A balcony cabin for two people on a transatlantic cruise from $154 per day? That is the kind of fare that makes us stop and look twice. The 2027 and newly released 2028 sailings also include newer ships, ships scheduled for major updates, and routes that visit Iceland, Greenland, Bermuda, Morocco, and more.
We love transatlantics because they can turn the trip between North America and Europe into a vacation of its own. You trade a long-haul flight for days at sea, often with interesting ports along the way. We have sailed seven crossings so far, and it remains one of our favorite ways to make that journey.
To keep the prices comparable, the daily fares below are for two people sharing a balcony stateroom, unless noted otherwise. They are starting fares, not promises that the same cabin or price will still be available when you book. Gratuities are not included in most of the base fares, so we will flag packages and cruise lines that change the overall value.
Key Takeaways
- Compare transatlantic fares for the same cabin type and number of guests.
- Packages and included amenities can change which crossing offers the best value.
- Northern routes, newer ships, and luxury lines are all available across different budgets.
- Book with the itinerary and total trip cost in mind, not just the daily fare.
Table of Contents
- Balcony Transatlantic Cruises Under $250 a Day
- For the Route, Choose Iceland and Greenland
- When a Newer Ship Is Worth the Extra Cost
- Luxury Transatlantic Deals Worth Comparing
- How to Compare the True Cost of a Crossing
- When to Book a 2027 or 2028 Transatlantic Cruise
Balcony Transatlantic Cruises Under $250 a Day
Holland America Rotterdam: The $154-a-Day Standout
Our lowest-priced pick is a December 2027 sailing on Holland America’s Rotterdam from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale. At $154 per day for two in a balcony cabin, it is a remarkable price for one of the newer ships in the fleet. The route includes Valencia and Málaga before the Atlantic crossing.
If the ship matters as much to you as the price, start here. This is a good reminder that transatlantic bargains are not limited to older vessels.
Celebrity Eclipse: Ports or a Particularly Low Fare
Celebrity Eclipse has two very appealing options. In April 2028, it sails from Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona from about $169 per day. This is the one to consider if you want a crossing with a substantial port lineup: Key West, Bermuda, Casablanca, stops in Spain including Seville and Mallorca, and a Barcelona finish.
For that sailing, the All Included option was priced from about $268 per day for two, adding drinks and Wi-Fi. The All Included fares discussed here also come with a refundable deposit.
There is also a November 2027 Eclipse crossing from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale from about $194 per day. Its standout stop is Bermuda, including an overnight stay. We would price the base fare against All Included rather than assuming the lowest advertised daily rate is the best fit. With the package, you get the classic beverage package and Wi-Fi, although gratuities and excursions still need to be accounted for.
Sky Princess and Virgin Voyages: Two Different Ways to Stay Under $200
Sky Princess offers a 15-night fall 2027 sailing from Southampton to Fort Lauderdale from about $199 per day. Stops in Spain and Lisbon add variety, while the ship gives you a more modern Princess option at a low balcony rate. Solo travelers may also find comparable deals on some of these sailings, though it is worth checking the actual solo fare.
For a very different onboard experience, look at Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady. Its spring 2027 Miami to Barcelona crossing starts at about $198 per day for a Sea Terrace. Virgin includes dining at its specialty restaurants, Wi-Fi, fitness classes, and essential drinks such as soda, water, basic coffee, and tea.
Virgin’s Valiant Lady has a spring 2028 Miami to Barcelona sailing from about $238 per day. This route calls at both the Azores and Madeira, a combination we do not always see on a crossing. Virgin is also adults only, with a minimum age of 18.
More Warm-Weather and Sea-Day Picks
- Enchanted Princess, fall 2027: Rome to Fort Lauderdale from about $238 per day, visiting Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, the Canary Islands, and Bermuda. It is a lovely progression toward warmer destinations.
- Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam, spring 2028: A 13-night Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona crossing from about $232 per day. With fewer port calls and fewer nights, it suits someone who wants sea days and a lower total cruise fare.
- Holland America Oosterdam, fall 2027: Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale from about $249 per day, with Spanish stops and Gibraltar. This sailing is scheduled after Oosterdam’s work in Holland America’s Evolution program, making the ship update part of the appeal.
