What is a Transatlantic Cruise?

When most people think of travel from the U.K. to America and back they envision long, boring flights with no space to move around that end up in jet lag.

What a way to start your holiday – by losing the first day to exhaustion. If you have the time, a trip to America doesn’t have to be like that. Transatlantic cruises are the comfortable and stylish way to get between America and Europe and back.

Not only does a transatlantic crossing put the comfort and luxury into a holiday, but the romance as well for a couple traveling together. This type of cruise is the true high-seas adventure. Transatlantic cruises are typically six to eight days for a one way passage although there are some longer routes and round trips as well. The best times of the year to go are spring and fall when many of the cruise lines are moving ships from one sailing region to another.

Perhaps one of the most well-known and popular ships for these crossings is Cunard’s Queen Mary 2. This ship combines the feel of old-fashioned luxury cruising with all of the most modern technologies. While at sea on the Queen Mary, enjoy the spa, the five pools, and the fitness centers. You can even play a round of golf on their golf simulator. The Queen Mary has the largest ballroom on any cruise ship and the only at-sea planetarium.

Many transatlantic voyages sail from Southampton to New York and ports in Florida. Your trip is not just a cruise straight to the American port. Most have exciting itineraries that include docking at some of the worlds most beautiful ports before you head out to the Atlantic. For instance:

· Depart Southampton
· Dock at the mouth of the Seine River in Le Havre outside of Paris.
· Go on to Cherbourg, France to dock. Cherbourg is right at the mouth of the English Channel and you can visit fortifications built for Louis XIV and the local maritime museum.
· After a day at sea, the ship will dock again in Vigo, Spain. You can see the huge sculpture that shows a half-man-half-sea-creature.
· Another stop before heading across the Atlantic to Miami, Florida is Ponta Delgada in the Azores that was formed from the peaks of underwater volcanic mountains.

There are also transatlantic trips that sail straight out of Southampton to America and make stops at such ports as Port Canaveral, Florida; Charleston, South Carolina; and Bermuda. On the return you may see the Azores; Lisbon, Portugal; and Ireland.

Other cruise lines that offer transatlantic cruises include Carnival, Celebrity, Norwegian Transatlantic, Royal Caribbean, Princess, and Holland America. If you are ready for relaxing lazy days at sea, and a few select, but exciting ports of call, this may the style of cruise for you.

Transatlantic Cruises article by Alicia Chewe