Minimizing rough seas

The good news is the North Atlantic is typically smooth sailing from April to October. The bad news is occasionally this ocean becomes stormy with gale-force winds, heavy downpours, and huge waves.

Unfortunately, there is no way to predict the weather several weeks if not days in advance.

But you can significantly increase the odds in your favor by knowing the following:

 Northern vs southern route
The northern route (such as New York to England) is more prone to bad weather than the southern one (such as Florida to the Mediterranean). And the Northern route can be too cold for using the pool in the spring.

 Type of ship
Larger and newer ships are usually better designed to handle rough seas.

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Sail westward or eastward?

Sailing west (Europe to the Americas) is superior to cruising eastbound. Consider:

 25-hour days
You get an extra hour to enjoy the ship each day the captain adjusts the ship's clock forward. Heading eastbound, you would have 23-hour days.

 Jet Lag
If you sail westbound, you would fly from the Americas to Europe - and those flights are typically night ones. This makes it easier for you to sleep on the plane and, therefore, reduce the jetlag effect.

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Photo by Bruce Tuten - CC BY 2.0

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