There are still a number of things on my travel bucket list, and one of the biggest items has always been a transatlantic cruise. Well, the price was right, and I just couldn’t say no to the opportunity. What started as a one-way transatlantic cruise I was waffling back and forth on because I was worried about navigating Europe by myself has turned into a 2 1/2 month epic adventure on which I can’t wait to embark. What changed, and where am I going? Read on to learn all about my next big solo adventure which includes crossing the Atlantic both ways on a cruise ship and exploring the Mediterranean for 17 days in between.
Initially Booking the First Leg of My Transatlantic Cruise
It’s been several months since I originally booked the first leg of this epic journey. I constantly search Carnival’s website looking for the most affordable long cruises, and last fall, I noticed a transatlantic cruise from Port Canaveral to Barcelona that would be leaving this spring. The price was unbelievable! At $450 per person for 15 days with food included and 5 stops in Europe, it was hard to say no to. My fear of traveling alone almost kept me from booking, but ultimately, I put a deposit down securing a room for me and a TBD guest.
Several months later, in the midst of my long train journey, the remaining balance became due. At this point, I’d mentioned the cruise to a handful of my closest friends, and none of them were able to travel with me. The idea of traveling to Europe on a cruise ship sounded wonderful, but my fears of navigating my way back almost kept me from paying the balance. Ultimately, I decided that it was worth paying the cruise off just so I could have the chance to go if things worked out and I wanted to. That price of $30 per person per day was just too good to beat. I knew that even if I had to pay for a nonexistent roommate, it was still less than the cost of a hotel room.
A New Year, A New Journey
So I rang in the new year with a one-way transatlantic cruise booked, no friends with enough free time to go with me, and no plans for how I would possibly get back. I had originally noticed there was a return transatlantic cruise 17 days after the ship arrived in Barcelona, but by the time I paid my trip off, it was sold out. I’m not a big fan of flying and didn’t relish the idea of getting from the port to the airport by myself in a country where I don’t speak the language, but I started looking at return flights anyway. I wondered if I had the gumption to really do it, and a large part of me assumed I would probably just waste this opportunity even though I’d already paid for it.
But then, the return transatlantic started showing up on Carnival’s website for $650 per person. Return flights from Barcelona were $400-800 so the dream very quickly again became to do the transatlantic both directions and spend 17 days in Europe between them. But still, my friends were all encumbered — with children, with jobs, with homes and husbands they couldn’t leave for months at a time. I started looking at AirBnBs in southern France and asking people in my more extended network if they’d be interested in traveling with me. The deal was so good, I assumed some retired friend would be able to jump on the chance.
I spent an entire week placing 24 hour holds on one of the last return cabins only to chicken out and let them expire over and over again. As I anxiously reloaded Carnival’s website, often finding that the cruise had disappeared because it was again sold out, I dug around the Facebook groups for the cruises, connecting with others who were booked for both legs. I asked around to see what everyone else was doing in between the two, hoping I could find a travel companion or tag along with a group who already had plans. Instead, I found out that there was an exclusive invite-only cruise that would be going around the Mediterranean during the time between transatlantic cruises. All three cruises were on the same ship, and many people were booked for all three legs. They would be spending 43 out of 45 days on the ship and spending two days in Barcelona while it was being deep cleaned.
This sounded a lot easier than navigating 17 days in Europe or even a pressing transfer to the airport. I started asking around, hoping to find someone who was booked and would be interested in a platonic roommate. I ended up finding a really fun person who offered me a great deal. Because she is a high roller, she has a balcony cabin with free drinks throughout the whole ship and free premium wifi for her and a guest. The drink package and wifi alone for the 15 day cruise is valued at $1350 on sale (before you pay for the room). She only wanted $590 for me to room with her which was less than paying double occupancy on my interior room for either transatlantic. Plus, because this cruise started out invite-only, the food is an elevated menu, and the ports are unique stops throughout the Mediterranean.
