On the lookout for a cruise the place you possibly can actually chill and benefit from onboard facilities with out getting caught up within the hustle and bustle of a unique port of name on daily basis? Think about a repositioning cruise.
Repositioning cruises are the title for one-way sailings that convey the ship to a brand new dwelling port or a unique a part of the world to kick-start a brand new cruise season. As a result of these sailings typically cross oceans, you may seemingly expertise ports in multiple cruise area — and have ample sea days to benefit from the spa, eating and leisure choices on board.
All the key cruise strains provide the occasional repositioning cruises, sometimes on ships that often sail in locations with shorter seasons, reminiscent of 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.
What’s a repositioning cruise?
Cruise ships chase heat, sunny climates, so that they typically transfer — or “reposition” — from one a part of the world to a different when chilly climate units in. Cruise strains do not need to sail ghost ships — vessels carrying solely crew and no paying passengers — throughout the ocean as a result of it is losing a chance to earn cash. They’ve found out that, by discounting charges, they will 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 would possibly sail out of Florida and arrive in Barcelona or Southampton, England, permitting you to discover two continents on one trip. Or, you would possibly 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 for those who 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 would possibly 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 per 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 a whole lot of flexibility, simply as with reserving any cruise. The shortest you may 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).
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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 based mostly on seasonality, these sailings typically contain journey to a unique a part of the world, which may end up in many consecutive days at sea.
The place and what time of yr do cruise ships reposition?
The excellent news is you possibly can e book a repositioning cruise almost six months out of the yr, spanning mid-spring and mid-fall months, that are the cruise strains’ shoulder seasons.
As a result of repositioning cruises should not all tied to the identical vacation spot, this solely widens your choices by way of geography. To examine the place these will sail and when, you might want to know a vacation spot’s cruise season.
Take Europe for example. The vast majority of Mediterranean and Baltic sailings happen within the spring via the early fall. Europe-based ships flee the area through the winter, spending November via March within the heat Caribbean. Subsequently, 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.
Some ships keep within the Caribbean year-round and solely reposition when the cruise line chooses to maneuver them to a unique dwelling 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 yr.
And the Atlantic is not the one ocean that sees repositioning voyages. Some cruise strains provide transpacific crossings once they ship ships to or from Asia and Australia.
What occurs on a repositioning cruise?
On many repositioning cruises, you’ll not get off the ship as typically as you would possibly on a typical crusing as a result of there are not any ports in the course of the ocean you are crossing. These itineraries typically 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 rapidly examine off an inventory of nations and solely unpack as soon as. However for those who choose leisurely, lazy days, then a transoceanic repositioning cruise could be your ticket to utopia. This large stretch of time is a superb alternative to crack open books you’ve got been which means to learn, launch right into a knitting challenge or lastly have time for every day exercises.
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Programming — reminiscent of comedy nights, health lessons, boutique buying, artwork auctions, wine tastings and night exhibits — are as a lot part of a repositioning cruise as some other crusing, solely you would possibly have the ability to absorb a complete lot greater than you usually would. Some cruise strains arrange themed sailings or invite visitor lecturers on board for additional sea-day actions.
You additionally would possibly need to think about springing for a cruise line’s all-inclusive beverage package deal on a repositioning cruise. You may get higher worth than typical 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 may have easy accessibility to contemporary air with out the top-deck crowds and may benefit from the romance of gazing out on the seemingly limitless ocean. Simply remember to pack a sweater or sweatshirt as a result of shoulder seasons in these climates should not essentially sunbathing climate.
What are the benefits and drawbacks of a repositioning cruise?
Once you e book a repositioning cruise, you may seemingly be on board for at the very least two weeks, permitting sufficient time for the ship to sail between the place it is at the moment based mostly and its new dwelling port. Generally the voyage might be even longer, and it is seemingly you will not have greater than 5 or 6 port stops throughout that point.
Which means numerous days on board, a lot of them consecutive. It is a bonus for anybody who enjoys enjoyable at sea and does not thoughts exploring the ship for days at a time with out touching land; it is a drawback for anybody who sees cruises as merely transportation to discover new locations.
A bonus of repositionings is the value, which is commonly 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 a lot 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 do not want a passport to cruise is for those who’re booked on a closed-loop crusing — a voyage that departs from and returns to the identical port inside the U.S. Since repositioning cruises do not depart from and return to the identical port, the exception will not apply, and you may want a passport so as to board the ship.
