Transatlantic Cruise Guide: Crossing the Atlantic
The Lucy Team
We're the team behind Ask Lucy — travellers, food lovers, and language enthusiasts building an AI companion that helps you explore the world with confidence.
What Is a Transatlantic Cruise?
Transatlantic cruises (or repositioning cruises) are one-way voyages that move ships between their seasonal regions — typically from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean in autumn, or the reverse in spring. They cross the Atlantic Ocean with 5-7 consecutive sea days. This is a fundamentally different experience from a port-hopping itinerary.
Why Transatlantics Are Special
Exceptional value: Repositioning cruises can cost 50-70% less per night than regular itineraries. The ship needs to move regardless — you are filling an otherwise empty cabin.
True relaxation: Days of open ocean with no ports. Read books, attend lectures, enjoy spa treatments, learn to dance, or simply watch the sea.
Onboard enrichment: Ships add extra programming for sea days — celebrity speakers, cooking classes, wine tastings, and themed events.
The open ocean experience: Sunrise and sunset over nothing but water. Star-filled skies. The occasional whale. It is meditative.
What to Pack for a Transatlantic
Pack more entertainment than usual — books, downloaded shows, and hobbies. The Atlantic can be rough, so pack motion sickness remedies. Temperatures drop in the mid-Atlantic, so bring layers for deck time. Multiple formal nights mean packing dressier clothes.
Practical Considerations
You arrive in a different continent, so you need a one-way flight home (or to your starting point). Book flights with buffer days in case of delays. Phone signal disappears mid-ocean — tell people you will be unreachable for several days. Download all entertainment, maps, and Lucy language packs before you lose signal.