Is Cunard the only transatlantic company?

Many cruiselines do transatlantic crossings but they offer many destinations, and itineraries change from year to year. Some may include UK destinations; many go to Rome or Barcelona, for example. You could check out cruisetransatlantic.com but I don't know how complete or inclusive their listings are. Vacationstogo.com is a good site for getting the big picture. Select Transatlantic in the Cruise region drop down. Or sign up and use the advanced search to narrow the field to include ports you wish to visit; I don't think you can select according to where the cruise ends, but perhaps you can. The eastbound cruises run around March, April, May and autumn routes go westbound...more or less. We have done a few of these and had a great time, though they aren't for everyone...typically around 14 days with many uninterrupted days at sea. Also check into the airfare packages offered by the cruiselines..we got fantastic prices that were a fraction of what independent air would have cost us. Return air may also be negotiable...we got off the ship in Barcelona but flew home from Paris 3 weeks later for the same cost as if we'd flown from Barcelona. On another trip, we flew Columbus to Ft. Lauderdale and Rome to Columbus for about $650 pp. Policies vary with each cruiseline. I have used the above mentioned websites for research but have always, only booked with the cruiseline directly. I can't recall a time that I found a cheaper price than what the cruiseline offered themselves, and am very wary of including a 3rd party when planning. Good luck.

Thanks for this reply Denny, but maybe my post wasn't clear. I am not looking for a cruise. I want to take a ship directly from the US to the U.K./Ireland, with no intermediary stops. Thanks again though! Ann.

I understand your request (it would be helpful if you specified that you don't care to fly, for example ... ). But for price reasons, it's important to mention that many "cruise" companies have very, very low-priced "repositioning" cruises. They do generally have more than one stop, for marketing, rather than practical reasons. You can't ignore these multi-stop options, simply because the prices are so low. Note that you might advise them that you'll be leaving the ship before the final stop, for example if it goes to the Mediterranean, but stops near London for marketing reasons.

So as not to spend "a ton of time looking", Cunard is the only line having scheduled transatlantic crossings most of the year. Leave NYC and 6 days later you disembark in Southampton. Some crossings are 7 days. Google Cunard for the schedules. An inside cabin can be a real bargain.

Guess I missed the boat. Norma's got it. But for the record, there are some extraodinary deals, sometimes, on these repositioning cruises. We have taken several, exactly because they were too hard to pass up. It sort of becomes a trip within a trip. Bon voyage!

Thank you Tim and Norma. Norma, you answered my question. I have visited the Cunard site a couple of times already and now will concentrate on it. FWIW, my early, unformed idea of a possible trip for 2017 is to go by ship to Southampton (now that I know that's my only option, since that's where Cunard goes) and connect with a Rick Steves tour someplace in the UK or Ireland, then fly home. Reasons for going by ship: sounds like an experience I would really like and provides a travel adventure all its own and solves the jet lag problem, which I suffer from greatly. I'll focus on Cunard. Ann.

Have you considered being a passenger on a working freight ship? Take a peek at marisfreightercruises.com. This is on my long bucket list. The cost listed is 100 Euros per person double booked or 110 Euros single supplement per day.

Ann, if you are planning to cross at a time of year when the North Atlantic is subject to storms, be sure to book a cabin midships and NOT on a high deck.

I can see the appeal of traveling by freighter. I just visited the site you mentioned and since I really want to go directly to the U.K., freighter routes seem to be pretty involved with lots of stops and layovers, so not a good fit for the trip I envision. However, back in the 1980s (I think) my parents, in their retirement years, took one or two of these trips. It suited them, as my father had gone to the NY state Merchant Marine Academy in the '30s and was a merchant mariner for a short time after graduating and then again after WWII. Then he left the sea, so you can see (!) the appeal of a trip like that for him. Thanks for mentioning it though. For me, it would be a completely different adventure, some other year. Ann

You can go round trip on Cunard. NYC to Southampton. Then two or three weeks later, Southampton to NYC. No need to fly back if you don't want to. Sometimes there is a price break on the round trip.

Ann,
A freighter ship may not be what you are looking for this time, but there is a route from New York to Southampton with no stops in between.

Vandrabrud - Really? Can you help me find the page on the site where you saw that? I must not have looked deep enough. Exactly where is the info on that route? Thanks. Ann.

Norma - thanks for the tip on cabin location re rough weather. Noted! Ann.

Thanks Rebecca. I won't have enough time to go round trip as I will be touring for a week or two after arriving in England, plus I don't suffer from Westbound jet lag, so am OK flying home and will need to get back home more quickly. Ann.

A freighter crossing may be less expensive than Cunard, I have no idea, but it will certainly be at least several days longer, and with little to do on board it could be a very boring journey. Worth looking into, though, and comparing prices, facilities, dinner menus, wifi accessability, cabins, etc.

