Every fall season several cruise ships return from Europe to the Western Hemisphere on “repositioning cruises.” They usually start in the Mediterranean, continue through the Straits of Gibraltar and head west to New York or Florida. These transatlantic cruises offer some of the best cruise prices on a per diem basis anywhere.
That value is the upside, but the downside is a large number of days at sea with relatively few ports of call. So, while they are relaxing and affordable, there often isn’t much variety beyond the onboard activities the crew has planned.
But they don’t want these ships to sail empty – so they can sell for a song.
Our first recommendation for Trans-Atlantic crossings is newer and larger ships for more onboard activities and a smoother ride in the open sea. Smaller ships tend be less active and not ride as well, so it’s a good idea to bring along books and motion medication – just in case.
While some Trans-Atlantic crossings include popular European ports of call at the beginning of the cruise – or Caribbean stops at the end – some crossings visit the rare mid-Atlantic islands you probably wouldn’t see any other way.
The Azores archipelago is about 930 miles due west of Portugal – almost one-third of the breadth of the Atlantic. There isn’t much to see or do there, but it’s great for bragging rights. The islands were barely settled by the 19th Century and don’t have much natural attraction on tap. But some 240,000 people live there today, mostly fishing, farming and herding.
Madeira, a southerly Portuguese island warmed by the trade winds and closer to Europe, is known for its namesake wine. The main city Funchal was settled in the 1500s and bustles with over 100,000 inhabitants.
The Canary Islands are the warmest Atlantic islands near Europe – making them a European tourist trap. Located in the Atlantic Ocean ninety miles out from southern Morocco, Roman sailors settled there in the 1st Century AD and over 2,000,000 people live there today.
Madeira and the Canary Islands lie directly in the path of the Atlantic Ocean trade winds that drop south from the coast of Portugal past Bermuda and into the Caribbean Sea. These trade winds are the primary reason Columbus ended up in Bahamian San Salvador rather than Newfoundland, Canada.
The last popular mid-Atlantic island paradise is Bermuda – about 640 miles east of North Carolina. This one tiny island, in the middle of nowhere, was discovered in 1503 and called the Isle of Devils due to its treacherous reefs. Most of the early settlers were shipwreck survivors of the 17th century.
Bermuda is known for its colorful cities, boutique shopping and cute policemen in – Bermuda shorts – of course. Strict privacy laws and great golf courses make it haven for the banking industry. It is only 20 miles square with no other islands even remotely close, but Bermuda is a cruise destination unto itself from all along the Eastern Seaboard – with summertime cruises originating from Boston to Ft Lauderdale.
(source Cruisemates.com)