Skip the flight, take the ship: Last-minute cruises to Europe on sale for $499
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
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:
- The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
- The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
- A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
- 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
- 15 ways cruisers waste money
- 15 best cruise ships for people who never want to grow up
- What to pack for your first cruise
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees