$27 Per Night To Cross The Atlantic Ocean Onboard Norwegian Epic!

Back in December, we featured the April 27, 2014 transatlantic repositioning cruise onboard the world’s third largest cruise ship and said it was a great deal at from $499 per person for the 11 night journey. Yes, it was a great deal. However, Norwegian Cruise Line has sweetened the deal for this cruise on the Norwegian Epic by knocking off a further $200 for the stateroom we talked about back in December. This brings the price down to a ridiculous $27 per night per person, before taxes!

The Cruise

 

This eleven night cruise across the Atlantic Ocean embarks from Miami, Florida at 5pm on Sunday, April 27, 2014. Norwegian Epic arrives at Barcelona, Spain at 5am on Thursday, May 8, 2014. The ship is truly the destination on this cruise with just one port call.

On Monday, May 5, 2014, Epic stops at Funchal on the island of Madeira. Madeira belongs to Portugal and is the largest of the islands in the Maderan Archipelago. For soccer fans, this is the birthplace of loved and hated footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Price

Norwegian is calling it a ‘Hot Deal’ and it truly is. An inside stateroom can be had for as low as $299, based on double occupancy. With the $63.88 per person in government taxes and fees tacked on, the total for two on this ‘Epic journey’ is as low as $725.76. You probably can’t live in your own house for that amount of money.

Other levels of staterooms are quite low priced, as well. An outside cabin with a balcony starts at $449 per person and suites start at $599 per person. All guests, regardless of stateroom choice are subject to the same $63.88 in additional taxes.

Each stateroom on this cruise also gets an onboard coupon book valued at up to $300. If the buffet is not for you, NCL also has a $199 per person unlimited specialty dining option on cruises between 10 and 15 nights.

The Ship 

Norwegian Epic is part of the ‘Big 3’ that includes Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas from Royal Caribbean. Built by Chantiers de L’Atlantique in St. Nazaire, France, Epic has been in service for Norwegian Cruise Line since 2010.

A very large ship with a gross tonnage of 155,873, Epic is 329 metres or 1,081 long. There are 15 decks accessible to the capacity 4,100 passengers. Typically, there are 1,753 crew members onboard.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

Norwegian Star Transatlantic Cruise: Now Cool With The Backpacking Crowd

What’s this? Our third Transatlantic Repositioning cruise in a row? Right now, with the Caribbean cruise high season well underway, repositioning cruises are the best deals in the business. Besides, this one’s really inexpensive and a bit unique in that it originates in Copenhagen and not Barcelona or ports in the U.K.

With prices as low as $399 per person (based on double occupancy) for an inside stateroom onboard the Norwegian Star on October 6, 2014 for its 14 night Transatlantic journey, it’s no wonder the vagabonding crowd have started to wake up to the idea of travel via cruise ship. After all, that price rivals some big city Europe hostels and is certainly cheaper than most hotels in the civilized world.

The Cruise

 

Norwegian Star embarks from Copenhagen, Denmark at 5pm on Monday, October 6, 2014. Before arriving at Miami, Florida on Monday, October 20 at 7am, Star makes just two port calls. There is lots of time at sea to enjoy everything the ship has to offer. Or, you could write a book. I recently read an article by an author who takes these cruises across the ocean for just that reason.

On Saturday, October 11, Norwegian Star docks at Ponta Delgada in the Azores Islands of Portugal. She is in port from 8am until 5pm. Ponta Delgada is the capital of the Azores and is located on the island of Sao Miguel. The city is home to around 65,000 residents. This stop will not be a hot, sweaty tropical experience but the average October daytime high of 21.9 Celcius is more than comfortable.

Next stop for Star is in the Caribbean. She docks at Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas Harbor on Friday, October 17 from 8am until 6pm. This, of course, is the island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Be sure to hitch a ride to the other side of the island and relax at Magens BayBeach.

The Price

October 6, 2014 is still a long way away. However, the price will most likely not get any better than this. For an inside stateroom on the Norwegian Star, prices start as low as $399 per person in Canadian dollars, based on double occupancy. There is an additional $110.35 per person in government taxes and fees. This means that an inside stateroom for two can be had for as low as $1,018.70, taxes included.

Pricing on higher levels of staterooms is reasonable. An Ocean View stateroom can be had for as low as $549 per person. A Balcony stateroom is priced from $899 per person. Suites start at $1,349 per person. If you book before April 4, 2014, Norwegian Cruise Lines throws in one coupon book per stateroom valued at over $300 in onboard savings.

The Ship

Norwegian Star is barely within Panamax sized limits when it comes to width. Meaning, it just squeaks into the locks of the Panama Canal. Back in 2000, this ship was intended to be dubbed SuperStar Libra in the Star Cruises fleet. Instead, she made her maiden voyage on November 19, 2001 as Norwegian Star.

She is a NCL Dawn Classship with just one younger sister. Norwegian Dawn came into service in 2002. Star has a gross tonnage of 91,740 and is 294 metres or 965 feet in length. There are 15 decks on board, eleven accessible to passengers. Guest capacity is 2,348 with a staff of 1,083 crew members.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

Classic Holland America Transatlantic Dream Cruise From Just $699.80 Per Person

With last minute deals a little thin as we get knee deep in the high season, let’s take another look ahead at a season with some of the lowest priced cruising. Every spring and fall, cruise ships reposition across the Atlantic Ocean from the Caribbean to Mediterranean or vice versa.

