Trans Atlantic Cruise as a means of travel to Italy

The $599, probably for an inside cabin, soon grows to much more when you consider getting to the departure port from, in your case, Oregon, and even perhaps having to book a hotel room in that port to ensure you will board in time. While on board you will be assessed approx. $12 per day for tips, plus any drinks, soft or alcohol will be added to your shipboard bill. Then, of course, you still have to fly back to the USA after the holiday. It is a way to do it but not for any savings. I met a couple on the QM2 year before last who spend half the year in London and half in NYC and always cross both ways by Cunard to avoid the unpleasantness of nowaday flying.

I think it is an option to travel that way if you don't work and have a lot of time for your trip. As Norma said, there will be additional costs, but if you treat it as part of your total trip and not just as a means of transportation it is a good value. I have a coworker who took a repositioning cruise last Spring to Spain, where the ship finally let them off in Barcelona. They spent a couple of days there, then flew home. They had been there before, but she said she felt sad that they didn't have more time to spend in Europe after the cruise. I know someone else who booked a repositioning cruise for last Fall, going from Europe to the U.S. She used airline miles to get to Europe, so all in all it was to be a very inexpensive way to travel. I have not spoken to her since the trip, so I don't know how she felt about it after she actually made the trip.

i have never done this but i have looked into cruises that start in europe and end in new york city. the idea of stepping off the boat, walking a couple of blocks to the subway and taking it to my apartment vs flying home? sign me up! but the more i looked into it....the prices are per person, not per cabin. if you are traveling solo, its going to be much more. then theres the matter of getting there (or in your case, getting home) a one way flight isnt that much less than a round trip flight. so you are still paying for the flight. but if for you, the whole part of being on vacation on the cruise is something you generally want to do - like you said, good food, entertainment, etc. then i would go for it. i still may do it one day. after reading your post i went and looked and saw one that goes from amsterdam to norway to greenland to iceland (maybe not in that order) and then to new york. id love to take this. but for a solo traveler, its up over $4k.

It is what it is. Not sure why Norma is so negative. The repositioning cruises are always good value but you need to consider how you will get home. One way tickets can be very expensive. Or just wait till boat goes back in the Fall. But, it is a slow and gracious way to get there. One of these days we will do it.

Thanks all! I have over 200,000 frequent flier miles so the flight back is no problem. We are retired so time is not a problem either. We want to spend a month in Italy mostly hitting the smaller towns and places we didn't see on the Rick Steves 21 day best of Europe we took two years ago. I just wanted to float the idea to see who might have done it in the past and what they thought about the idea. Thanks to all again!! We'll let you know if we decide to go that route. I am married so it won't be the single rate. Also the 13 day cruise is $599.00 for inside cabin. We don't mind inside cabin's because we usually stay up late dancing and only use the cabin for sleep. Thanks again
Jim

We often go on cruises in our "off years" when not traveling to Europe. A repositioning cruise is a fantastic buy if you have the 2 weeks to spend on the ship getting there. I wouldn't advise such a trip to someone that's not an experienced cruiser, as you'll be at sea many days without seeing land. It's just not for everyone. Most such cruises are from South Florida and Puerto Rico. Go for it if you think it's you're up to the trip and have the time. The price is right.

I've enjoyed reading a blog called Home Free Adventures. The couple sold their home and are spending about eight months of the year away from the U.S., much of the time in Europe. They often use repositioning cruises to get back and forth and she has written a couple of posts about it.

If I had the time I'd do it. When I was ((much)) younger my family took us back and forth frequently between NYC and Southampton in England. We started before the Boeing 707 arrived (we were on one of its first flights out of what was then called Idlewild Airport (now JFK) and took our last liner in the mid '60s. The trips were great fun and now that there is the Queen Victoria added to the fleet if I were in a position to do a trans-Atlantic run (I'm not) I would. As we sailed in all 4 seasons, and I've experienced the North Atlantic in winter, I'd be concerned (for comfort, not safety) if the cruise were between, say, November and April. If you do go for it I hope you have a wonderful time, and PLEASE submit a trip report here after you return...

Three years ago we took a transpacific to Japan because we didn't want a long flight. Looking back, we wonder if 9 days at sea was a smart trade-off for 12 hours. But we had a ball. This past April we took a 16 night Holland America from Ft. Lauderdale to Barcelona. We bought our air through the cruise line as it was very competitively priced and allowed us the flexibility we wanted. We traveled independently for 3 weeks after the cruise and flew home from Paris.We had 30 days from disembarking to use the return flight ticket. varying departure cities were available, price depending. And, the trip interruption/medical evac insurance we purchased with the package covered us the entire post-cruise period until we went home. Repositioning cruises can be a great value. There are many options on many lines. You won't save time or money, but that's not why you travel, is it?

If you have the time (and the airline miles for your flight home) this is a great way to travel. We did it in 2009 ... Puerto Rico to Barcelona, followed by two weeks in France. The only challenge for us was packing the appropriate clothing for the cruise without overpacking. We didn't want to lug heavy suitcases around France, so we chose our wardrobes very carefully and were able to travel with just our normal carry-on bags. Our cruise had a couple of formal nights, so we rented a tux for my husband, which came with shoes & a couple of shirts. We arranged the tux rental from the cruise line ahead of time; it was hanging in our closet when we got on board. I think that cost $85... well worth it.

Doesn't the cruise line offer discounted return air fare? They all used to.

Nigel, it has been my experience that I can find better airfares than those offered by the cruise line. Plus I don't get routed through Cincinnati or Dallas for a flight to Montreal from Europe.

13 days in an internal (= no window) cabin, without broadband Internet? No way. At least, not for me.

My parents love cruises, but you couldn't pay me to spend 13 days on one of those floating Petri dishes. Just goes to show that there's no "one-size-fits-all" approach to travel. And BTW, Norma was just trying to add a little "reality check". Happy travels.

The original post was in January. Presumably the OP made his decision some time ago, since the cruise ships are all happily repositioned by now. Johnny (come-lately) appears to be using the thread for an ulterior motive - I have brought it to the attention of the Webmaster.