repositioning cruise from vancouver

5 Options For Repositioning Cruises From Vancouver

During the summer, Vancouver serves as a hub for cruise ships embarking on voyages to Alaska. Situated on the western coast of Canada, this vibrant city offers a convenient starting point to explore Alaska’s glaciers, fjords, and wildlife. But did you know you can take repositioning cruises from Vancouver?

Repositioning itineraries are best suited to those who have time, like extended sailings, and enjoy multiple sea days. Since Alaska cruises begin in May , ships must arrive in Vancouver, BC, from another destination.

In late September or early October, those vessels leave for the winter season, providing a one-way itinerary to another location. Since most cruise passengers prefer to return to the same port, these one-way sailings sell at bargain prices.

Keep in mind; cruise lines sell their packages based on double occupancy. However, you can find solo cabins on Royal Caribbean’s Quantum-class and Norwegian’s Encore-class vessels.

Cruises from Vancouver sail from the Canada Place cruise terminal downtown. Here, you’ll have plenty of choices for a pre-cruise stay. As you depart the port, you’ll enjoy an iconic sail away, passing Stanley Park and cruising under the Lionsgate Bridge.

Length Of Repositioning Cruises From Vancouver

You can take a one-day itinerary from Vancouver or repositioning cruises of over 50 days. One-day itineraries sail between Vancouver and Seattle and are best suited to those who live in either city. Holland America usually offers this overnight cruise.

If you’re new to cruising, this overnight cruise isn’t a good way to test the waters. Often the cruise lines limit the entertainment and onboard events, and food is often substandard.

Since most longer cruises from British Columbia travel along the coast or cross the ocean, you’ll have many sea days. Sometimes, you may even encounter rough seas.

So, if you suffer from seasickness, consider considering an itinerary that includes an ocean crossing.

Much longer cruises travel across the Pacific to Oceania or Asia. Obviously, the lengthier the journey, the more unique ports you’ll enjoy. These longer itineraries suit retired guests who like the diversity of other cultures.

Since vessels leave Vancouver in September to chase the sun, you’ll need a flight to return to your embarkation point. Since ships don’t return until April or May, you can’t make your way back on a cruise ship.

Here are five cruise types you can enjoy from the port of Vancouver.

Transpacific Cruises

Transpacific Cruises offer an unforgettable voyage from Vancouver. A complete transit to Australia typically lasts 27 days or more, with the majority of days at sea. 

Guests crossing the Pacific Ocean have the option to disembark in Sydney, Australia, or Auckland, New Zealand. The best transpacific cruise from Vancouver spans approximately 35 days and has a diversity of stops and cultural experiences. 

Vessels leave Vancouver in September or early October and arrive in Oceania as their spring begins.

After departing Vancouver, some ships head south and  dock in Los Angeles  or San Francisco for the day before crossing the Pacific. Others make the 5-day direct journey to Oahu.

Here, you can visit the historic Pearl Harbor, hike the Diamond Head crater, or relax on the world-famous Waikiki Beach.

Your cruise may include a day in Maui before heading to the South Pacific. If you choose to end your journey here, Hawaii cruises from Vancouver typically last 9 to 12 days.

If you continue the voyage, you’ll have five sea days to enjoy the onboard amenities before arriving in Papeete, Tahiti. Like the Hawaiian Islands, the temperatures are warm with welcoming sea breezes.

In the Polynesian islands, you can  swim with giant manta rays , take a diving excursion, or see migrating humpbacks. 

If your itinerary includes Moorea, Belvedere Lookout, Opunohu Bay, and Cook’s Bay are the island’s must-see places. For a cultural experience, visit the Tiki Village Cultural Center. Alternatively, you can go snorkeling, diving, or relax on a beach.

Before crossing the international date line, ships stop in Pago Pago or Apia in Samoa. In Pago Pago, the National Park of American Samoa provides a tropical paradise for bird watchers. 

Outdoor enthusiasts might prefer a hike to Mount Alava or the Lower Sauma Ridge Trail. 

If you’re ending your journey in Sydney, you’ll savor the views of the Sydney Opera House as you enter the harbor.

Pacific Coastal Cruise

Cruises that sail the Pacific Coast are notoriously rough. If you are okay with the wave action, you can find some cheap cruises from Vancouver. If you’re looking to explore a different part of the world without traveling far, these cruises fit the bill.

Three days sailings offer the best deals at under USD 200 and end in either San Francisco or the port of Los Angeles. By cruising a day longer, you could end your cruise in San Diego and have a port day in between.

Seven-day cruises have more port days if you don’t like multiple sea days. You could have three to four stops in any of the following: Seattle, Astoria, San Francisco, Monterey, San Diego, Catalina Island, or a day in Santa Barbara.

Some also stop in a Canadian city, Victoria, on Vancouver Island. Butchart Gardens provides the top excursion in Victoria. You can enjoy a complimentary tour of the Parliament Building or visit Craigdarroch Castle, a beautifully restored Canadian castle.

Across the border, Seattle’s attractions include the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and Pike Place Market. You’ll find Astoria quainter with its many historic houses.

Like Astoria, Monterey, Catalina Island, and Santa Barbara weren’t designed to handle large cruise ships. In fact, they have no ports, so you’ll need to tender to downtown.

However, you’ll have plenty of things to do in San Francisco and San Diego. After cruising under the Golden Gate Bridge, you’ll dock at the San Francisco terminal , walking distance of most attractions.

Whether you visit Alcatraz prison , explore Fisherman’s Wharf, or head to Chinatown for cheap eats, you’ll enjoy a memorable day in the northern Californian city.

Further south, expect warmer weather in San Diego. Its activities are diverse, but you’ll find something for everyone. Families might prefer a day at the zoo, while a USS Midway Aircraft Carrier tour might appeal to others.

Panama Canal Cruises

Panama Canal cruises from Vancouver are an extension of a Pacific Northwest cruise. It typically takes 19 days to go from British Columbia to Florida, transitioning through the Panama Canal.

While you can find extended itineraries of 27 to 28 days, these include a back-to-back with a Caribbean cruise. Like most one-way cruises, expect to score low prices on these three-week journeys.

Since Panama Canal itineraries include sailing along the Pacific Coast, be prepared for rougher seas. The sailings going down in September and October offer a calmer time. However, the reverse cruise from Florida to Vancouver brings larger waves in the spring.

From California, vessels head south to the Panama Canal. Along the way, they may stop in the  Mexican Riviera ports  of Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, Huatulco, and Puerto Chiapas. 

In Mexico, excursions are plentiful and inexpensive. Parasailing, deep fish fishing, and diving are all tours you can do for less than half the price in other destinations.

For nature enthusiasts, an  excursion to Marietas Islands  provides excellent bird watching and a chance to see Blue-footed Boobies. 

Further south, the landscapes of Puerto Quetzal, Corinto, Puerto Caldera, and Puntarenas offer tropical coastlines and wild interiors. Whether you want a day at a black sand beach or a jungle excursion to see howler monkeys, you can find it all in these ports.

The highlight of this journey is undoubtedly the transit through the Panama Canal, regarded as one of the most incredible engineering feats of the modern era. 

The canal connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean, cutting through the massive Gatun Lake and the awe-inspiring Gaillard Cut, which was carved out of solid rock. 

As you navigate the 50-mile waterway, you’ll pass through a series of locks. The locks raise and lower the vessel with only inches to spare on either side. 

It’s an unforgettable experience that showcases both human ingenuity and the region’s natural beauty. Once through the canal, ships usually stop on one of the Caribbean Islands before completing their journeys.

Some vessels like Cunard Queen Elizabeth offer an extended itinerary that crosses the transatlantic. This 42-night transatlantic voyage ends in Barcelona, Spain.

Cruises To Seattle

Cruises that begin in Vancouver and end in Seattle tend to be a few days. One-day cruises go for under USD 70, far less than you’d pay in a hotel, and includes food. 

However, you will need to get transportation one way if you live in either Vancouver or Seattle. Quick Shuttle and Amtrak run services to get you home, and their prices are very competitive.

Three-day itineraries usually stop in Victoria for a day before ending in Seattle. You can often book one of these with Princess Cruises. Unlike Alaskan cruises, which only stop for 4-5 hours to appease the Jones Act, you’ll enjoy up to twelve hours in this British Columbia capital.

If you want to enjoy all the sights, the Hop-on, Hop-off bus lets you explore at your own pace. The  west coast provides whale-watching tours , and you’ll see orcas in Victoria.

Fishermen’s Wharf, near  Ogden Point, the cruise port ,  provides a great place to enjoy seafood or fish and chips.

These shortened trips are the result of vessels moving to their home ports for the start or end of the Alaska season. 

Again, three-day itineraries cost less than a night in a hotel. These mini cruise getaways are ideal for those who want to try a cruise vacation.

If you’re a seasoned cruiser, it’s an opportunity to try a different cruise line or splurge on a suite, which may be unaffordable on a longer journey.

Cruises To Asia

Repositioning cruises from Vancouver to Asia travel northwards through the Gulf of Alaska to reach Japan or Hong Kong. While more cruise lines offered this pre-pandemic, some companies have been slow to re-introduce them post-COVID.

Part of that has to do with some Asian countries have not opened their ports to ships again. Currently, you can book this type of cruise with Silversea, Viking, Celebrity, Regent, and Holland America. 

These September cruises usually include ports in Alaska. Depending on your cruise length, you may have one day or three to four days.

While it may not be the  best month to see Alaska  (due to rain), you’ll have a chance to see a glacier. Some itineraries include Kodiak Island; if you’re lucky, you may see its famed bears. 

From Alaska, reaching your first port in Japan can take up to seven days. You’ll also cross the international date line. Picking a vessel with lots of amenities and entertainment is vital to making the most of a week at sea.

The shortest journey takes 13 days and is offered on the Holland America Noordam. However, it only provides three port days in Sitka and Kodiak Island in Alaska and Kushiro in Japan.

Alternatively, the 30-day Regent Seven Seas Explorer itinerary includes Hubbard Glacier and five Alaskan ports. Once it reaches Japan, it spends 13 days in Japanese ports and one day in Busan, South Korea.

A Japanese itinerary offers a unique cultural journey to immerse yourself in the country’s history. On a port day, you can enjoy a Japanese tea ceremony, see an ornate temple, or tour a beautiful garden.

Mount Fuji, the star of the itinerary, may be viewable in the port of Shimizu if the skies are clear. If you pick the reverse itinerary from Japan to Vancouver, you may catch the end of Sakura or cherry blossom season.

Who Should Take These Vancouver Repositioning Cruises?

One-way cruises from Vancouver suit those living in or near Vancouver or the destination city. While you can cruise from the west coast city in September, you can do the reverse itinerary in April or May.

If you’re traveling to the embarkation port from another area, by starting or ending your journey in Vancouver, you’ll have a chance to explore Canada’s largest city on the west coast.

During your stay, you’ll enjoy its multiculturalism, superb cuisine, and fantastic attractions like the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Granville Island, and Stanley Park.

If you don’t like flying, taking an extended cruise from Vancouver reduces your time in the air by only needing a one-way flight.

One-way cruises allow you to travel further from the home port than taking a roundtrip cruise.

Whether you prefer larger ships or more intimate vessels, short cruises, or extended itineraries, you can find one to suit your needs.

Wednesday 25th of October 2023

Great article, but do you have some tips on booking these without having to check each individual cruise's website?

Karen Hosier

Sunday 29th of October 2023

I use Vacations To Go to price out cruises. It features a great 90 day ticker to find great deals

Wednesday 11th of October 2023

Thanks Karen, this is a good piece of descriptive work.I personally enjoyed the write up. Take care both of you.

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5 best Princess repositioning cruises in 2024 from Vancouver (September, fall months)

The Princess cruise ships that are in Vancouver in the summer are doing Alaska cruises. So they will be repositioning away from Vancouver at the end of the Alaska cruise season, which is September.

This means that the cruise before every one of these repositioning cruises listed below is an Alaska cruise, so look into booking a back-to-back cruise! You can go to Alaska before you start the repositioning cruise from Vancouver!

On a cost per day basis, repositioning cruises are some of the cheapest cruises you’ll find. Longer one-way cruises with lots of sea days tend to be cheaper (that is the typical description of a repositioning cruise!) than a 7-day round trip cruise with a lot of port stops.

I have done a repositioning cruise from Vancouver on a Princess cruise ship, and of course it’s always fun to look for more! 😁 Here are the Princess repositioning cruises from Vancouver in fall 2024!

1. 30-day Vancouver to New Zealand cruise (one-way)

September 21, 2024 | Royal Princess

📍 Where does this cruise go? After leaving Vancouver, this cruise has 1 port in Canada, 1 port in Oregon, 3 ports in California, 2 ports in Hawaii, 2 ports in French Polynesia, 1 port in American Samoa, 1 port in New Zealand (before Auckland)… and then arrives in Auckland! ⚓ What cruise ports are on this itinerary? Vancouver Canada, Victoria Canada, Astoria Oregon, San Francisco California, San Diego California, Los Angeles California, Honolulu Hawaii, Maui Hawaii, Tahiti French Polynesia (overnight), Moorea French Polynesia, Pago Pago American Samoa, Tauranga New Zealand, Auckland New Zealand 🌊 How many sea days are on this cruise? There are 18 sea days! You will be crossing the international date line on one of those sea days! 📆 When does the cruise start and end? This cruise starts in Vancouver on September 21, and it arrives in Auckland on October 22. ⛰ What is the cruise before Vancouver? The last Alaska cruise for the Royal Princess can be booked as a 7-day one-way cruise from Anchorage to Vancouver that starts on September 14, or a 14-day round trip cruise from Vancouver that starts on September 7. ⚓ What is the next cruise after Auckland? After the cruise ship leaves Auckland, it heads to Sydney, stopping by the New Zealand cruise port of Picton first. 👪 How many passengers can be on this cruise ship? The Royal Princess has a passenger capacity of 3,560 at double occupancy.

🤓 Be informed : Here is the New Zealand bucket list to help you decide if you should stay a week or more in New Zealand before flying back! Or use Auckland as a jumping off point to go to more South Pacific islands like the Cook Islands ! Then, to go to the US, Hawaiian Airlines has a direct flight from the Cook Islands to Hawaii. 😁

Princess repositioning cruise to New Zealand in 2024:

• September 21 on the Royal Princess: 30 day cruise from Vancouver to Auckland

2. 36-day Vancouver to Australia cruise (one-way)

📍 Where does this cruise go? After leaving Vancouver, this cruise has 1 port in Canada, 1 port in Oregon, 3 ports in California, 2 ports in Hawaii, 2 ports in French Polynesia, 1 port in American Samoa, 3 ports in New Zealand… and then arrives in Sydney Australia! ⚓ What cruise ports are on this itinerary? Vancouver Canada, Victoria Canada, Astoria Oregon, San Francisco California, San Diego California, Los Angeles California, Honolulu Hawaii, Maui Hawaii, Tahiti French Polynesia (overnight), Moorea French Polynesia, Pago Pago American Samoa, Tauranga New Zealand, Auckland New Zealand, Picton New Zealand, Sydney Australia 🌊 How many sea days are on this cruise? There are 22 sea days! You will be crossing the international date line on one of those sea days! 📆 When does the cruise start and end? This cruise starts in Vancouver on September 21, and it arrives in Sydney on October 28. ⛰ What is the cruise before Vancouver? The last Alaska cruise for the Royal Princess can be booked as a 7-day one-way cruise from Anchorage to Vancouver that starts on September 14, or a 14-day round trip cruise from Vancouver that starts on September 7. ⚓ What is the next cruise after Sydney? On October 28, the Royal Princess starts a 13-day cruise to South Pacific islands, including 1 port in New Caledonia, 1 port in Vanuatu, and 3 ports in Fiji! 👪 How many passengers can be on this cruise ship? The Royal Princess has a passenger capacity of 3,560 at double occupancy.

🤓 Be informed : Here is the Australia bucket list to help you decide if you should stay a week or more in Australia before flying back! Generally speaking, May to October is the best time to visit the Great Barrier Reef .