Ann,
If I was interested in this plan I would fill out the online information and send a request. It looks like they want to actually speak with you to find the best ship and route for each person. Or alternatively, you can call them. On the main page there are cartoons that show the routes. Look for the blue line that goes up the coast from the Carolinas. The last east coast port is New York and the first UK stop is Southampton.

I looked at the passenger stories on this site and also looked at the Cunard site. Looks like the freight ship gives you a much more utilitarian cabin with a lot more space and nothing to entertain you but at less than half the cost. So if goal is transportation only and not entertainment looks like it would be great. Obviously, the Cunard cruise is a vacation on its own with full service and lots of entertainment activities to keep you busy.

Let us know what you decide on and then come back and give a trip report. Either way looks like a great experience.

If you travel New York to Southampton I think the time frame is very similar.

Thanks again to everyone. I will work on both Cunard and freighters and compare them. I'm glad to have a direction to go in, so thanks for helping me! Ann.

Ann,
Cunard calls the transatlantic trips voyages, not cruises. I did a few of the transatlantic trips back in the 1990s. For me, the voyages were a great way to really relax. Some people don't enjoy (or think they won't) not having the option of being able to get off the ship. I found I could spend hours just looking out the windows at the swells and the swells can be quite impressive at any time of year. At the time I traveled, the ships were quite formal (dressing for dinner, Captain's reception, etc.) Not sure if that is the case today but I think you will still see some very fancy dress for dinner. Might make for a packing nightmare. If you like the "fancy" aspect, consider packing 2 cases. The voyage clothes can be shipped back to the US via UPS/Fedex once you land in Southhampton. Not sure of the cost but a much better option than taking too big a case for the rest of the trip.

We ran into the Queen Mary in port when we were on a cruise earlier this year. We were on one of Celebrity's "flashy" ships.
I remember how utilitarian the Queen Mary looked from the outside. It just didn't have the pizaazz of the ship we were on. Of course the inside of the ship may be much different than the outside. I think the ship may have gone into drydock for upgrades since then, however.
After taking so many cruises on 6 different cruise lines, we're possibly looking for something different than what Cunard offers.

FWIW, I have never had any interest at all in going on a cruise. Just not my type of vacation. But I have always been attracted to sailing straight away to Europe, with no stops at intermediate ports, but enjoying sailing all day, every day and night. When you throw in no east bound jet lag, it's very appealing to me. I have only begun my research, but I THINK the dress code on the QM2 is less formal than in the past. I have thought about the clothes aspect and if it turns out that I DO have to get dressed up some of the time, I'm not above taking just one dressy outfit and wearing it multiple times! And, yes, as I understand it, the QM2 was refurbished in the recent past. Thanks again to everyone who has posted here! Ann.

The reason that the QM2 has a "utilitarian" look is because it is an ocean liner, which the other cruise ships are not. In heavy weather the QM2 is a very stable ship. Formality is not the rule on the QM2. yes, there are formal dinners in the main dining room a couple of nights but you can avoid it by having dinner in one if the other restaurants, or even in your cabin. Some people (not all) really take the opportunity to dress up on the formal nights, though. Old prom dresses get re-used and even some children are decked out in fancy clothes. Fun to see.

Thanks Norma. I like the "look" of the ocean liners much more than the cruise ships. This conversation has helped motivate me to get more serious about actually making this trip! And I really don't mind dressing up as long as it doesn't add much to the luggage load. I met an older (70's) couple at a Christmas party this year who regularly travel on the QM2. One of them said they liked it for avoiding jet lag, which perked up my ears, and that it has one of the largest dance floors afloat, which they loved. They get the credit for motivating my search and my initial question here. Thanks. Ann

Hi A. Jenson

We did a transatlantic crossing from NYC to Southampton a few years ago on the QM2. We had a fantastic time! I'm not one to take cruises because of the massive hoards of people who left their manners at home, but this one was relaxing. Boarding was a piece of cake...from check in - getting to our room was around 45 min. The ship is stunning & quiet large. We get brochures often & have seen that Cunard has revamped the cruise liner. There are plenty of restaurants if you want something outside of the standard dining (which has wonderful food). The daily scheduled lectures, etc were insightful.

I hope you decide to go, youll very much enjoy yourself!

Amanda

Thank you Amanda. I'd love to know how you managed getting to NYC and to the pier and then how you maneuvered in Southampton. For you, what time of day did you depart and arrive and did you come direct to the ship from the airport, or what? I know this could be different now than when you traveled. But I'd like to know how you handled the local travel logistics up until you embarked and after you disembarked. Thanks! Ann.

Ann, if you go to cruisecritic.com you can ask questions on the forum there about anything to do with ships, cruises, arrivals, departures, etc.

