Transatlantic Crossings

I have crossed from NYC to Southampton several times on the QM2 and may do it again in the spring. On the last crossing we met a couple who live 6 months in NY and 6 months in London, and always cross by sea, on Cunard. Sweet life. Check Cunard's T.A. crossing schedule and special offers. Off season fares are less expensive.

Look for a repositioning cruise.

Tramp freighters are a thing of the far past. Going as a pax on a freighter costs a heck of a lot more than you'd think and can take seven evers, but they're pretty spiffy.

See HomeFreeAdventures.com for a section on repositioning cruises.

Many of the mainstream line go to Europe in the sprig and return to the US in the fall. 11 nights on the NCL Epic go for $559 pp in an inside cabin. You would most likely need to return on the QM2 - but you could save $$$ at least one direction

A great way to search cruises is Vacations To Go: http://www.vacationstogo.com/custom.cfm

Under "Choose A Region," you can choose "Transatlantic" or "Repositioning," and get options.

Also look at Cruise Critic. They don't seem to have specific forums for transatlantic or repositioning cruises, but here's their "Freighter and Other Non-Traditional Cruise Travel" Forum: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=485.

We are taking our second repositioning cruise next April, from Ft. Lauderdale to Rome. $999 per person for a room with balcony; there were inside cabins around $600 but for 13 nights we wanted more room & light. It stops in Portugal, Gibralter & Spain on the way to Rome. This is a Celebrity ship but there are many other similar cruises. If you can stay in Europe until October, you could probably find a repositioning cruise to bring you back home. Or try the QE 2. Check out CruCon for great cruise deals.

We have never been on any other type of cruise but thoroughly enjoyed our first repositioning cruise 4 years ago and are looking forward to this one.

I also use vacationstogo.com to see the big picture, and then book directly with the cruiseline. We have done 3, and hope to do more. They can be an excellent value. April 2014 we took Holland America, 14 days Ft. Lauderdale to Rome. Balconies started at $599 per person. We also bought our air from HAL as well for $600 pp from Rome to Columbus, Oh. It can be a week on the water before you stop, but we are always surprised how quickly the time passes. You meet a lot of nice people over a longer cruise. And there's just a tad to snack on. Good luck.

Thanks to all.

Silly question but does that $1198 for the QM2 include meals? I cannot find that information on their website.

Lola,

To answer your question, yes, it includes meals in the main dining hall. Speciality restaurants will cost a small fee. Sailing TransAtlantic on the QM2 was one of my most favorite trips!

Amanda

Thank you, Amanda.

You have already the answer about meals being included. A lovely perk is that you can have room service, too, included in your fare. We always order coffee, juice and fruit to be delivered to our stateroom. And then at our leisure we go to the dining room later for a proper breakfast. Not included are alcoholic drinks and coffees or soft drinks . Coffee at meal times is included generally. Late afternoon you can have tea and pastries brought to your room or a cheese platter and wine (wine is not free). Entertainment on board is gratis and there is plenty to do.

After two weeks in the UK we returned on an NCL ship, from Dover to Shetlands to Iceland to Newfoundland to Nova Scotia to NYC, 11 days total. Probably our favorite of the dozen or so cruises we've done. It was September so a little nippy out there in the North Atlantic, but enjoyable stops, fun and interesting fellow passengers (many Brits and Canadians). It's a great way to get to or from Europe if you have time. And -- no jet, no jet lag! ;)

Wow, those sound like great experiences. If only I could take a long trip in off-peak times. I can't travel for any length of time other than late June-July. At least, I will dream about making that epic trip when I retire in 14 years.