Princess repositioning cruise from Vancouver to Australia in 2024:

• September 21 on the Royal Princess: 36 day cruise from Vancouver to Sydney Australia

3. 13-day Vancouver to Hawaii cruise (one-way)

📍 Where does this cruise go? After leaving Vancouver, this cruise has 1 port in Canada, 1 port in Oregon, 3 ports in California, and then arrives in Honolulu. ⚓ What cruise ports are on this itinerary? Vancouver Canada, Victoria Canada, Astoria Oregon, San Francisco California, San Diego California, Los Angeles California, Honolulu Hawaii 🌊 How many sea days are on this cruise? There are 7 sea days. 📆 When does the cruise start and end? This cruise starts in Vancouver on September 21, and it arrives in Honolulu on October 4. ⛰ What is the cruise before Vancouver? There is a 14-day round trip Alaska cruise from Vancouver that starts on September 7. ⚓ What is the next cruise after Honolulu? After the cruise ship leaves Honolulu, it heads to New Zealand and Australia, stopping by South Pacific islands in French Polynesia and American Samoa. 👪 How many passengers can be on this cruise ship? The Royal Princess has a passenger capacity of 3,560 at double occupancy.

🤓 Be informed #1 : Honolulu is on the island of Oahu, and it’s where you can go to Pearl Harbor National Memorial . To check some national parks off your bucket list, you’ll need to go to the island of Maui for Haleakala National Park and the Big Island for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park .

🤓 Be informed #2 : It is possible to book a one-way cruise from Anchorage to Vancouver that is the cruise right before the repositioning cruise, but personally I would not feel comfortable booking that. That would mean you would be embarking in one US cruise port (in Alaska) and disembarking in a different US cruise port (in Hawaii), and the laws about embarking and disembarking in 2 different US cruise ports seems ambiguous. I read a story in a cruise facebook group about someone who had booked back-to-back cruises individually in a similar way (it was another cruise line), and just a few weeks before the cruise, they were contacted by the cruise line and told they can’t do that. Maybe there’s something about this specific itinerary that would actually make it okay (I have no idea), but the uncertainty of it makes me feel uneasy about booking it myself! Research before you book! If the cruise line is selling it as a cruise from one US cruise port to another (like a Panama Canal cruise from California to Florida ), then it’s not a problem, but when you would be booking 2 individual cruises, know before you book!

Princess repositioning cruise from Vancouver to Hawaii in 2024:

• September 21 on the Royal Princess: 13 day cruise from Vancouver to Honolulu

4. 20-day Panama Canal cruise from Vancouver (one-way cruise to Florida)

September 24, 2024 | Sapphire Princess

📍 Where does this cruise go? After leaving Vancouver, this cruise has 1 port in Canada, 1 port in California, 1 port in Mexico, 1 port in Guatemala, 1 port in Panama, Panama Canal Full Transit New Locks scenic cruising day, 1 port in Colombia, and then arrives in Fort Lauderdale Florida. ⚓ What cruise ports are on this itinerary? Vancouver Canada, Victoria Canada, San Francisco California, Puerto Vallarta Mexico, Puerto Quetzal Guatemala, Fuerte Amador (Panama City) Panama, Cartagena Colombia, Fort Lauderdale Florida. 🌊 How many sea days are on this cruise? There are 11 sea days, plus 1 scenic cruising day (Panama Canal). 📆 When does the cruise start and end? This cruise starts in Vancouver on September 24, and it arrives in Fort Lauderdale on October 14. ⛰ What is the cruise before Vancouver? The last Alaska cruise for the Sapphire Princess is a 10-day round trip cruise from Vancouver that starts on September 14. ⚓ What is the next cruise after Fort Lauderdale? The next cruise is a 10-day Caribbean cruise that goes to 6 islands that starts on October 14. The following cruise that starts on October 24 is another 10-day Caribbean cruise that goes to 6 islands, but goes to several islands that the first cruise doesn’t go to. 👪 How many passengers can be on this cruise ship? The Sapphire Princess has a passenger capacity of 2,670 at double occupancy.

🤓 Be informed #1 : There are the new locks and the old locks of the Panama Canal. This cruise goes through the new locks.

🤓 Be informed #2 : You can also start this Panama Canal cruise on the Sapphire Princess from San Francisco as a 16-day Panama Canal cruise from San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale .

Princess repositioning cruise from Vancouver to Florida in 2024:

• September 24 on Sapphire Princess: 20 day cruise from Vancouver to Fort Lauderdale FL

5. 7-day Vancouver to Los Angeles cruise (one-way)

September 21 | Royal Princess September 28 | Discovery Princess

Even a 7-day repositioning cruise you can turn into a long cruise by doing the last Alaska cruise of the season before you start the repositioning part of the cruise from Vancouver!

📍 Where does this cruise go? After leaving Vancouver, this cruise has 1 port in Canada, 1 port in Oregon, 2 ports in California (before LA), and then arrives in Los Angeles. ⚓ What cruise ports are on this itinerary? Vancouver Canada, Victoria Canada, Astoria Oregon, San Francisco California, San Diego California, Los Angeles California, Honolulu Hawaii 🌊 How many sea days are on this cruise? There are 2 sea days. 📆 When does the cruise start and end? The Royal Princess cruise starts in Vancouver on September 21, and it arrives in Los Angeles on September 28. The Discovery Princess cruise starts in Vancouver on September 28, and it arrives in Los Angeles on October 5. ⛰ What is the cruise before Vancouver? The Royal Princess does a 14-day round trip Alaska cruise from Vancouver that starts on September 7. ⚓ What is the next cruise after Los Angeles? The Royal Princess continues on to Hawaii, the South Pacific, New Zealand, and Australia. The Discovery Princess will be based in Los Angeles to do a 7-day round trip California coast cruise starting on October 5, and after that does a 7-day round trip Mexico cruise starting on October 12. 👪 How many passengers can be on this cruise ship? The Royal Princess has a passenger capacity of 3,560 at double occupancy. The Discovery Princess has a passenger capacity of 3,660.

🤓 Be informed #1 : This is basically a California coast cruise! It can be a perfect cruise if you want to get a taste for coastal California cities.

🤓 Be informed #2 : To check a national park off your bucket list after a cruise to Los Angeles, you’ll want to rent a car and go to Joshua Tree National Park (3 hours from LA) or Death Valley National Park (5 hours from LA). You can also take a ferry to Channel Islands National Park from a harbor that is 1.5 hours from LA.

🤓 Be informed #3 : To check a national park off your bucket list after a cruise to San Francisco, you’ll want to rent a car and go to Yosemite National Park that is 4 hours away from San Francisco. If you’re ambitious, do the Majestic Mountain Loop to go to Yosemite National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, and Sequoia National Park in 3 days! Redwoods National Park is 5.5 hours from San Francisco up the California coast.

🤓 Be informed #4 : See “be informed #2” under the Vancouver to Hawaii cruise section if you are consider doing an Alaska cruise and want to make your final destination Los Angeles.

Princess repositioning cruises from Vancouver to California in 2024:

• September 21 on Royal Princess: 7 day cruise from Vancouver to Los Angeles
• September 28 on Discovery Princess: 7 day cruise from Vancouver to Los Angeles
• September 24 on Sapphire Princess: 4 day cruise from Vancouver to San Francisco
• September 25 on Grand Princess: 4 day cruise from Vancouver to Los Angeles
• September 26 on Ruby Princess: 3 day cruise from Vancouver to San Francisco

More cruise searches for fun: Best Alaska cruises from San Francisco (back-to-back cruises that go to Alaska and Hawaii or Mexico!)

What Princess cruise ships are in Vancouver?

In 2024, the Princess cruise ships with Alaska cruises from Vancouver are the Discovery Princess, Grand Princess, Royal Princess, Ruby Princess, and Sapphire Princess.

The other Princess cruise ships in Alaska are the Crown Princess (from San Francisco) and Majestic Princess (from Seattle).

In 2025, the Princess cruise ships with Alaska cruises from Vancouver are the Caribbean Princess, Coral Princess, Grand Princess, and Sapphire Princess.

The other Princess cruise ships going to Alaska are the Discovery Princess (Seattle), Royal Princess (Seattle), and Ruby Princess (San Francisco).

HAPPY CRUISING FROM VANCOUVER!

👆 Top row: San Francisco, Hawaii, American Samoa. Bottom row: New Zealand, French Polynesia, Vancouver.

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Reposition Cruises

Taking a Distinctive Voyage on Norwegian Cruise Line means just that. Whether it's a Pacific Coastal or East Coast, Panama Canal or Transatlantic Cruise, you'll see more of the world by departing and arriving in two different cities. Enjoy long and relaxing days at sea on a Transatlantic voyage and discover limitless ways to escape on board. Or experience the grandeur of crossing the Panama Canal - a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you'll never forget. Along the way, travel to exotic, out-of-the-way places you've only dreamed of. Postcards don't do these journeys justice.

Every spring and fall our ships relocate to new and exotic places with the opportunity for once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Since these cruises are usually longer, they offer more time to make the kind of memories you won't stop talking about.

Discover the world's greatest shortcut, the Panama Canal. Explore the majesty that unfolds up the Pacific Coastline. Or escape to the Caribbean for a little snorkeling and sightseeing. Only Norwegian gives you the freedom of Freestyle Cruising®. Don't let these special cruises pass you by.

Slip off your watch and slip into vacation mode. A cruise along the East Coast will take you to historic ports on the Atlantic Ocean in Bermuda, Canada & New England, or the Caribbean. Your wonderful adventure begins here.

Transatlantic

People have been cruising across the Atlantic Ocean for centuries, and now is your chance to share this amazing perspective. Enjoy relaxing days on board and take advantage of the flexibility that only Freestyle Cruising can offer.

Panama Canal

Traversing the 40-mile Panama Canal is a rite of passage and something you'll remember for a lifetime. Add in compelling ports like Cartagena, Huatulco and Puerto Chiapas, and you're in for a unique adventure.

Pacific Coastal

Mix the big city cool of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver with quaint towns like Astoria or Victoria, and you've got a fantastic cruise vacation on the Pacific Coast.

There's no better way to experience the history, the landmarks and the culture of Europe than with the freedom and flexibility of our exclusive Freestyle Cruising. Unpack once and wake up to a new city every day all across Europe and around the Mediterranean.

Repositioning cruises 2024 and 2025: Save money with these unusual itineraries

Looking for a cruise where you can truly kick back and take advantage of onboard amenities without getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of a different port of call every day? Consider a repositioning cruise.

Repositioning cruises are the name for one-way sailings that bring the ship to a new home port or a different part of the world to kick-start a new cruise season. Because these sailings often cross oceans, you'll likely experience ports in more than one cruise region — and have ample sea days to take advantage of the spa, dining and entertainment options on board.

All the major cruise lines offer the occasional repositioning cruises, typically on ships that usually sail in destinations with shorter seasons, such as Alaska or the Mediterranean . Here, we answer all your questions about repositioning cruises.

Note: Listed fares were accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change without notice.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

What is a repositioning cruise?

Cruise ships chase warm and sunny climates, so they often move, or "reposition," from one part of the world to another when chilly weather sets in. Cruise lines don't want to sail a ghost ship, one carrying only crew and no passengers, across the ocean because it's wasting an opportunity to earn money. They have figured out that by discounting rates, they can fill the cabins on these oddball itineraries.

Repositioning cruises are never round-trip sailings. Your origin and destination cities — or, in cruise-speak , embarkation and disembarkation ports — will not be the same. You might sail out of Florida and arrive in Barcelona or Southampton, England, allowing you to explore two continents on one vacation. Or, you might simply sail from Boston to Florida or from San Diego to Vancouver, British Columbia.

Repositioning cruises are known for having a greater-than-average number of days spent at sea, but it's not as if you never get off the ship. On a transatlantic sailing , port stops could be in Spain's Canary Islands or Portugal's Azores islands. A repositioning cruise from Southern California to Vancouver before the Alaska cruise season might sail up the Pacific Coast and visit cities like San Francisco and Astoria, Oregon.

Related: How to avoid seasickness on your next cruise

Another aspect that makes a repositioning cruise different from a typical sailing is that many of these itineraries are longer than a week. (This is by design. It takes longer to sail from Florida to Europe than it does to sail to and from the Caribbean .) Still, there is a lot of flexibility, just as with booking any cruise. The shortest you'll find is four or five days (for example, Southern California to Vancouver) and the longest is around 28 nights (yes, almost an entire month, usually between continents).

Are repositioning cruises one-way?

Yes, repositioning cruises are one-way voyages that start in one region and end in another. Because they happen when a cruise ship switches destinations based on seasonality, these sailings often involve travel to a different part of the world, which can result in many consecutive days at sea.

Where and what time of year do cruise ships reposition?

The good news is you can book a repositioning cruise nearly six months out of the year, spanning mid-spring and mid-fall months, which are the cruise lines' shoulder seasons.

Because repositioning cruises are not all tied to the same destination, this only widens your options in terms of geography. To envision where these will sail and when, you need to know a destination's cruise season.

Take Europe as an example. The majority of Mediterranean and Baltic sailings take place in the spring through the early fall. Europe-based ships flee the region during the winter, spending November through March in the warm Caribbean. Therefore, a ship will need to travel from the Caribbean to Europe in spring and return to the Caribbean by fall. Look for transatlantic repositioning cruises during those changeover months.

Related: From Alaska to the Panama Canal: Here are 9 of TPG's favorite fall cruise itineraries

Some ships stay in the Caribbean year-round and only reposition when the cruise line chooses to move them to a different home port. However, ships sailing short seasons in Alaska, South America, Canada/New England and Europe will always be repositioned at least twice a year.

Due to increased cruise itineraries in the Middle East and Asia over the last decade, you might also find a repositioning cruise departing or returning to either of those regions. For example, MSC Cruises offers cruises from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Genoa, Italy, in April prior to sailing European itineraries in the spring and summer. Just be prepared to be away from home for a long time. The aforementioned sailing lasts about three weeks — a long trek through the Suez Canal, connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, by way of Egypt.

Note: Many cruise lines have canceled or altered their 2024 Middle East itineraries due to unrest in the region.

What happens on a repositioning cruise?

On many repositioning cruises, you will not get off the ship as often as you might on a typical sailing because there are no ports in the middle of the ocean you're crossing. These itineraries often feature a string of sea days, so be prepared to spend more time and money on board.

Some people love port-intensive cruises so they can quickly check off a list of countries and only unpack once. But if you prefer leisurely, lazy days, then a transoceanic repositioning cruise might be your ticket to utopia. This huge stretch of time is a great opportunity to crack open books you've been meaning to read, launch into a knitting project or finally have time for daily workouts.

Related: 16 mistakes cruisers make on cruise ship sea days

Programming — such as comedy nights, fitness classes, boutique shopping, art auctions, wine tastings and evening shows — are as much a part of a repositioning cruise as any other sailing, only you might be able to take in a whole lot more than you normally would. Some cruise lines organize themed sailings or invite guest lecturers on board for extra sea day activities.

You also might want to consider springing for a cruise line's all-inclusive beverage package on a repositioning cruise. You'll get better value than usual from the price because you'll be ordering most of your drinks on board due to fewer port stops.

Another worthwhile splurge is a balcony cabin . You'll have easy access to fresh air without the top-deck crowds and can enjoy the romance of gazing out at the seemingly endless ocean. Just be sure to pack a sweater or sweatshirt because shoulder seasons in these climates are not necessarily sunbathing weather.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a repositioning cruise?

When you book a repositioning cruise, you'll likely be on board for at least two weeks, allowing enough time for the ship to sail between where it's currently based and its new home port. Sometimes the voyage can be even longer, and it's likely you won't have more than five or six port stops during that time.

That means lots of days on board, many of them consecutive. It's an advantage for anyone who enjoys relaxing at sea and doesn't mind exploring the ship for days at a time without touching land; it's a disadvantage for anyone who sees cruises as merely transportation to explore new places.

