{"id":99657,"date":"2026-10-22T16:44:57","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T16:44:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/fastest-transatlantic-crossing-by-ship"},"modified":"2026-10-22T16:45:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T16:45:00","slug":"fastest-transatlantic-crossing-by-ship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/fastest-transatlantic-crossing-by-ship","title":{"rendered":"The Fastest Transatlantic Crossing by Ship: Records, Liners and Today&#8217;s Options"},"content":{"rendered":"<head><style>\n.ch-post{font-family:inherit;line-height:1.7;color:#1f2937;max-width:820px;margin:0 auto}\n.ch-post h2{font-size:1.6em;margin:1.8em 0 .6em;color:#0b2545;border-bottom:3px solid #f5a623;padding-bottom:.25em}\n.ch-post h3{font-size:1.15em;margin:1.4em 0 .3em;color:#0b2545}\n.ch-post p{margin:0 0 1em}\n.ch-post ul,.ch-post ol{margin:0 0 1.2em 1.3em}\n.ch-post li{margin:.35em 0}\n.ch-post .ch-updated{font-size:.9em;color:#6b7280;margin-bottom:1.2em}\n.ch-post .ch-table{overflow-x:auto;margin:1.2em 0 1.6em}\n.ch-post table{border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;font-size:.95em}\n.ch-post th{background:#0b2545;color:#fff;text-align:left;padding:.65em .8em}\n.ch-post td{padding:.6em .8em;border-bottom:1px solid #e5e7eb;vertical-align:top}\n.ch-post tr:nth-child(even) td{background:#f6f8fb}\n.ch-post .ch-faq{background:#f6f8fb;border-radius:12px;padding:1em 1.4em;margin:1em 0 2em}\n.ch-post .ch-faq h3{margin-top:1em}\n.ch-post .ch-cta{background:linear-gradient(135deg,#0b2545,#13315c);color:#fff;border-radius:14px;padding:1.6em 1.8em;margin:2.2em 0;text-align:center}\n.ch-post .ch-cta strong{display:block;font-size:1.35em;margin-bottom:.4em;color:#fff}\n.ch-post .ch-cta p{color:#dbe4f0;margin:.2em 0 1.1em}\n.ch-post .ch-btn{display:inline-block;background:#f5a623;color:#0b2545 !important;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;padding:.8em 1.6em;border-radius:999px}\n.ch-post .ch-btn:hover{background:#ffbb45}\n.ch-post em{color:#4b5563}\n<\/style><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\n    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n    \"@graph\": [\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"BlogPosting\",\n            \"headline\": \"The Fastest Transatlantic Crossing by Ship: Records, Liners and Today's Options\",\n            \"description\": \"What is the fastest transatlantic crossing by ship? The Blue Riband, the SS United States record, how long the Atlantic takes today by liner and by cargo ship.\",\n            \"mainEntityOfPage\": \"https:\\\/\\\/cargoholidays.com\\\/fastest-transatlantic-crossing-by-ship\",\n            \"image\": \"https:\\\/\\\/cargoholidays.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/11\\\/Cargo-Ship-Travel-Cargoholidays11-1024x682.jpg\",\n            \"datePublished\": \"2026-10-22\",\n            \"dateModified\": \"2026-10-22\",\n            \"inLanguage\": \"en-GB\",\n            \"author\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n                \"name\": \"CargoHolidays\"\n            },\n            \"publisher\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n                \"name\": \"CargoHolidays\",\n                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/cargoholidays.com\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n            \"mainEntity\": [\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"What is the fastest transatlantic crossing by ship?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"The SS United States crossed from New York to Bishop Rock off England in 3 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes in July 1952.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"What is the Blue Riband?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"The unofficial title for the passenger liner with the fastest crossing of the North Atlantic.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"How long does it take to cross the Atlantic by ship today?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"About 7 nights on the Queen Mary 2, or roughly 9&ndash;14 days on a cargo ship.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"Why are modern ships slower?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"Fuel costs and emissions matter more than speed, so many ships sail at economical speeds.\"\n                    }\n                },\n                {\n                    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n                    \"name\": \"Can you still cross the Atlantic by cargo ship?\",\n                    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                        \"text\": \"Yes. Container ships carrying a few passengers sail between Europe and North America every week.\"\n                    }\n                }\n            ]\n        }\n    ]\n}<\/script><\/head><div class=\"ch-post\"><p class=\"ch-updated\">\u00daltima actualizaci\u00f3n: 22 de octubre de 2026<\/p><p><strong>The fastest transatlantic crossing by a passenger liner is still the record set by the SS United States in 1952: 3 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes eastbound from New York to England.<\/strong> Today nobody races the Atlantic any more, but you can still cross by sea in about a week on an ocean liner or around 9 to 14 days on a cargo ship.<\/p><h2>The Blue Riband: the race across the Atlantic<\/h2><p>For more than a century, ocean liners competed for the <strong>Blue Riband<\/strong>, the unofficial title for the fastest crossing of the North Atlantic. Shipping lines from Britain, Germany, Italy, France and the United States built ever faster ships, and the record was front-page news.