Sarah BretzI just got back from my first cruise across the Atlantic Ocean, and it was an unforgettable experience. The unique voyage started off with five full days at sea, followed by a mix of more sea days and port calls in beautiful locales. Throughout the sailing, I gathered knowledge on how transatlantic cruises work, what I did right, and what I’d do differently next time. With that in mind, I’ve put together this list of transatlantic cruise tips to help you plan a fun and memorable ocean crossing.
1. Pack clothes for variable weather
One of the most important things I learned on my first transatlantic crossing is that you need to pack for a variety of weather conditions. My sailing left New York City in April and arrived in Barcelona in May, and I was not prepared for how chilly most of the days during the crossing would be. Of course, your mileage will vary depending on what time of year you’re sailing and where your ship departs from/arrives into. But the conditions on my cruise ranged from cold and rainy to very warm and sunny, and everything in between.
For most of the crossing, I was in pants and a sweatshirt whenever I was outside. I was glad I brought both warm-weather and cool-weather clothes, but I wished I had brought even more long-sleeve shirts and maybe one extra pair of pants. Also – bring a hat or knit headband to keep your ears warm. I saw people wearing full-on hats with pom-poms and I brought a thick knit headband, and I was very glad I did for those windy, chilly moments out on deck.
2. Prepare for the motion of the ocean
The waters can be more choppy on a transatlantic cruise than you’re probably used to in the Caribbean or Mediterranean. Even if you don’t normally need any seasickness medication or aids during a cruise, you might want to consider packing some for your transatlantic voyage. Whether you bring some acupressure wristbands just in case or put on patches ahead of setting sail, it’s better to be prepared than unprepared and wishing you had thought ahead.
If you’re prone to motion sickness or are worried it might affect you on the voyage, you should also take that into consideration when choosing your stateroom. To minimize movement, go for a cabin towards the middle of the ship on a lower deck. Aft and forward cabins, as well as those on higher decks, are more likely to feel the effects of the ocean.
3. Be aware of the gradual time change
Just like if you were driving cross-country, the time zones you’re in will change gradually as you cross the Atlantic Ocean. If you’re heading east, you’ll lose time as you cross. If you’re heading west, you’ll gain time. During my transatlantic cruise, we lost an hour each night for most days — but not all — of the initial crossing. We then lost another hour once we started visiting ports, specifically between the ports on the western side of the Strait of Gibraltar and the ports east of it in the Mediterranean.
The good news is that you’ll only lose (or gain) one hour at a time, so your days aren’t thrown off too much. On my sailing, the shipboard time officially changed at 2 am each of the nights that we were set to lose an hour. I will say, despite only losing one hour at a time, I did feel it and was tired several mornings when the time had changed. It was also a weird feeling because we lost an hour almost every night for the first half of the cruise, so it took a while to feel “caught up” with the sleep we were losing. Despite that, it was great arriving in Europe without jet lag.
4. Enjoy a pre and/or post-cruise stay
If your cruise begins on the opposite side of the ocean from where you live, arrive in the homeport city at least 1-2 days before the cruise begins. If your transatlantic flight gets delayed or canceled, you don’t have as many timely options for rebooking a flight to make it to the ship in time. It’s best to have lots of leeway in case things don’t go exactly according to plan. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to start getting acclimated to the time zone change before you even board the ship.
As well, it’s also fun to explore a new city if your cruise begins and/or ends in a place you’ve never visited before. Instead of heading straight to the airport, stay a few extra days to enjoy some of the best sights, food, and experiences there before heading home. Bonus: you won’t feel quite as sad to leave the ship, as your vacation won’t be over yet!
5. Bring down-time activities
You’ll have a lot more free time on a transatlantic cruise than you’re probably used to on other sailings. While there’s lots to do on board, from planned activities to the ship’s amenities, you’re still likely to have quite a bit of down time and lots of sea days. Most ships will have board games, puzzles, and maybe even a small library of books you can read. But it’s a good idea to bring some things of your own to stay occupied, too. You can bring things like books/an e-reader, card games, word puzzle books, or a journal. The list of potential items to bring that are small and easy to pack is a long one. Think about how you want to spend your down time on the ship, and pack accordingly.
