Turn Spring Break Into A European Holiday: Use These Low Cost Transatlantic Cruises

Spring Break and the April holidays offer well-priced opportunities for cruise ship getaways. Why fight unruly beach and casino crowds when you can sail in comfort from Florida to European ports and fly back with tales to tell.

 

Malaga, Spain

Cruise lines discount Spring fares to fill ships repositioning from the Americas to Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. Here are a few of the current bargains:

 

Koningsdam

Holland America's Koningsdam leaves Fort Lauderdale Sunday, April 7 for six days across the Atlantic, followed by calls in several of our favorite ports: Port Delgado, Azores, and Malaga and Cartagena, Spain, before ending Saturday, April 20 in Rome's port of Civitavecchia. That leaves the weekend to fly back to the U.S. and return to work Monday morning. Or you can spend additional days in Rome

 

The ship is nearly new, completed in 2016 with the latest of the Cruise Line's entertainment venues and dining upgrades, and carries 2,650 passengers. That's half the size of the bloated giants launched recently by some other cruise lines. 

A cruise agent should be able to book you a balcony cabin for about $1000 per person, plus $188.50 gratuities, with onboard spending money or other credits of $100 or more.

Veendam

Holland America's Veendam, a ship half the size that was built in 1996 but refurbished in 2016, makes the run in 14 days instead of 13, departing April 14 and arriving April 28. Figure about the same $1,000 per person rate for a balcony cabin.

 

Other options

 

Lisbon

Silhouette

Celebrity Silhouette, April 14 for 13 days from Fort Lauderdale. Built 2011, refurbished 2015, 2,886 passengers. Visits Nassau, Bahamas, followed by an overnight at King's Wharf, Bermuda, eventually touching Lisbon before arriving in London Southampton April 27. Balcony fares from $750 per person plus gratuities.

Regal Princess

Princess Regal Princess, April 14, 15 nights from Fort Lauderdale. Built 2014, refurbished 2017, 3,560 passengers. Azores, Zeebrugge, Belgium, Rotterdam Holland, Aarhus, Denmark, Copenhagen. Balcony from $1,200 per person plus gratuities.

Copenhagen

New York Alternative

 

From New York Brooklyn, Cunard Queen Mary 2, April 21, 7 nights to London Southampton. Balcony from about $1,075 per person plus gratuities.

London

Some cabins are in short supply, so if you are considering one of these cruises, have your agent put a "courtesy hold" on a cabin before you take time to check air fare and other arrangements.

 

Use airline points to buy the return flight, or consider carriers like Norwegian for discounted coach fares or its "premium" economy that is reviewed by many fliers as similar to business class-- without a fully reclining sleeper seat. The cruise lines and travel agents also have access to discounted "bulk" one-way seats in economy, business or first class.