The Trans-Atlantic: The Good, The Old, The Ugly

Oh the transatlantic…

A journey brave explorers took when embarking on journeys to the new world, traders returning back home to Europe, even slaves in the cargo holds of ships. The transatlantic crossing is not a thing of the past.

Like the Panama Canal, this journey is a cruise line staple. A clever way for cruise companies to make a bit more money with people who may just enjoy cruise life rather than actually getting off of the ship. Cruise line passengers will spend up to a week at sea as part of their vacation experience.

There are two distinct types of transatlantic cruises. The first,  known as re-positioning  or “repo” voyages, takes place in spring and fall when cruise lines move their ships between seasons in Europe and in the Caribbean. The other refers to the Queen Mary which is a tried and true ocean liner that does Transatlantic crossings purely for the fun of it.

Our journey would take us from the port of Barcelona, Spain to sunny Tampa, Florida, USA with stops in Madeira, Bermuda, and Miami. Of course this cruise comes after what we folks call a re-positioning cruise from the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas.

We would have the SAME guests on board for a month. For a ship that usually experiences full passenger turnover every week or so that is a very long time. And these passengers aren’t your typical cruisers. Oh no, they are the seasoned cruisers (The average age was 65 and there were only 12 people under the age of 18. Which is typical for a transatlantic cruise). Say what you want but these people are looking to make your lives miserable. Nit picking every little thing about the ship. And there is not much you can do either. They won’t be leaving any time soon after all. You have to deal with these people day after day.

I actually decided to wait to write about this crossing until I could look back on this experience with a clear head.

It is very difficult to work on a ship with so many sea days if you are not regularly accustomed to it. Bear in mind that the crew live and work on board. (You’d be surprised about how many  people ask if this is true. I mean do you think that we are helicoptered in every morning from all stretches of the globe?)

It can be difficult to separate the stress of work from trying to catch up on sleep and relax in our cabins. Imagine sleeping, eating, sleeping, and doing other chores in your office on top of doing all of your work. And you aren’t allowed to leave.

Cabin fever is a reality. This only got worse when we were unable to make it to port in Bermuda due to a tropical storm.

When we finally hit land crew members run to the gangway to go shopping for not overly priced groceries/snacks, free WiFi, and honestly just to get some real fresh air for once. So when you are on vacation bring a smile and relax the world isn’t going to end if there is a typo in the daily program, we lose satellite service (We are in the middle of the ocean. Satellites are not magic.), or the guests playing bridge for the first time are talking too loudly.

But any way, here are some tips for you are planning on taking a Transatlantic crossing.

1. Bring your own entertainment.
   • On normal repos, the ship will add activities to occupy guests on all those consecutive sea days, but there’s only so much trivia, afternoon napping and mini-golf one can handle.
     • We even had an activity called elevator roulette. Basically, you all stand in front of the elevators in the main foyer and make non monetary bets on which elevator will get there first. And yes you would be quite surprised how many people get bored enough to come to an activity like this.
     •  Think about how you’d like to spend your time at sea by bringing portable hobbies, such as knitting. There are usually board games and cards provided but if you have a favorite bring it along. You might meet someone new that shares the same passion for it.
     • Stock up on reading material. You might want to load up your iPad or Kindle, or pack books you can leave behind once you’ve finished them.
     • Consider downloading that TV show that you always wanted to watch but never had time for. Sea days are perfect binge watch days. You’ve got no where to go anyway.
2. Try new things.
   • Because Queen Mary 2 specializes in cruises with consecutive sea days, it features genuinely unique options. Our crossing featured a specialty lecturer, professional bridge teachers, caricature artists, and a guest talent show on top of all of the regular production shows and performing artists.
3. Consider your cabin type.
   • Occasionally inclement weather, frisky winds and an unchanging view (seven straight days of nothing but ocean got a little old) can limit the appeal of a balcony cabin. But sometimes an inside cabin can also get very claustrophobic.
4. Pack carefully.
   • When crossing the Atlantic, the weather’s unpredictable. Plan to layer up in case of cool temperatures, but definitely bring warm-weather necessities like shorts and bathing suits.
5. Know the dress code.
   • You can’t pop out to a shop in port if you’ve forgotten to pack an evening gown (or tux). This isn’t an issue with Norwegian though because of Freestyle cruising but it is nice to dress up every now and then to mix it up a bit.
6. Pack seasickness remedies.
   • Seas can be rough; be prepared, just in case. (Ships will have Dramamine on offer, as well.) The captain can’t control the weather or the waves so prepare yourself.
7. Know the timing of the direction you choose.
   • Which direction is best? If you cruise westward, you’ll wind up with a handful of 25-hour days. Going east? You get cheated of an hour, with some 23-hour days. In either case, however, you get to avoid this negative: There’s no jet lag on an Atlantic crossing!
8. Smile.
   • Like I said, You are on vacation. Enjoy yourself!