Okay, I feel like an idiot for asking, but I Googled it, and found no answer (however, I'm still searching!).

Is there a way to travel from the UK to the US without flying? Do they do boats over? I would assume not just because it would be quite the lengthy journey, and probably not very cost-efficient.

My fiance's dad WILL NOT fly. Not even to the US for our wedding.

I guess I'm just hoping he'll either change his mind, or there is some other magical route to get him here.

Thanks!

There are cruises from the UK to the US. I just googled UK to US cruises and got several options.

Thanks. I hadn't tried the word "cruise" because to me, a week or more of travel no longer constitutes 'cruise', but 'pain'.

I did finally Google "Transatlantic travel" and found a bunch of links.

Thanks so much!

Your future father in law and I are in the same boat (no pun intented). I am actually scared beyond reason of flying and refuse to do it. As said before there are many cruises across the alantic and even frieghters are an option usually quite a bit cheaper too though they may take longer. The fastest boating voyage I could find was around 12 days to get there. If you find any awesome deals with small travel times you should post them here. We have been considering a trip back to the UK sometime in the future after the wedding for me to meet the rest of his family in person that arent coming to the wedding. His grandfather actually refuses to fly too lol.

I travelled from the UK to the US on the Queen Mary, it was a 5 day cruise and was a great alternative to flying.

Oh man.... if I were afraid to fly, I'd put that fear aside if I had to think of being seasick on a boat for a week.... in the open ocean with storms being a possiblity.... no thanks!

For some people, though, it's very real.

Transatlantic cruise is one way.

Another is to go through Europe and Russia to real-far-east and take ships to Alaska, then to lower-48. I remember reading of a Welsh bridesmaid getting to Australia using a similar approach.

Here are the links I found.

The first one is from Yahoo! Answers, where I posted the same question:

Yahoo! Answers

Here are some cruise sites:

7 Blue Seas

Cruise Web - Cunard

Affordable Tours

I'm still researching, the only things I have learned are:

*You must book way in advance to get any kind of a deal.
*The average trip seemed about a week.

Unfortunately, even if they came for the wedding, only stayed 2 days, and went back, that's over 2 weeks. I just don't see how they could manage that time off work. (Thats the best case scenario, assuming there is another cruise home in 2 days.)

Hope this helps someone.

Hey, you! I always think of you when this topic comes up--hope you're doing well!

That would be a great thing for Chris' parents to do sometime...
as a gift or something!

I'll have to remember that! Thanks

Hey Meauxna

I am doing ok still in the US anyway. Life was good for a while till my husband (USC) had to have a major lung op. He has been out of work now for 7 months and is still in a lot of pain, so life is tough being the immigrant and only one working and trying to keep everything going. But never mind it could have been worse at least it wasnt cancer!!!

And ahhhh the memories of the Queen Mary..................a once in a lifetime experience!!

The biggest problem with x-atlantic voyages is that ships don't sail once a week, in most cases. the larger lines - the QE2, the QM2, Norwegian, etc, have just a few legs each Spring or Fall, as part of larger voyages around the world, etc.

Also - as far as seasickenss goes - most people, even if they get sick on smaller craft - feel no ill effects on ships of that size, except in especially bad weather (and the boats tend to skip those months anyway).

I am also extremely afraid of airplanes - but love conquers all. Love and prescription medicine taken under a doctor's care. Ativan for UK-US flights, Ambien for US-UK flights - combats both fear and jet lag. Look into it.

I want to start "Air Anesthesia" -- you get put under just before you take off, and you come out of it right as you're rolling up to the gate at your destination.

I think I'd get a lot of takers!

I figured that these 'cruises' probably didn't operate all that often. I think he's a bit too stubborn to see a doctor and try to get a prescription to help him overcome the fear. I just don't see how he can possibly come unless we drugged him, and apparently that's illegal and not very moral.

Very sad.