Sep 20, 2014
Gary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tip. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and subscribe free to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and TuneIn Radio
Transatlantic crossings
A cruise purist calls crossing the Atlantic a crossing and not a
cruise. A cruise is when you sail around many ports and is mostly
about the destinations, while a crossing is where the journey
itself is the whole experience. It is about being at sea for a week
on a ship with only two ports: the start and end ports on opposite
sides of the Atlantic.
Cunard is the only line that runs a regular scheduled crossing of
the Atlantic. Before the age of the jet liner, there were about 40
lines plying the route between New York and Europe. Competition was
fierce especially to provide the fastest crossing. The ships were
segregated between the plush and luxurious palaces that were First
Class, Second Class and the functional and inexpensive Third Class.
Today Cunard still has three classes but other than the dining
rooms and one lounge and deck, the ship is open to all
passengers.
Other lines offer repositioning crossings at the start and end of
the European summer when they move their ships from the
Mediterranean back to the Caribbean. They are usually competitively
priced, as many cruisers are wary of spending seven days at
sea.