An advantage of repositionings is the price, which is often cheaper than what you'd pay for a round-trip sailing of the same length or which has more port days built into the schedule. However, the cost of the potentially expensive one-way or open-jaw flights needed before and after a repositioning cruise could eat up most of the money you'd save by booking that type of voyage.

Do you need a passport for a repositioning cruise?

Yes. The only time you don't need a passport to cruise is if you're booked on a closed-loop sailing — a voyage that departs from and returns to the same port within the U.S. Since repositioning cruises don't leave from and return to the same port, the exception won't apply, and you'll need a passport in order to board the ship.

Are repositioning cruises cheaper than other cruises?

It depends on the sailings to which you're comparing them, but repositioning cruises are often relatively affordable. Even though repositioning sailings can often be two to three weeks in length, you might find that they're less expensive than a regular weeklong voyage that begins and ends in the same port of call. That's because repositioning cruises offer mostly sea days, during which you'll be enjoying the ship instead of lounging on the beach or exploring museums.

How to score repositioning cruise deals

More often than not, a repositioning cruise is a good deal because it costs much less per night than a typical sailing. This is because the one-way, sea day-heavy itineraries are less desirable to the majority of cruisers, and they take place during slower travel seasons.

Related: 6 ways to get a deal on a cruise

Travelers who live near the embarkation or debarkation ports can save even more by only having to buy a one-way plane ticket rather than a full round trip.

Repositioning cruises can be tricky to find on booking sites. They often are referred to as repositioning cruises or transatlantic or transpacific cruises. When ships reposition between ports in the U.S. and Canada, the one-off one-way itineraries might not be labeled anything special beyond Caribbean or Pacific Coast cruises.

Not all of the cruise line or online travel agency booking pages have an option to check a box and search for repositioning cruises. If you can't find what you're looking for, do an online search for the term and the cruise line you wish to sail. Even better, call a travel agent or the cruise line's booking staff directly, and they can help you find the repositioning cruise that's best for you.

What are the best 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 offers just four port calls. The sailing will visit Valencia, Malaga and Las Palmas in Spain, as well as Bermuda, before reaching Port Canaveral, near Orlando, which is the ship's seasonal home base in Florida.

Prices start from $649 per person for an inside cabin.

15-night transatlantic on Rotterdam

On Oct. 12, Holland America 's newest ship, Rotterdam , sets sail on a transatlantic repositioning from Rotterdam in the Netherlands to Florida's Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. Those ports bookend calls on Bruges, Belgium; Le Havre and Brest, France; England's Isle of Portland; Bermuda; and Half Moon Cay, the line's private island in the Bahamas.

Prices begin at $2,074 per 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, offering a repositioning cruise that begins in Barcelona. It calls on Cartagena and Malaga, Spain; Madeira, Portugal; Antigua; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and NCL's private island , Great Stirrup Cay, in the Bahamas along the way.

Fares start at $829 per person for an inside cabin.

16-night Panama Canal transit on Seven Seas Grandeur

For a repositioning sailing that transits one of the world's most impressive modern engineering marvels and offers lots of port stops, check out Regent Seven Seas ' 16-night Panama Canal crossing on Seven Seas Grandeur . Departing from Miami on Dec. 13, passengers can check out Grand Cayman before enjoying calls on Cartagena, Colombia; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; Antigua; and Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico, before reaching Los Angeles.

Prices for this voyage on Seven Seas Grandeur, which is an all-inclusive, all-suite vessel, start at $10,499 per person.

What are the best 2025 repositioning cruises?

15-night transatlantic on wind spirit.

Windstar Cruises ' Wind Spirit, a masted sailing ship, is repositioning from Barbados to Lisbon, Portugal, on Feb. 22, 2025. However, you'll only want to book this voyage if you're interested in sailing vessels or you're not easily bored. The ship is small, and there are no port calls on the schedule.

Prices start from $2,399 per person for a room with a window.

23-night Panama Canal on Coral Princess

For a lengthy voyage that will allow you to sail from Fort Lauderdale through the Panama Canal to Mexico and then up the California coast before arriving in Canada, check out Princess Cruises ' Coral Princess. Beginning April 10, 2025, the ship is featuring a cruise that's longer than three weeks as it repositions to Vancouver for a season of Alaska sailings .

Fares begin at $1,593 per person for an inside cabin. If you're short on time, you can opt instead for a shorter voyage of 16 nights that also begins on April 10 and ends in Los Angeles before the ship moves on to Canada. Fares for the shorter cruise start from $1,048 per person for inside accommodations.

17-night French Polynesia and Hawaii on Celebrity Edge

Celebrity Cruises ' Celebrity Edge will relocate from its base in Sydney on April 14, 2025. Its ultimate destination is Vancouver, where it will be stationed for a series of Alaska voyages. On its way, it will take passengers on a 17-night trip to experience the beauty of French Polynesia before concluding the sailing in Honolulu. Port calls include Paihia and Auckland in New Zealand and Raiatea, Papeete and Moorea in French Polynesia.

Rates start at $1,574 per 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 only five port stops — Ponta Delgada, Portugal; Malaga, Cartagena and Valencia, Spain; and La Spezia, the port for Cinque Terre in Italy — mixed in among the sea days. However, this Quantum Class vessel has plenty to keep cruisers busy on board. Amenities include surfing and skydiving simulators, bumper cars and a robotic arm that holds a glass-enclosed observation sphere for excellent ocean views.

Fares begin at $829 per person for an inside cabin.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• Top ways cruisers waste money
• The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin

The Best Repositioning Cruises in 2024

Savvy cruisers who yearn for days at sea, as well as great deals, look forward to spring and autumn more than any other time of year. This is when repositioning cruises feature as an unsung element of cruise lines' rosters.

Though some ships spend the entire year sailing the same itineraries, many relocate to follow the sun. Few ships stay in Europe when the weather turns, so between September and November there is a veritable armada of ships crossing from Britain to the U.S. and Caribbean, calling at Iceland and the Canadian Maritimes en route. Likewise, in spring many ships, having spent winter in the Caribbean and South America, head back to Britain via the Azores, Canary Islands and Iberian Peninsula.

These one-way voyages are often sold at discount prices as they are not part of regular sailing schedules. To attract passengers, cruise lines may theme them with topics ranging from food and wine, to theatre, and big band music. Enhanced enrichment programmes also make these voyages appealing.

Read on for details of repositioning cruises coming in spring 2024.

Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas from New York City to Southampton

When : April 28, 2024

From : New York City to Southampton

Calling at : This 12-day Transatlantic crossing on Royal Caribbean 's Anthem of the Seas calls in at Funchal , Madeira (May 5), La Coruna , Spain (May 7) and Le Havre , France (May 9), before starting its summer season in Southampton.

Azamara Quest from Rio de Janeiro to Lisbon

When : March 2024

From : Rio de Janeiro to Lisbon

Calling at : As transatlantic repositioning cruises go, Azamara ’s 17-night Portuguese Quest Voyage is one of the finest. Azamara Quest , beautifully refurbished in 2021, leaves Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro on March 15, 2024, for Buzios, one of Brazil’s finest beach resort towns, then carries on to Salvador de Bahia, one of Brazil’s many UNESCO World Heritage Site towns.

The Atlantic Ocean crossing is broken with a visit to Mindelo, on Cape Verde’s São Vicente Island, then there’s more island hopping to the Canary Islands for a day in Tenerife and another in La Palma , followed by a day in Madeira before arriving in Lisbon .

Marella Discovery 2 14-Night Eastern Spices From Oman to Singapore

From : 14-nights from Port Sultan Qaboos, Oman to Singapore

Calling at : This all-inclusive adults-only cruise leaves Oman on November 29 heading for “the Gateway to India” Mumbai , followed by Mormugao in the southern state of Goa. Marella Discovery 2 also calls at Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, and there's some time to relax at sea before visiting sleepy Sabang, on Indonesia’s Pulau Weh island.

There are more beaches at Langkawi, off the west coast of Malaysia, before a day at Port Klang to visit Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. The cruise finishes with an overnight in Singapore.

Norwegian Encore – 21-day Panama Canal: Mexico & Colombia

When : October, 2024

From : Seattle, Washington to Miami, Florida

Calling at : After a summer season in Alaska, Norwegian Cruise Line ’s Norwegian Encore heads south for the winter from Seattle on October 13, 2024, making a couple of calls in California – San Francisco and Los Angeles – before arriving in Mexico. There are calls at Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, which has beaches and cobblestone streets, Manzanillo – great for water sports – and Acapulco.

Among days at sea the ship visits Puerto Quetzal in Guatemala and Puntarenas in Costa Rica, then there’s Panama City before a daylight transit through the Panama Canal to Cartagena , Colombia.

The final stop is in Grand Cayman , famous for its seven-mile beach, before disembarkation at Miami.

Princess Cruises' Sun Princess 16-Day Iberian Passage

When : September 2024: 16-Day Iberian Passage

From : Southampton to Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Calling at : This is a fantastic chance to get on Princess Cruises ’ newest ship as Sun Princess leaves Southampton for Florida’s balmier weather and a winter season in the Caribbean.

It departs on September 23, 2024, with a call at Portland in Dorset where you can walk along the amazing Chesil Beach, then sails south to Vigo in northern Spain for excursions to the pilgrimage town of Santiago de Compostela.

Things start to warm up with a day on Madeira , followed by the volcanic island of Tenerife in the Canaries, then there’s eight days of total relaxation during the transatlantic crossing to Fort Lauderdale.

MSC Splendida 22-Night MSC Grand Voyages

When : April 2024

From : Durban, South Africa to Naples, Italy

Calling at : This 22-Night MSC Grand Voyages on MSC Splendida embarks on a fascinating itinerary on April 6, 2024, after a winter sailing off South Africa’s shores.

The MSC Cruises ship is heading back to its native Italy on a 22-night cruise that starts with three relaxing days at sea before reaching Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, with its dramatic volcanic mountain and UNESCO-listed national park.

There are three days at Port Louis on the subtropical island of Mauritius, then eight days at sea before reaching Safaga in northern Egypt, for excursions to the River Nile temples, and Aqaba in Jordan, where you should not miss a trip to the lost city of Petra. A night-time transit through the Suez Canal is followed by two days sailing the Mediterranean to Naples .

Celebrity Apex 13-Night Western Europe Transatlantic

When : May 2024

From : 13-Night Western Europe Transatlantic from Fort Lauderdale to Southampton

Calling at : Celebrity Cruises ’ second Edge-class ship Celebrity Apex will be based in the U.K. for the first time from May 2, 2024, following a transatlantic crossing from Fort Lauderdale to Southampton for the summer.

The ship’s fabulous pools, restaurants and entertainment will come into their own during the first seven days at sea but then there’s a call at Ponta Delgada, the capital of São Miguel island in the Azores , with its picturesque harbour and promenade.

A few days later the ship arrives at colourful Cobh in the Republic of Ireland, where you can jump on a train to Cork, then it goes to Portland, in Dorset, for excursions to Stonehenge and beyond. Zeebrugge in Belgium is next, and there’s an easy train journey to chocolate box-beautiful Bruges, before disembarking at Southampton.

Holland America Line Nieuw Statendam 14-Day Bermuda, Brittany & The English Channel Expedition

From : Fort Lauderdale to Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Calling at : Holland America Line ’s Nieuw Statendam has an excellent repositioning cruise leaving Fort Lauderdale on April 7, 2024, with a day soaking up the sun in Bermuda before setting off across the Atlantic for six days at sea.

Then there’s a port to visit every day, criss-crossing the Channel from Brest in northern France, with its castle and city walls, to the Channel Island of Guernsey, where St Peter Port has a lovely old quarter of alleys and winding streets.

Next comes Le Havre, Unesco-listed for its Modernist post-war architecture, then Dover with its white cliffs and magnificent castle. The cruise finishes at Rotterdam , now Holland America Line’s spiritual home.

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Is A Repositioning Cruise From Vancouver The Right Choice For You?

Repositioning cruises have historically been a great option for folks that love sea days and saving money. While some repositioning cruises are historically unpredictable in terms of when they will happen, repoisitioning cruises from Vancouver (as well as Seattle ) are pretty easy to predict since they happen each year at the end of the Alaska cruise season.

Why Do Cruise Ships Relocate From Vancouver?

Simply put, it's too cold to sail to Alaska during the winter and it's too far to sail to Hawaii the way many cruises do from Southern California ports where there are already 4 or sometimes 5 sea days between ports. Since Vancouver is farther north, this journey would be even longer. Though there have been Hawaii cruises from Vancouver on occasion, this is not a regular occurance. One notable cruise that does this is Holland America Line with a 16-day circle cruise to Hawaii from Vancouver and back.

So, without attractive winter cruise itineraries, cruise ships must head to other home ports for the winter season. These ports can include Southern California, Asia, Australia, and Panama Canal cruises on the way to spend the summer sailing the warm Caribbean waters.

Example Vancouver Relocation Cruise Itineraries

One of the biggest thing that is common to nearly all repositioning cruises is that you will have a large number of sea days proportional to the overal length of your cruise. For instance, you may have a 5 day cruise from Vancover to San Diego with only a stop in San Francisco . At the time of writing, that itinerary is priced starting at only $199 on Holland America Line's Koningsdam at the end of October. However, Holland America Line offers other similar options such as their 6-day Wine Country cruise on Noordam that stops in Victoria and Astoria as well as San Francisco before ending up in San Diego.

Norwegian Cruise line offers an alternative though. Instead of simply running their ships south as quickly as possible from Vancouver, they have NCL Jewel doing an Alaska cruise that visits Juneau and Ketchikan before heading to San Francisco and Los Angeles .

What To Expect On A Repositioning Cruise From Vancouver?

As we mentioned above, each cruise line that sails from Vancouver during the summer Alaska season has a different response to what to do next. However, the consistent thing between all of them is that you will likely have new crew as well as some crew that are at the end of their contracts and looking froward to heading home. Additionally, even the seasoned crew will not nessisarily be experts in the area of the world where they are headed and routines that may have worked in Alaska - entertainment and food for instance, might not be fully "in gear" for repositioning cruise.

Weather also is not going to be ideal. While summer can be quite warm and enjoyable in the waters of the Pacific Northwest, spring and fall can be chilly, overcast, and sometimes rough waters.

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Not all is bad though, these cruises are a fantastic opportunity to get very cheap cruises and they will also be less full too.

Additionally, you will usually find that the guests are a bit older and there are no kids on board. This is because it is quite expensive to fly a full family to / from Vancouver for a relatively short cruise. 

Finally, while you usually sail point-to-point in a circle, these cruises start and end in two diferent cities. This means that you will need to plan to do two one-way flights or if you live in an area you can't park a the cruise port since you aren't returning there. This isn't a big deal with some careful planning but it is something that you need to take into consideration before choosing a repositioning cruise like this from Vancouver.

So, is this the right cruise for you? Only you can answer that. I personally enjoy the experience since I live in San Diego and it's a cheap way to spend some time at sea and just relax. I'm not really concerned abuot the ports as much as I'd look forward to enjoying some good music, food, drinks, and those cool sea breezes from my balcony.

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Repositioning Cruises from $700*

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Repositioning Cruises

Repositioning cruises are the perfect way to bask in the wonder of cruising.

Stand aboard a luxurious cruise ship as the ocean breeze flows through your hair and soothes your senses. Experience the sights and sounds of the water and the marine life as you cross some of the world’s largest bodies of water. Stop along the way, and discover new cultures, peoples and attractions you never dreamed of. Expect a memorable cruise!

Things to Do on a Repositioning Cruise

In order to make sure cruisers have the best possible weather conditions for both their pleasure and their safety, cruise ships institute time limits for cruises to certain regions. For instance, most cruises to Alaska take place from May until September when the weather is warm. When the last Alaska cruise comes to completion, cruise lines don’t just keep their ships empty till May, they sail to a new region of the world. These trips from one destination to another, for instance Alaska to the Caribbean or Europe to the Caribbean, are called repositioning cruises. The most popular of these are transatlantic cruises, featuring plenty of days at sea to enjoy the amenities of your ship. But don't sleep on transpacific cruises, as they explore some of the most secluded, beautiful islands in the world. Featured below are highlights from possible repositioning cruises:

• A stop in Bangkok is sure to leave you with plenty of options for adventure. Spend the day visiting several stunning and intricately designed temples, or go to one of the many tailors in the city who will custom tailor an outfit at an affordable price.  
• Enjoy a fruit market, beautiful colonial era architecture and a museum with traditional African masks in Dakar, Senegal. Make sure to have your camera ready as your tour this fascinating city on Africa’s west coast.  