I was nervous to connect with and send money to a stranger, but her information checked out, and she seemed really fun and nice. She was willing to put my name on the reservation once I sent her half of what she was asking so I would know it was legit. Even though everything seemed to check out, I knew there was a chance I was getting scammed, but it was a $300 gamble I was willing to take. As the return transatlantic sat on a 24 hour hold, I held my breath and sent her the money. Within a couple of hours, I could see the reservation on my profile when I logged into Carnival’s website.
I booked my return transatlantic and suddenly went from uncertain to almost fully booked. Over the next few days, I booked the appropriate shuttles and trains to make sure I could get to and from the port with my guitar in tow. No longer concerned about flying, I could plan on playing music all across the Atlantic and around the Mediterranean.
Why I Feel So Comfortable Doing This Solo Transatlantic Cruise
Solo travel as a woman is intimidating, but it becomes less so the more I do it. Cruising in particular is one of my favorite and most comfortable ways to travel. Yes, bad things happen on cruise ships; they are a microcosm of the terribly ugly world we live in. But for the most part, there aren’t many places I feel safer. I love that once I’m onboard I don’t really have to do much navigating or figuring things out. Although excursions can be a bit pricy, with a trip this affordable (especially when broken out per day), it’s worth letting Carnival do the heavy lifting on the things I really want to see.
Knowing I don’t have to do all of the coordinating and planning is a big relief. Instead of navigating 17 days in Europe by myself, I’ll be navigating two days in a port city, and only after spending 30 days on a boat with a bunch of people who are doing the same thing. Between the Facebook groups, my new roommate, and the general comfort of traveling with Carnival, I feel so much peace about this journey. It helps that every step to and from the port mirrors my adventure last year. I was able to book the same train journey, the same hotel, and even the same shuttle to the port. Familiarity makes travel much less anxiety-inducing, both generally and specifically. The more I travel alone, the more comfortable I am traveling alone. And the more I travel in certain ways and to certain places, the more comfortable I feel repeating those trips.
Why a Transatlantic Cruise Anyway?
As I mentioned in the post about my first multi-night Amtrak adventure, I love experiencing new things in my travels. I travel to gain insight into myself, the world, and humanity. Crossing an ocean by ship seems to be one of the most human experiences I can imagine. Although a cruise ship is definitely not the same experience most people throughout history had, it has been on my bucket list for a long time, and I’m excited to check it off.
But this journey has turned into even more than what I expected. Now, I have so many more things to look forward to than just crossing off an item on my bucket list. Some of the things I’m most excited about include:
Spending 30 days straight and 43 out of 45 days on a cruise ship – My late husband and I did a B2B (back to back) on the Mardi Gras a couple years ago, and it was an excellent 14 days. We never got off at a single port except to restock on a few things between cruises. Not being on land for a week was not a problem for me, and I’m looking forward to experiencing long stretches of sea days (my favorite part of cruises) and just generally exploring the ship at a slower and more routine pace. I’m curious about using the opportunity to build new positive habits, explore healthy living on a cruise ship, and work on a few projects that require extended focus.
Playing music everywhere – Flying with a guitar is hard. Train travel with a guitar is easy. Cruising with a guitar is even easier. One of the reasons I didn’t want to fly back from Europe was that it would mean I couldn’t take my guitar. This itinerary gives me an opportunity to take my music with me and play it all over the world. Although I don’t plan on taking my guitar off the ship except for the two days in Barcelona, I’m looking forward to playing every single day of my journey. I’m sure I’ll meet other music lovers, and I’m hopeful that this will be a networking opportunity as well as a good time to really tunnel in and improve my skills, polish my original songs, and perhaps be inspired to write new things.
So many ports – Real talk? I rarely get off in ports when I cruise, especially if I’m cruising by myself. I’m not a beach girly, and I love having the ship half empty on port days. But this trip? You better believe I’ll be getting off every time the ship docks. I’m doing this trip on a budget so I’ll only be doing excursions in the few ports I absolutely can’t pass them up (likely Italy and Morocco). But I also can’t wait to explore the various port cities throughout Portugal and Spain. Because this is three separate cruises, I’ll spend multiple days in a couple of ports and also have a couple days to explore Barcelona more thoroughly. I’m so excited to get a real taste of these locales without having to do much logistical planning.
