Jul 18, 2008
I have a monumental splurge to suggest: a one-way, trans-Atlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2
It may be time to consider that once-in-a-lifetime transatlantic crossing between England and New York City on the Queen Mary 2, one of Cunard's grand ocean liners, and the last ship to ply this legendary route.
That's because the price of airfare to London has shot up so much that it's approaching the luxury level you would pay to take the ship instead. This month, round-trip, midweek airfare to London from America's east coast costs around $1,200. But a one-way ocean crossing from Southampton to the U.S. is being sold for as little as $1,400 (that's for an inside cabin both this summer and parts of summer 2009), and the cruise line's fuel surcharge is currently only around $50.
If you take a one-way transatlantic ship crossing, that still leaves a one-way flight (either to London or back from there) to complete a round-trip journey. The cheapest one-way airfare available from New York is that of Air India mid-week (about $350 including taxes right now, about $570 on Aer Lingus, $830 on Virgin Atlantic). Those prices, plus $1,450 for the ocean crossing, will total around $2,000 to $2,300 for a trip of a lifetime. (Add about another $250 for a water view).
If you book ahead, you can qualify for an early-bird discount on the ship's fares and pay $1,395 next summer. There's no telling what airfares are going to do between now and then, but it's a safe bet that the price of fuel isn't going to plummet anytime soon.
In the winter, airfares are much lower, but the ship doesn't cross the Atlantic Ocean then.
Cunard's Queen Mary 2 is a liner cut from the classic mold. Picture a lofty, old-fashioned six-day journey full of evening dinners at which diners wear tuxedos and gowns, couples ballroom dance until late, and chefs serve as much food as you can eat -- it is a cruise, of course.
Yes, it's still more expensive than the plane, but the plane doesn't give you that grand experience, and now that we are finally in a period where both airfare and the cruise are priced in the same ballpark, it's worth considering splurging on a ship crossing.?
Also, taking a cruise back from England eliminates the stress of paying overweight baggage fees to the international airlines -- you can load up on European souvenirs since cruises don't obsess about luggage weight and other such limitations.
Write and read comments about this post.
That's because the price of airfare to London has shot up so much that it's approaching the luxury level you would pay to take the ship instead. This month, round-trip, midweek airfare to London from America's east coast costs around $1,200. But a one-way ocean crossing from Southampton to the U.S. is being sold for as little as $1,400 (that's for an inside cabin both this summer and parts of summer 2009), and the cruise line's fuel surcharge is currently only around $50.
If you take a one-way transatlantic ship crossing, that still leaves a one-way flight (either to London or back from there) to complete a round-trip journey. The cheapest one-way airfare available from New York is that of Air India mid-week (about $350 including taxes right now, about $570 on Aer Lingus, $830 on Virgin Atlantic). Those prices, plus $1,450 for the ocean crossing, will total around $2,000 to $2,300 for a trip of a lifetime. (Add about another $250 for a water view).
If you book ahead, you can qualify for an early-bird discount on the ship's fares and pay $1,395 next summer. There's no telling what airfares are going to do between now and then, but it's a safe bet that the price of fuel isn't going to plummet anytime soon.
In the winter, airfares are much lower, but the ship doesn't cross the Atlantic Ocean then.
Cunard's Queen Mary 2 is a liner cut from the classic mold. Picture a lofty, old-fashioned six-day journey full of evening dinners at which diners wear tuxedos and gowns, couples ballroom dance until late, and chefs serve as much food as you can eat -- it is a cruise, of course.
Yes, it's still more expensive than the plane, but the plane doesn't give you that grand experience, and now that we are finally in a period where both airfare and the cruise are priced in the same ballpark, it's worth considering splurging on a ship crossing.?
Also, taking a cruise back from England eliminates the stress of paying overweight baggage fees to the international airlines -- you can load up on European souvenirs since cruises don't obsess about luggage weight and other such limitations.
Write and read comments about this post.
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
