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For
those who value traveling in style and comfort, for romantic souls who
want to experience the style and grace of the "good old days" (but with
all the modern conveniences) and for who simply want to escape from the
ordinary routine, nothing beats a transatlantic cruise. As short as six
days or as long as two weeks or more, these crossings between Europe and
America feature the endless pleasures of leisurely days at sea the ship
lovers and experienced cruisers treasure, rather than the usual series of
port calls.
Transatlantic cruises once
were the heart of daily commerce across the Atlantic, but today they are
seasonal treats. One cruise line operates a schedule of crossings through
the summer months, but most other transatlantic sailings occur 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 often sail from Southampton, England;
Barcelona, Spain; and other major European port cities. In each case,
ships may take a longer, slower southern route past the Canary Islands, or
the shorter and quicker northern course.
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. |
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