teeara]

On 4/23/2024 at 2:47 PM, DbPA said:

Considering a repositioning cruise. What is weather like?  Which region and which season will have better weather?  I am apprehensive about rocky seas?? I worry about Fall during Hurricane season.  Appreciate thoughts from frequent cruisers. 

We did the westbound TA on Wonder in October/November of 2022.  We had a fantastic time and we only had a few days that were a little "rough".  I made a video showing what the conditions were like during the crossing.  I hope this gives you an idea as to what to expect.

 

 

[taglovestocruise]

1 hour ago, Teeara said:

We did the westbound TA on Wonder in October/November of 2022.  We had a fantastic time and we only had a few days that were a little "rough".  I made a video showing what the conditions were like during the crossing.  I hope this gives you an idea as to what to expect.

 

 

Great video, we have done 5 Westbound TA'S and all have been just like your video. After leaving the Med it has always been shorts and T Shirts every day. Oasis Class TA'S are fantastic, super bonus when 1500 kids are not there. , 

[Teeara]

10 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

Great video, we have done 5 Westbound TA'S and all have been just like your video. After leaving the Med it has always been shorts and T Shirts every day. Oasis Class TA'S are fantastic, super bonus when 1500 kids are not there. , 

Glad to hear the weather is consistent!

[bonsai3s]

Mother Nature is unpredictable.

 

We are currently onboard the Ovation...transpacific.

 

We sailed around New Zealand the first of B4B. The weather was cold and we encountered rough seas...our stop in Picton was cancelled.

 

From Sydney, the weather's been relatively mild...rain in the morning in Raiatea...but it has been warm/hot and sunny the past 14 days. Wonderful weather in Tahiti and Moorea. Expecting more beautiful days sailing into Honolulu.

[Hogbay]

The weather men should be giving out lottery numbers , there is a chance you might win because they always say there's is a chance of rain and get it wrong more than right . Best bet is have a look out side the window and make up your own mind . As for cruising , fly first cruise home .🙂

[Arubamoose]

We have not done a TA (our daughter giving birth to our first grandchild kinda killed that).

But we did a TP on the Explorer in 2017 from Sydney to Seattle. We left Sydney on April 22nd and arrived in Seattle on May 15th.  Our weather was perfect for all our stops in the Hawaiian Island and the South Pacific.  No storms - no rain.  

[Cherful59]

I was on Radiance from Hawaii to Vancouver in early May several years ago.  The Islands were smooth, the 5 days from Hawaii to Vancouver we had one rockier day only.  I took used bonine, a couple of green apples and mint tea, ate light meals and was fine by the next day when things were steadier.  I have a weak stomach, it did not stop me and I would do it again in a heartbeat and have been looking at TA’s. 

[Tolkmit]

I did a transatlantic on Serenade in fall of 2019, heading to Boston when Hurricane Dorian hit the area. It resulted in us missing 2 planned ports, going to one unplanned port, and getting into Boston 1 day late. The seas were only mildly rougher than other transatlantics I've done; they did a great job sailing around the rough stuff.

 

I always prefer west bound due to time changes. You deal with jet lag either way; but 25 hour days on board >>> 23 hour days on board.

[Teeara]

11 hours ago, Tolkmit said:

I did a transatlantic on Serenade in fall of 2019, heading to Boston when Hurricane Dorian hit the area. It resulted in us missing 2 planned ports, going to one unplanned port, and getting into Boston 1 day late. The seas were only mildly rougher than other transatlantics I've done; they did a great job sailing around the rough stuff.

 

I always prefer west bound due to time changes. You deal with jet lag either way; but 25 hour days on board >>> 23 hour days on board.

I’m with you on those 25 hour days.  So sweet!

[lovesthebeach2]

We’ve done multiple crossings from Hawaii to Vancouver, an Eastern TA in the spring and a couple of Western TAs in the fall, as well as an Arctic crossing.

 

Seas can be rough or calm anywhere and anytime. Last October coming back from Rome a couple of days the sea was like glass! And a couple of days it was a bit rocky.

Plan to go where you want to go, when you want to go…..for us, we like the fall TAs back to the US from Europe….we would rather gain the extra 6 hours than lose them.
In fact we’ll be on Odyssey again in November for the fall TA back to Cape Liberty.

[mugtech]

         Have done the TA in both directions, prefer heading west with 25 hour days rather than east with 23 hour days.  Gonna try Japan to Seattle in 2026, April 25 to May 9 on the Anthem, hoping the Pacific lives up to its name.