If indulgent, lazy sea days are a highlight of an ocean voyage, then several of them back-to-back are certain to appeal. With nowhere to be and nothing to do but enjoy the ship’s facilities, could there be a more relaxing holiday than a transatlantic cruise?
Some years ago, I took a voyage from Lisbon to Brazil, and although we stopped in interesting places – Tenerife, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro – by far the best bit of the trip was having five straight days at sea. It was blissful. My only concerns were my tanning regime and what to have for lunch.
Fares for such sailings can be surprisingly affordable, thanks in part to having fewer ports of call. These are the best transatlantic cruises to book right now.
Find by cruise type:
Best for affordability
Cultural Crossing With Paris & London
Holland America Line
Key stops: King’s Wharf (Bermuda), Le Havre (France), Portland and Dover (UK)
Departure port: Fort Lauderdale (The US)
Duration: 13 nights
Ship: Nieuw Statendam
Consecutive sea days are super-relaxing, but if you’re worried that gazing at endless horizons might not be sufficiently distracting, the answer is to book a larger ship with lots of facilities. With 2,962 guests to entertain, Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam is packed with things to do, from playing pickleball to trying your luck at the casino.
Keeping true to the brand’s Dutch heritage is an Orange Party staged mid-voyage: part of a “Dutch Day” celebration that features stroopwafels, Royal Dutch Tea and dressing up in tangerine tones.
Fill further evenings with musical entertainment (favourite venues include lively Rolling Stone Lounge and B.B. King’s Blues Club) before touching down back on home turf in Dorset, nipping across to France, and then finally disembarking not far from the white cliffs of Dover.
Insider tip
Gain behind-the-scenes insight into Nieuw Statendam via Channel 4’s Supercruising: Life at Sea series, which delves into what life is like on board.
How to do it
A 13-night Cultural Crossing With Paris & London itinerary departing on April 4, 2026 costs from £834pp for an ocean view cabin. Excludes flight to Fort Lauderdale.
Best for a sense of adventure
Knot Your Average Crossing
Windstar Cruises
Key stops: Bridgetown (Barbados)
Departure port: Lisbon (Portugal)
Duration: 14 nights
Ship: Wind Star
The very first transatlantic crossing back in the Age of Discovery would have been a momentously thrilling, swashbuckling affair. Relive that sense of adventure (albeit in considerably more comfort) on a tall-ship sailing aboard Windstar Cruises’ original ship, Wind Star.
This is not an experience for those who require endless entertainment, as the ship is smaller (with room for only 148 passengers) and there are no stops, just sea days, until you get to Barbados. However, if you’re fascinated by seafaring, this experience would be incredible.
With Windstar’s open-bridge policy, guests can interact with the captain and crew to learn about navigation or participate in a knot-tying workshop. Further navigational cues come courtesy of the night sky, with officers on hand to help decipher the constellations. Beyond being more hands-on than your average cruise, guests can simply relax on the ship and enjoy the odd indulgence, such as a massage or breakfast in bed.
Insider tip
The North Atlantic can sometimes be a little rougher in November, so opt for a mid-ship cabin on a lower deck to minimise motion.
How to do it
A 14-night Knot Your Average Crossing from Lisbon to Barbados departing on November 10, 2026, costs from £2,107pp for a standard cabin. Includes non-alcoholic drinks. Excludes flights.
Best for luxury
Transoceanic Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale
Crystal Cruises
Key stops: Ponta Delgada (Azores, Portugal), Saint John’s (Antigua), Jost Van Dyke (British Virgin Islands), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Fort Lauderdale (The US)
Departure port: Lisbon (Portugal)
Duration: 15 nights
Ship: Crystal Serenity
While many transatlantic crossings minimise ports of call, this cruise on board Crystal Serenity offers a perfect balance of leisurely sea days and on-shore explorations. The six ports of call include three Azorean islands (with their hot springs and colonial towns) and three Caribbean islands (packed with rum punch and maritime history), plus the chance to see whales and dolphins in these rich Atlantic waters.
Sea days on board Crystal Cruises give guests the chance to watch movies, enjoy the spa, attend a lecture, or perhaps even perfect their golf swing before attending a fitness class. Too active? There’s no need to leave the sun deck, should you rather take things easy.