Oosterdam is an especially useful comparison against Holland America sailings that can run around $400 to $450 per day. The point is not that every crossing is half price. It is that repositioning sailings can put a significantly updated ship within reach for much less than you might expect.
For the Route, Choose Iceland and Greenland
Some transatlantics are mostly about relaxing at sea. Others feel like a destination cruise that happens to cross the ocean.
Holland America Zaandam: The Big Northern Itinerary
Our favorite route in this group is Zaandam’s 2028 sailing from Amsterdam to Boston. It includes the Shetland Islands, four stops in Iceland, two in Greenland, Nova Scotia, Portland in Maine, and then Boston. The balcony fare shown starts at about $529 per day for two.
That is more than a typical bargain crossing, but this is not a typical crossing. Zaandam is also scheduled to receive new venues and updates throughout the ship as part of Holland America’s Evolution program before this sailing.
Regal Princess: Iceland for Less
If Iceland is the priority but Zaandam’s price is too high, Regal Princess offers a London to New York northern crossing from about $327 per day. It includes multiple Iceland stops, the Shetland Islands, and Halifax. That makes it a compelling middle ground: plenty of northern scenery without paying for the more extensive Greenland itinerary.
When a Newer Ship Is Worth the Extra Cost
There is no universal winner between an older ship at a lower fare and a newer ship at a higher one. The useful question is: What are you getting for the difference?
Take Celebrity’s fall 2027 Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale Eclipse sailing at about $194 per day. For about $278 per day, Celebrity Ascent offers an October 2027 crossing from Rome to Fort Lauderdale. Ascent is one of Celebrity’s newer Edge Class ships, and its route includes Sardinia, Gibraltar, Madeira, and Bermuda. An All Included option was also available from about $442 per day for two.
In spring 2028, the comparison becomes Eclipse from about $169 per day versus the newer Celebrity Xcel from about $306 per day on a Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona crossing. These are not identical sailings, so compare the dates and route as well as the ship. But if experiencing a brand-new Edge Class ship is a big part of the vacation for you, Xcel deserves a look.
Another Edge Class option is Celebrity Apex, sailing in April 2028 from Port Canaveral to Amsterdam from about $273 per day. It visits Bermuda, the Azores, and Lisbon. We particularly like the Amsterdam finish if you want to continue into northern Europe rather than end your crossing in the Mediterranean.
Norwegian Viva adds another newer-ship choice: a 13-night spring 2028 sailing from Miami to Rome from about $260 per day. NCL’s Free at Sea option can add a beverage package, specialty dining, some Wi-Fi minutes, and shore excursion credit for an additional cost.
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Luxury Transatlantic Deals Worth Comparing
This is where transatlantic pricing gets really interesting. A luxury crossing can still cost more per day than a contemporary cruise, of course, but the gap may be much smaller than usual. Compare what is included before you decide a fare is out of range.
Azamara: A Small-Ship Entry Point
For spring 2027, an Azamara sailing from Miami to Lisbon starts at about $418 per day. The ship carries fewer than 700 guests, and gratuities are included in this fare. Against the roughly $700 to $800 daily rates we often associate with Azamara, that is a particularly attractive way to try a smaller ship.
Viking Ocean: Two Directions, Two Seasons
Viking Vesta sails from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale in December 2027 from about $461 per day. That late-season westbound departure could pair beautifully with a European Christmas markets trip. In the other direction, Viking Mars sails from Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona in February 2028 for around $500 per day.
We typically think of Viking Ocean pricing as closer to $1,000 per day, which makes these crossings stand out. Viking includes gratuities, one shore excursion in each port, specialty dining, and beer and wine. We also love the cozy feel and Scandinavian cuisine onboard, especially for a December or February sailing.
Silversea: Compare Spirit With the Newer Ships
Silver Spirit has a 15-night December crossing from Lisbon to Barbados from about $587 per day. Along the way, it visits the Canary Islands and Cape Verde before finishing in the Caribbean. Silversea includes much of the onboard experience in its fare, though you should confirm the specifics of any shore excursion credit on the sailing you choose.
