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TAs might not be for everyone. Are they right for you?

I’ve just finished my eighth transatlantic cruise in nine years, starting with my first one from Barcelona to Florida in fall 2015. This is actually the second time I’ve done two TA cruises in one year! So why do I like them so much?

First, let’s start by talking about the variety of routes and stops you can take on your transatlantic cruise. Here are the ones I’ve taken so far:

• 2015, Allure of the Seas Barcelona-FL, stop in Malaga, Spain
• 2018, Norwegian Bliss, Southampton-NY with stops in Azores and Canada
• 2018, Jewel of the Seas, San Juan-Rome with stops in the Canary Islands, Gibraltar, and Spain/Italy
• 2023, Symphony of the Seas, Miami-Barcelona with two stops in Spain
• 2023, Carnival Venezia, Barcelona-NY with stops in Azores and Canada
• 2025, Carnival Valor, Barcelona-New Orleans with stops in Spain and Azores
• 2026, Queen Mary 2, Southampton-NY (no stops)
• 2026, Harmony of the Seas, Barcelona-FL with four stops in Spain

One thing about these sailings is that they’re all long cruises, which makes for a long time away from home. The shortest of these was the Queen Mary 2, at one week, and the longest was the Valor at 15 nights. When you add in the travel to and from your European port destination, these sailings can often clock in at 3 weeks or more, which can be difficult for many people’s schedules.

Then, of course, there’s the obvious defining characteristic of transatlantic cruises: They have a lot of sea days, often in a row. On my TAs, this number has been as high as nine, but it’s also been as low as four, depending on where the ship is crossing.

Personally, I never get tired of sea days. I love looking out at the ocean, reading a book, and just having that feeling that there’s no place I have to be. As someone who has two high-pressure jobs on land, there’s something special about that stretch of sea days where I feel like I can finally let go and relax (even if I do still have work to do, haha). After all, where am I going to go??

You can tell by now that obviously, I love transatlantic cruises. But why would you not want to go on a TA? It might not be the best fit for people who feel a little pent-up when their cruise has a couple of days between ports. Some people cruise to explore the port destinations, and that’s great! In fact, I learned earlier in the summer that cruising is a much easier way to see a few different cities than an old-fashioned land trip.

Although the cost of transatlantic cruises themselves can sometimes be a little lower (especially the per-day costs, given that these are long cruises), they often come with more travel expenses than your usual Caribbean cruise. The long cruise length also means higher expenses in per-day charges like gratuities.

If you’re considering a TA, it’s important to keep in mind that not all transatlantic cruises are created equal. When you sail from Europe to the US, time is on your side. On my last TA, we had six nights where we set the clocks back and gained an hour in order to make up the time difference between Spain and Florida. In contrast, I took an eastbound TA from Miami to Barcelona, and we had to set the clocks forward six times, meaning we lost an hour on six different days out of the 12-day cruise.

A transatlantic cruise is a great option for those of us who love the relaxing pace of sea days and are just as happy to stay on the ship rather than adventure into port. If you’re thinking of taking one, just make sure you’re considering the right one! I’m happy to talk with you more about your options.