We have taken many TA's and will do another in May on Royal Caribbean Jewel our favorite ship. We feel that you get a great bargain on TA's since the price is considerably lower than many other cruises. You can even get an inside for $400 to $500 for 13 to 16 nights at sea on a lst class ship. We always get a balcony. We have done the East and West routes and have had very calm crossings and one in which we had 30 ft waves where the ship rocked and rolled. As for the days at sea, the ship has many events to keep you busy. There is also a movie theatre and since I play MahJongg we can always play games. Of course reading is another favorite. Every evening there are live shows. We have gotten a glimpse of many European cities and are always excited when we visit ports. As for air, we book our own and usually manage to get good rates since we research intensely. Friends have booked with the cruise line directly and get good rates also. I recommend you visit
www.cruisecritic.com where you will find volumes of information on cruising. Send me a email if you wish more information.