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In search of a cruise the place you possibly can actually sit back and reap the benefits of onboard facilities with out getting caught up within the hustle and bustle of a special port of name on daily basis? Contemplate a repositioning cruise.
Repositioning cruises are the identify for one-way sailings that carry the ship to a brand new house port or a special a part of the world to kick-start a brand new cruise season. As a result of these sailings usually cross oceans, you’ll seemingly expertise ports in a couple of cruise area — and have ample sea days to reap the benefits of the spa, eating and leisure choices on board.
All the most important cruise traces provide the occasional repositioning cruises, sometimes on ships that often sail in locations with shorter seasons, comparable to Alaska or the Mediterranean. Right here, we reply all of your questions on repositioning cruises.
Word: Listed fares had been correct on the time of publication and are topic to vary with out discover.
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What’s a repositioning cruise?
Cruise ships chase heat and sunny climates, in order that they usually transfer, or “reposition,” from one a part of the world to a different when chilly climate units in. Cruise traces don’t need to sail a ghost ship, one carrying solely crew and no passengers, throughout the ocean as a result of it’s losing a chance to earn cash. They’ve discovered that by discounting charges, they’ll fill the cabins on these oddball itineraries.
Repositioning cruises are by no means round-trip sailings. Your origin and vacation spot cities — or, in cruise-speak, embarkation and disembarkation ports — is not going to be the identical. You may sail out of Florida and arrive in Barcelona or Southampton, England, permitting you to discover two continents on one trip. Or, you may merely sail from Boston to Florida or from San Diego to Vancouver, British Columbia.
Repositioning cruises are identified for having a greater-than-average variety of days spent at sea, but it surely’s not as in case you by no means get off the ship. On a transatlantic crusing, port stops could possibly be in Spain’s Canary Islands or Portugal’s Azores islands. A repositioning cruise from Southern California to Vancouver earlier than the Alaska cruise season may sail up the Pacific Coast and go to cities like San Francisco and Astoria, Oregon.
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One other facet that makes a repositioning cruise totally different from a typical crusing is that many of those itineraries are longer than every week. (That is by design. It takes longer to sail from Florida to Europe than it does to sail to and from the Caribbean.) Nonetheless, there may be plenty of flexibility, simply as with reserving any cruise. The shortest you’ll discover is 4 or 5 days (for instance, Southern California to Vancouver) and the longest is round 28 nights (sure, virtually a whole month, often between continents).
Are repositioning cruises one-way?
Sure, repositioning cruises are one-way voyages that begin in a single area and finish in one other. As a result of they occur when a cruise ship switches locations primarily based on seasonality, these sailings usually contain journey to a special a part of the world, which can lead to many consecutive days at sea.
The place and what time of 12 months do cruise ships reposition?
The excellent news is you possibly can guide a repositioning cruise almost six months out of the 12 months, spanning mid-spring and mid-fall months, that are the cruise traces’ shoulder seasons.
As a result of repositioning cruises usually are not all tied to the identical vacation spot, this solely widens your choices when it comes to geography. To examine the place these will sail and when, you must know a vacation spot’s cruise season.
Take Europe for instance. The vast majority of Mediterranean and Baltic sailings happen within the spring via the early fall. Europe-based ships flee the area in the course of the winter, spending November via March within the heat Caribbean. Due to this fact, a ship might want to journey from the Caribbean to Europe in spring and return to the Caribbean by fall. Search for transatlantic repositioning cruises throughout these changeover months.
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Some ships keep within the Caribbean year-round and solely reposition when the cruise line chooses to maneuver them to a special house port. Nonetheless, ships crusing quick seasons in Alaska, South America, Canada/New England and Europe will all the time be repositioned at the very least twice a 12 months.
As a consequence of elevated cruise itineraries within the Center East and Asia over the past decade, you may additionally discover a repositioning cruise departing or returning to both of these areas. For instance, MSC Cruises affords cruises from Dubai within the United Arab Emirates to Genoa, Italy, in April previous to crusing European itineraries within the spring and summer time. Simply be ready to be away from house for a very long time. The aforementioned crusing lasts about three weeks — an extended trek via the Suez Canal, connecting the Pink Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, by means of Egypt.
Word: Many cruise traces have canceled or altered their 2024 Center East itineraries on account of unrest within the area.
What occurs on a repositioning cruise?
On many repositioning cruises, you’ll not get off the ship as usually as you may on a typical crusing as a result of there are not any ports in the midst of the ocean you’re crossing. These itineraries usually function a string of sea days, so be ready to spend extra money and time on board.
