It’s been over 8 months since I complete my transatlantic crossing last year and I think it’s time for another! I got the bug last year and looked into several QM2 crossings during the remainder of 2011. I followed several blogs of people writing their stories of sailings: the weather, both smooth and stormy seas, the food (mostly good), and the people, always interesting. I researched all cruise lines looking for possible itineraries that would satisfy the craving just to be at sea. In December I started to fixate on a January eastbound crossing. Prices were good (some would say not surprisingly given the time of year). My biggest concern was not the potential for storms but the short days. I loved seeing the sun early in the morning and setting during dinner. But despite this limitation, I decided to give it a go only to find out on the morning I was ready to book that it was sold out! Turns out I’m not the only one with this problem! Transatlantics draw a unique crowd.
So I looked at other voyages but had trouble getting excited about them. The Caribbean? Nah. Mexico? I don’t think so, my self defense skills aren’t very strong. I came close on a panama canal transit – business travel got in the way of that. Then an interesting trip from Lisbon to Barcelona with stops in different places like Madeira and Casablanca. But it got sold out too. (Besides with only 3 days at sea, what’s the point!)
So whether it was due to trips getting sold out or just my own procrastination, the date kept moving out a month at a time. What do you know, the dates started to get into the transatlantic season. Cunard runs regular crossings starting late April, right through until the end of the year. I considered doing their first crossing at the end of April however it’s also the time that other cruise lines reposition ships from the Caribbean and warmer climates to the Mediteranean and other European destinations for the spring and summer seasons. Azamara Club Cruises is a small line with just 2 small ships of 694 people each. They are owned by Celebrity and market themselves as an upscale boutique line. They are sailing their ship the Journey from New York to Roeun France April 18. It’s sooner than if I waited for the QM2 crossing and has 8 days at sea instead of the 6 on a QM2 crossing. And to top it off it has a day in New York at the start and a day in France to finish. How civilized. It's a repositioning cruise as the ship will spend the spring and summer in the Mediterranean so it's really the only time this year for such a voyage. So I booked it and made flight arrangements shortly after. Here's a pic of the ship...looks nice!
