Royal Caribbean offers 12- to 14-night transatlantic cruises during April, May, October, November and December. These are one-way voyages with special itineraries to reposition the ships for the following sailing season. Eastbound crossings sail from the United States or South America to Europe, and westbound ships sail the opposite direction. As of August 2009, pricing through 2010 on some sailings was well under $100 a day for interior cabins, making it a highly economical way to visit another continent.
A crossing takes anywhere from 5 to 7 uninterrupted days at sea. If you sail a southerly route, such as Adventure of the Seas' voyage from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Barcelona, Spain, you can enjoy outdoor activities, such as rock-climbing on the funnel, golf simulators, a 9-hole miniature golf or inline skating. Most of the ships also have a Solarium with an indoor/outdoor pool.
Independence of the Seas has an outdoor FlowRider® surfing simulator and the H2O Zone water park.
If you're on a North Atlantic route, like the Jewel of the Seas sailing from England to Boston via Ireland and Iceland, it probably will be too cold and foggy for outdoor activities, so you can relax in the spa and schedule some pampering, or reserve time on the ice-skating rink. Many organized activities, such as trivia contests, art auctions, enrichment demonstrations, lectures and games are planned daily by the cruise director and staff; check your Compass newsletter for details.
Every ship has an interior Centrum or Royal Promenade filled with shops and restaurants, where you can stroll day or night and meet your fellow passengers.
The nights offer a selection of dining venues, shows, gaming in the casino, music and dancing. With no early wake-up calls for shore excursions, you can party the night away.
Before they make the crossing, all the ships call on ports on both continents, and sometimes in between, like the Canary Islands and the Azores. Your itinerary may include days to visit Brazil, England, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal or Ireland.
On an eastbound crossing, you'll set your clock ahead one hour almost every night as you cross the Atlantic. After a few days, time seems to fly by. If you want a more leisurely cruise, fly to Europe and sail back to the United States. Then you'll be able to add an hour to each day at sea for sleeping or playing.
