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While Cunard Line operates trans-Atlantic voyages on a regular basis from April to November, most cruise ships cross the pond just twice a year as they reposition between Europe in the summer to the Caribbean and South America for the winter. This seasonal migration results in a flood of trans-Atlantic cruise cabins spilling into the market for about 45 days each spring and fall.

These repositioning cruises offer some of the best values in the travel industry, and typically fetch far less in per diem fares than the average cruise. In fact, the price of a trans-Atlantic voyage can sink lower than C$50 per day depending upon the cruise line, itinerary, type of cabin, and date of departure.

The reason for these rock-bottom prices is that there is simply too much supply and too little demand for trans-Atlantic cruises in the spring and fall. Why?

First, there are too many ships with lots of capacity crossing the Atlantic at the same time. This creates a glut of inventory that is difficult to sell.

Second, most working people don’t have enough vacation time to spend 8 to 18 days crossing the Atlantic. And if they do have that much spare time, they’d rather spend it sightseeing on land than resting on at ship at sea for several days.

Third, most kids are in school during the peak repositioning seasons which typically take place in the spring from mid-April to late-May, and in the fall between late-September and mid-November. This timing is not very appealing to families.

And fourth, spending five or six days at sea crossing the North Atlantic is not everyone’s cup of tea. And while it’s true that most ships include several ports of call in Europe as part of their trans-Atlantic itinerary, some people just don’t like sea days.

However, for those who love combining great ports of call with restful days at sea, prefer cruise ships to airplanes, have enough leisure time, and love getting bargain-priced vacations, there’s nothing more rewarding than a repositioning cruise across the Atlantic Ocean. How rewarding? For price and itinerary, here are six of the best Trans-Atlantic cruises available this fall:

1. October 27th departure aboard the Carnival Dream: 16-night crossing from Rome, Italy to New York, NY with prices from US$1,639 for a balcony cabin ($102 per day). Ports include Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, the Canary Islands, and Bermuda.

2. October 31st departure aboard Holland America’s Rotterdam: 18-night crossing from Rome, Italy to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida with fares from C$1,363.45 for an inside cabin ($76 per day). Ports include Monaco, Barcelona, Malaga, Cadiz, Casablanca, the Canary Islands, and the Bahamas.

3. November 5th departure aboard the Celebrity Equinox: 14-night crossing from Rome to Ft. Lauderdale with prices starting at C$1,139 for an inside cabin ($81 per day). Ports include Marseilles, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Cartagena, and the Canary Islands.

4.  November 9th departure aboard Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas: 12-night crossing from Malaga, Spain to Miami, Florida with prices starting at C$599 for an inside cabin ($50 per day). Ports include the Canary Islands, Madeira, and the Bahamas.

5. November 18^th departure aboard the Costa Magica: 18-night crossing from Savona, Italy to Santos, Brazil with fares from US$1,279 for an inside cabin ($71 per day). Ports include Malaga, Casablanca, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Fortaleza, Recife, Maceio, Salvador de Bahia, Ilheus, and Rio de Janeiro.

6. November 19^th departure aboard Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas: 14-night crossing from Lisbon, Portugal to Santos, Brazil with prices starting at C$609 for an inside cabin ($44 per day). Ports include Madeira, the Canary Islands, Recife, Salvador de Bahia, and Rio de Janeiro.

 (All prices are per person, double occupancy as of September 6. Airfare, port taxes and government fees are extra.)

During the golden era of cruising in the 1950s, there were more than 70 passenger ships plying trans-Atlantic routes, excluding the legendary SS France and Queen Elizabeth 2, both of which didn’t appear until the next decade. Back then, taking a luxury liner across the pond was literally the only way to cross from both a practical and social perspective.

But the growing popularity of airplanes began to take its toll, and for the first time ever more people crossed the Atlantic by air than by sea in 1958.  Over the next several years the passenger drain continued, and by 1965 most passenger lines had withdrawn from ocean-going transportation to focus on destination cruising.

However, over the past decade there has been a resurgence of interest in crossing the Atlantic by ship. And while the route will never return to its glory days of the 1950s, it is becoming an increasingly popular option for people who want to cross the Atlantic in style for a lot less hassle and money than anything approaching comparable comfort would cost on an aircraft.

The reason for the resurgence is five-fold.

First, Europe has become a more popular destination for North Americans over the last 10 years. In fact, the number of bed days available on cruise ships in the region has almost tripled over that period from just 10,000 in 2000 to more than 26,000 in 2009. And while these beds are not filled exclusively by North Americans, they do use the vast majority of cabins.

Second, all these North Americans have to get to and from Europe. They used to take airplanes without a second thought. But with limits on luggage, restrictions on carry-on items, long line-ups at airport security, cut-backs in flight frequency, grumpy check-in agents and escalating prices, flying is no longer the pleasure it used to be. And since cruise ships offer a variety of departure and arrival ports in both continents, it’s certainly a viable option, especially for a one-way trip.

Third, with so many North American-based ships spending summers in Europe, there is a tremendous amount of trans-Atlantic cabin inventory available each spring and fall as they cross the ocean to begin their next season. As a result, fares on these trans-Atlantic voyages offer fantastic value – sometimes starting as low as $900 for an 18-day cruise. Compare that price and comfort (a cabin with bed, meals, and entertainment) to the cost and amenities aboard an aircraft where you have to pay extra for food and earphones to hear the movie!

Fourth, the cruise lines have gotten a lot smarter about how to structure a more appealing trans-Atlantic itinerary. In the old days they would offer a seven to 10-day crossing that called at one or two ports. Now, many of them stretch the itinerary by another week and include half a dozen Mediterranean ports before the ship sails across the ocean.