But whether you’re looking for an active or indulgent cruise, the key consideration here is value for money. The lead-in cost equates to around £330pp per night, including meals, drinks, entertainment and the voyage itself. You’d be hard-pressed to find a straightforward five-star hotel stay at that price.
Insider tip
Dining is a highlight of a Crystal cruise. The seven à la carte restaurants, included in the cruise fare, feature exclusive Umi Uma, the only at-sea outpost from legendary chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Reservations are essential and can (and should) be made up to 180 days before your cruise.
How to do it
A Transoceanic Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale cruise departing on November 8, 2026, costs from £8,300pp for a Sapphire veranda suite. Includes Wi-Fi, tips and drinks.
Best for island hopping
Atlantic Quest
Marella Cruises
Key stops: Castries (St Lucia), St John’s (Antigua), Gibraltar, Palma de Mallorca (Spain)
Departure port: Bridgetown (Barbados)
Duration: 12 nights
Ship: Marella Discovery 2
The Lesser Antilles meet the Balearics on this epic ocean voyage that starts in Barbados and concludes in Palma de Mallorca. With the Pitons, St Lucia’s iconic twin peaks, and Antigua’s scenic Shirley Heights, the itinerary is front-loaded with memorable sights and experiences before commencing the ocean crossing.
There’s plenty to do on board 1,836-guest Marella Discovery 2, from open-air movie screenings to rock climbing and mini golf. You’ll also find two pools (one indoor, one outdoor), plus a spa and a generous sun-deck as well as nine restaurants (including a steakhouse, a sushi bar and pan-Asian Kora La) and a show lounge that puts on Broadway-style performances – and there’s ample time in which to discover it all, too.
The main crossing is undertaken in a seven-day stretch, with one more sea day (between Gibraltar and Palma) for a nicely relaxing finale before the ship docks within sight of Palma’s landmark Gothic cathedral.
Insider tip
For a final view back across the ocean through which you’ve just sailed, join Marella’s The Rock Tour shore excursion in Gibraltar for epic vistas out to the west and over towards Africa (while looking out for free-roaming Barbary apes).
How to do it
A 12-night Atlantic Quest cruise departing April 23, 2026 costs from £1,504pp for an inside cabin on an all-inclusive basis. Includes tips, transfers, service charges and an outbound TUI Airways flight (with luggage) to Barbados.
Best for foodies
Transoceanic Salute
Oceania Cruises
Key stops: Great Stirrup Cay (Bahamas), Royal Naval Dockyard (Bermuda), Ponta Delgada (Azores, Portugal), Malaga, Cartagena and Palma de Mallorca (Spain), Naples and Rome (Italy)
Departure port: Miami (The US)
Duration: 16 nights
Ship: Oceania Allura
New-to-market ships always cause a stir among regular cruisers, so this transatlantic trip on board Oceania Allura is sure to be popular.
The latest addition to Oceania’s fleet carries 1,200 passengers and, as with its sister ships, commits to offering “the finest cuisine at sea”. As well as high-calibre dining venues (including a new restaurant, Aquamar Kitchen), Allura offers a larger culinary centre for hands-on cookery classes: an ideal distraction for which to sign up on any of the eight sea days that pepper this itinerary.
In between are interesting ports of call from Bermuda’s Royal Naval Dockyard and Ponta Delgada in the Azores to better-known Malaga, Cartagena and Palma de Mallorca in Spain. A full day in Naples provides a choice of visiting the ruins of Pompeii or taking a jetfoil tour across to the isle of Capri. Disembarkation is in Civitavecchia, which is the port for the city of Rome.
Insider tip
Be sure to book into the Asian-inspired Red Ginger restaurant at least once – its roasted duck and watermelon salad is so good that you may want to order it daily.
How to do it
A 16-night Transoceanic Salute voyage departing April 14, 2026 costs from £4,299pp for a concierge level veranda cabin. Includes all dining (including speciality restaurants), non-alcoholic drinks, Wi-Fi, laundry services and gratuities.
Best for maritime history
Cruise from Canada to Iceland
Swan Hellenic
Key stops: Saint-Pierre, St John’s and St Anthony (Canada), Qassiarsuk, Narsaq and Qaqortoq (Greenland), Reykjavik (Iceland)
Departure port: Halifax (Canada)
Duration: 11 nights
Ship: SH Vega
If you like the idea of sailing between continents but don’t fancy all those sea days, then this Swan Hellenic partial crossing from Canada to Iceland should tick your boxes.
