Here is our impression from our Trans-Atlantic Cruise during 28 May 2016 – 10 June 2016.
Getting Around:
Our cruise with Pullmantur took us on a 14-day journey across the Atlantic Ocean from Colon in Panama to Lisbon in Portugal. The check-in and check-out processes were a very lengthy process where you spend most of your time standing in a queue or waiting for your number to get called up. However once you are on board, you are free to go where you want and do what you want. Getting around on the ship was a bit confusing at first as it takes you a couple of days to find your orientation. While there are signs and maps at each alleyway and corner, you still get lost trying to find the quickest route around the ship. The ship was just big enough that you felt like you were getting out and there were many places to hang out, while at the same time it was small enough to feel cozy and not too intimidating. We spent our days walking around the ship, each day enjoying the sun in a different corner and checking out the different facilities offered on the ship. On our different stops along the cruise, we mostly had half the day to explore the city we were docked at. The cruise ship offers complete packages for touring the city, there are numerous taxis waiting to pick up visitors at the port terminal, however all these options are extremely expensive and overpriced and tourists are easily harassed. We found it much nicer to just walk into the city on our own or just catch a taxi further down the road. This allowed us to explore at our own pace and find things that we enjoyed doing.
People:
Even though we were not the typical cruise ship travellers, the staffs on board were extremely friendly and accommodating. We did not indulge in the different offers and packages that were offered on-board but we were very happy to pay the compulsory service tip at the end of our trip. It was very clear that the staff had a lot of experience managing such large groups of people and adhering to the very different needs of passengers. It was very nice to see some of the familiar staff each day just to chat and catch up on the latest weather reports. While there are so many workers onboard it is hard to get to know them all, but you manage to get to know those that are catering to your room or dining table. The crew is extremely diverse with staffs that are from all over the world, and they are very happy to share stories about their work and their home. The cruise with Pullmantur also had a very different group of passengers compared to other cruises. The cruise line caters mostly to Spanish crowds, which was mostly families and a mix of older and younger generations unlike other cruises. People were also very engaged in the cruise ship events and activities, although we preferred having a more quiet and relaxing environment, which was still easy to find.
Climate/Nature:
We were very fortunate to have blue skies and clear weather for pretty much the entire duration of our cruise. While it was early June, there was still often a relatively cool breeze as the main deck is up on the 11th floor and with the movement of the ship there is a relatively strong wind. This did make it awkward for jogging outside on the track especially with the swanking of the ship as well. Although the wind was not very noticeable during the day, it did get quite chilly at night especially when standing on the open deck without the wind protection from the glass walls. Nonetheless we absolutely loved the endless blue sky and blue water. We spent hours just sitting on the deck and looking out over the ocean. Even though there is some noise from the ships engine, we still felt like it was special to be out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with nothing all around you. We were also lucky to see dolphins, whales, turtles, and flying fish swim by our ship, which was a spectacular experience. The cruise enabled to find a much stronger appreciation for the vastness and beauty of the ocean.
Culture:
There is no specific culture to talk about on the cruise, but the ship did have a life of its own. With all kinds of activities to engage in and the high enthusiasm of the Latin American crowd, the boat was always lively from early in the morning until late at night. Also with crewmembers and passengers from all around the world, there was a great diversity of people on the cruise ship. We met people from Brazil, Venezuela, USA, Germany, Australia, Philippines, India, Spain, Nicaragua, Argentina, Mexico and many other countries. It was wonderful to see such a mix of people all having a good time and enjoying themselves.
Activities:
The animation team went all out with organizing lotteries, dance-offs, carnival parties, Broadway shows, sports competitions, and quiz shows. There was always something to see or do. They also organized it very well by publishing a small newspaper each evening highlighting the timeline of events and activities for the next day so that you can plan out your day. There was so much going on it was not possible to do everything and so you had to chose what you were more interested in. It also proved useful to plan a day of quiet relaxing as you would know where the louder activities were going to happen and when. This enabled us to find nice quiet parts of the ship where we could lie on a beach lounger and sip away at cocktails. Even though were not interested in any activities, we still did enjoy going to some of the Broadway shows and watching a large Karaoke session. With such a variety of activities, the Animation team makes sure that there is something for everyone, no matter what age, background, or traveller they are.
Summary:
Having made so many assumptions about cruise ships, we were expecting the worst. Our experience completely changed out perception of them. While yes, we still find it is a horrible mode of transportation in terms of its environmental impact and it does attract some very particular types of vacationers (that drink and eat a little too much when it is open bar and open buffet), we still managed to have a great time. It was a great way to remove all forms of responsibility, and completely wind down. Throughout the whole trip we kept thinking to ourselves, wow we are in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, and its very hard to grasp when you are so used to just flying over it by plane. Only once we got to the coasts did we start to see other life again as planes started flying overhead and spotted other ships in a distance. We found the food to be excellent and the cocktails were also pretty decent given the context. For an open bar and open buffet deal, this was very high value for the cost. As they were re-positioning the ship from South America to Europe for the next holiday season, it was a very cheap deal to book an all-inclusive package. We loved our experience on the cruise and would like to try again, but not in the near future.
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Boundless Voyages Ranking (all out of 5):
Cost: $$
(Very good value for very good price. Compared to the cost of a flight or just living and eating in a hotel for two weeks, this was very cheap.)
Food: @@@@@
(Superb! The food was excellent quality and had a great variety of dishes so that you never got tired or sick of anything.)
Fun Factor: ###
(There is fun if you need it. There is something fun for everyone. It was also just fun to walk around and explore the ship.)
The Experience: XXXXX
(Very pleasantly surprised. Our low expectations were blown out of the water. We actually enjoyed the trip and found it a great way to force ourselves to relax and do nothing. The service was also amazing.)
Let us know if you have any thoughts, comments, or even questions about our Trans-Atlantic Cruise.
Happy Travels!
Daniel & Veronica
Boundless Voyages 