And fifth, some cruise lines are now offering incredible incentives for people who book back to-back trans-Atlantic and European cruises. These incentives can include discounted pricing, onboard credits, and free airfare one way.

Of course, if you want to sail across the Atlantic outside of the main cruise ship repositioning seasons in the spring and fall, Cunard Line provides regular weekly service aboard the QM2 from April until November. Fares start at less than US$1,000 for a six-day voyage, and the ship sails between conveniently located ports in New York and Southampton.   

So the next time you decide to visit Europe and have the luxury of time, check what’s available in trans-Atlantic cruises before taking a cramped and crowded aircraft.  It may be one of the most economical and relaxing travel decisions you’ll ever make.

As the Emerald Princess slipped her mooring in Ponta Delgada harbour and set course for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, we began the final leg of our voyage across the Atlantic. For the next five days, there would be no ports of call – just endless blue water and lots of time to explore our ship, take in some events, and read a good book.

Our first full day at sea began with sunny skies, 78 F (25 C) temperatures, and reasonably calm seas. In fact, it was so nice that people were already sitting by the pools and enjoying the hot tubs as we made our way to the Horizon Terrace for our 9:00 am buffet breakfast.

The first sign that our serene environment might be at risk came during the Captain’s noon-time message from the bridge. Captain Giorgio Pomata reported that Hurricane Omar was making its way from the Bahamas on a northeasterly track into the open Atlantic and was projected to pass precariously close to our planned course the next day.

However, in order to make our voyage as comfortable as possible, the Captain announced that he had changed our course so that we would pass no closer than 300 nautical miles to the storm and would therefore avoid almost all of its impact. In addition, the ship’s stabilizing fins and automated ballast control were deployed to keep rolling to a minimum. And at 113,000 tons, the Emerald Princess was not easy to toss around. As a result, we had one lumpy day of high winds, mild swells and light rain, but not nearly enough pitching or rolling to make either one of us seasick. And my wife Gail can get seasick just by taking a bath!

As each day passed and we got closer to Florida, the weather kept getting better and the temperatures warmer. In fact, it was almost like we had started a Caribbean cruise when we left the Azores so we could recover from all the sightseeing and touring that had tired us out in the Mediterranean. The great weather meant that people with balconies were still able to make good use of them as we crossed the Atlantic, a situation that caused us to regret our decision to go with a much cheaper inside cabin. Of course, the weather may not have been as nice had we been sailing to New York instead of Fort Lauderdale, or had we left the Med in late-November instead of mid-October.

The warm weather also meant that we could spend a lot of time outdoors – something we knew from experience would make five days at sea much more enjoyable. As a result, we were able to walk laps every morning around the Promenade Deck while staring into the horizon and listening to waves crash across our bow. And in the afternoon, we could relax by one of the ship’s four pools and seven hot tubs, taking the occasional dip to cool off.  

While most people chose one of the two mid-ship pools (one with its own outdoor movie screen and the other with live music), we preferred the quieter adult pool at the stern with its magnificent views of the ship’s frothy wake. The stern pool is conveniently located just steps away from the buffet cafeteria on Lido Deck, and is an ideal place for reading (I got through another Doc Ford novel by Randy Wayne White, while Gail finished a couple of Rebus books by Ian Rankin).

While it was tough to leave the pool area, there was plenty of action elsewhere that we didn’t want to miss including mini-golf tournaments, paddle tennis lessons, dance classes, special interest lectures, video arcade games, arts and craft sessions, movie matinees, bingo games, and gambling in the casino. In fact, there were so many activities to choose from that there wasn’t enough time to do even one-third of them — a pleasant dilemma!

Late in the afternoon, we would usually get cleaned up and go the atrium, the three-storey grand piazza in the centre of the ship that is  surrounded by boutiques, a coffee shop, a wine bar, an internet café and glass-enclosed elevators. In between the elevators facing the piazza, a quartet would play classical music while we sipped cappuccinos, enjoyed a glass of chardonnay, or browsed through the jewelry store.

Things were just as busy in the evening. Our nightly entertainment options ran the gamut from comedians, magicians, ventriloquists, jugglers, and singers in the main show lounges, to a full production show featuring a troupe of singers and dancers in the Princess Theatre. In addition, we had 12 bars to choose from where we could listen to piano music, make new friends, and try the latest concoctions including those from Yothin and Sheldon the friendly bartenders at Crooners Bar. Our favorite cocktail was “Dean’s Dirty Martini,” which is made with gin or vodka, and olive juice.

We met a lot of interesting people at Crooners, including Americans Ron and Mary. The couple told us that they had just completed a multi-year stint with the military near Venice and were returning to Colorado to resume a new career and life. Mary was feeling bad that she hadn’t posted a diary about the cruise for their relatives to read, so I offered up mine as a substitute. She accepted and had a martini!

There were also a number of special events during our days at sea, including the Captain’s Black Tie cocktail party, a wine tasting, a champagne waterfall party, and the Captain’s Circle elite frequent cruiser reception. We were fortunate enough to be invited to the latter, and had the opportunity to speak with Captain Pomata and several of his officers including Martin Ford, the Passenger Services Director.

With so much to do and such great weather to do it in, our five-day trans-Atlantic voyage had proven to be one of the highlights of our 18-day cruise. Not only had our crossing been relaxed, entertaining and great fun, it had been a classy and stylish way to cross the pond. Or as author John Maxtone-Graham aptly described it in his book of the same title, taking a cruise ship across the Atlantic may well be “The Only Way to Cross.”