• Spend an afternoon walking along Las Ramblas in Barcelona where you can try some of Spain’s most tasty treats, like tapas, paella and pintxos. While strolling along this scenic tree-lined pedestrian mall, you'll pass some of Barcelona's most historic buildings and get a better understanding for the city's culture.  
• Visit a Pineapple Greenhouse. Pineapples are a major crop in the Azores, an island chain off the coast of Portugal.  

• Snorkel through a shipwreck off the coast of the petite island of Bermuda on your way to the Caribbean or a cruise port in Florida. The sunken ships beneath the surface of the turquoise waters are home to several bright species of fish.  
• Get your hips moving as you learn to hula during a sunset luau when you visit Honolulu on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.  

Top 10 Repositioning Cruises

• Nautica 28 NIGHT Repositioning CRUISE Departing From Singapore, Singapore (Apr 2024)
• Rhapsody of the Seas 7 NIGHT PANAMA TO FORT LAUDERDALE CRUISE Departing From Colon, Panama (Apr 2024)
• Riviera 16 NIGHT Repositioning CRUISE Departing From Singapore, Singapore (Apr 2024)
• Celebrity Eclipse 12 NIGHT GREENLAND & ICELAND CRUISE Departing From Cape Liberty (Bayonne), New Jersey (Aug 2024)
• Celebrity Eclipse 12 NIGHT GREENLAND & ICELAND CRUISE Departing From Reykjavik, Iceland (Aug 2024)
• Nautica 35 NIGHT Repositioning CRUISE Departing From Singapore, Singapore (Apr 2025)
• Celebrity Silhouette 10 NT FORT LAUDERDALE TO CAPE LIBERTY Departing From Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida (Apr 2025)
• Celebrity Silhouette 12 NIGHT GREENLAND & ICELAND CRUISE Departing From Cape Liberty (Bayonne), New Jersey (Jul 2025)
• Celebrity Silhouette 13 NIGHT GREENLAND & ICELAND CRUISE Departing From Reykjavik, Iceland (Aug 2025)
• Symphony of the Seas 3 NIGHT DEADHEAD REPOSITIONING CRUISE Departing From Cape Liberty (Bayonne), New Jersey (Oct 2025)

Repositioning: Cruise Lines

Looking for an adventure? Try a repositioning cruise which, in some instances, will take you on a journey across the globe. These cruises where ships relocate from one location to another are available on both popular and luxury cruises. Explore what cruise line you can take repositioning cruises with:

With innovative spaces like the Lawn and the AquaSpa Celebrity Cruises gives their customers a taste of modern luxury.

Epicureans are delighted by the Oceania Cruises experience where Jacques Pepin is Executive Culinary Director and the Culinary Tours introduce you to a world of flavors.

Royal Caribbean International is known for ships with a wow factor. From ice skating rinks to zip lines, if you can think of it, you can find it on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Repositioning: Departure Ports

A repositioning cruise is when a ship moves from doing a lot of sailings in one region to another region. For instance ships that sail in Alaska usually move to a warmer weather spot in the fall. Repositioning cruises offer an extended itinerary with a lot of sea days for relaxing. You can find repositioning cruises year round. You can embark from cities like Sydney, Barcelona, Fort Lauderdale and Buenos Aires among other domestic and exotic ports. 

Boston is home to great sports, great food and loads of history with the Freedom Trail and Harvard.

Cape Liberty, which is just miles from New York City, offers incredible views of the city skyline and easy access to many cruise destinations, along with everything NYC has to offer.

Colon, Panama

Colon, this historically important city is a gateway to the Panama Canal and full of Latin charm and New World history. 

With incredible weather, delicious fare and some stupendous attractions, you will find that Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades is one of the most attractive ports in the entire US.

Reykjavik was just a small village until seeing a major expansion after World War II, but this popular cruise destination still offers a small town feel different than any other European capital.

Singapore, Singapore

Southeast Asia’s most modern city, Singapore, also contains a lot of history and treasures from the past, along with a perfect tropical climate – all making Singapore a wonderful destination year round.

Photo Gallery for Repositioning Cruises

Repositioning cruises travel all over the world, and our repositioning photo gallery does the same – albeit virtually. Your virtual tour includes highlights from Asia, Africa, the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Pacific – each of which could be included in your repositioning cruise destinations.

Bermuda Coastline

Girl Hula Dancing

Las Ramblas in Barcelona, Spain

Grand Palace in Bangkok

Azores in Portugal

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Repositioning Cruises: The Secret to the Best Cruise Deals

Looking for a unique way to travel between continents and seasons? Consider these one-way itineraries.

Published 11 May 2021

Daniel Nikulin

If you've got a bit of extra leave up your sleeve, are looking for alternatives to air travel or are a seafarer through and through, look no further than repositioning cruises (also known as turnaround cruises and relocation cruises). These one-way itineraries attract passengers looking for a unique way to travel between continents and seasons, and are surprisingly affordable. 

Never heard of them before? Read on to find out what repositioning cruises are, how repositioning cruises work and more!

What are repositioning cruises?

How do repositioning cruises work.

• Are repositioning cruises cheaper than other cruises?

Is it cheaper to book repositioning cruises with a travel consultant?

Do repositioning cruises have more days at sea.

• How does the return airfare work with repositioning cruises?

What about odd-duration sailings?

• A quick note on weather

Repositioning cruises are cruise itineraries that start and end at different ports. You might also hear people call repositioning cruises “one-way cruises”.

Every year, generally spring and fall, cruise lines need to move their floating resorts from one part of the world to another. Seasoned cruisers know that this is prime time to find a deal of a lifetime, as repositioning cruises are often the  best-value cruises  around.

To chase the sun and to meet high-season demands, most ships must relocate. During the spring, ships will sail from the Caribbean or Mexico to the Mediterranean for the summer months, then sail back to Mexico and the Caribbean in the fall for the winter season. This means the itineraries are incredibly diverse: you can board repositioning cruises from Vancouver, Fort Lauderdale, Honolulu, Barcelona, Rome, Sydney and so many other places around the world.

Are repositioning cruises cheaper?

Repositioning with the seasons is a must for cruise companies, meaning the ships will complete the journey regardless of how many passengers are booked. This is excellent news for those keen to cruise on a budget, as many ships offer discounted rates for Transpacific cruises and Transatlantic cruises. Don't be fooled by the prices though! You'll get to enjoy affordable luxury, with full-service onboard amenities, fine dining and onboard activities daily.

Long story short, you can snag all the benefits of a standard cruise for a fraction of the cost when you embark on repositioning cruises.

It depends on the consultant! 😉

If you're booking a repositioning cruise with Flight Centre, you can get access to exclusive pricing that you won't be able to find anywhere else online. That's because we've negotiated lower rates on a group of sailings with your favourite cruise lines. Talk to one of our travel consultants today to see how much you could be saving on Princess , Holland America , Royal Caribbean and NCL ships, among others.

Unless you are looking to completely sit back and relax with a fat book by the pool, do your research and choose a ship that has the facilities and amenities that suit you best. Whether it's a gym or workout facility, a type of restaurant or a well-stocked library, be sure your home away from home has what you need — chances are, you'll be seeing a lot of it.

That said, while most of your time will be spent surrounded by the beauty of the deep blue, many repositioning cruises pull out all the stops to ensure there's plenty for you to see, learn and do on board.

How does the return airfare work with a repositioning cruise?

Keep in mind that the ship that's taking you to Barcelona is not bringing you back.

As you aren't buying a flight and cruise deal, it is important to plan and budget for a one-way flight home at the end of it all. While an additional cost, this can open up great options as well, offering you the flexibility to return whenever and from wherever you like. As most countries require you to have proof of a flight (or a train, boat, etc.) out of their country to get in, it is imperative you buy your one-way flight home before embarking on your repositioning cruise.

While many of us are used to a typical one or two week holiday, some repositioning cruises are anything but. I've seen a West Coast repositioning cruise from Vancouver to San Francisco that lasted a whole two days, with no ports of call.

Although not a great sightseeing opportunity, it is the perfect chance for a first-time cruiser wondering what it's like to cruise, if not a fun weekend getaway. And if you've still got a few days to fill, rent a car and drive into wine country, Los Angeles or San Diego, before flying back home. Odd-duration sailings can be interesting if you're creative.

A quick note on weather:

As the reason for a ship's repositioning is essentially seasonality, trips take place at either the very start or at the tail end of a season. Spring and fall can bring unsettled weather worldwide and it's something to keep in mind when packing.

Another tip in finding a great repositioning cruise deal is looking at the first or last sailing in a cruise line's program. As the weather on these sailings can still be suspect, they are usually the least expensive departures, even in advance. For an even bigger bang for your buck, combine a repositioning cruise with either the first or last regular sailing.

So, now that you know what cruise junkies have known for years, jump in. Cruise lines may market these as “trans-Atlantic” sailings or a Panama Canal cruise, and they may be sometimes hard to find, but with a little research and creativity (or a  good travel consultant ), repositioning cruises can be the deal you've always hoped to find.

Flight Centre offers the lowest prices on repositioning cruises, cruise & stay packages and cruise-only vacations with the world's top cruise lines.

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Roaming Around the World

Travel Guides, Tips, and Tales

Repositioning Cruises: Everything You Need to Know

March 14, 2023 By John Widmer 10 Comments

As we’ve now spent more than a half year (189 days) in total living as passengers aboard twelve different repositioning cruises, we love explaining these unique cruises to other travelers. Yet upon first mentioning the concept of these seasonal one-way voyages, we’re often asked:

What is a Repositioning Cruise?

So we’ve written this detailed article to explain exactly what repositioning cruises are. We’re here to dish out all the comprehensive info and reveal all of our repositioning cruise travel tips from first-hand experience of regularly utilizing these lengthy oceanic voyages to journey around the globe.

We have a true passion for taking repositioning cruises, as they have become our primary means of transportation when traveling from one continent to another. We find it to be a fantastic method of slower travel, all while indulging in affordable luxury and visiting exotic ports along the way.

In fact, we even traveled entirely around the world without flights, by instead using repositioning cruises, and did so on a surprisingly low budget of about $60 per day! After all, repositioning cruises are regularly found at highly discounted rates that can be an ultimate travel bargain. We hope you’ll see throughout this article what a great travel deal repositioning cruises can be. That is… if you know how to find the deals and when to book. We’ll get to all that!

Repositioning cruises can actually be somewhat of a complex concept. But we’re here to break it all down and explain all the info you need to know about repositioning cruises.

• 🔍 Understand: How & Why Repositioning Cruises Are Formed
• 📜 A Brief History of Repositioning Cruises
• 👍 Benefits of Taking a Repositioning Cruise
• 🗓️ When Is the Best Time to Take a Repositioning Cruise?
• 🌍 Where Do Repositioning Cruises Go?
• 🤔 Common Misconceptions of Repositioning Cruises
• 💰 How Much Do Repositioning Cruises Cost?
• ⚠️ Potential Drawbacks to Repositioning Cruises: How to Overcome
• 💡 Travel Tips for Taking a Repositioning Cruise

What Is a Repositioning Cruise?

A repositioning cruise is a one-way voyage that a cruise ship takes when it moves from one region to another for seasonality changes or other logistical reasons.

Rather than move an empty cruise ship from one location to another, the cruise lines create a repositioning cruise by offering passengers a chance to join these unique voyages.

As the cruise line transfers a ship to the next region, they are repositioning the cruise  ship from one area to another. Hence the etymology of repositioning cruise . Repositioning cruises are also known as “repo cruises” and are occasionally referred to as “relocation cruises.” It’s all the same thing.

Repositioning cruises are typically offered at a discounted rate and can be an affordable way to travel between different regions or continents. The routes of repositioning cruises are almost never direct cruises. Instead, there are typically interesting ports scheduled along the way, in an effort to make them more enticing to prospective passengers. These one-way repositioning cruises tend to be long (2+ weeks) in order to have time to cross an ocean or change hemispheres.

There are inevitably a number of consecutive sea days during repositioning cruises, which may not give such cruises as broad of an appeal as a packed Caribbean cruise that stops at a different island each day. Although we love repositioning cruises, they’re certainly not for everyone. Therefore, with a lack of demand, prices for repositioning cruises tend to drop to very attractive rates.

Cruise lines always attempt to fill their ships to capacity. So when repositioning cruises aren’t selling, prices often become slashed to attract passengers who may further spend on drinks, in the casino, and in the shops onboard.

Understand: How & Why Repositioning Cruises Are Formed

Repositioning cruises are formed when one of the following situations requires a cruise ship to move a significant distance:

• Seasonal changes (most common)
• Transfer of new ships
• Move ships to/from dry dock refurbishments

Relocating Cruises to Seasonal Vacation Destinations

Seasonal shifts are the most common cause for repositioning cruises, creating an abundance of repositioning cruise routes in the midst of every spring and fall, in advance of summer and winter cruise seasons.

For example, during winter months, Caribbean cruises are very popular. So cruise lines logically have a number of their ships serving Caribbean itineraries during the winter months, when it is too cold to cruise in locations such as Alaska and Northern Europe.

But in Spring, as the summer months approach, cruise lines want to move their ships to locations such as Alaska and Europe, both very popular summer cruise destinations. Relocating the ships between these regions can be a costly and time-consuming process. That’s where repositioning cruises come in. Passengers are able to enjoy the unique lengthy voyages that are created out of the need to move the ships.

After the summer cruise seasons subside, the cruise lines want to relocate their ships back to their winter locations. So another seasonal shift occurs.

For example, during fall, we’ve regularly used the route from European locations to Florida across the Atlantic. Yet as cruise lines don’t want to leave their ships in Alaska over the winter, we’ve also utilized repositioning cruise voyages from Alaska to warmer locations in Asia, where the ships will remain over winter.

Those are just a few examples, but we’ll review all the common seasonal repositioning cruise routes later in this article.

Logistical Reasons Can Also Create Repositioning Cruises

Logistical situations are another reason that sometimes creates repositioning cruises. One instance of this is when new ships are launched from a shipyard, they need to be moved to what will eventually become their home port.

A ship’s inaugural voyage is often a repositioning cruise! When a brand new ship is repositioned like this, it doesn’t necessarily follow the seasonal shifts that other repositioning cruises do. It’s more about the timing of the shipbuilding and the location the ship will be serving.

For example, we took a repositioning cruise when the Norwegian Bliss was first launched. The ship was built at a German shipyard, where it was launched in April. Yet this new ship needed to make its way all the way to Alaska to begin its summer itineraries. So the Bliss formed a series of repositioning cruises to cover that great distance.

We embarked on the sparkling brand-new ship in Europe and took it on a transatlantic voyage to New York City. During April, seasonal repositioning cruises are usually headed to Europe – not away from Europe. So this was an unusual circumstance that provided us with a great opportunity to be among the first passengers to experience this brand-new 5-star ship.

One final reason that repositioning cruise routes are created is when cruise ships need to be moved for major refurbishments .

When this happens ships typically go into dry dock for extended periods of time, usually about a month. The dry docks where these refurbishments are performed are usually located in Europe or Asia. So ships need to be temporarily relocated to these locations, accordingly.

A Brief History of Repositioning Cruises

The concept of repositioning ships for seasonal demand dates back to the early days of ocean travel. However, the concept of a repositioning cruise as a leisure activity on cruise ships is a more recent development.

Many popular repositioning cruise routes can perhaps be traced back to the golden days of ocean liners . In the late 1800s and early 1900s, ocean liners were the primary means used to travel long distances between continents. Transatlantic crossings were a common route during that period, which remains the most popular repositioning cruise itinerary today.

