First of all let me say we had a great time last month and any cruise is a wonderful experience. We met some terrific people – in the Captain’s Club lounge, in the dining room, in the ship’s crew. We always enjoy this aspect of seagoing travel.
We have done 5 Transatlantic crossings – 4 from West to East in the springtime and 1 from East to West in late autumn. Talk to most cruisers and they’ll say going back to North America is best. You are going home, you’ll be turning back the clock so you can sleep in, etc. etc. Even our cruise director told us that westbound is the better way. Let the airlines do the heavy lifting in one day, then you can relax.
Well we thought about it and after we are now back home we have to admit that for us personally, going to Europe by ship is the better cruise.
Why? There are a few reasons:
- The weather. It was pleasant enough and we didn’t get much rough stuff, but it seemed to us there were more cloudy days than we experienced in late April / early May. The spring crossing is warmer, too. Also a tropical storm was hanging around in the Caribbean when we approached North America. It didn’t affect us but you never have to take that chance in the springtime.
- Shorter days. In the spring you’ll get a good 2-3 hours more daylight.
- Time changes. We are early risers and when you are turning the clock ahead, a lot more folks on the ship sleep in. That means less crowding at breakfast time. With turning the clock back everyone is up and at it earlier and earlier so it really gets jammed up in the Oceanview Cafe – even at 7:30 AM.
- Bigger crowds. There were a lot of folks from south Florida who chose this way because at the end all they had to do was drive home or take a taxi home. The eastbound cruises aren’t as popular, and the ship isn’t as full.
- Sky conditions were quite spectacular but that was probably because there were a few more clouds around on the westbound cruise.
- More folks do back to back cruises – first in Europe and then home. So naturally this means a lot of holdovers on the ship (like 400.) Most of these are cruise veterans who have all the perks so venues we frequent like the Captain’s Club breakfast are full at 8 AM. And the evening cocktail hour is a zoo. Going eastbound it’s rare to do a back to back with a Caribbean cruise and then a Transatlantic.
- Much as I like Florida I’d rather spend a few days at a European destination or set up a back to back cruise in Europe at the end of my TA cruise. That way you are the holdover couple, you can keep your stateroom for the second leg.
- Port calls. On an eastbound TA you get out there and start sailing. After a week or so of nice sea days you are ready for a port call or two. Going west you cram in a bunch of ports right at the start – and you’ve already visited Rome or Barcelona before you embarked. The relaxing week at sea seems a bit anticlimactic. At least it did to us.
So on balance we definitely will go against common wisdom and book our next TA (God willing) from west to east. Not that I’m complaining about looking off the balcony to see a view like the above. Westbound versus Eastbound is absolutely a first world conundrum.