As far as boarding the ship at NYC, the ship docks in .Brooklyn, which is not all that convenient but there you are. Boarding begins early afternoon so plan your arrival from wherever you live to allow tome to get to Brooklyn. There are plenty of .Cunard people directing everyone as to where to go ......you won't be at a loss as to how to do it. Oh, and as soon as you get dockside someone will take your luggage and you will see it again outside your cabin.

Cunard will offer transfers to London, for a price, or you can go by train. The Cunard people will tell you how to go about that. Ask at the Purser's Desk.

We're long-time land travelers who have just begun to dabble in traveling by ship.

I too am looking at the QM2, but westbound, in October (there are some great deals on their website right now). We did a lovely trans-Atlantic on a cruise ship this year, 2016. I do have to speak up to the comment "massive hoards of people who left their manners at home" because although this was a "budget" ship, we never met impolite people, there were no hoards, and we had a wonderful time. Indeed, weekend party ships exist, and ships can be crowded during vacation time, but there are all kinds of trips out there for all kinds of people and I wouldn't lump everything that isn't Cunard into massive hoards who left manners at home.

One last thing--you don't say where you live, but if you have to get to NY by plane, you might want to arrive the night before if weather looks dicey. The last thing you need is a flight delay or cancellation that leaves you on the dock--like this woman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9_Y4lx_R3w.

I know you said you weren't really interested in cruise lines, but........
Here is an example of a repositioning cruise. September 25th Southhampton to NYC 11 nights, $1149 on Norwegian Cruise Lines. (price quoted on the Vacations to Go website)

What if you flew over to Europe, went on Rick's "the Best of England Tour" from Sept 9th to 23rd, and then came back this way?

A few years ago I took a repositioning cruise (HAL) from Ft Lauderdale to Rome. Before we reached the Azores the weather turned on us, with gale force winds and high seas. By the time we reached Rome I was quite seasick for the first time in my life and suffered from vertigo for several weeks after. The reason I tell this is to compare with the QM2, on which I have crossed the Atlantic 5 times, once with four days of a force 9 gale, with no ill effects. If you are crossing the Atlantic during "repositioning" times, on a cruise ship, not an ocean liner, consider that those times are also North Atlantic storm times. Take lots of seasickness remedy.

Just want to say thanks for all these great ideas and tips. I am reading them all. I definitely want to sail east due to the benefit of avoiding jet lag. I don't suffer it flying home. My home airport is Rochester, NY, in western NY, and it's rather easy to get to JFK quickly, direct. If the ship leaves in the afternoon, I would be inclined to make an early (like 6am) flight and get to the ship and "sit and wait" until boarding, but I will research that along with everything else. Luckily, I do not suffer from motion sickness generally or I would likely not be considering a trip like this. I assume 6 days of being seasick would be worse than jet lag! I AM counting on the stability and ocean-worthiness of the QM2 to minimize seasickness. Thanks all again! Ann.

I'm sure it will be an excellent adventure ...

However, since you mentioned that you were doing this to avoid jet lag, are you aware that there are several flights out of JFK that leave in the morning and arrive at Heathrow in the evening? While the daytime flight does not eliminate jet lag, it does eliminate the overnight flight with little sleep in a cramped airplane seat. I love the daytime flight and always choose it when I am going to London.

I know several people signed up for that particular repositioning cruise Carol mentioned on the Norwegian Jade. It's going pretty far north in late September. Ouf. The people I know who have put a deposit on that crossing are cruise regulars with iron stomachs and Bonine back up. We loved being on the Jade this fall, much further south, Barcelona to Madeira to Bermuda to Florida, but still hit the tail of two storms and had to skip Bermuda due to winds. Lots of rocking and rolling. Remember that the height of these cruise ships acts as sails. I'm looking at the QM2 this year ;) Bon voyage--you'll love it.

Looking at QM2 eastbound. Thinking of flying into NYC two days before my ship leaves. Will spend those nights at a midtown hotel and will visit all the museums that I loved so much when I lived in NYC many years ago. (I wonder who's living in my old apartment?) Then I will take a taxi over to Brooklyn to board the ship.

Rebecca, that's what we did for one crossing. We took the Amtrak from Montreal (11 hours, can you believe it? A two hour or longer stop at the border and then about 30 minutes at Albany. No wonder Americans are impressed with rail travel in Europe.). We had a couple of nights in NYC, such an exciting city, and then over to Brooklyn by cab (expensive, by the way). Hope you love it.

Norma, thanks for the information about your trip, and for the good wishes.
An 11-hour train trip on Amtrak! I've taken some trips on Amtrak in the U.S. and it was NOT a good experience. Now you know why I am always talking about how great the train system is in England!
You are right--NYC is a fun place. I do miss living there.
Yep, I am braced for the taxi ride to be expensive!