Some folks love port-intensive cruises to allow them to shortly verify off an inventory of nations and solely unpack as soon as. However in case you favor leisurely, lazy days, then a transoceanic repositioning cruise may be your ticket to utopia. This enormous stretch of time is a superb alternative to crack open books you’ve been which means to learn, launch right into a knitting challenge or lastly have time for day by day exercises.
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Programming — comparable to comedy nights, health courses, boutique buying, artwork auctions, wine tastings and night exhibits — are as a lot part of a repositioning cruise as every other crusing, solely you may be capable to soak up a complete lot greater than you usually would. Some cruise traces arrange themed sailings or invite visitor lecturers on board for additional sea day actions.
You additionally may need to contemplate springing for a cruise line’s all-inclusive beverage bundle on a repositioning cruise. You’ll get higher worth than standard from the value since you’ll be ordering most of your drinks on board on account of fewer port stops.
One other worthwhile splurge is a balcony cabin. You’ll have easy accessibility to contemporary air with out the top-deck crowds and may benefit from the romance of gazing out on the seemingly infinite ocean. Simply you should definitely pack a sweater or sweatshirt as a result of shoulder seasons in these climates usually are not essentially sunbathing climate.
What are the benefits and downsides of a repositioning cruise?
Whenever you guide a repositioning cruise, you’ll seemingly be on board for at the very least two weeks, permitting sufficient time for the ship to sail between the place it’s at the moment primarily based and its new house port. Typically the voyage may be even longer, and it’s seemingly you gained’t have greater than 5 or 6 port stops throughout that point.
Which means numerous days on board, a lot of them consecutive. It’s a bonus for anybody who enjoys enjoyable at sea and doesn’t thoughts exploring the ship for days at a time with out touching land; it’s a drawback for anybody who sees cruises as merely transportation to discover new locations.
A bonus of repositionings is the value, which is usually cheaper than what you’d pay for a round-trip crusing of the identical size or which has extra port days constructed into the schedule. Nonetheless, the price of the possibly costly one-way or open-jaw flights wanted earlier than and after a repositioning cruise might eat up many of the cash you’d save by reserving that kind of voyage.
Do you want a passport for a repositioning cruise?
Sure. The one time you don’t want a passport to cruise is in case you’re booked on a closed-loop crusing — a voyage that departs from and returns to the identical port throughout the U.S. Since repositioning cruises don’t go away from and return to the identical port, the exception gained’t apply, and also you’ll want a passport so as to board the ship.
Are repositioning cruises cheaper than different cruises?
It is dependent upon the sailings to which you’re evaluating them, however repositioning cruises are sometimes comparatively inexpensive. Regardless that repositioning sailings can usually be two to 3 weeks in size, you may discover that they’re inexpensive than an everyday weeklong voyage that begins and ends in the identical port of name. That’s as a result of repositioning cruises provide principally sea days, throughout which you’ll be having fun with the ship as a substitute of lounging on the seaside or exploring museums.
Find out how to rating repositioning cruise offers
As a rule, a repositioning cruise is an effective deal as a result of it prices a lot much less per night time than a typical crusing. It’s because the one-way, sea day-heavy itineraries are much less fascinating to the vast majority of cruisers, and so they happen throughout slower journey seasons.
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Vacationers who reside close to the embarkation or debarkation ports can save much more by solely having to purchase a one-way aircraft ticket somewhat than a full spherical journey.
Repositioning cruises may be tough to seek out on reserving websites. They usually are known as repositioning cruises or transatlantic or transpacific cruises. When ships reposition between ports within the U.S. and Canada, the one-off one-way itineraries may not be labeled something particular past Caribbean or Pacific Coast cruises.
Not all the cruise line or on-line journey company reserving pages have an choice to verify a field and seek for repositioning cruises. When you can’t discover what you’re in search of, do an internet seek for the time period and the cruise line you want to sail. Even higher, name a journey agent or the cruise line’s reserving employees straight, and so they might help you discover the repositioning cruise that’s greatest for you.
What are the perfect 2024 repositioning cruises?
14-night transatlantic on Carnival Glory
This two-week repositioning voyage on Carnival Cruise Line‘s Carnival Glory departs Barcelona on April 18 and affords simply 4 port calls. The crusing will go to Valencia, Malaga and Las Palmas in Spain, in addition to Bermuda, earlier than reaching Port Canaveral, close to Orlando, which is the ship’s seasonal house base in Florida.
