I am intrigued by the idea of a Cunard Transatlantic cruise, crossing the Atlantic as they did back in the day, with tea and a book and watching the waves, before being seated for dinner.
Has anyone gone? Did it deliver, or were you bored or, even worse, seasick?
I find this young lady very informative about cruises. No filler or fluff, just honest feedback.
@Hoggirl is this the one your MIL did?
I’ve never done this but we have friends who have. They loved it…but they also loved ballroom dancing every night and dressing up for dinner. They said it was a way more formal cruise than any other they ever went on. There was a lot to do…but it’s a lot of days at sea!
It is!
They went eastward - from NY to England. Mil said there wasn’t much to take photos of except water - lol.
It’s an interesting set up because higher-end cabins have their own dining rooms. Mil and Bob were not in a higher end room. There are tons of YT videos specifically reviewing doing a crossing on Cunard.
I did it years ago - H and I were the very rare cruisers in their 20s on the crossing. I worked in IT and I wanted a place where my pager wouldn’t work - and I loved dressing up. It was chillier than I expected in May and very relaxing. It took me a couple of days to stop feeling the motion after we had arrived in the UK.
We moved back to the US after living in London. It was December, and the ship was hit with a 90’ rogue wave which damaged the ship and forced it to travel slowly. The ocean was incredibly rough and most facilities were closed as a result. Here is Google’s summary of the event:
When it happened my husband heard “Code Red, Code Red” over the PA system, and asked me “do you think we should be worried?” And I replied “Oh no, I am sure it’s just a drill”. Clearly I am not to be relied on in an emergency . . .
So I can’t offer the OP any advice or perspective, other than to recommend traveling in better weather months.
Wow!
Did you feel / notice the impact?
I have not taken the trans Atlantic cruise, but my one and only cruise was New Zealand and Australia. Unfortunately there was a terrible storm the night we left Auckland and I got seasick. I was fine for several days until the 3 sailing days between the 2 countries. Not only storms ( yes I was sick) but being out on the open water for 3 days with no land in sight freaked me out. I had no idea that it would bother me until then.
It was so long ago, and the sea was so rough that I am not sure!
I can’t imagine crossing the Atlantic. I didn’t like the open waters between Iceland the Faroe Islands! I had to be on the bow lounge with 180 degree views so I could see the horizon.
We did do a cruise to Bermuda but we had incredibly calm seas (the crew said it was the calmest they had ever seen) and even then our D got seasick. I also get twitchy on sea days and would need to be on a ship with a lot going on and a really good/large walking deck/track.
I’m taking that cruise starting beginning of Jan. I hope the seas are calm enough!!
Okay, that’s enough to make me not want to do it. All sea days, ballroom dancing, dressing up? My nightmare!
I hope you’ll provide a trip report!
A friend did one from Southampton a couple of years ago. She said once was enough - the seas were very rough and there was a lot of sea sickness. 
Almost every cruise line does transatlantic cruises every year in order to move their fleet around, so you can definitely find a much less formal line than Cunard, if dressing for dinner is not your thing (it’s not mine). You can also find them going from the U.S. ports back over to Europe for the summer Med season. I was recently looking at one from Miami that ends in Rome.
Lots of sea days and depending on the weather, it can get rough. If easily prone to seasickness, I wouldn’t recommend it. The price point is usually good for a longer cruise, since there aren’t a lot of stops.
Signed up with a friend next fall! I don’t dress up much in my normal life, but will find a way to do so! I am looking forward to lectures and events on board.
Hope you will report back!
I’m sure you are aware, but the formal nights (at least when my mil went) were themed by sailing date. One theme is by color: either black/white or red/gold and the other is a true theme. Theirs was Roaring 20s, but I can’t remember what the other option is. Oh! Maybe it’s masquerade. They had red/gold for the color night. Mil would have preferred black/white.
I get the sense that some people go all out and others less so. Cunard has a FB page and occasionally post pics of passengers dressed for the formal nights.
Bonine once a day starting the day before your cruise…whether you think you will need it…or not.
Thanks for this hint. Will look for it. And yes, Fendrock, will report back, though it is close to a year in the future.
