Suggestions for transatlantic cruises leaving from Europe?

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TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only

I have been on about 20 cruises with 4 different cruise lines and to many places including the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Alaska and the Baltic countries. So I gave give you some pointers to get you started.

I take it from your comment about flying "out to the states" that you are located in Europe somewhere. So let me say this first. You really do not have to fly to the US to do a cruise unless you want to go to the Caribbean, Bermuda, the Bahamas, or Alaska. There are plenty of cruises leaving from European ports. There are cruises leaving from England, Germany, Spain, Italy, and other countries. If you are in England you can depart from Dover, Southampton, or Harwich. I have cruised out of Dover and come back into Harwich. The main departure port in Spain is Barcelona. You can leave from the Italian cities of Venice, Rome (Civitavecchia). In fact, with all of the cruise lines operating in Europe you have numerous places to get on a cruise ship.

The main cruise lines that most people use are Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, Celebrity, and Holland America. The Cunard line does mainly transatlantic sailing and the Disney cruise lines does mainly Caribbean and Bahamas cruises.

If you want to take a cruise starting in Europe the itineraries available would be places like the Mediterranean, the Baltic, Ireland, and some others that include port stops in Greece, Dubai, and even Egypt. You have to decide where you want to go and which ports are most important to you. The benefit of doing a European cruise for you if you ARE in Europe is its a short train or plane ride to and from the port.

Another type cruise that you can consider if you really want to get to the US is either a transatlantic from Europe or what is called a "repositioning" cruise. A transatlantic would likely take you from England or Spain to New York City. A repositioning cruise will likely cross the Atlantic but include stops in places like the Canary Islands, Bermuda, and maybe a port or two in the Caribbean before the ship reaches its final destination which may be in Florida in the US. Repositioning cruises are generally a great deal and allow you to see ports combined in one cruise that are not the normal. These cruises generally occur twice a year, in the Spring and in the Fall, when the cruise lines are moving the ship to a new location for the summer or winter season. The repositioning cruise is also typically longer than the straight transatlantic, maybe 12 to 14 days vs 7 for a normal crossing.

You can find repositioning cruise by simply searching for them on the cruise line web sites:

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/search/vacationSearchResult.do;jsessionid=00001hLdZjWnfFNvs5Uz_W6QF4V:12hbiocus?qvsHome=yes&cS=QVS&date=ANY&dest=ISLAN&port=ANY&ship=ANY&cruiseTourOnly=false&x=43&y=9

You should know that all of the cruise lines give the best price for early bookings that are a year or more in advance. Also, all cruise cabins are sold based on double occupancy and the prices listed will be per person and based on at least two people going on the cruise. You can go solo but you will have to pay a single supplement which is basically a double fare.

You should also know that the price of your cruise will depend upon the type accommodations that you choose and there are 4 basic types of cabins on ships; inside (no window), outside (a window or porthole), balcony/veranda, and suites. The "FROM" prices you see will always be for an inside cabin.

As for a dollar figure, I have listed below the web sites for the medium priced cruise lines which operate from US ports. There are some luxury lines that are much higher priced with prices starting around $4,000 for a 7 day cruise. The lines that I have listed below will have cruises starting in the range of $800 to $1,000 per person for a 7 day cruise, again depending upon the date and type cabin you select.

HOLLAND AMERICA
http://www.hollandamerica.com/

CELEBRITY:
http://www.celebritycruises.com/home .

ROYAL CARIBBEAN:
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/gohome.d.....

NORWEGIAN:
http://www.ncl.com/

PRINCESS:
http://www.princess.com/index.html

CARNIVAL:
http://www.carnivalcruiselines.com/

What I recommend is that you go to the cruise lines and click on the link for specials and browse what is available. I have been on Princess, Celebrity, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean ships and can vouch that they are good cruise lines. There are some differences. Princess, Celebrity and Holland America have great ships are more reserved. Holland America has more senior citizens cruising on its ships. Carnival has more first time cruiser and young people who want to party, party, party. Royal Caribbean caters most to families and has the most and best on ship activities. Royal Caribbean's web site is the easiest to find specials on; the link to its "hot deals" is in red. RC is my favorite !!!

Now, I hope this is enough to get you started.

JC44

i believe cunard has over 100 years of classic ocean liner heritage. they are the only line that offers regular transatlantic voyages. for info on the line go to www.cruisecritic.com and research the line and its fleet. i believe the line caters to the upper class but the ships are beautiful and state of the art. they at one time had the largest ship ever, the qm2. although it is not the biggest ship it is still the biggest ship equiped for transatlantic travel. they also offer caribean cruises but less frequently unlike other lines. still a great experience tho. much better than flying

john carlo

Best cruise ever was Disney! I know people may think its just for children, but Disney cruises offers something for everyone.There were retired people , couples on their honeymoon, singles etc... I have taken them while I was in Europe, Italy and to the Mexico,Caribbean. They made it a positive experience for all, they really work hard in making it the best cruise ever . I think it all depends on the adventure you are looking for, flying out or just picking up the cruise.What ever you decide, I have been on a lot of cruise ships and by far the best has been Disney!

randall_nd

Transatlantic. Deninately the Queen Mary 2

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