Amanda PhillipsFrom the very beginnings of transatlantic travel, when the paddle steamer Britannia set out from Liverpool bound for Boston in July 1840, competition across the Atlantic became intense. Each new ship was built to be larger, faster and more luxurious. The North Atlantic became a showcase for national rivalries as nations vied for supremacy. By the 1930s the transatlantic liner was the ultimate way to travel, but in the final decades of the twentieth century many pundits believed that the days of the great ocean liners were finally over. Fortunately they had failed to take account of the tenacity Cunard Line who built the now-retired QE2 and subsequently replaced her with the stately Queen Mary 2.
Cunard still offers scheduled crossings from the Old World to the New World but savvy travellers have another option to experience leisurely days at sea for bargain-basement prices. One of the reasons for these great deals is that cruise lines are repositioning ships from one destination to another and that translates into savings. Every year, in the spring and autumn, cruise lines sail their ships across the Atlantic and have come up with great fares to fill them.
The real joy of a transatlantic voyage is the time it offers for relaxation and indulgence. Do as much or as little as you please on board. Get pampered in the spa; take advantage of the sports facilities and work out at the gym or just relax by the pool. Sample the great entertainment, enjoy the spectacular shows and eclectic cabaret, or sit on deck looking for marine life and appreciate what an oceanic voyage truly means.
This autumn Crown Princess sails from Southampton to New York on 2 September calling at Lerwick, Akureyri, Isafjordur, Reykjavik and St John’s, Halifax. Celebrity Eclipse heads from Southampton to Miami via Boston, New York, Bermuda and Nassau. Seabourn Quest bids a farewell to Dover on 19 August and heads to Montreal calling at Portland, Fishguard, Belfast, Staffa, Tobermory, Stornoway, Heimaey, Reykjavik, Isafjordur, Qaqortoq, Nanortalik, St John’s, Saint Pierre and Miguelon, Saguenay, Quebec City and Trois-Rivieres. The brand-new Silver Muse departs Southampton on 12 September bound for Montreal with stops at Falmouth, Waterford, Cobh, Galway, St John’s, Saint Pierre and Miguelon, Sydney, Charlottetown, Gaspé, Saguenay and Quebec.
Brit-popular ships like P&O Cruises’ Britannia heads to Barbados from Southampton on 27 October calling at Madeira, St Maarten, Dominica, St Lucia and Grenada en route; while on 5 December Fred Olsen’s Braemar also heads to Barbados from Southampton via Madeira, Antigua, St Kitts, and St Lucia. For more details of the best kept secret in cruising call our cruise specialists now on 0141 242 1337 or click on www.barrheadtravel.co.uk.