You might be interested in knowing what transatlantic and transpacific cruise ships are and why you should consider taking one. Both cruises are ocean crossings performed when a cruise ship moves from one route to another.

During the early spring and late fall, ocean liners sail between their winter and summer routes. In the spring, these ships transition from winter to summer travel; in the fall, they transition from summer to winter voyages.

In the winter, Caribbean cruises head to European ports that serve as gateways. In the summer, Baltic and Mediterranean cruises travel to Caribbean ports. These transatlantic cruises are usually from North American ports.

In the winter, transpacific cruises head to ports in Asia or Southern Hemisphere countries that serve as entry points to other Asian or New Zealand cruises. These cruises also use North American gateways like Vancouver, Canada; Seattle, USA; and Honolulu, Hawaii. In the summer, transpacific cruises leave North American gateways to ports in Japan or the Southern Hemisphere; they also use Alaska as a de-boarding port.

Understanding that there are only two transatlantic routes should suffice.

From ports of call in Ireland, Scotland, Greenland and Iceland, ships travel northward. After crossing the North Sea, these vessels travel through the Baltic Sea during the summer months. From there, they travel through eastern Canada and the United States’ east coast before arriving at ports in England or Denmark.

During the spring, southern route ships transport passengers from Florida to the Canary Islands, Azores and possibly the Costa del Sol in Spain. These ships also cross the Eastern and Western Mediterranean seas during the summer months. The fall return for these boats follows a similar course to their spring departure.

Most transpacific routes travel from Asia, Australia and New Zealand to Vancouver, Seattle or San Francisco. These routes also pass through Mexico and southern California.

Many ships don’t travel the Middle East or South America during the winter months. Some even traverse the Atlantic Ocean. For the sake of this article, we’ll focus on cross-oceanic and transatlantic sailing.

Reasons why you should or shouldn’t take a transatlantic or transpacific cruise include the following. When considering these reasons, you understand what these cruise lines are.

The Price is Right is a television game show.

It’s common sense that transcontinental and transoceanic cruises are a good deal. Because ships have to sail between their seasonal routes, it’s economically smart to board passengers on these crossings. I’ve paid $1200 per person for a 14-day transatlantic cruise in a balcony stateroom. Including a paid drink package and gratuity, the package costs less than $100 daily!

Exciting cruises that have many ports of call can be exhausting. But some cruises are very restful and relaxing. Whether it’s a cruise or a vacation, most ships offer hectic schedules that barely allow you time to enjoy the many activities available on board. After a trip like this, you might need a break and some time away from travel.

With a transatlantic or transpacific cruise, you don’t need to worry about oversleeping on the journey; there’s plenty of time to sleep, rest and explore the ship’s offerings. Most cruises have around 5-7 days of continuous sailing; enough time to take a nap or learn a new dance step.

I love the idea of sailing across the ocean for two weeks without any food preparation. This is why I enjoy transatlantic cruises.

Someone else prepares your meals instead of cleaning up after them. From breakfast to dinner, they’re prepared by someone else.

At any of the ship’s dining venues, you can satisfy your cravings. This could mean indulging in the buffet, dining in the main dining room or sampling one of the ship’s specialty restaurants. You can also enjoy a burger at the grill.

You’ll have the opportunity to explore new foods thanks to the fact that you can’t get full from food found on land. With this advantage, you’ll have the time and desire to try almost anything.

Some cruise lines cross the Atlantic and Pacific oceans multiple times per year. However, they only visit ports that aren’t on their regular routes twice a year. These include Iceland, Greenland, the Azores and Tenerife. By contrast, most cruise lines only visit these islands once every two years or so.

While on our 2014 transatlantic cruise, we visited the Canary Islands, Cartagena and Malaga. Each of these cities is a nice place to visit! You can also discover new knowledge or try something new or unusual.

Cruise staff must constantly come up with new ways to keep passengers entertained on these long journeys. They provide entertainment via movies, live shows, lessons, activities and even lectures. They also have to work overtime to come up with new methods for keeping cruisers entertained.

I enjoyed a cruise ship class where I learned how to paint freehand with water colors. This led to me creating a couple of finished pieces at home.

During the Egg Drop, we learned that people can make friends with new people by participating in this event. It’s also fun to watch people create clever mechanisms to protect their eggs when they drop six decks down.

When traveling by ocean, you don’t have to worry about running into anyone due to the large amount of time spent on each trip. This also makes it harder to strike up a conversation.

Each week for two or more weeks, you’ll encounter the same people everywhere you go. This allows you to easily make friends with passengers who prefer to stay isolated. We’ve met plenty of new friends thanks to this!

Looking to book a transatlantic cruise? Speak to us at SNTTours; we’ll help you plan a vacation from your fantasies!