From Southampton to New York, Barcelona to Miami: the ocean crossing is the original form of cruising. Sea days, elegance on board and the calm of the open Atlantic – we'll find the route that fits you.
Itineraries from Cunard, MSC, Costa, Celebrity, Holland America, Royal Caribbean and TUI Cruises. Filter by direction, season and departure port – or get personal advice from our team.
Westbound in autumn, eastbound in spring – and routes via the Azores as a relaxed alternative. We explain the differences.
Classic autumn crossing: Southampton, Hamburg, Barcelona, Civitavecchia as departure port, arriving in New York, Miami or Fort Lauderdale. With the wind – calmer, gentler seas. Usually October/November as repositioning to the Caribbean season.
Spring crossing: Miami, Fort Lauderdale or New York as start, arriving in Southampton, Hamburg, Barcelona or Rome. Against the wind – more athletic, but with gradual time zone adjustment. Usually March/April as repositioning.
Routes with stopovers in Ponta Delgada and/or Horta. Shorter sea day stretches, more port changes. Ideal if you find 6–7 pure sea days too long. Also bookable as a summer cruise.
Transatlantic is primarily about repositioning. Pick a month and see which direction is then standard.
No other region gives you so much time on board at such a slow pace. Elegance, calm and decompression – like in the 1950s.
Westbound in autumn or eastbound in spring? Cunard classic or modern MSC? Combined with a city trip or as pure time out? Tell us what you're looking for – we'll suggest the right route and the right ship. No obligation, in your language, from Switzerland.
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Westbound (Europe → USA) is the autumn season: October and November, when cruise lines move their fleets to the Caribbean. Eastbound (USA → Europe) is the spring season: March and April, when ships return to the Mediterranean. In summer and winter there are hardly any offerings.
A pure crossing without stops lasts 6–9 nights (e.g. Southampton–New York on Cunard approx. 7 nights). With an Azores stopover it's 9–12 nights. Many transatlantic routes are part of longer Grand Voyages of 16–22 nights that combine Mediterranean and Caribbean.
In the repositioning windows (April/May and October/November) the Atlantic is mostly calm to moderately active. Modern ships have stabilisers and cross in a week – very rarely do you get extreme waves. Those prone to seasickness should avoid the classic northern route and prefer Azores routes.
Cruise ships are built exactly for this: spa, fitness, pool, multiple restaurants and bars, theatre, casino, library, lectures, cooking classes, dance classes. On classic ships like Cunard add dress codes, afternoon tea and big band music. Most guests find 7 sea days too short, not too long.
Cunard (Queen Mary 2) is the only line with a regular liner service Southampton–New York and is considered the gold standard. MSC, Costa, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian and TUI Cruises also offer repositioning cruises in autumn/spring. Luxury providers like Silversea and Oceania also sail the route.
No, the return flight is usually not included. Many guests combine the transatlantic with a city trip (New York, Miami) or with a Caribbean cruise and fly back afterwards. We organise flights, hotel and transfers with the cruise on request.
Yes, even particularly so: you have plenty of time to discover the ship and adjust to the on-board rhythm. Little stress, no port planning, relaxed atmosphere. For first-time cruisers who value the ship experience over the number of ports, transatlantic is one of the best entry-level routes.