Departing from Nova Scotia, the 152-passenger SH Vega visits the neighbouring province of Newfoundland and Labrador, before setting off across the Labrador Sea to Greenland’s fjords and glaciers.
There’s a lot of interesting history to delve into along the way, starting with Halifax’s Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, home to artefacts from the ill-fated Titanic. St John’s in Newfoundland is home to colourful houses from the town’s cod-fishing heyday in the 18th and 19th centuries. Older still are the Norse (Viking) settlements of Narsarsuaq and Qassiarsuk in Greenland; a culture that’s also reflected in Reykjavik, where this cruise ends.
And the best bit? Swan Hellenic’s décor goes big on Scandi-style design, which makes sailing on SH Vega feel culturally apt.
Insider tip
For the best views of wildlife, dramatic scenery or simply to enjoy the ocean, head to deck six and its forward-facing Swan’s Nest.
How to do it
An 11-night Cruise from Canada to Iceland departing on May 18, 2026 costs from £5,805pp for an oceanview cabin. Includes drinks, Wi-Fi, lectures, all expedition landings and one selected shore excursion per port of call.
Best for a festive sailing
Felices Fiestas
Regent Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC)
Key stops: Malaga (Spain), Funchal (Madeira, Portugal), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Miami (The US)
Departure port: Barcelona (Spain)
Duration: 14 nights
Ship: Seven Seas Prestige
Deep-pocketed fans of brand-new ships will be inspired by RSSC’s Seven Seas Prestige, whose maiden voyage is this two-week sailing from Barcelona to Miami. Perfectly timed for celebrating Christmas with a difference, this itinerary begins in Barcelona and hops to Malaga and Funchal, where shore excursions (always included in the price) might take in local wines, a cable-car ride or the famed botanical gardens.
Next up come six straight days at sea: an ideal opportunity to try the spa, enjoy a show or simply relax on deck, keeping an eye on the sea in case a dolphin, whale or seabird should pass by.
Touching down in the Caribbean comes courtesy of Puerto Rico, which offers steamy jungles and streets pulsating with vibrant music and art. Christmas Day itself features more Caribbean sunshine, with both this and Boxing Day spent at sea. Happy holidays, indeed.
Insider tip
Regent cruises satisfy more than your appetite for great food. If you’re hungry for knowledge, take advantage of the programme of guest speakers covering anything from nature and wildlife to architecture and the culinary arts.
How to do it
A 14-night Felices Fiestas Christmas cruise departing December 13, 2026 costs from £6,699pp for a Serenity suite. Includes drinks, gratuities, shore excursions, laundry and Wi-Fi.
Best for a traditional voyage
London Theatre At Sea with the Olivier Awards
Cunard
Key stops: New York (The US)
Departure port: Southampton (UK)
Duration: Seven nights
Ship: Queen Mary 2
No list of transatlantic cruise options is complete without Cunard. With its gala dinners and air of refinement, a Cunard crossing calls to mind the heyday of ocean travel as the brand’s flagship vessel, Queen Mary 2, shuttles between the UK and New York.
Beyond its grand lounges, ritzy casino and expansive libraries, popular facilities include the Golden Lion Pub, which (complete with British beers and pub grub) adds an element of balance. The seven-night crossings are more about the journey than the destination, and if Cunard’s army of followers is anything to go by, it’s a formula that evidently works.
Make the experience extra-special by choosing one of the special Event Voyages, with themes that might include classical music, Fashion Week or a Literature Festival at sea. Among the most intriguing options is this theatrical-themed crossing in partnership with the Olivier Awards, with backstage surprises, sing-alongs and a very special performance.
Insider tip
On at least one day of your sailing, go light on lunch and save space for Cunard’s famous afternoon tea, which is served each day by white-gloved waiters to the sound of classical music.
How to do it
A seven-night London Theatre at Sea voyage departing May 22, 2026 costs from £2,098pp for a Britannia Inside stateroom. Excludes speciality dining.
About our expert
James Litston
James is a freelance travel writer from the UK. His special interest in wildlife, adventure and expedition cruises has taken him all over the world, from Australia to South Africa, Northern Europe to the Mediterranean.