Skip to content
Go to Home Page
Deals

Skip the flight, take the ship: Last-minute cruises to Europe on sale for $499

March 17, 2023
•
5 min read
NieuwStatendam_1
Skip the flight, take the ship: Last-minute cruises to Europe on sale for $499
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

Are you thinking about a trip to Europe in the next few months? If you have time to spare, you might consider getting there by ship instead of plane.

While fares for flights to Europe are sky-high right now, the cost of some transatlantic cruises to Europe scheduled for April, May and June are at rock-bottom rates — in a few cases, under $500 per person.

Transatlantic sailings between the United States and Europe often are a good bargain, as there is less demand for them than for cruises that focus on a specific region such as the Caribbean or Europe. Cruise lines often discount them heavily on short notice to get them filled.

That seems to be the case this year. Here are a few of the transatlantic sailings departing in April available at a heavily discounted rate as of Friday:

  • A 16-night voyage from Fort Lauderdale to Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Holland America's 2,668-passenger Rotterdam starting at $499 — or about $31 a day. The trip begins April 3.
  • A 14-day voyage from Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona on Holland America's 2,666-passenger Nieuw Statendam starting at $499 — or about $36 a day. The trip begins April 8.
  • A 14-day voyage from Fort Lauderdale to Civitavecchia, Italy (the port for Rome), on Holland America's 2,388-passenger Oosterdam starting at $499 — or about $36 a day. The trip begins April 10.
  • A 13-day voyage from Tampa to Barcelona on Carnival Cruise Line's 2,124-passenger Carnival Pride starting at $559 — or about $43 a day. The trip begins April 13.
  • A 13-day voyage from Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona on Celebrity Cruises' 2,666-passenger Celebrity Reflection starting at $489 — or about $38 a day. The trip begins April 23.

Similarly, low-cost transatlantic cruises available in May include a 17-night sailing from Miami to Barcelona on MSC Cruises' 3,502-passenger MSC Divina that starts at $799 — or about $47 a day. The trip begins May 15.

June brings such transatlantic deals as a 12-night voyage from Port Canaveral, Florida, to Lisbon, Portugal, on Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Getaway starting at $499 — or about $42 a day. The trip begins June 3.

The fine print on transatlantic cruise deals

Note that all the deeply discounted fares above are only available for windowless interior cabins, which are the lowest-category cabins on each of the ships. That said, there are notably low rates available on ocean-view and balcony cabins on some of the trips, too.

Related: 6 ways to get a deal on a cruise

Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

Ocean-view cabins (that is, cabins with a window) on the 16-night Rotterdam cruise departing April 3 were listed on Holland America's website Friday for $699 — just $200 more than a windowless cabin. Balcony cabins on the sailing were listed for $799. That works out to about $50 a day for a balcony cabin.

Note that all the fares are per-person rates that are based on two people staying in a cabin. They're not available for solo travelers.

Related: The best transatlantic sailings for 2023

In addition, while the rates include accommodations, meals and entertainment, they don't include port taxes and fees, which can add another $100 or more to the cost of the trip.

Cruise lines typically advertise their fares without port taxes and fees included but add these costs to final bills at the time of checkout.

Spring is the time for transatlantic sailings to Europe

April, May and June are the peak months for transatlantic sailings from the United States to Europe. That's because cruise lines need to reposition ships from their winter homes in the Caribbean and the Bahamas to their summer homes in Europe.

The need for such repositioning results in lots of ships heading one-way from such major North American cruise ports as Fort Lauderdale, Miami and New York to the top cruise ports in Europe, which include Barcelona, Civitavecchia and Southampton, England.

Transatlantic trips are typically made up mostly of sea days as the ships cross the Atlantic Ocean. Since that doesn't appeal to many cruisers, they often are only lightly booked in advance. That sometimes prompts cruise lines to discount them at the last minute.

As an alternative to taking a flight to Europe, transatlantic sailings do have one major drawback, of course: They are very long. If your time for a Europe vacation is short, a quick flight over the Atlantic is obviously the best bet.

Still, for those with the time to spare, transatlantic cruises do offer a much more relaxed way to reach the Continent.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

Featured image by HOLLAND AMERICA
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

TPG featured card

Best for dining at restaurants

American Express® Gold Card

Apply for American Express® Gold Card
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
TPG Editor‘s Rating
4 / 5
Go to review
Apply for American Express® Gold Card
at American Express's secure site

Rewards

1 - 4X points

Intro offer

As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

Annual Fee

$325

Recommended Credit

Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.
Apply for American Express® Gold Card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

American Express® Gold Card

TPG Editor‘s Rating
4 / 5
Go to review

Rewards Rate

4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
3XEarn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
2XEarn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
1XEarn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.

  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.