Holland America Line has one of the deepest histories among the present day high seas passenger cruise lines. MS Eurodam is HAL’s second newest ship and the largest in the fleet until 2016. Eurodam makes her Transatlantic Repositioning cruise from Caribbean to Mediterranean on Sunday, March 30, 2014 and a stateroom can be had onboard for as low as $699.80 per person, based on double occupancy.

The Cruise

 

MS Eurodam embarks from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida at 4pm on Sunday, March 30, 2014 for a 14 night journey across the Atlantic. She arrives at Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy on Sunday, April 13, 2014 at 7am. Along the way, she makes four port calls, all on the eastern side of the Atlantic.

After six full days at sea, Eurodam makes a stop in Portugal’s Azores Islands at Ponta Delgada on Sunday, April 6. She remains docked from 10am until 6pm.

The next three ports of call are on the European mainland and all three are in Spain. First up is Cadiz on Wednesday, April 9 from 7am until 5pm. The following day, Eurodam stops at Almeria, Spain from 8am until 6pm. The ship’s final stop is at Cartegena, Spain on Friday, April 11 from 8am until 4pm.

The Price

An inside stateroom onboard the MS Eurodam can be had for as low as $699.80 per person, in Canadian dollars. There is an additional $100.27 per person in government fees and taxes. The total for two in an inside stateroom, including taxes, can be as low as $1,600.14 for this 14 night romantic adventure across the Atlantic Ocean.

Upgraded staterooms are still reasonably priced. An Ocean View stateroom goes for as low as $820.24 per person and a Balcony stateroom goes from $1,000.20 per person. These prices are also based on double occupancy and are subject to the same $100.27 in government fees and taxes.

The Ship 

MS Eurodam was built by Fincantieri in Italy and made her maiden voyage on July 5, 2008. Eurodam is one of two Signature Class ships in the Holland America Line fleet. MS Nieuw Amsterdam came into service in 2010.

Although certainly not the largest cruise ship on the high seas, MS Eurodam is currently the largest in the Holland America fleet. In 2016, an as of now unnamed ship will be put in service that is larger than Eurodam by 14,000 gross tons.

Eurodam has a gross tonnage of 86,273, and is 285 metres or 935 feet in length. There are eleven decks accessible to the capacity 2,104 passengers. Running the ship and providing first class service are 929 crew members.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

Holland America Luxury Transatlantic Cruise From Just $700!

In April, 2014, the classic Holland America ship ms Ryndam crosses the Atlantic Ocean, switching from her winter home to her summer home. After calling Tampa, Florida her home port for the winter months, Ryndam moves east to spend most of the summer out of Dover in the U.K.

Ryndam’s Transatlantic Repositioning Cruise does not go from Tampa to Dover but from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to Barcelona, Spain. Holland America Line has special pricing on this 15 night cruise right now with an inside stateroom going for as low as just $700 per person, or just under $47 per night per person before government taxes and fees.

The Cruise

 

Ryndam embarks from Port Everglades at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 4pm sharp. She arrives at Barcelona on Monday, April 21, 2014 at 7am. Along the way, the does a bit of an island tour with three of her five ports of call located off the mainland. All port calls are either in Portugal or Spain.

After several days at sea, guests on ms Ryndam can get out and stretch their legs and minds at Ponta Delgado on the island of Sao Miguel in the Azores. The ship docks on Monday, April 14 and is in port from 10am to 6pm. Ponta Delgado is the capital of the Azores Islands and has a population somewhere around 70,000.

On Thursday, April 17, Ryndam makes a stop on the mainland of Spain. From 8am to 6pm, she will be docked at Malaga on the southern coast. This is a large tourist area on the Mediterranean and has a metro population over one million.

The following day, ms Ryndam moves east along the coast to Cartagena, Spain. She is docked from 8am to 5pm at this city with a population about a fifth that of Malaga.

The final two stops are out in the Mediterranean Sea. Ibiza is a small island with a population of around 135,000. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, belonging to Spain. Ryndam will be at Ibiza from 8am to 5pm on Saturday, April 19.

The final stop is Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the Balearic Islands region. Ryndam docks at Palma from 8am to 5pm on Sunday, April 20.

The Price

For the moment, Holland America Line has reduced some inside staterooms to as low as $700 per person. Typical of any flash sale, the choice of stateroom is limited and will be assigned at the time of check-in.

Additional government fees and taxes come to $115.24 per person. This means an inside stateroom for two can be had for as low as $1,630.48 with the fees and taxes added in.

Just to give an idea of what a great deal this is, let’s look at Ryndam’s return to Tampa from Barcelona in November, 2014. The lowest price for that cruise is currently $1,500 per person! The price for two, including government taxes and fees, would be $3,236.64. The itinerary is nearly identical, except the ship goes straight to Tampa, not stopping in Ft. Lauderdale.

The Ship

A Statendam Class (S Class) ship, ms Ryndam has been in service for Holland America since 1994. She is the third of the four Statendam Class ships. Statendam and ms Maasdam both came into service in 1993 and ms Veendam came along in 1996.

Ryndam is a smaller ship with a gross tonnage of 55,819. She is 220 metres or 720 feet in length and has ten decks accessible to the capacity 1,258 passengers. 602 crew members are also on board.

As mentioned, her home port in the winter is Tampa, Florida with her summer home mainly in Dover. She makes the return Transatlantic voyage from Barcelona to Tampa on November 1, 2014.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.