You might also be wondering how the ship’s wifi handled crossing the Atlantic Ocean. I was sailing aboard Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady using the ship’s Premium Wi-Fi connection, so I can only speak to the quality of my specific internet situation and ship. With that being said, I’m happy to report that it was fantastic. While there are always some little hiccups with cruise ship internet here and there (a moving ship connecting to satellite internet is not going to be the same as your internet at home!), overall the connection was fast and reliable. We were able to easily browse and upload to social media, send emails, browse the web, and even stream things like YouTube.
6. See if your cruise line offers status matching
If you have status with one cruise line but are taking your transatlantic cruise with another, check to see if the line you’re sailing with does status matching. For example, MSC Cruises offers status matching not only with other cruise lines, but with a number of hotel brands as well. Other cruise lines status match within their own company, like Royal Caribbean Group; if you have status with Celebrity, you can match into the equivalent status on Royal Caribbean.
If you’re able to status match into a higher tier, you might receive very useful perks like a free bag of laundry or free alcoholic drinks. Other common loyalty perks include things like discounted wifi packages, free specialty dining meals, and priority boarding and reservations.
Of course if you’re sailing with a line that you already have status with, be sure to take advantage of those benefits. They can become even more useful when taking a longer cruise like a transatlantic.
7. Pack magnetic hooks for your stateroom
Unless you’re sailing aboard Queen Mary 2, transatlantic cruises are long… usually 13-15+ nights long. And unless your ship has self-service laundry rooms or you get free laundry service, you might want to minimize how much you utilize the laundry service on board (if you use it at all). Therefore, you’ll probably be packing more clothing than you normally would on a cruise. If you’re sailing with at least one other person, storage space can run out quickly. This goes for other items too, such as backpacks, purses, hats, and belts — not to mention wet swimsuits, cover-ups, and robes.
To help create more storage space, bring magnetic hooks. Your stateroom’s walls are most likely metal, which means bringing extra hooks creates more space for hanging things to keep them off other surfaces.
Bonus Tip: Metal walls also mean that if you collect magnets from the different ports you visit, you can display them in your cabin throughout the voyage. It’s a great way to add some personal flair to your stateroom and start enjoying your souvenirs right away.
8. Look for cruise fare deals
Transatlantic cruises — and most repositioning cruises in general — tend to be cheaper per-night than regular voyages that sail round trip from one homeport. If you’re on a tighter budget, a transatlantic cruise can be a great option to enjoy a longer voyage at a discounted rate. You’ll find quite a few sailings that start at well under $100 per person, per night. It’s easy to find 2+ week transatlantic cruises that start at $2,000 or less for two people. Just remember that you’ll need to purchase airfare for at least one end of the cruise, if not both if you don’t live near either homeport.
You should also consider working with a travel advisor, like our friends at MEI-Travel, who can help get you the best deal possible.
9. Research your cruise ship
Since you’ll be spending so much time on your ship during a transatlantic cruise, you’ll want to ensure you pick the right cruise line and ship for you. Do you want a more adult-oriented, laid-back atmosphere? Do you want lots of bells and whistles for your family? Is food your focus? How important is quality entertainment? While the ship may not usually factor as much into your decision-making when planning a cruise, you’ll want to put more weight behind it for a transatlantic voyage.
If you’re cruising on a budget, you also might want to consider how many dining venues on board are included in the cruise fare. Some lines have few included options aside from the buffet and main dining room, while others include all restaurants in the fare. The selection of included dining options might not matter as much on a short weekend cruise or a standard seven-night sailing in Alaska or the Caribbean, but you’ll probably want more variety when crossing the Atlantic and spending several days in a row at sea.
10. Pick your itinerary thoughtfully
In the same vein as choosing your ship carefully, you should also thoughtfully pick an itinerary that best fits your preferences and needs. Do you live in the northeast (or southeast) and want to depart close to home? Do you want to start in Europe so that you’re closer to home once the cruise ends? What are your must-visit ports? If you’re thinking about sailing in the winter (sailings mostly on Cunard), are you okay with choppier seas during the crossing?
I took my transatlantic cruise out of New York City in April and the weather was chilly for most of the crossing. Had my voyage left from Florida or the Caribbean instead, it would have been warmer — especially at the beginning of the cruise. We chose the itinerary we did because we preferred the ports over the equivalent crossing that took a more southerly route, but that’s something to consider as well.
Comments
Have you sailed an Atlantic crossing itinerary? Do you have any other transatlantic cruise tips to add to this list? Drop us an anchor below to share your repositioning cruise experiences.