Yet to trace the origins of modern repositioning cruises, we need to go back to the 1960s. This is when regular long-distance commercial flights became more commonplace, and demand for ocean travel decreased.

Although ocean liners were losing favor to air travel, this actually helped give rise to the modern cruise industry that pushed forward in the 1970s and beyond. In fact, Carnival Cruise Line’s first ship, Mardi Gras (1972-1993), was actually a former transatlantic oceanliner, Empress of Canada, that had regularly traversed between the continents during the decade before it was reformed into a Carnival leisure cruise.

But as companies like Carnival and Royal Caribbean emerged in the 1970s, they were not using their cruise ships to cross oceans, as is commonly done with repositioning cruises today. Instead, these cruises were composed of closed-circuit itineraries with amenities and activities that appealed to a wide audience, just as most cruises still are today.

It wasn’t until major cruise lines started increasing their fleets and expanding their routes, that the concept of repositioning cruises as a distinct type of cruise experience really took off.

At first, cruise lines would sail their ships with crewmembers only, and no passengers, when repositioning their ships to new locations. But cruise lines began to recognize that they could maximize the use of their ships by offering longer, one-way itineraries between different regions of the world while also maximizing the ship’s profitability. Hence, the birth of repositioning cruises as we know them today!

Over time, the popularity of repositioning cruises has only continued to grow, as more and more passengers have discovered the unique benefits of this type of cruising experience.

Benefits of Taking a Repositioning Cruise

Many curious or doubtful travelers often ask “Why would anyone want to take a repositioning cruise?”

Well, there are many benefits of repositioning cruises!

Benefit: Excellent Value of Repositioning Cruises

Part of the appeal of repositioning cruises is undoubtedly the fantastic bargains they can present. Because repositioning cruises often have highly-discounted rates, they can present an affordable possibility on what are otherwise pricey luxury cruise ships.

We’ve taken lengthy two-week-long repositioning cruises for just a few hundred dollars, on 5-star ships that normally cost thousands of dollars for a regular weeklong sailing! On ships that normally have rates around $400/night, we’ve paid less than $50/night.

Although paying significantly less than normal, the amenities, level of service, and cuisine on the ship remain exactly the same as a regular full-priced sailing. So repositioning cruises can provide a luxury experience that may otherwise be out of reach.

It’s like a floating luxury resort that transports you across the world. Prices are inclusive of dining, entertainment, activities, port calls, and so much more. It all adds up to exceptional value!

Later in this article, we’ll go into further detail about the costs of repositioning cruises and where to find these deals!

Benefit: An Interesting Alternative to Flying

If needing to travel long distances between continents, repositioning cruises can be a great alternative to air travel. Repositioning cruises are often priced about the same as, sometimes even less than, a coach ticket on a cramped redeye flight between the same locations.

Yet while a flight simply gets you from point A to point B in a slightly reclining seat, a repositioning cruise transports passengers between the same two locations all while sleeping in spacious staterooms, dining on decadent dinners, and stopping into exotic locations.

For anyone who doesn’t like flying, repositioning cruises can be a great consideration to avoid taking a plane when traveling one way. Personally, we’re indifferent to flying in general. But we will always prefer spending a few weeks on a luxury cruise voyage rather than suffering through an overnight flight in a coach seat.

Benefit: Exotic and Desirable Itineraries

Repositioning cruises can be a great opportunity to reach far-flung destinations that aren’t regularly served by cruises . For example, we’ve been fortunate to visit the stunning Azore Islands on repositioning cruises crossing the Atlantic.

Meanwhile, transpacific itineraries often include exotic islands in the South Pacific or rarely-visited ports on Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. While crossing the Indian Ocean, we loved being able to stop into the Maldives, Seychelles, and the overseas French territory of La Réunion. These far-off locations would cost a fortune to visit using a series of flights!

In addition to such rarely-visited destinations, many repositioning cruises also stop at popular cruise ports too . For example, transatlantic repositioning cruises will regularly still include a wide assortment of popular Mediterranean ports, Caribbean ports, or sometimes both! When taking westbound northern transpacific repositioning cruises, the cruise lines have always been generous to form a weeklong Alaskan cruise before crossing the Pacific.

And let’s not forget about the interesting transit opportunities . Repositioning cruises have brought us through the Panama Canal, the Suez Canal, Alaska’s Inside Passage, and Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay. These scenic cruising days are events unto themselves!

For travelers like us, it is such a huge benefit of repositioning cruises to be able to experience these many different destinations and their cultures all in one big long voyage!

Benefit: Following Good Weather

For those who are nomadic or on a grand long-term trip, repositioning cruises can be an ideal mode of transportation to follow good weather.

When one part of the world becomes too cold, cruises move to warmer climates. So moving around the world by taking repositioning cruises can always lead you to nice weather on the other side!

Benefit: No Jetlag on Repositioning Cruises!

When traveling on eastbound or westbound itineraries, you’ll inevitably cross several time zones. When crossing several time zones on a flight, jetlag can be horrible. You arrive at your destination exhausted.

But when taking a repositioning cruise across these time zones, the shift in time is nice and gradual. Time zones may change every day or every other day. The gradual shift can be so much easier to deal with, arriving at your destination refreshed and ready to explore!

After several consecutive days of setting back the clocks (or moving the clocks forward), your internal clock may feel a tinge that something’s not quite right. But it’s never severe as transiting across 8 timezones all at once on an overnight flight.

Personally, we always prefer westbound repositioning cruises to eastbound routes. During westbound repositioning cruises (more prevalent in the fall), every day or so you get an extra hour of sleep ! It’s a phenomenal little perk to repositioning cruises! We tend to find ourselves waking up earlier than normal yet feeling well-rested.

We’re typically not early risers. Yet with all the extra hours of sleep on westbound voyages, we’re often awake to catch the many impressive sunrises while crossing the world’s oceans!

Benefit: Unique Onboard Experience of Repositioning Cruises

Often repositioning cruises will transit passengers across vast oceans. These grand voyages tend to bring out the romanticism of yesteryear , traveling by sea. There’s something so peaceful and relaxing about being in the middle of the ocean.

But it’s not boring. There’s so much to do on repositioning cruises, besides all the fun ports. Many of these large ships are like mini-cities, full of recreation, bars, theatres, libraries, pools, activity centers, gyms, spas, shops, and more.

We’ve been on repositioning cruises with rock-climbing walls, surfing waves, ice-skating rinks, and bowling allies! In addition to all that, most cruise lines bring on extra entertainment and lecturers to help fill the added time at sea.

There’s also more time to connect with crew and other passengers that you’ll see again and again throughout a lengthy repositioning cruise journey. We’ve found that people who take repositioning cruises often have the same mindset as us when it comes to travel, so bonds are easily formed with this mutual interest. We’ve made lifelong friends on repositioning cruises.

Outside the ship, repositioning cruises can present rare opportunities for photography and wildlife viewing out in the middle of the ocean. For example, taking a repositioning cruise across the North Pacific, we spotted almost unimaginable amounts of whales – hundreds of them! Another memorable moment was waking up to see a volcano outside our window while cruising near Russia.

Passengers aboard repositioning cruises also have the opportunity to complete an assortment of unique maritime feats . It’s quite the experience to entirely cross one of the world’s oceans by sea. That’s bragging rights! Most cruises send personalized certificates to passengers’ staterooms to formally document the feat of a full oceanic crossing.

Depending on the route, you may also cross the Equator , hence immediately going from fall to spring or vice versa. Or you can cross the International Dateline , in which you lose or gain an entire day. When crossing these lines, most cruise ships will put on special events to make a big deal about the occasion. Maritime superstitions are strong and there are some fun traditions that occur onboard during these events.

Seasonality of Repositioning Cruises

Most repositioning cruises operate seasonally, with routes that follow the same patterns every year. There are a few months during the year when repositioning cruises are in much greater abundance, whereas at other times of the year repositioning cruises are nonexistent.

It’s important to understand the narrow time windows when seasonal repositioning cruises make their regional moves and where these routes are commonly found.

When is the Best Time of Year to Take a Repositioning Cruise?

The best time to take a repositioning cruise is when these one-way cruises are actively running. This only occurs a few months each year.

Seasonal repositioning cruises are most active during the change in seasons:

These seasonal repositioning cruises occur in the greatest abundance twice per year , peaking around late March and well into April , and then again peaking again in October and November .

So those are generally the best months to take repositioning cruises. Although there are seasonal repositioning cruises that depart a bit earlier than average (March in the Spring, September in the Fall) and some repositioning cruises that depart later than average (May in the Spring, December in the Fall).

Meanwhile, repositioning cruises are very uncommon January-February and are exceptionally rare from June-August.

Because these seasonal shifts dictate the timing of repositioning cruise voyages, prospective passengers need to time their transits accordingly for spring and fall months. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to just pick any time of year you want to take a repositioning cruise. You must be on repositioning cruises’ schedule.

Where Do Repositioning Cruises Go?

Repositioning cruises generally travel on northbound and westbound itineraries in the spring while reversing course to voyage southbound and eastbound in the fall. The exact routes vary greatly by season.

Common Repositioning Cruises Routes in the Spring

The most common trend for Spring repositioning cruises is for ships to be relocated towards:

• European ports for Europe’s summer cruise season and
• the Pacific Northwest (specifically, Vancouver & Seattle) for Alaska’s summer cruise season.

Spring (April-May) repositioning cruises generally voyage Northbound and Westbound, with a few exceptions. To help remember, use this mnemonic device: spring repositioning cruises “spring up, spring forward.”

These are typical repositioning cruise routes during the spring months:

• Northern Transatlantic : Florida (and US East Coast) ➡️ Europe
• Southern Transatlantic : Argentina & Brazil ➡️ Europe
• Panama Canal : Florida (and US East Coast) ➡️ US Pacific Coast
• TransAmerica Panama Canal : Chile ➡️ Florida
• Southern Transpacific : Sydney & Auckland ➡️ Hawaii, California, & Pacific Northwest
• TransAmerica Pacific : Chile ➡️ California & Pacific Northwest
• TransAsia : Asia (usually Singapore) ➡️ Europe
• MiddleEastern : Middle East (usually UAE) ➡️ Europe
• TransAfrica : South Africa ➡️ Europe

Common Repositioning Cruise Routes in the Fall

During Autumn , cruises are repositioned away from Europe and Alaska. Most commonly ships are moved to Florida and US East Coast ports to do Caribbean cruises during winter months. But cruises are also repositioned to Asia and locations throughout the southern hemisphere.

Fall (October-November) repositioning cruises generally voyage on Eastbound and Southbound itineraries, with a few exceptions. Mnemonic device: fall repositioning cruises “fall down and fall back.”

This is where cruise lines tend to reposition their cruise ships in the Fall:

• Northern Transatlantic : Europe ➡️ Florida (and US East Coast)
• Southern Transatlantic : Europe ➡️ Argentina & Brazil
• Panama Canal : US Pacific Coast ➡️ Florida (and US East Coast)
• TransAmerica Panama Canal : Florida ➡️ Chile
• Southern Transpacific : Hawaii, California, & Pacific Northwest ➡️ Sydney & Auckland
• TransAmerica Pacific : California & Pacific Northwest ➡️ Chile
• TransAsia : Europe ➡️ Asia (usually Singapore)
• MiddleEastern : Europe ➡️ Middle East (usually UAE)
• TransAfrica : Europe ➡️ South Africa
• Canadian Maritimes : US East Coast ⬅️➡️ Quebec, Canada

Common Misconceptions of Repositioning Cruises

We regularly hear so many misconceptions about repositioning cruises. When people hear about us getting a good deal on a repositioning cruise, we regularly get comments like, “you must be washing the dishes.” I assure you we are not.

Repositioning cruises are NOT stripped-down versions of a cruise. They are full-on cruises, with all the same great complimentary dining options, entertainment, activities, and high standards as their regular itineraries.

We want to debunk these myths and tell you what repositioning cruises are really like.

Repositioning Cruises Are Full of Days At Sea

Repositioning cruises do usually have more sea days than a regular cruise itinerary. But repositioning cruises also usually make many stops throughout the voyage, for passengers to get off the ship and explore.

We’ve already mentioned how one of the best benefits of repositioning cruises is their exotic itineraries. Yet many people don’t fully realize the full potential of interesting destinations along the way during repositioning cruise itineraries.

Many people envision weeks at sea over expanses of open ocean. Sure, there is a bit of that. But there are also fascinating dots of land along the way that you may have never realized.

Most repositioning cruises make several port calls throughout their voyages, as this will appeal more to potential cruisegoers. Often the ports during repositioning cruises will be exotic remote destinations that aren’t typically reached by cruises.

Transatlantic repositioning cruises often stop in the Azore Islands, the Canary Islands, and Bermuda, in addition to Caribbean and European ports. These mid-Atlantic islands help to minimize what would otherwise be lengthy stretches of sea days. And while you’ve probably heard of Bermuda and the Canary Islands, you may not realize what a beautiful and fascinating place the Azores are!

Meanwhile, transpacific repositioning cruises often create exotic South Pacific itineraries to include an assortment of South Pacific islands, including the likes of Fiji and Hawaii. We’re particularly big fans of the northern transpacific routes, which almost always include an assortment of intriguing Japanese ports, beautiful Alaskan ports, and scenic cruising, like in Glacier Bay – wow!

Other routes can be even more packed with ports, such as Asia repositioning cruises or repositioning cruises to/from South America. On a Panama Canal repositioning cruise we took from Florida to Chile, the ship stopped at amazing Latin American ports nearly every other day as we journeyed down the western coast of South America.

Meanwhile, a two-week repositioning cruise we took from Hong Kong to Singapore only had three sea days during the entire trip! On that voyage, we actually wanted a few more days to relax in between so many busy port days. It all just goes to show that repositioning cruises are not all boring cruises completely filled with sea days every single day.

Cruise lines know that potential customers won’t be attracted to boring repositioning cruise itineraries. So they almost always plan many interesting ports along the way.

There’s Nothing To Do on Repositioning Cruises

Many people falsely believe that since the cruise is being repositioned, there is a lack of entertainment and things to do onboard. It’s actually the opposite.

For example, on one of our last repositioning cruise journeys, we didn’t have any time to watch to even begin the first episode of the series we downloaded on our laptop that we intended to watch during the voyage to Japan. Instead, we were too busy taking advantage of the many fun activities, learning the basics of the Japanese language, going to cooking demonstrations, listening to navigation talks, watching awesome performances, attending parties, and soaking in the many intriguing lectures.

While the thought of attending lectures may sound boring to some, we find the quality of lectures on repositioning cruises makes them very worthwhile. Take Celebrity’s “Beyond the Podium” lecture series for example, which usually brings on 2-3 speakers to give talks on various topics. But since this was a lengthy repositioning cruise, they packed the agenda with 6 different speakers, each with their own expertise.

This included the first British woman to reach the North Pole (Sue Stockdale), a former F1 racecar driver, a Buddhism and meditation expert, a naturalist explaining the aquatic life around us, an expert on Marilyn Monroe, and a neuroscientist showing us how to unlock secrets of the brain. We departed the ship much wiser than we arrived!

After working out our minds, we try to squeeze in a bit of exercise into the day. Although there are always great gyms onboard with ocean views, we favor fresh air and walking around a lower deck while whale watching and putting into practice what we learned at the naturalist lecture.

Then there are all the different deck games and challenges . We’ve gone to putting competitions, bean bag toss, bingo, and even archery at sea. But we just enjoy the pub-style trivia and are part of a trivia team that meets each afternoon. This progressive competition is fun in itself. But it doubles as an opportunity to meet, mingle, and get to know our teammates and new friends.

Come night , there’s always a big production show in the theatre, from Broadway-style shows to musicians to Cirque du Soleil-style performances. We particularly enjoy if there’s a rock concert or a good comedian.

Finally, the late nights on repositioning cruises usually wind down with a live game show and/or a full-on theme party. On our last repositioning cruise, there was a Motown party and a “Latin Sizzle” fiesta, complete with professional dancers in costume.