Are repositioning cruises cheaper than different cruises?
It will depend on the sailings to which you are evaluating them, however repositioning cruises are sometimes comparatively inexpensive. Despite the fact that repositioning sailings can typically be two to 3 weeks in size, you would possibly discover that they are inexpensive than a daily weeklong voyage that begins and ends in the identical port of name. That is as a result of repositioning cruises provide principally sea days, throughout which you may be having fun with the ship as an alternative of lounging on the seashore or exploring museums.
The right way to rating repositioning cruise offers
Most of the time, a repositioning cruise is an efficient 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 stay close to the embarkation or debarkation ports can save much more by solely having to purchase a one-way aircraft ticket, reasonably than a full spherical journey.
Repositioning cruises might be difficult to seek out on reserving websites. They typically 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 examine a field and seek for repositioning cruises. If you cannot discover what you are on the lookout for, do a web based 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 immediately, and so they can assist you discover the repositioning cruise that is finest for you.
What are the most effective 2025 repositioning cruises?
14-night transatlantic on Wind Spirit
Windstar Cruises‘ Wind Spirit, a masted crusing ship, is repositioning from Lisbon to Barbados on Nov. 4. Nonetheless, you may solely need to e book this voyage for those who’re desirous 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 $2,599 per individual for a room with a window.
23-night Panama Canal on Coral Princess
For a prolonged voyage that can help you 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, the ship is that includes a cruise that is longer than three weeks because it repositions to Vancouver for a season of Alaska sailings.
Fares start at $2,846 per individual for an inside cabin. In the event you’re quick on time, you possibly can choose as an alternative for a shorter voyage of 16 nights that additionally begins in Fort Lauderdale on April 10 and ends in Los Angeles earlier than the ship strikes on to Canada. Fares for the shorter cruise begin from $2,134 per individual for ocean-view lodging. (Inside rooms are offered out.)
17-night French Polynesia and Hawaii on Celeb Edge
Celeb Cruises‘ Celeb Edge will relocate from its base in Sydney on April 20. Its final vacation spot is Vancouver, the place it will likely be stationed for a sequence of Alaska voyages. On its approach, it’ll take passengers on a 17-night journey to expertise the fantastic thing about French Polynesia earlier than concluding the crusing in Honolulu. Port calls embrace Paihia and Auckland in New Zealand and Raiatea, Papeete and Moorea in French Polynesia.
Charges begin at $3,069 per individual for an inside cabin.
What are the most effective 2026 repositioning cruises?
13-night transatlantic on Carnival Glory
This two-week repositioning voyage on Carnival Cruise Line‘s Carnival Glory departs Barcelona on April 11, 2026, and presents simply 4 port calls. The crusing will go to Alicante and Malaga in Spain, in addition to the British territory of Gibraltar and Celebration Key, Carnival’s new seashore vacation spot within the Bahamas. The voyage concludes in Port Canaveral, close to Orlando, which is the ship’s seasonal dwelling base in Florida.
Costs begin from $739 per individual for an inside cabin.
13-night transatlantic on Rotterdam
On Oct. 18, 2026, Holland America‘s latest ship, Rotterdam, units sail on a transatlantic repositioning from Amsterdam within the Netherlands to Florida’s Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. These ports bookend calls on Bruges, Belgium; England’s Isle of Portland and Cornwall (Falmouth); and Bermuda.
Costs start at $1,229 per individual for an inside cabin.
14-night transatlantic on Norwegian Star
Norwegian Cruise Line‘s Norwegian Star will relocate from the Mediterranean to Miami on Nov. 20, 2026, providing a repositioning cruise that begins in Barcelona. It calls on Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Motril and Cadiz (Seville) in Spain, in addition to Madeira (Funchal) alongside the best way.
Fares begin at $1,233 per individual 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 presents numerous port stops, take a look at Regent Seven Seas‘ 16-night Panama Canal crossing on Seven Seas Grandeur. Departing from Miami on Dec. 29, 2026, passengers can take a look at Grand Cayman; Cartagena, Colombia; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; Corinto, Nicaragua; Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; and San Diego earlier than reaching Los Angeles.
Costs for this voyage on Seven Seas Grandeur, an all-inclusive, all-suite vessel, begin at $10,099 per individual.
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