A transatlantic cruise, also known as an Atlantic crossing, can be a great value, an unusual experience, and an elegant and relaxing way to travel between continents with plenty of time to fully relax, recharge, and fully experience a ship and its offerings.

It’s not everyone’s cup of tea. But if you’ve been curious about a transatlantic cruise – or it’s on your bucket list, as it is for many people – read on.

What Kind of Transatlantic Cruises Are There?

There are several types of transatlantic cruise experiences.

Repositioning cruises that cross the Atlantic are offered when cruise lines move their ships in spring and fall between Europe and the Caribbean, often with one or two ports added. Almost every major cruise line offers some version of this. Popular reposition itineraries leave from Barcelona or Lisbon and end up in Fort Lauderdale or Miami for the winter months.

Many lines offer cruises that cross the Atlantic, with multiple port calls along the way as a way to explore . Viking’s 29-day Greenland, Iceland, Norway, & Beyond cruise, for example, travels between Bergen, Norway and New York City (and in reverse) with 17 port calls in five countries. 2023 fares start at $13,998 per person.

Cunard’s ocean liner, Queen Mary 2, makes regular trips back and forth across the Atlantic in seven days between Southampton, England and New York City  At times, Cunard does the crossing with some added ports of call as well.

Cruise lines will sometime list these…