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The pre-eminent long-distance ocean route is the Transatlantic Crossing. Today, the Queen Mary 2 is the only ship that has a regular summer schedule on this route, and many travelers are eager to take it. Years ago, when ship travel was the only way to go (actually, it still is!) people would logically take a round trip, but today, although some still do that, it's more likely people would sail one way and fly the other. The question is, is sailing eastbound or westbound preferable? How could it really make any difference? Well there is a difference. Let me explain the trip, and then the reasons for my answer.
Let's first make clear the difference between a cruise and a crossing. Cruises include stops in a number of ports, sometimes almost daily. I've even heard people express their preference for the stops, complaining that if an "at sea" day interrupts that shore routine, there's nothing to do. Of course, some ships do offer precious little to do on at sea days. In any case, on a cruise you divide your time between two experiences, visiting ports and enjoying life on board.
A crossing is different in that there are no stops. The QM2 connects Southampton and New York in six days. The occasional other ship doing a Transatlantic Crossing might connect other ports in a similar time frame. In any case this sort of trip consists of nothing other than sea days, and one's whole concentration is centered on life on board. How boring can that be? Not in the slightest. As a matter of fact, there's not enough time to do everything you'd like.
First there's the dining. Some go to the restaurant for all three meals, but I prefer to have breakfast and lunch in the self-serve restaurants because it's quicker, and I want to do other things. It's the evening meal that for me embodies the pleasure of dress-up dining in the formal restaurant, where you get to meet interesting people, possibly including ship's officers. (Tip: request a large table, for eight, to meet the greatest variety of people; these tables are also more likely to be "hosted" by an officer.) Jacket-and-tie suffices most nights, and a tux CAN be used on the more formal nights.
On the QM2 the day is filled with interesting lectures in at least two venues. Most lecturers are part of an Oxford University program. There are planetarum shows, performances by representatives of the Royal Shakespeare Company, a spa, swimming pool, games all day long, a floor show after dinner, dancing in two venues after that. Or, you could just sit in a deck chair reading and watching the sea. Better yet, a walk on deck will get you to experience the uniqueness in the middle of the ocean of having a 360° horizon surrounding you.
I often ask people on board why they chose a given direction for their crossing, and they say it was by chance, then usually agree with my opinion as to the preferable direction. Of course shipping companies will never tell you which direction is preferable, since they have to fill the ship both ways, but, assuming your travel schedule is flexible enough to choose either eastbound or westbound, here is my answer.
In another context, Horace Greeley famously said "Go West, young man!", and that answer applies here. But why?
The answer lies in the time zones. In the six days the QM2 takes to cross the Atlantic, it crosses five time zones. Picture this. You've just had an enjoyable dinner, and may have gone to see the show. It's about 11:00 and you look at your watch. Is there time to go dancing, especially considering that early lecture tomorrow? If you're going eastbound, you know there'll be a reminder in your room to advance your clocks by an hour, so it's virtually midnight. This is the experience we all have when daylight savings starts and you "spring ahead". It's not much fun.
But on the other hand, if you're sailing westbound and see it's 11:00, you know it's really only 10:00. The evening is still young. How about a dance? This is the same fun we have when daylight savings time ends and we "fall behind".
A westbound Transatlantic Crossing is therefore not only five hours longer than otherwise expected, which is close to half of a waking day, but each of these five hours is spread out, coming just at the right time, improving five separate days. Also note that any world cruise always, always, goes westbound, adding a full 24 hours to that sort of trip. To my mind, it's a no-brainer. Westward ho!
© 2007 by Dr Vincent DiNapoli
