Transatlantic Cruises

Nothing evokes the image of a bygone age more than a cruise across the Atlantic Ocean.

As the most refined, civilised way to cross the Atlantic, a transatlantic cruise can be as short as six days or as long as two weeks. It can be a one-way cruise with a flight at either end, or a return trip where you can enjoy the journey there and back. For a jet-lag free option, choose the return journey by ship.

Transatlantic cruises were once at the heart of daily commerce across the Atlantic, but today they are seasonal treats, with the migrations of cruise fleets from the Caribbean to Europe and the Mediterranean in the spring and the return voyages in the fall.

Eastbound crossings frequently depart from New York, Boston, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and a few Caribbean ports. Westbound ships sail from Southampton, Barcelona and other major European port cities.

While a few of these voyages include visits to ports along the way - such as the Canary Islands on the southern crossings or Iceland on the northern path - the unique character of the transatlantic cruise makes these simply short diversions from the main event - the transit across the vast expanse of the Atlantic in sociable and relaxed style.

Transatlantic repositioning cruises take place during the spring and autumn, as ships prepare for a new area to sail in. In autumn, ships leave Europe bound for sunnier climates in the Americas and Caribbean. This process is reversed during the spring as ships head back to the Mediterranean and UK.