Costs begin from $649 per particular person for an inside cabin.
15-night transatlantic on Rotterdam
On Oct. 12, Holland America‘s latest ship, Rotterdam, units sail on a transatlantic repositioning from Rotterdam within the Netherlands to Florida’s Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. These ports bookend calls on Bruges, Belgium; Le Havre and Brest, France; England’s Isle of Portland; Bermuda; and Half Moon Cay, the road’s personal island within the Bahamas.
Costs start at $2,074 per particular person for an inside cabin.
14-night transatlantic on Norwegian Escape
Norwegian Cruise Line‘s Norwegian Escape will relocate from the Mediterranean to Miami on Nov. 26, providing a repositioning cruise that begins in Barcelona. It calls on Cartagena and Malaga, Spain; Madeira, Portugal; Antigua; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and NCL’s personal island, Nice Stirrup Cay, within the Bahamas alongside the best way.
Fares begin at $829 per particular person for an inside cabin.
16-night Panama Canal transit on Seven Seas Grandeur
For a repositioning crusing that transits one of many world’s most spectacular trendy engineering marvels and affords numerous port stops, take a look at Regent Seven Seas‘ 16-night Panama Canal crossing on Seven Seas Grandeur. Departing from Miami on Dec. 13, passengers can take a look at Grand Cayman earlier than having fun with calls on Cartagena, Colombia; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; Antigua; and Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico, earlier than reaching Los Angeles.
Costs for this voyage on Seven Seas Grandeur, which is an all-inclusive, all-suite vessel, begin at $10,499 per particular person.
What are the perfect 2025 repositioning cruises?
15-night transatlantic on Wind Spirit
Windstar Cruises‘ Wind Spirit, a masted crusing ship, is repositioning from Barbados to Lisbon, Portugal, on Feb. 22, 2025. Nonetheless, you’ll solely need to guide this voyage in case you’re thinking about crusing vessels otherwise you’re not simply bored. The ship is small, and there are not any port calls on the schedule.
Costs begin from $2,399 per particular person for a room with a window.
23-night Panama Canal on Coral Princess
For a prolonged voyage that can assist you to sail from Fort Lauderdale via the Panama Canal to Mexico after which up the California coast earlier than arriving in Canada, take a look at Princess Cruises‘ Coral Princess. Starting April 10, 2025, the ship is that includes a cruise that’s longer than three weeks because it repositions to Vancouver for a season of Alaska sailings.
Fares start at $1,593 per particular person for an inside cabin. When you’re quick on time, you possibly can choose as a substitute for a shorter voyage of 16 nights that additionally begins on April 10 and ends in Los Angeles earlier than the ship strikes on to Canada. Fares for the shorter cruise begin from $1,048 per particular person for inside lodging.
17-night French Polynesia and Hawaii on Celeb Edge
Celeb Cruises‘ Celeb Edge will relocate from its base in Sydney on April 14, 2025. Its final vacation spot is Vancouver, the place it will likely be stationed for a sequence of Alaska voyages. On its manner, it’ll take passengers on a 17-night journey to expertise the great thing about French Polynesia earlier than concluding the crusing in Honolulu. Port calls embody Paihia and Auckland in New Zealand and Raiatea, Papeete and Moorea in French Polynesia.
Charges begin at $1,574 per particular person for an inside cabin.
14-night transatlantic on Odyssey of the Seas
On April 27, 2025, Royal Caribbean‘s Odyssey of the Seas is repositioning from Bayonne’s Cape Liberty port in New Jersey to Rome. There are solely 5 port stops — Ponta Delgada, Portugal; Malaga, Cartagena and Valencia, Spain; and La Spezia, the port for Cinque Terre in Italy — combined in among the many sea days. Nonetheless, this Quantum Class vessel has loads to maintain cruisers busy on board. Facilities embody browsing and skydiving simulators, bumper automobiles and a robotic arm that holds a glass-enclosed commentary sphere for glorious ocean views.
Fares start at $829 per particular person for an inside cabin.
Planning a cruise? Begin with these tales:
- The 5 most fascinating cabin places on any cruise ship
- A inexperienced persons information to selecting a cruise line
- The 8 worst cabin places on any cruise ship
- The last word information to what to pack for a cruise
- A fast information to the preferred cruise traces
- 21 ideas and methods that can make your cruise go easily
- Prime methods cruisers waste cash
- The last word information to picking a cruise ship cabin
