How can I cross the Atlantic by ship from Europe to New York? (I am not talking about luxury passenger cruise-ships.)
Suppose that:
- I have both valid US & Schengen visas
- I am a savvy backpacker with a preference for economical travel
- I have no fixed schedule to meet. A longer travel time is even better.
- Any European port (of Schengen country) is okay.
Best Answer
There is a relatively simple and cheap option for those who don't want the rigours of a freighter and don't have the skills to crew a yacht. That is to take a repositioning cruise on a normal cruise liner. These get sold off very cheap, since it's basically fifteen days on a cruise ship without stopping at the interesting islands and tourist spots that happen on a normal cruise. A fifteen day cruise (one way) can set you back less than the price of a (return) transatlantic air fare - and you get meals and entertainment with that. However they tend to be at only certain times of the year, and the American end will be in the Caribbean, not New York (mostly).
Here is the trans-atlantic repositioning schedule for Royal Carribbean. Here is a more general article. Now you know they exist you should be able to find them for any cruise line you want. Any cruise line that operates in both the Carribbean and Mediterranean will do a few of them a year.
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Can you still take a passenger ship across the Atlantic?
Crossing the Atlantic Ocean by boat offers a unique and economical option for those aspiring to reach Europe without having to deal with air travel. There are a few different options for transatlantic ocean travel: freighter cruises, repositioning cruises and luxury cruises.Can you get from Europe to America by boat?
Transatlantic cruises are cruises that sail anywhere across the Atlantic Ocean from one continent to another. Most cruises that travel across the Atlantic either depart from Europe and end in the United States, or the other way around. Some transatlantic sailings also travel to and from South America, too.How do I get from New York to Europe by boat?
There are a few different repositioning cruises that cross the Atlantic from the United States to Europe, most operated by Cunard. These journeys go from New York or Fort Lauderdale to Southampton, UK, and the cost varies, depending on the time of year and length of journey.Can you travel across the ocean by ship?
You may cross the ocean 1-way. You can take coastal routes stopping at major ports. You may even choose from around-the-world cargo ship cruise options.London to New York by Cunard's Queen Mary 2
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Answer 2
The two main options that I am aware of are:
The Queen Mary 2, the only regular transatlantic passenger line,
Freighter travel, which is not cheap either.
I would not be surprised if you could join a crew aboard a luxury yacht in Monaco going to the Caribean for the winter. For example, Cruisers forum has a Crew wanted section. In that case, you get paid for the experience.
Answer 3
My website loco2.com has an informative post on cargo-ship (freighter) travel. The post recommends various websites for how to book, including Strand Travel in the UK, which has an extensive range of voyages listed on its website, including Southampton (UK) to New York for around £1,000.
Answer 4
Although it perfectly answers your question, I am sure this won't make your cut... But if you truly are a backpacker, then you can actually traverse the seas on human power.
This idea comes from the recent news of Jason Lewis, who circumnavigated the world only on human power!
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21377623
Now that's just baw's of steel, so I explicitly forbid you to undertake it and thus have no liability whatsoever!
Answer 5
A Cunard ship is comparable in price to any of these and cheaper if you take an inside stateroom. And the food is better although the view will be the same. I've done it and it's fabulous. Would do it again in a heartbeat.
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Images: Ryutaro Tsukata, Tom Fisk, Ryutaro Tsukata, Patrycja Grobelny