<\/p><div class=\"ch-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Ship<\/th><th>Famous for<\/th><th>Era<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Mauretania<\/td><td>Held the record for about two decades<\/td><td>1900s&ndash;1920s<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Normandie<\/td><td>French liner that set records in the 1930s<\/td><td>1930s<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Queen Mary<\/td><td>British record holder of the late 1930s<\/td><td>1930s<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>SS United States<\/td><td>Fastest liner crossing ever, still unbeaten<\/td><td>1952<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><figure style=\"margin:1.6em 0\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/AdobeStock_341009459-1024x682.jpeg\" alt=\"Rough waves on the North Atlantic\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:12px;display:block\" title=\"Rough waves on the North Atlantic\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:.85em;color:#6b7280;margin-top:.45em;text-align:center\">The North Atlantic has always been the great test of ocean liners.<\/figcaption><\/figure><h2>The SS United States record<\/h2><p>On her maiden voyage in July 1952, the SS United States crossed from New York to Bishop Rock, off the south-west tip of England, in <strong>3 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes<\/strong>, averaging about 35.6 knots. No passenger liner in regular service has beaten it since.<\/p><h2>How long does it take to cross the Atlantic by ship today?<\/h2><div class=\"ch-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Way to cross<\/th><th>Tiempo habitual<\/th><th>Notas<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Ocean liner (Queen Mary 2)<\/td><td>7 nights<\/td><td>Southampton to New York, scheduled service<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Buque de carga<\/td><td>About 9&ndash;14 days<\/td><td>Depends on route and port calls<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Repositioning cruise<\/td><td>10&ndash;16 nights<\/td><td>Often via the Azores or Caribbean<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sailing yacht<\/td><td>2&ndash;4 weeks<\/td><td>Usually via the Canaries and Caribbean<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p>Modern ships sail more slowly than the record breakers because fuel costs and emissions matter more than speed. Cargo ships in particular often use &ldquo;slow steaming&rdquo; to save fuel.<\/p><figure style=\"margin:1.6em 0\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/AdobeStock_416832706-1024x684.jpeg\" alt=\"Large cargo ship sailing at sunset\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:12px;display:block\" title=\"Large cargo ship sailing at sunset\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:.85em;color:#6b7280;margin-top:.45em;text-align:center\">Today&rsquo;s cargo ships cross more slowly, usually in 9 to 14 days including port calls.<\/figcaption><\/figure><h2>Why cross the Atlantic slowly?<\/h2><p>The days at sea are the point. A slow crossing means no jet lag, because the clocks change an hour at a time; time to read and rest; and the experience of seeing the size of the ocean. Many travellers say the crossing becomes the highlight of their whole trip.<\/p><h2>Crossing the Atlantic by cargo ship<\/h2><p>Container ships sail regularly between UK and northern European ports and the east coast of North America. With only a handful of passengers on board, you eat with the officers, visit the bridge and watch the North Atlantic roll past. Read our guide to taking a boat from the UK to the USA for routes, costs and visas.<\/p><h2>Preguntas frecuentes<\/h2><div class=\"ch-faq\"><h3>What is the fastest transatlantic crossing by ship?<\/h3><p>The SS United States crossed from New York to Bishop Rock off England in 3 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes in July 1952.<\/p><h3>What is the Blue Riband?<\/h3><p>The unofficial title for the passenger liner with the fastest crossing of the North Atlantic.<\/p><h3>How long does it take to cross the Atlantic by ship today?<\/h3><p>About 7 nights on the Queen Mary 2, or roughly 9&ndash;14 days on a cargo ship.<\/p><h3>Why are modern ships slower?<\/h3><p>Fuel costs and emissions matter more than speed, so many ships sail at economical speeds.<\/p><h3>Can you still cross the Atlantic by cargo ship?<\/h3><p>Yes. Container ships carrying a few passengers sail between Europe and North America every week.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ch-cta\"><strong>Want to cross the Atlantic the slow way?<\/strong><p>Ask us about cargo ship crossings between the UK and North America.<\/p><a class=\"ch-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/solicitar-un-crucero-de-carga\/\">Get a transatlantic quote &rarr;<\/a><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is the fastest transatlantic crossing by ship? The Blue Riband, the SS United States record, how long the Atlantic takes today by liner and by cargo ship.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3124,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single3.php","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[356,1033,1019,1018],"tags":[1503,1502,1100,1468,1102],"yst_prominent_words":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99657"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99657"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99657\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99658,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99657\/revisions\/99658"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99657"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cargoholidays.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=99657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}