We chose our first Transatlantic based on the ports of call. Most ships are 8-10 days at sea with only a couple of stops and I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy being at sea for such a long period. It was a great cruise! I joined the Cruise Critic meet & mingle group on advise from a friend and it was a great idea. We got a group together to play mahjong and were able to play every day we were at sea. (The person who checked the game out for the entirety of the cruise had to put a $200 deposit. We heard there were complaints because the only game (?) was checked out and others could not use it. I suggest RCCL have several available for a Transatlantic.) The check in was easy since we arrived around 2:00 which turned out to be a good thing since no one was allowed in the cabins till after 4:00. (Can you say Norovirus? The ship had to be thoroughly cleaned. Better a little inconvenience than have the thing spread further.)

The first day at sea I felt the ship moving more than I would like but that was the worst, except for one night when we had a rogue wave hit the back of the ship (or so I was told) and some items hit the floor throughout the ship, but not in our cabin. The weather wasn't as cold as I expected, lesson learned, I can take short sleeve shirts or t-shirts for the crossing. We had a balcony and although some days were cool, we had the sun and it was very pleasant to sit outside and read. We were able to use it all except 3 days when it was raining or windy.

We made our tour reservations through the ship. The coaches/buses were very comfortable and clean, the tour guides very knowledgeable. We visited Punta Delgada, Azores; Cork, Ireland; LeHavre (Paris); Brugge, Belgium; Amsterdam, Netherlands; ending in Copenhagen, Denmark. Read more