Meanwhile, there are all features and shipboard amenities that these megaships offer that go way beyond shuffleboard. Instead, there are rock climbing walls, go-kart tracks, surfing waves, ice skating rinks, laser tag, water slides, and more. There’s usually so much to do! Even on repositioning cruises with many sea days, we often find ourselves scrambling on the last few days trying to experience all the things we haven’t done yet.

And during repositioning cruises, there are almost never any lines or waits for these activities that are otherwise packed during the single sea day of a regular cruise itinerary. I once learned to surf on Royal Caribbean’s FlowRider because no one else was ever using it, so I had it all to myself. I also got real good on NCL’s go-karts since they never had a line.

And if that all isn’t enough, there are even more social activities organized by passengers on sites such as CruiseCritic. During one of our first repositioning cruises, we participated in a multi-day Amazing Race-style competition organized by fellow passengers, which turned out to be a highlight of that two-week voyage.

With all that there is to do, we sometimes find it necessary to schedule downtime to relax by the pool or watch a movie. Otherwise, we have a bad habit of packing our schedule during sea days with activities nearly every hour.

Rest assured, you will not go bored on a repositioning cruise. …Unless, of course, you want to, and that’s okay too!

The Seas Are Too Rough in the Open Ocean

While the seas can be rough in the middle of the ocean, this is not always the case. Modern cruise ships are becoming so large and stable that it’s often difficult to even feel like you’re on a boat during a moderate chop. But if the seas do get rough, most ships have what’s known as stabilizers , which greatly lessen any rocking sensation.

The exact route and time of year of each repositioning cruise will impact your chance of rough seas too. If you’re on a transatlantic repositioning cruise at the end of September, this is the height of hurricane season. But that still doesn’t necessarily mean that the open ocean will be rough during that time.

All ships will steer far clear of a storm of such magnitude. Still, hurricanes still have the capacity to churn up the sea hundreds of miles away. So this is something to keep in mind. But the middle of the ocean can also be remarkably calm.

Our ocean crossings have been mostly calm and often surprisingly flat seas in the middle of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. In nearly 200 days aboard repositioning cruises, we’ve experienced only a handful of days with some motion, but it was never bad enough to cause us to become seasick.

How Much Do Repositioning Cruises Cost?

Repositioning cruise deals can vary greatly in cost, based on purchasing trends, the timing of the purchase, the popularity of the ship, and the appeal of the exact itinerary.

That said, it is regularly possible to find luxury repositioning cruises that cost less than a ticket for a coach seat on a cramped redeye flight between the same two points.

Ok, so exactly how much does a repositioning cruise cost?

A decent deal for a two-week oceanic crossing can range from around $400-$800 per person. That breaks down to about $30-$60 per person, per night! Personally, we try to shoot for repositioning cruise prices under $50 per person, per night. Occasionally, we’ll go above that threshold for a great itinerary or if extra perks are included.

That should give you a general idea of how low in price repositioning cruises can be. But understand that they can be much more expensive than that. Factors such as great itineraries and sought-after ships will certainly help to drive up the prices for repositioning cruises. Purchasing trends also affect pricing. It’s not uncommon to see repositioning cruise fares at $1,000 per person and much higher.

Yet supply and demand for each particular voyage can help drop repositioning cruise prices very low. So how low can they go?

The lowest price we’ve ever seen for a long-distance repositioning cruise was  $159 per person for an inside cabin on the Pullmantur Monarch. That came out to only $12.23 per person, per day, as we wined and dined while crossing the Atlantic for two weeks! Yes, for a mere twelve dollars per day! And this voyage even included an unlimited beverage package! It’s hard to believe but it’s true.

We couldn’t afford NOT to go! So how was this super cheap repositoning cruise? While we still enjoyed that extremely inexpensive voyage, it was on a 3-star ship on a European cruise line. Although we appreciated the fun umbrella drinks, comfy confines, and steak dinners, that particular repositioning cruise wasn’t exactly luxury. You can read our full review of our $159 Pullmantur Monarch cruise here .

Often, the cheapest repositioning cruises can be found on older 3-star ships. For example, there are usually a good assortment of MSC ships making the repositioning cruise voyage between Brazil and Italy for rates of $30 per day, or less. We once took a long repositioning cruise on one of MSC’s 3-star ships. While it definitely wasn’t our favorite, we still had an enjoyable cruise. Yet reviews on those sailings can be mixed.

So what does a 5-star repositioning cruise cost?

In the past, we’ve found two-week repositioning cruises on 5-star ships for as low as $300. In 2023, the least expensive repositioning cruise we’ve spotted is $446 for a 13-day late April voyage from Miami to England on the 5.5-star Celebrity Silhouette .

It’s a great ship and this particular sailing has a decent itinerary including Bermuda, Ireland, France, and England. But keep in mind that the least expensive repositioning cruises can sometimes be cheap for a reason, either a poor itinerary or an undesirable ship. There’s a good chance you’ll be spending more than $500 per person, for the repositioning cruise you desire.

That said, every year you can typically find at least several dozen repositioning cruises for under $1,000 and dozens of repositioning cruises priced below $50 per person, per night (based on double occupancy).

To provide you with some recent examples of low-priced repositioning cruises, check out the repositioning cruise deals below for 2023 and 2024.

Do note that prices are always changing, so the deals listed below certainly can change or be gone by the time you read this. The list below is intended simply to provide some idea of how inexpensive 2023 repositioning cruise prices can be. That said, if you see a repositioning cruise deal you like, click the link to see up-to-date availability and pricing through our trusted affiliate partner at CruiseDirect .

Examples of Cheapest Repositioning Cruise Deals 2023 :

• MSC, 5-star, March 2024, Brazil to Canary Islands, 11 nights – $329 ($30/night)
• MSC, 3.5-star, April, Brazil to Portugal, 13 nights – $349 ($26/night)
• Celebrity Silhouette, 5.5-star, April, Miami to UK, 13 nights – $446 ($34/night)
• Holland America, 5-star, Florida to Spain, 14 nights – $399 ($28/night)
• MSC, 3.5-star, Nov 2023, Italy to Brazil, 21 nights – $599 ($28/night)
• MSC, 3.5-star, Oct 2023, Norway to Brazil, 21 nights – $649 ($31/night)
• Princess, 5-star, March 2023, Florida to England, 14 nights – $569 ($40/night)
• Norwegian, 4.5-star, April 2023, NYC to Spain, 15 nights – $662 ($44/night)
• Holland America, 5-star, April 2023, Florida to Italy, 14 nights – $399 ($29/night)
• MSC Divina, 4-star, April 2024, NYC to Italy, 16 nights – $499 ($31/night)
• Royal Caribbean, 5-star, April 2023, Australia to Hawaii, 17 nights – $851 ($50/night)
• Holland America, 5-star, April 2023, Japan to Vancouver, 14 nights – $799 ($57/night)
• Norwegian, 5-star, April 2023, Miami to LA, 15 nights – $586 ($39/night)
• Norwegian, 4-star, April 2023, Miami to Seattle, 20 nights – $679 ($xx/night)
• MSC, 3.5-star, Nov 2023, Italy to Egypt, 11 nights – $299 ($27/night)
• MSC, 3.5-star, April 2024, South Africa to Italy, 23 nights – $599 ($26/night)

Search CruiseDirect to find many more repositioning cruises that meet your ideal criteria. We’ve booked many cruises with CruiseDirect and found they often have the best deals and promos. Search repositioning cruises on CruiseDirect .

Potential Drawbacks to Repositioning Cruises: How to Overcome

These repositioning cruises sound great. So what’s the catch?

Really there is no big catch. Repositioning cruises are truly fantastic travel bargains. Yet there definitely are some challenges that repositioning cruises present that prospective passengers need to be aware of.

Consider: The Time of Year of Repositioning Cruises May Not Work

Most repositioning cruises occur in mid-Fall and mid-Spring when the seasons change, as already discussed. If you want to take a repositioning cruise o utside of those narrow windows of time, it’s usually not possible .

For example, let’s say you’re able to take some time off in the month of June and want to take a repositioning cruise in June. Sorry, there usually aren’t any repositioning cruises happening over the summer months.

How to Maximize the Narrow Time Windows of Repositioning Cruises :

• Try to plan your travels around repositioning cruises, if possible.
• Travel in the Spring and Fall.

In doing so, you not only take advantage of a great repositioning cruise deal, but you’ll arrive in a destination that is in shoulder season. This is the period between the high season and the low season. During this time weather tends to be nice yet the overcrowding and higher accommodation rates haven’t yet gone into effect.

Consider: The Need for a Return Ticket

Most people will still need a flight to return back home  after the repositioning cruise Sometimes one-way international flights can be costly. If you are not continuing to travel onward, the repositioning cruise may not be financially practical.

How to Lessen the Expense of a Return Flight After a Repositioning Cruise :

• Use travel hacking techniques and/or redeem points to book a return flight for cheap or free.
• There are some great budget airlines with inter-continental flights. Example: it’s now easily possible to score flight deals between Europe and the US for under $500.
• If you have the flexibility, you can just continue traveling. (That’s the solution we take!)

Yet even if you don’t have the flexibility of time to continue traveling, these cruises are still bargains even with the added cost of a return flight, perhaps just slightly less so.

Consider: Length of Voyage of Repositioning Cruises May Be Prohibitive

The average transatlantic repositioning cruise takes about two weeks, while transpacific cruises and other routes can take three weeks or even longer. The longest repositioning cruise we’ve taken was 30 days, from Italy to South Africa.

We’re fortunate to have the flexibility of time when planning our voyages. Yet many working Americans only get about two weeks of vacation time per year, so such a crossing may not make sense or be logistically possible. It could be completely illogical to spend two weeks crossing the Atlantic, only to then immediately take a flight back home.

How to Take Advantage of Long Repositioning Cruise Voyages

Repositioning cruises may not be ideal for people with limited vacation time. If you’re not in a position to take an expanse of time off from your job, you may want to reconsider taking a repositioning cruise.

So who can take advantage of repositioning cruises ?

• Location independent professionals,
• long-term travelers,
• people on sabbatical or a gap year,
• those who are relocating from one region to another,
• digital nomads, and
• retirees (which leads us to the next point).

Consider: Repositioning Cruises Attract a Mature Crowd

Retirees have long known about the travel secret of repositioning cruises. Many savvy seniors rightfully take full advantage of these one-way cruise deals.

If you’re below the age of 60, you’ll likely be among the youngest 5% of passengers on a repositioning cruise. This may be a turnoff for Gen X, Millenials, or Gen Z passengers.

How to Find Your Tribe on Repositioning Cruises :

Enjoy everyone! We took a dozen repositioning cruises throughout our 30s and we loved meeting interesting people regardless of whether they were one of the few passengers on repositioning cruises our age to the 80-year-olds on the cruises and everyone in between.

Besides, 60s are the new 40s! While repositioning cruises typically attract a more mature crowd, they certainly aren’t a floating geriatric retirement center.

The people who go on repositioning cruises t end to be adventurous souls who like to have a good time . Many older repositioning cruise travelers have done a heck of a lot more traveling than we have. They have some incredible travel stories to share! They’re often savvy travelers too and understand great travel value, so we always share that in common with our fellow repositioning cruisers and swap tips.

These adventurous cross-ocean cruise itineraries tend to attract fun-loving groups and many of them can party harder than we can. Just think about your crazy drunk uncle or your fun aunt. There are lots of them onboard, and they are awesome!

And there’s always at least a handful of other people onboard who are around our age. They stick out, just like we do, so the younger people are easy to spot. Being among the only younger passengers on the ship, you’ll have something to immediately bond over. After two weeks at sea together, you may have just developed a lifelong friendship.

Consider: Waiting for Cheapest Rates on Repositioning Cruises Can Be a Gamble

Sometimes it takes a bit of knowledge and watching rates to score a highly discounted price on a repositioning cruise. Repositioning cruise rates fluctuate greatly based on supply and demand. So it can be tricky to score a repositioning cruise bargain at the super-cheap prices we’ve touted in this post.

It’s often a good strategy to wait until the last minute to score a bargain. Yet you run the very real risk of prices rising or a repositioning cruise selling out. It’s a gamble.

How to Snag Great Deals on Repositioning Cruises

• Be thorough when you search for repositioning cruises
• Book a refundable cruise fare. Then keep an eye on the price. If it drops, have your fare adjusted or cancel and rebook the cruise. Or book a different cruise if you discover something else, and cancel your refundable repositioning cruise.
• Yet if you’re flexible with the cruise line and exact itinerary, the gamble of waiting usually pays off to snag last-minute deals on common repositioning cruise routes. The more flexible you are, the better. If you can be brave enough to wait until a month or so before the departure and book a non-refundable fare, this is often the best time to book a low-priced repositioning cruise on common routes.

Consider: Solo Travelers Are Hit with Heavy Single Supplement Fees

Solo travelers can have a difficult time finding great deals on repositioning since cruises tend to impose a single supplement fee. It’s usually at least 50%-75%, but is more often double the price – ouch! Therefore repositioning cruises, or cruising in general, can often become cost prohibitive for solo travelers.

How Solo Cruises Can Try to Avoid the Single Supplement Fee on Repositioning Cruises

• Sometimes repositioning cruise rates go so low, that they’re still affordable even when having to pay a single supplement. For example: if you find a $400 repositioning cruise with a 100% single supplement fee, the $800 fare can still be a great deal for a 2-week voyage.
• Try to find a travel buddy to join you.
• Some cruise lines are nice enough to waive a single supplement fee. Seek these out! We’ve found that Norwegian tends to be the most generous at waiving single supplement fees and some NCL ships even have solo cruiser cabins and lounges.

Consider: The Wifi on Repositioning Cruises Can Be Slow and Costly

For those who need to stay connected for work or other responsibilities, repositioning cruises can become problematic. Wifi during repositioning cruises tends to be slow and very expensive. Often the cost to have unlimited wifi during the voyage can exceed the cost of the entire repositioning cruise itself. It’s that expensive!

Wifi usually runs on a satellite signal. So while out in the middle of the ocean, it can become extremely sluggish or will go out entirely. Yet as cruise ships upgrade to more reliable wifi technology, like Starlink, this should become less of an issue.

How to overcome expensive wifi on repositioning cruises :

For those who need some minimal connectivity, like us, repositioning cruises can still be very feasible.

• If you’re able to take a digital detox without having work obligations, it can be so refreshing to disconnect for a few weeks.
• If not, then whenever in port, visit cafes with free wifi or use your phone to connect if it has an international data plan.
• Buy small internet packages to take care of crucial tasks while at sea.
• And be sure to use all our Cruise Wifi Hacks .

Consider: Extra Costs Add To the Total Price of Repositioning Cruises

Wifi isn’t the only item that’ll add a significant expense to a repositioning cruise. First, understand that the prices you see listed online usually don’t include port fees and taxes, which often tacks on an extra few hundred dollars to the total cost of the cruise.

In addition to those fees, once onboard, you’re charged an additional $10-$15 per person, per day for gratuities to the deserving waitstaff and cabin steward. For a two-week repositioning cruise that can add up to an extra $400 for a couple to your total cruise expense.

Additionally, alcoholic drinks are often pricey cruises, as are shore excursions to take while in port.

Minimize and Budget For Additional Repositioning Cruise Fees and Expenses

• Take taxes and port fees are unavoidable. When searching cruises, see the full cost including these fees.
• Research the gratuities on your ship and budget accordingly for them.
• Don’t throw money away in the casino.
• When in port, go ashore independently to avoid expensive group tours offered by the cruise line.
• Limit your drinking while on repositioning cruises and take advantage of our 25 Best Ways to Get Free and Cheap Drinks on a Cruise .

Consider: The Best Repositioning Cruise Deals Are For Interior Staterooms

The best deals are usually for interior staterooms (meaning, no balcony or window). To enjoy the luxury of waking up to the ocean breeze in your stateroom, you’re likely going to need to pay more than the prices we’ve mentioned throughout this article.

