transatlantic trip

[jim rosenthal]

Anyone on this forum a veteran of Atlantic crossings by ship? I am thinking about taking my two older godchildren (ages 30 and 25) on a crossing next summer and wonder if anyone here has any suggestions as to what ships they've been on, and any advice. I've always wanted to do this and figure I shouldn't wait too much longer.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

If you want reviews, go to www.cruisecritic.com

Check out the forums there and ask away. Most of those people are cruise nuts. They list all of the cruises that they've been on in their signature lines.

 

[Jaxfishgyd]

I've been checking out going by freighter..... I would prefer being with a max of 12 people compared to 5,000 any day... Course, I doubt a 25 & 30 yr old would feel the same...

 

[jim rosenthal]

I agree. But they would want to have all the amusements that a cruise ship provides..... as you say. I've thought about the freighter trip, too, and might do it. Or a smaller, slower cruise liner later on.

Wish the SS United States was still running. If I could resurrect any ship from the past, it would be her.

 

[Jaxfishgyd]

I've been on the Queen Mary that's now in Long Beach, Cal.... It's very impressive and can only imagine what it must of been like...
But I agree the USS UNITED STATES would be better

 

[Artzco]

Jim, I'm sure you've checked out the Queen Mary 2 that has an 8 day crossing to Southampton. It has whatever your wallet can stand for accommodations.

 

[season]

I have two crossings under my belt....one at one year old and the other at four. The trip from NYC to England in 1951 was on the SS Bruckner, which from what my parents told me was a converted troop ship from WWII. But the return run in 1954 was on the SS United States! I was four but it must have been awesome because I remember a lot about it. The stewards coming through the hallways playing multi-toned chimes to announce the daily meals, and that ship's steam horn that could either cure or cause diarrhea! I also remember passing boats like they were having engine problems. She WAS fast!
Randy

 

[jim rosenthal]

You're a lucky man. When I lived in Norfolk, I would pass her all the time laid up at the NIT- a huge ship, looking sad with peeling paint. She is still in Philly, laid up,and I doubt she will ever sail again. Heartbreaking- the greatest ocean liner of all of them, and designed and built here in the USA, in Virginia. She was out of service long before I ever could have afforded to sail on her, unfortunately for me.

Glad you were able to cross on her, and gladder still that you are able to remember it, though you were only four. Must have been quite a trip.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Jim, I'm sure you've checked out the Queen Mary 2 that has an 8 day crossing to Southampton. It has whatever your wallet can stand for accommodations.

It will probably be her. Might as well go for broke. So to speak.

 

[SeaEric]

QM2 would be my choice.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

She's not lookin too good

 

[jim rosenthal]

No, indeed. She's not, poor thing.

With what he spent to win the America's Cup, Larry Ellison could have restored the United States and maybe have had some money left over. With what he spent to buy the Washington Post, Jeff Bezos could have restored her twice. One of the Google founders is buying another newspaper, I think- and could have restored the United States at least one time for what he is spending.

I think of her as a lot more than a ship, even a lot more than a great ship. She represents, to me, what American intellect and genius and craftsmen could build in the height of our postwar years of triumph. She is a great national artifact, solid and verifiable proof of the worth and soundness of our national tradition of ship design and ship building excellence. When she is scrapped it will be too late, and she will only be a memory- the greatest, fastest, safest and to my eye the prettiest of all of the great Atlantic ocean liners.

 

[Artzco]

No, indeed. She's not, poor thing.

With what he spent to win the America's Cup, Larry Ellison could have restored the United States and maybe have had some money left over. With what he spent to buy the Washington Post, Jeff Bezos could have restored her twice. One of the Google founders is buying another newspaper, I think- and could have restored the United States at least one time for what he is spending.

I think of her as a lot more than a ship, even a lot more than a great ship. She represents, to me, what American intellect and genius and craftsmen could build in the height of our postwar years of triumph. She is a great national artifact, solid and verifiable proof of the worth and soundness of our national tradition of ship design and ship building excellence. When she is scrapped it will be too late, and she will only be a memory- the greatest, fastest, safest and to my eye the prettiest of all of the great Atlantic ocean liners.

Careful Jim. You're waxing conservative in a liberal environment...!

 

[TomT]

Hello Jim:

I am rather new to this excellent forum, and, pleased to chime in on a subject thread I know a bit about. Crossing the Atlantic. Fully concur with the option of sailing aboard Queen Mary 2, a great ship that, in fact, is truly an ocean liner and not a "cruise ship". The difference being that she was designed and built for the one week transatlantic crossing, regardless of the weather. During the pleasant months of the year she makes the crossing Southampton/New York weekly. Today's air transportation during the winter allows her to make a number of 'grand voyages' instead of plowing into storms. Alternatively, in the spring and fall, there are a number of cruise ships that reposition from North America to/from Europe and do so at a more leisurely pace with numerous port calls on the way. These are normally priced rather low ($$ per night) compared to the standard Caribbean cruise or sail around the Mediterranean or Baltic due to lower demand for the longer hauls. All of these choices would be quite comfortable and entertaining, QM2 carries the only planetarium at sea, but she make no stops, it's a six day ride. The cruise ships usually stop at various islands every few days or less. These days I do prefer the comfort factor over some of my crossings on small yachts in years past.

On the other subject, the SS United States, she could never be made into a viable operation again, mainly for an odd reason. The hull was built with sheer to the deck and lots of curves elsewhere. Every space would have to be rebuilt to meet modern rules and each space would be unique in size and shape, unlike todays ships that rely on mass produced units that fit on large flat decks (cabin modules, wet spaces, etc.) Some folks I know looked at resurrecting her a couple of decades ago and ran into the 'odd shape' problem.

Lots of good choices for a transatlantic crossing, best advice is to find a good travel agent that specializes in cruises. They have a wealth of knowledge and can pair up what you are looking for with the right ship. Doesn't cost you anything and sometimes gets you some extra perks aboard.

TomT

 

[jim rosenthal]

Ya found me out, Art.

Tom, any recs on travel agents?

Of course there are a million web sites but having had some bad experiences with Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity etc. I am staying away from all those and their kind.

 

[Artzco]

Ya found me out, Art.

Tom, any recs on travel agents?

Of course there are a million web sites but having had some bad experiences with Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity etc. I am staying away from all those and their kind.

This is the agent that handles Cunard & Princess lines.

https://book.princess.com/BookingSystem/login.page?company=CU

 

[TomT]

Re: transatlantic trip - travel agents

The travel agent side of the business was a bit out of my scope. I would suggest reading the article at the cruise critic website, look under /articles.cfm?ID=62

There is some value to meeting an experienced agent face to face and discussing the numerous options, pluses and minuses... as opposed to clicking a choice on a website. Good agents selling cruises will have experience with numerous ships. That can be measured by their standing with CLIA (cruise lines int'l assoc) (google their website) which is an industry organization that has training and certification programs for travel agents.



Good hunting -

TomT
TomT