Before booking Spirit solely on price, check Silver Nova and Silver Ray. The newer ships shown were priced closer to $600 and under $700 per day on comparable crossings. Silver Ray also has a 14-night spring 2028 sailing from Fort Lauderdale to Lisbon. Sometimes the upgrade to a much newer ship costs less than you expect.
There is another useful angle if you already sail Celebrity or Royal Caribbean: their loyalty status can carry over within the group to Silversea. Check the applicable benefits when comparing a Silversea fare.
Oceania: Sonata or Marina?
Oceania Sonata, a new ship, has a fall 2027 Barcelona to Miami crossing from about $831 per day. Oceania includes gratuities and specialty restaurants, and the chance to sail a brand-new ship is a real draw.
Then there is Oceania Marina at about $631 per day. Its December sailing begins in Lisbon and visits the Canary Islands, Madeira, and two stops in the Azores before reaching Miami. That is a fabulous itinerary for roughly $200 less per day than Sonata, or about $3,000 less over a 15-night sailing at those quoted daily rates.
Both choices give you the Oceania experience. The decision is whether sailing the newest ship is worth the added cost to you.
Explora Journeys: A Longer Splurge or a Shorter Northern Route
We recently sailed Explora II, so its 16-night November 2027 Barcelona to Miami crossing caught our attention. From about $967 per day, it combines European stops with Caribbean calls, including San Juan, Antigua, and Anguilla.
That is a splurge, but there is a lot in the fare: beverages, restaurants, gratuities, and high-speed Wi-Fi for multiple devices. The ship carries fewer than 1,000 guests and has plenty of space. Compared with the roughly $1,400 to $1,500 nightly pricing we often see for Explora, the crossing offers a different way to think about luxury value.
Explora IV offers something entirely different: a new ship sailing from Quebec City to Reykjavik in 10 nights, from about $1,156 per day. Its route includes eastern Canada before Iceland. It costs more, but the unusual itinerary is the reason to consider it.
How to Compare the True Cost of a Crossing
A low balcony fare is a great starting point, not the whole calculation. Before choosing between ships, put these items side by side:
- Gratuities: They are extra on most of the base fares here, but included on the Azamara and Viking examples and in some packages.
- Drinks and Wi-Fi: Check what the fare already covers, then compare the cost of adding what you will actually use.
- Dining and excursions: Specialty restaurants, casual dining credits, and shore excursion credits vary considerably by line and package.
- Deposit terms: Celebrity’s All Included deals discussed above come with a refundable deposit, which may matter when booking well ahead.
- Total trip cost: A shorter crossing can cost less overall even when its daily rate is higher.
For Princess, Princess Plus was described at around $65 per person per day, adding gratuities, a beverage package, Wi-Fi, and casual dining credits. Holland America’s Have It All is another package to examine. When booked far enough ahead, its early booking bonuses may add included gratuities, an upgraded Elite beverage package, and premium Wi-Fi, alongside specialty dining and shore excursion credits.
Those extras are why we would never choose a crossing by sorting a list from lowest to highest fare and stopping there. A more inclusive ship or package may turn out to be the better deal for the vacation you actually want.
When to Book a 2027 or 2028 Transatlantic Cruise
As a general pattern, spring crossings head from North America toward Europe, while fall crossings head from Europe back to North America. That is helpful if you are planning a longer trip around the cruise rather than treating the sailing as the entire vacation. There are exceptions, including some of the unusual winter options above.
Fall 2028 inventory was already available from Holland America, Princess, Oceania, Viking, Cunard, NCL, Silversea, and Explora Journeys when we reviewed these deals. Celebrity and Royal Caribbean had not yet released their full fall 2028 selections. Availability changes, so it is worth checking again if a particular line or ship is missing.
Booking early gives you a wider choice of cabins and itineraries, and it lets you evaluate the fares currently on offer. It does not guarantee that every price will rise, but if you know the route, ship style, and budget you want, there is a good reason to start comparing now.
Our short list? Rotterdam for the lowest balcony fare, Zaandam for the extraordinary Iceland and Greenland route, Celebrity’s Edge Class ships if newer hardware matters most, and Azamara or Viking as approachable ways to try a more inclusive crossing. The best choice is the one whose route, ship, and true total cost work together for you.