But not necessarily. Inexpensive veranda rooms are possible on repositioning cruises. We’ve regularly seen balcony staterooms on repositioning cruises for less than $1,000 per person, per sailing. On rare occasions, we’ve even managed to score deals in which the cruise was selling balcony staterooms for the same price as interior staterooms!

If the price is right, it can certainly be worth it to upgrade to a balcony stateroom during repositioning cruises, given all the extra time at sea.

How to Find Inexpensive Balcony Staterooms on Repositioning Cruises :

• If a balcony room is important to you, filter your search accordingly and sniff out the cheapest repositioning cruises with balconies.
• After purchasing an inside or outside cabin, bid for an upgrade to a balcony.
• Read our comprehensive article detailing: 10 Secrets How to Get a Free Balcony Upgrade on a Cruise

Travel Tips for Repositioning Cruises

Choose the best cruise line to fit your repositioning cruise desires.

We’re often asked, what’s the best cruise line for repositioning cruises? The answer is highly subjective.

Personally, we like to focus on the best itineraries and the best values. That has led us to cruise on most major cruise lines and even a few more obscure lines. While we’ve definitely enjoyed some cruise lines more than others, we have no favorite to suggest to a wide audience. We’re often easy to please whenever on a repositioning cruise that has a great itinerary at a low cost.

But other travelers can be much more particular about their preference in choosing a cruise line for a long voyage like a repositioning cruise. All cruise brands are different. So if you’re going to call the ship home for several weeks, it’s a good idea to ensure the cruise line is a good fit for you. Your experience on a repositioning cruise can be greatly affected by the cruise line you choose.

Here are our personal opinions having taken repositioning cruises on the following lines:

• Carnival – Casual, we enjoy the “fun ship” but the party atmosphere may not be for everyone
• Costa – Caters to European travelers, excellent Italian food, subpar amenities, and entertainment
• Celebrity – Lives up to its “modern luxury” branding, great dining, elegant yet still fun
• Holland America – Refined yet relaxed, great dining, older crowd, fantastic enrichment, best itineraries
• MSC – Experience varies by ship with older 3-star ships being subpar yet we’ve still enjoyed, can be a largely international crowd depending on the repositioning cruise route
• Norwegian – Casual, focus on flexibility, more areas to spend $ than other lines, fantastic entertainment
• Royal Caribbean – Casual and fun, good all-around experience, lots of onboard activities

Research Ports Before Your Repositioning Cruise

If you like to explore, ensure to do research on your ports before you embark on your repositioning cruise. Or download travel articles and ebooks about the destinations to read during sea days.

It can be nice to arrive at a port with a solid plan of what you want to do with the minimal time you have there. If you’re comfortable traveling independently, exploring on your own will help save significantly on costs in comparison to purchasing the ship’s pricy shore excursions. Just be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship so you don’t get left behind!

Research popular points of interest. Determine the best ways to reach attractions, whether that be by walking, public transportation, taxi, or a local tour.

Take Full Advantage of the Entertainment and Onboard Amenities

Most of the amenities, activities, and entertainment on repositioning cruises are free. Don’t be a homebody and sit in your stateroom during the sea days. Get out there and take advantage of all the fun things to do on the ship itself.

Get out of your comfort zone and try something new, even if it’s not something you typically enjoy. Participate in progressive trivia, which can be a great way to make new friends. Go to the enrichment lectures to learn about the destinations you’re visiting. Make it a point to attend the shows in the evening and get a front-row seat! Eat all the food and do all the things !

Important Things to Do on the First Day of a Repositioning Soon

There are a few things you should consider doing on the first day of any repositioning cruise to help ensure you’ll be comfortable throughout the long voyage.

Here’s a checklist of tips for things to do on the embarkation day of any repositioning cruise.

🕒 1) Get with the program – A daily program always awaits new passengers. Check it. While other passengers could be clustering at the buffet for lunch, this lets you know what other complimentary restaurants are open to enjoy. It also helps to plan out the rest of the day. Start your repositioning cruise off right and be informed. Know when the muster drill is, where to go for the sail away party, and what time you can make dinner reservations.

🍽️ 2) Make dinner reservations – We always forgo traditional set dining times in favor of “anytime dining,” to have the flexibility to eat whenever we want. The drawback to this is sometimes there are popular periods, in which walk-ins can incur waits. This is particularly true on the busy first night of a cruise. To avoid this and waltz right into the main dining room, simply make a reservation soon after boarding the ship.

🛳️ 3) Explore every nook – Repositioning cruises are on ships that are often enormous! We’ve found that cruises tend to have many hidden venues and quiet nooks. Get to know this place that’ll be your home for several weeks. We like to get our bearings by walking the length of all major decks, plus going up & down the bow and stern stairs. In doing so, we’ve discovered many awesome spaces that we’ll retreat to throughout the voyage.

⚖️ 4) Weigh yourself – There are so many indulgent dining opportunities while cruising that many people say they pack on 5 lbs during each week of a repositioning cruise. With such an abundance of delicious food, a lengthy cruise can be dangerous to the waistline. So we like to keep track of that. We’ll always order dessert. But if the scale starts tipping too far in the wrong direction, we’ll know it’s time to start making healthier choices.

📚 5) Get to the library – Most cruises have a healthy stocked library. But on long repositioning cruises, the best books can get swooped up quickly. Those planning to do some reading at sea must act fast!

💆‍♀️ 6) Enter the Spa Raffle – On most ships, the spa usually has a raffle on the first day of the cruise in which they’ll give away spa passes and free treatments. You must be present to win. Find out when it is and then take 20 minutes to listen to their offers and enter the raffle. You may win spa access for the length of the cruise or a treatment during a slow sea day.

🧳 7) Unpack and unwind – This may seem obvious, but when staying in hotels for 2-3 nights at a time it can be counterproductive to unpack everything. We don’t. But lengthy cruises offer the simple luxury of closet space! It’s something to fully take advantage of during a multi-week stay on these floating hotels. This can be the final embarkation day chore before fully slipping into vacation mode.

Stay Active during Sea Days

We’ve found it can get easy to feel sluggish during a long stretch of sea days during a repositioning cruise. But it can feel good to stay active! Hit the gym and then give yourself a good excuse to have a second dessert.

Personally, we love to simply walk laps around the outer deck during repositioning cruises. It’s nice to get those fresh ocean breezes and listen to the endless swells while watching for marine life and getting a bit of exercise.

Ensure to Stay Safe By Having Medical Coverage on Your Repositioning Cruise

When traveling great expanses across the ocean, a travel insurance policy is an absolute must-have. We never take a repositioning cruise without travel insurance. Sure, travel protect the investment of the repositioning cruise itself. Yet, more importantly, travel insurance can help keep you safe in the event of any illness or unfortunate accident during a repositioning cruise.

The shipboard doctor visits on cruises are notoriously expensive should you need their services. A good travel policy will help to cover the hundreds of dollars of your shipboard doctor visit if you were to get a cold. But what you really need to have travel insurance coverage for is in the instance of something really serious happens and you’d need to cover the hundreds of thousands of dollars for medical evacuation and/or repatriation . Without proper travel insurance, such an unfortunate occurrence would be financially devastating .

Thankfully, we’ve never had to be medically evacuated from a cruise ship. But travel insurance has covered our medical bills and has even lost luggage when flying in to catch a repositioning cruise. In that instance, I was allotted $800 to buy new clothes, so we got to go on a shopping spree before our cruise! Needless to say, travel insurance can pay for itself.

Find a policy and coverage that fits your needs. As for what travel insurance coverage to buy for your repositioning cruise , consider the following plans, depending on your coverage needs. (We’ve used each of these for different coverage needs.)

• Safety Wing – A travel and medical incident insurance built specifically for digital nomads. Low-cost coverage can be used as a safety net to cover critical medical needs that may arise. Covers most nationalities, up to age 69. Get a quick quote .
• World Nomads – More comprehensive coverage, including adventure sports, higher medical coverage limits, trip cancellation, and more. Covers most nationalities, up to age 70. Get a quick quote .
• CruiseSafe by VisitorsCoverage is comprehensive travel and medical insurance, that includes trip cancellation and medical evacuations. Typically more expensive, but offers comprehensive coverage that is specific to cruise travel. Covers up to age 99. Get a quick quote .

Pack for Versatility on a Repositioning Cruise

It’s possible that you’ll need formal wear and beachwear for a repositioning cruise. Given that you’re changing regions, you may also need to pack for tropical climates and cold weather climates all in the same trip.

Pack light, but bring layers for varying weather conditions. Do your best to pack versatile clothes that can be repurposed.

Be strategic in how you pack too! If traveling from a cold weather climate to a warm weather climate, pack the warm-weather clothes on the bottom of your luggage. Then once in a warm-weather location, stuff your jackets, gloves, and scarves into packing cubes like these  so they don’t get in the way of the warm-weather clothing you now need.

When it comes to formalwear on repositioning cruises , packing can be a challenge. Many repositioning cruises have a few formal nights throughout the long voyage when most passengers dress up and a dress code may be imposed in the dining room. This can pose a problem for nomads and long-term travelers who aren’t roaming the world with suits and cocktail dresses in their packs.

So there are some different strategies to use for formal nights on repositioning cruises :

• Choose a cruise line, like NCL, that doesn’t have a formal night.
• Don’t participate in formal night and hit the buffet instead.
• Go to a thrift store to buy cheap yet acceptable formalwear. Then donate it after the cruise, so you don’t have to continue to carry it in your luggage. (We’ve often done this.)
• For men, jackets are often the norm but I’ve been greeted in the main dining room on formal night wearing slacks, a collared shirt, and a tie.
• For women, pack a versatile dress that can be dressed up or down.

For more packing tips or inspiration on what to pack, read our Ultimate Travel Packing Checklist and Packing Tips for World Travel .

Have a Plan for Laundry on Repositioning Cruises

Repositioning cruises are lengthy voyages, so you may have a need to have your clothes washed. Laundry service is available on repositioning cruises, but it tends to be quite pricy. Be sure to have a plan.

Here are a few ideas for doing laundry on lengthy cruises:

• Just pay for laundry on the cruise and budget accordingly.
• When on the ship keep an eye out for sales on laundry service .
• Pack enough clean clothes to last the entire voyage .
• Hand wash laundry in the sink. Pack a small bottle of Woolite or these travel packets of SinkSuds.
• If you have a long or overnight port call, get your clothes washed for cheap on land.
• Self-service laundry is increasingly rare on cruises, but some ships still have laundry facilities. If your ship does, plan according.

Enjoy The Unique Repositioning Cruise Journey!

Repositioning cruises are a different type of travel. Take some time out of your day to appreciate this unique mode of transportation as you ply the seven seas! Soak in the endless views, catch the endless sunsets and sunrises, and get into the relaxing rhythm of the ocean swells. Enjoy!

More Cruise Tips to Save Money on Your Repositioning Cruise!

Are you intrigued about repositioning cruises? Don’t stop reading now! We’ve still got lots more to spill. Be sure to check out these articles below for further reading all of our best cruise tips:

🚢 Be sure to check out  all of our favorite cruise tips  in our latest article about cruising:  Top 50+ Cruise Hacks to Save You Money, Hassle, and Weight Gain .

🚢 Want a balcony stateroom, but can only afford an inside cabin? You need to read our:  10 Secrets to Get a Free Balcony Upgrade on a Cruise .

🚢 Have some fun drinking on a repositioning cruise without breaking the bank: 25 Best Ways to Get Free and Cheap Drinks on a Cruise .

🚢 And see how we used a series of repositioning cruises to string together an entire Cheap World Cruise on A Budget .

Conclusion: Travel Guide to Repositioning Cruises

Okay, I know that was a lot to take in. Thank you for reading our Ultimate Guide to Repositioning Cruises! If you’ve skimmed your way to the end of this post or think you may need to refer back to this post later, then consider bookmarking this page to refer back to .

We hope that this article has given you a thorough understanding of what a repositioning cruise is, how it came to be, and the many benefits of taking one.

Repositioning cruises offer a unique and affordable way to travel the world. If it’s an intriguing travel idea that is feasible for you, we’d encourage you to consider taking one on your next adventure. With our guide, you now have all the tools to plan the ultimate repositioning cruise experience. Hopefully, our tips and tricks will help overcome any challenges so you can make the most of your repositioning cruise.

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or a first-time cruiser, we hope that our guide has been helpful in your quest to explore the world on a repositioning cruise.

If you have any other questions about repositioning cruises that weren’t covered in this guide, please ask them in the comments section below. Other readers may be wanting to know the same thing! We’ll be sure to respond back and may even add the info to our guide as we update it in the future.

Bon voyage! -John & Heather

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August 8, 2022 at 1:43 AM

Excellent information in Great detail.obviously it seems more for the American people but we Europeans do appreciate it Thank you so much

December 9, 2016 at 9:15 AM

Very informative information but our goal is to take a re positioning ship to Europe ( Spain, Italy or any similar Mediterranean port or country) but being claustrophobic (meaning I can’t fly) what we’re trying to do is take a ship across to Europe “one way” and spend whatever amount of time is necessary exploring parts of Europe (example: 2 to 3 months but we’re flexible ) and then take a re positioning ship back to the USA’s east coast (preferably Florida but not imperative) but I can’t seem to get clear information if this is available… Cordially Ray and Rose

December 12, 2016 at 3:24 PM

Yes, you most definitely can do that. Florida happens to be one of the best places to do it from. But you may find it necessary to spend at least 4 or 5 months exploring Europe in order to get the timing right. You need to book two separate cruises. Most repositioning cruises from Florida to Europe go in April (with a few at the end of March and beginning of May). So you’ll likely arrive in Europe around sometime in May. Cruises returning from Europe to Florida begin around mid-September which really comes to an apex in October and lingers into early November. So if you were able to find an early May repositioning cruise to Europe and then a mid-September cruise returning, that would give you four months in Europe to explore over the summer. If you’re flexible to stay a little longer on either end, you’ll have even more options. Hope that helps!

February 12, 2016 at 7:32 AM

We have a trans-atlantic cruise booked for April 2016 – looking for a map that we can print or get e-mailed to us of the route – my husband wants to keep track of each day – doing ft. lauderdale to azores (horta & ponta delgarda) then spain, france, belguim, netherlands and fly home from cophegan. don’t know which rt. holland america will use.

February 12, 2016 at 8:00 AM

Hi Pat, We also love having the cruises route to keep track of exactly where we’re going. I would recommend going to the Holland American website. Once their you can search for your exact cruise which will have the map route for your exact itinerary. Hope that helps!

November 20, 2015 at 2:47 PM

My friend and I are in our early 70’s and want to cruise a lot! Any tips for how to search for repositioning cruises would be great. Thanks, Bev in Utah

November 20, 2015 at 4:42 PM

Hi Bev! Be sure to see our next post in this series which provides our step-by-step strategies for exactly how to search for repositioning cruises. Its at this link here: http://www.roamingaroundtheworld.com/how-to-get-a-repositioning-cruise-deal-for-less-than-50-per-day/

There tends to be a lot of fun active retirees around your ages on the ship, so you’ll be in good company. Hope you find yourselves the perfect cruise and enjoy!

October 8, 2015 at 6:09 PM

Hey! I really love your blog and this post is pretty cool! I also have a blog, so I read a lot of travel blogs… so far you are the best! Really great tips and insights… and you write so well! you should’t have 1000 followers, but 100.000! Congrats!

October 10, 2015 at 7:05 AM

Thanks for stopping by and for such the kind words, which are very encouraging! Looking forward to following along your blog as well. We’re in Portugal now! (Azores)

November 5, 2014 at 6:40 AM

I agree with your post that there are a lot of fun activities we can enjoy if we go for repositioning cruise.For the cost, we can ask if there are also onboard credit or any great cruise deals because there are some limited promotions that we might avail.

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Repositioning Cruises

Ships, Itineraries, Sailng Dates, Prices

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RepositionCruises.com has all Repositioning Cruises 2024-2025-2026 schedule as dates and itineraries officially announced by the world’s major cruise lines. here you’ll get your answers to questions like “What is a Repositioning Cruise”, what are the best destinations, how cheap are the prices, which are the best lines and ships, how to find them, why and when to take them, what are the benefits and disadvantages, what are the best or cheapest routes.