Where I’m Headed on My Epic Round Trip Transatlantic Cruise Journey
So, where exactly is this boat going anyway? I’m so glad you asked! These are the stops:
- Ponta Delgada (Azores, Portugal)
- Funchal (Madeira, Portugal)
- Cadiz (Andalucia, Spain)
- Malaga x 3 (Aldalucia, Spain)
- Alicante x 2 (Alicante, Spain)
- Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain)
- Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain)
- Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain)
- Tangier (Morocco, Africa)
- Civitavecchia (Italy, excursions to Rome)
- Livorno (Italy, excursions to Florence, Pisa, and Tuscany)
- Gibraltar (British overseas territory)
- Celebration Key (Bahamas)
I’m planning to do excursions in Tangier, Livorno, and, of course, Civitavecchia so I can visit Rome. I will likely explore the other ports with friends I make on the ship, eating breakfast before I go and lunch when I return which will help keep the trip affordable. My main priorities as I visit ports will be finding a market to explore and taste, exploring art museums and cultural sites within walking distance of the ship, determining the places I’d most like to return in the future, and creating fun and helpful travel content for here and YouTube.
One of the coolest things is that we’ll be passing through the Strait of Gibraltar in both directions, and I’ll be visiting land on both sides of it over the course of the journey. Carnival’s upgrade fairy also called a couple weeks ago and offered to upgrade my room on the way over to a balcony for an additional $500. I almost didn’t do it because I am trying to do this trip frugally, but when my father-in-law offered to pay half as a gift, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. It was such a sweet gesture and means that I am going to have 15 days with a balcony room all to myself. In that time, I’ll be crossing the Atlantic, passing through the Strait of Gibraltar with a view of the North African shore, and then spending several days exploring the Mediterranean. Somehow, I haven’t seen dolphins or whales on any of my cruises so far, and I don’t have any desire to see them in captivity. I’m really hoping to have some wildlife sightings with all the extra time I’ll get to spend staring peacefully at the water. Even if I don’t see them, I’ll get to play my music for them which adds a whole new sweet element to the journey.
How Much Does a Transatlantic Cruise Cost?
I won’t lie to you: this is more than I planned to spend on travel at this time. But the deals were just too good for me to pass up on this bucket list journey. I’m not rich, and I’m pulling money from savings for part of this. But I believe that bucket list opportunities are worth spending money on. The whole journey, including my little mini trips on the way to and from the port comes in around $4800.
The total cruise journey including the two days in Barcelona is 45 days long, and with my train trips and extended stays along the way, I’ll be spending close to 2 1/2 months away from home. Less than $5000 all in breaks down to about $67 per day for the absolute trip of a lifetime. And that’s paying for an imaginary friend to travel with me both ways across the Atlantic. It would have been even cheaper if I’d been able to find a travel companion.
This doesn’t include extras like spending money for souvenirs / snacks while on the cruise(s), or alcohol and wifi during the two cruises when it isn’t included, though my phone plan has international coverage so I’ll be able to contact home when I’m in port. I have a proven record of sticking to budgets when traveling, and I’m not worried about living without these things. You can spend a lot of money on a cruise if you choose to, but I’ve learned time and time again, you really don’t have to in order to have a great trip.
And again, just the alcohol and wifi package for the middle cruise would have cost $1350 ON SALE, and I’m getting it for free as part of my deal with my roommate. Why would I need to splurge on drinks the other two cruises when I’ll have a solid 15 days to explore every premium drink Carnival has to offer? And yes, I WILL be trying them and sharing my favorites here.
Come Along With Me
I’ll be posting here regularly throughout my trip when I have WIFI or cell service, and I hope you’ll follow my journey. I’ll also be shooting videos to upload to the new My Vacationer YouTube channel. It’s just a blank slate for now, but follows are still appreciated so you’ll be notified when I post. I’m currently organizing my backlog of unpublished travel content and will be sharing videos from this trip as well as past travels on the channel. Creating more travel content is one of my primary goals in this journey, and your support, shares, and follows are so appreciated!
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Thank you so much for sharing this journey with me!
