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With transatlantic sailings—cruise lines typically move their ships from the US to Europe in the spring and they re-position them back from Europe to the US in the fall for the winter season in the Caribbean and Mexico.
My transatlantic sailing from the US to Europe in the fall is an anomaly.
Here is the backstory.
The ship, the NCL Sun has been cruising in Alaska throughout the summer. Post Alaska season, it was scheduled to sail to Asia and spend the entire winter Cruising in Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia is not ready for cruising yet so, the cruise line scrambled to find a plan for the ship for the winter. Imagine all the profits they lost for those Asia sailings!! They settled on Canary Islands (with Spain and Portugal) cruises throughout the winter.
In order to spend the winter cruising in Europe, the cruise line had to reposition the ship from Seattle to Lisbon. They decided to offer to long sailings: the first from Seattle to Miami for 20 days, the second from Miami to Lisbon for 21 days.
Some people chose to take both sailings.
As usual, I know people (from previous cruises) on the ship. I met Frannie on the World Cruise in 2016 and I was supposed to be on both Dubai to Cape Town cruises with her in 2020 and 2021. Both were canceled for me. Gary who was on my 2009 Mediterranean and Egypt cruise is also here. Marci was on both my spring transatlantic sailings.
There is a whole world of solo travelers who enjoy the cruising life.
There are only 800 people on board the ship now. We just arrived in our first port, New York where 250 additional passengers will join us.
Some people will disembark from the ship fly to Barcelona and then board a different ship that will slowly sail to to New York and arrive two weeks later. I was very tempted as the prices started at $395 for the room.
That ship, the MSC Seascape, will take its inaugural voyage. It will be christened by it’s godmother Sophia Loren at a big celebration in New York.