Some of our relocation cruise itineraries are the first transition voyages of the companies’ newest vessels (inaugurated in 2024-25). Another very useful information we provide is about the company’s itinerary changes in destinations/ports, operational regions/deployment, homeports (turnaround / departure ports). Whatever the reposition voyages might be as types, be sure that you’ll get the best-price ship travel deals to some of the world’s best-known vacation destinations!

Note: RepositionCruises.com selects the relocation itineraries from the ship schedules available at CruiseMapper.com .

What is a “Repositioning Cruise” (definition)

“Repositioning Cruise” is a one-off sea/ocean voyage that cruise passenger ships make when transferring from one operational region to another. Usually, this is done in Spring and Fall, often each year. But there are some exceptions to these “usual times”. Your off-season vacations will be marked by discounted cheap rates, big (yet not crowded) cruise ships, lots of “lazy leisure days” to enjoy the tranquillity of the sea.

Ship relocation deals are the preferable option for “highly addicted” travelers to enjoy a truly special and most affordable sea cruising vacation. The special ship relocation voyages always feature a one-way itinerary (connecting different embarkation and disembarkation ports) since cruise ships relatively often change their sailing areas due to economic reasons.

Another prominent feature of all these “ship transition cruises” deals is the bargain price – they all are really really cheap in comparison to the ship’s regular cruise rates. Repositioning deals are rarely called that way by travel agents or in companies’ brochures. One of the most popular substitute names officially used by the industry’s representatives is “Discovery Voyage”.

The list of synonyms for repositioning voyages includes: “Relocation Cruises”, “Transit-” or “Transition Cruises”, “Crossings” (also with “Eastbound” and “Westbound”). Of course, the most traditional (by definition) is “One-Way”, and also by destination – “Panama Canal”, “Suez Canal”, “Transpacific” and “Transatlantic”.

The reasons to book a relocation voyage are so many. These special offers are “different” voyages that offer unique opportunities like Atlantic Ocean crossings, visiting and sailing Alaska, Hawaii, and transiting Suez Canal and Panama Canal’s new locks (a true engineering miracle).

When considering this unique type of travel vacation-themed as “Repositioning Cruises”, know that it’s all about long and exciting voyages, transiting famous canals, crossing the world’s biggest oceans. You’ll be most probably sailing coast to coast, often from one sea to another. It’s about comfort and impeccable service on some of the world’s best cruise liners. It’s about all the fun you can get on up to 3-week transitions visiting different continents, changing cold with warm climates. It’s about a resort-type swimming pool and Jacuzzi experiences, gourmet cuisine, bingo and casino thrills, onboard duty-free shopping. Some ships even offer rock climbing, surfing, Zip-lining, hovering, and ice-skating at sea.

Why take reposition cruises?

• It’s a longer (often Transoceanic) voyage
• The itinerary has only a few ports of call. Destinations are from the “special and exotic” category, featuring Africa, South America, Transatlantic and Transpacific, US East Coast and the Caribbean, often Asia and Australia.
• Top-option for “best fun” experiences on bigger passenger ships, with a lot more sea days than on a normal voyage.
• Irresistibly cheap rates – most affordable to cheap cruise rates on both mainstream and top luxury ships when they relocate in Spring and Fall each year.
• These are all low-season discounted deals on alluringly low-priced cruises.

Still, whoever is blessed with enough free time and an adventurous spirit may enjoy each year at least one of the not-so-many repositioning cruise ships.

Repositioning cruise – examples, benefits, disadvantages

• Passenger ships sailing during the hot summer in Alaska relocate in the Fall to the Caribbean Sea region through Panama Canal, or to Hawaii and then to Australia or Asia for their winter seasons.
• Ships from Northern Europe sail to the Mediterranean Sea or across the Atlantic Ocean to operate roundtrip itineraries leaving from USA ports (Florida and New York mostly) or to the Caribbean for round-trips from Barbados or Puerto Rico.
• Ships move from South America to Florida (for the Caribbean) or Transatlantic to Europe (Baltic or Mediterranean) in early Spring.
• Search for ships sailing along Africa’s east coast. In the Fall they will be departing from UK (Southampton, mainly) to South Africa (Cape Town or Durban). In spring they will return (usually departing from Cape Town) to the UK or the Mediterranean. Such sailings are offered mainly by MSC and luxury ships.
• They are cheap! The lower to absolutely cheapest price is the most important factor for the popularity of these special deals. The average cost of a repositioning cruise is up to 50% less compared to a typical round-trip sailing from the same port. And the best index is the “Price Per Person Per Day” – it could be as low as USD 40!
• All relocation cruises offer a full set of entertainment and dining options onboard – they are just like the regular ones. This is the perfect chance to sample all the stuff on board since you are going to spend so much time at sea. There are even more onboard activities while ships reposition! The list of the “bonuses” includes guest lecturers, top comedians, and numerous themed activities and games to entertain guests.
• And yes – the repositioning cruise ships are almost always not crowded.

Disadvantages

• Too much time aboard the ship instead of visiting different ports of call (sea intensive as opposed to port intensive). Some find it pretty boring.
• Embarkation and disembarkation not in the same port increase the expenses as to additional flight fares added to the cruise ticket price.
• Spending a lot of time aboard the ship might tempt you to enjoy more “money spending fun” by splurging on bar drinks and gambling in the casino.
• The duration of relocation cruises – some last up to 18 days, and most people cannot afford so much time off work.
• You may experience an occasional “bumpy ride” due to rough waters (especially on smaller ships), and often “choppy weather” as your ship transits from one part of the globe to another. The “changing weather” issue will also have an impact on your packing list.

What time of year are the cheapest Repositioning Cruises?

Most of them are operated in Spring and Fall. Some exceptions are a few ship relocation itineraries in late-August, and some very rare very late re-position sailings in December, January, or February. The best and most busy months with readily available and cheap relocation cruise deals are April-May and September-October.

What are the best Repositioning Cruises?

All these company decisions are made with economic considerations in mind. Companies do cruise ship repositioning to improve profits by departing from different homeports or to more attractive destinations.

Some of the companies relocate vessels each year crossing the Atlantic Ocean between Europe and the USA (Florida, New York, Boston) or South America (Brazil, Argentina).

Some ships reposition between Alaska and Australia (Transpacific) or between Alaska and Florida (with Panama Canal transits). Some lines offer to transit through Suez Canal on repositioning between Europe and Asia (the Red Sea or East Asia).

So what you gotta do is choose a destination and departure port. If you are a big fan of a particular company – just search its page here – it is that simple. If you ask “the best of the best” not as best prices, but rather as experiences, the simple answer to this question is “luxury cruises”. Generally, luxury cruise deals offer smaller ship cruise travel marked by sophisticated, all-inclusive, superb service experiences.

The list of top luxury lines includes Crystal, Seabourn, Azamara, Oceania. The more “affordable luxury” brands are Cunard, Celebrity, Princess, Holland America. If you love budget travel, save money and book deals on Carnival, RCI-Royal Caribbean, Costa, MSC – the cheapest of them all. Of course, the savings you can always spend on “ship drinks”, onboard gambling, Spa-beauty treatments and whatnot – the choice is always yours to make!

How much do repositioning cruises cost?

Repositioning cruises 2024-2025-2026.

You can see detailed itinerary information and prices by following our lines-links (positioned on page right). To see relocation cruises by line, season, destination, or departure port (future project) – follow the respective links on the top page right.

For satellite AIS data-based tracking of cruise ships, passenger ferries, and riverboats see CruiseMapper’s tracker . For the latest incidents and accidents on passenger ships, you can visit CruiseMapper’s accidents section .

Visit us again soon for the latest Reposition Cruises 2024-2025 updates on itineraries and prices. Since RepositionCruises.com doesn’t offer bookings, we can only wish you the best of luck with the real deals – good cabin availability, and good luck finding and booking them with the cheapest rates possible!

Repositioning cruise ships will surprise- will charm you, really, with their deals prices. And if you are a first-timer – don’t miss this rare opportunity to sample what the ship cruising is like – for a totally cheap price! Enjoy your “happily cheap” vacations, and best of luck with the damn prices out there!

Cruise Lines

• Holland America
• Marella (Thomson UK)
• NCL Norwegian
• P&O (Australia, UK)
• Royal Caribbean
• Viking Ocean

Destinations, Ports

• Vancouver BC
• Panama Canal cruises
• Transatlantic cruises
• Suez Canal cruises

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Repositioning cruise from Vancouver

By moemoe1 , April 4, 2008 in Hawaii

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Has anyone recently done a repositioning cruise to Hawaii from Vancouver. We are looking at the Carnival Destiny, it's a 12 day cruise leaving Vancouver Sept/09 - 4 days at sea and then cruising the islands and ending up in Honolulu where we would probably spend at least 2 days and then fly home (Ottawa Canada).

We have what I think is a reasonable price that includes air - approx $2400/person for 12 day cruise and airfare.

Any comments on the Carnival Destiny would be appreciated.

As well any good reasonable hotels on Waikiki beach?

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Has anyone recently done a repositioning cruise to Hawaii from Vancouver. We are looking at the Carnival Destiny, it's a 12 day cruise leaving Vancouver Sept/09 - 4 days at sea and then cruising the islands and ending up in Honolulu where we would probably spend at least 2 days and then fly home (Ottawa Canada). We have what I think is a reasonable price that includes air - approx $2400/person for 12 day cruise and airfare. Any comments on the Carnival Destiny would be appreciated. As well any good reasonable hotels on Waikiki beach?   Thanks

We have done this one Vancouver to Hawii on the Spirit. we have also been on the Destiny to the Southern Caribbean. When we took the Destiny she had just come from dry dock and was in great shape.

The Destiny is a nice ship. Those sea days are so relaxing!

We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village post cruise. The rates are a little high. You might want to find a hotel that is a block away from Waikiki they are a little less expensive. Try tripadvisor.com for a hotel.

If you are OK with being a block away from the beach, this hotel is getting very good reviews on Tripadvisor ... it's newly renovated and has reasonable pricing. We're staying there for 2 nights prior to going to Kauai next week. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60982-d596760-Reviews-Hotel_Renew_an_Aqua_Elite_hotel-Honolulu_Oahu_Hawaii.html

Hi moemoe, I'm taking my mom on Royal Carribean next month that starts in Oahu and ends up in Vancouver. That sounds like a very good deal, I'm from Toronto, and the way I roughly work out if a cruise is a good deal is if it is about 200 dollars per person including flight, which is what yours sounds like. I was lucky I got a great flight/cruise combo with this internet site I found through Travelzoo for only 300 from Toronto return. I was checking the flight from Toronto to Oahu and it alone runs around 1200 per person. So I think you've got a good deal, happy cruising!

We're on board the Carnival Spirit for a May 2 repositioning cruise from Honolulu to Vancouver and paid about $1,300 each for an inside cabin for a 12-night cruise. As part of a promo, we were upgraded to an obstructed oceanview cabin and also given a $100 shipboard credit. I'm not sure what kind of cabin you were quoted, though.

Plus, we found a seat sale via WestJet that allowed us to each purchase one-way tickets to Honolulu from Vancouver for about $190 each.

I would shop around some more if you don't have to book right away.

As for hotels, we found a good deal at one of the ResortQuest Waikiki Circle, which is right across the street from the beach. We have an Entertainment Book and were able to book a room for $92 per night--that is a steal compared to what other Waikiki Beach hotels charge. If you don't have an Entertainment Book, I think the rate was like $132, which is still a very good deal for a beach hotel.

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Luxury Repositioning Cruises

Sail from one incredible destination to another on one of our luxury repositioning cruises. Explore Europe’s dynamic cities. Lounge on Fort Lauderdale’s stunning beaches. Spend relaxed days on board one of our luxury cruise ships in the award-winning spa, dipping in the sparkling pool, and tasting world-class culinary creations inspired by global destinations. With plenty of days at sea and stops in some of the most coveted ports in the world, these repositioning cruises promise adventure both on and off the ship.

Browse Repositioning Cruise Itineraries

Itineraries, view all repositioning cruises, explore two continents on an unforgettable repositioning cruise.

Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime journey across the Atlantic or the Pacific Ocean aboard our spectacular repositioning cruises. Sail from one continent to another on an award-winning ship , and experience unrivaled luxury, service, and entertainment as it relocates from one region of the world to another.

In the late fall, our repositioning cruises sail from Europe, where you’ll depart from fascinating cities like Lisbon, Southampton, and Rome, to North America. Stop in stunning destinations such as Nice, Provence, the Azores, and the Canary Islands, and luxuriate in consecutive days at sea before arriving at your debarkation port in Florida or the Northeast. Or cruise between Europe and South America on a cruise from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro and explore ports in the Canary Islands and Brazil. 

In the early spring, our transatlantic cruises depart from the United States and head back across the Atlantic, stopping in beautiful European destinations along the way, such as the islands of Palma de Mallorca and Corsica, before arriving in Rome, Southampton, and Lisbon.

Whether you choose to board a relocation cruise in the spring or fall, you’ll find a wealth of options to choose from. Depending on your itinerary, you’ll explore the sun-soaked Mediterranean, visit popular ports across Western Europe, or stop in Iceland and Greenland along the way. 

Sail across the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean on a transpacific cruise that travels from Asia to North America—and vice versa. Depart from the exciting city of Tokyo and stop in destinations in Russia and Japan along the way. A highlight of a transpacific cruise is traversing the International Dateline.

You can also board one of our repositioning cruises between Hawaii and Australia. Depart from either Honolulu or Sydney and visit breathtaking islands in the South Pacific, including New Zealand’s idyllic Bay of Islands, dreamy destinations in French Polynesia like Bora Bora and Tahiti, and the tropical islands of Hawaii.

Aside from these remarkable journeys across continents, we also have exciting repositioning cruises that travel from one destination to another within the Western Hemisphere. Sail between San Diego or Los Angeles and Vancouver and cruise along the Pacific Coast, stopping in destinations throughout California, Oregon, Washington, and Canada along the way. Or combine a tropical vacation in the Caribbean with sightseeing in the Northeast by embarking on an open-jaw itinerary between Miami and Cape Liberty or Boston; San Juan and Cape Liberty; or a Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale to San Juan.

On all of our repositioning cruises, you’ll have access to exciting venues and unlimited entertainment. Spend days at sea lounging by the outdoor pool or relaxing at the indoor solarium. Schedule a day at the spa and choose from a number of reinvigorating and revitalizing treatments. Dine on delicious dishes designed by a Michelin-starred chef. Dance under the stars at one of our rooftop lounges. There’s no shortage of magic and adventure awaiting on a Celebrity cruise.

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Pacific Coastal Cruises are available between Vancouver BC and California annually from April until October.

One-way "repositioning cruises" depart California (San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego) in springtime while southbound cruises set sail from Vancouver in late summer and early fall.

Return cruises from Vancouver are also available.  Some are short cruises to Victoria and Seattle while others sail right down the Pacific coast to southern California.

Popular ports-of-call along the Vancouver-California route include Victoria BC, Seattle, Astoria Oregon, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Catalina Island and San Diego.

Some cruise lines are now combining an Alaska cruise from Vancouver with a south-bound coastal cruise to California.

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Cruise Itinerary

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Vancouver, British Columbia

Sun, Sep 22, 2024

Departs: 5:00PM

At Sea - Cruising

Mon, Sep 23, 2024

Tue, Sep 24, 2024

Wed, Sep 25, 2024

Thu, Sep 26, 2024

Fri, Sep 27, 2024

Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Sat, Sep 28, 2024

Tendered: 8:00AM to 6:00PM

Hilo, Hawaii

Sun, Sep 29, 2024

Arrival: 8:00AM

Mon, Sep 30, 2024

Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii

Tue, Oct 1, 2024

Arrival: 7:00AM

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Tailored services and amenities await you in these exceptionally appointed staterooms. We're here to help you make the most of your time on board and on shore.

Fortunes Casino

Relax, recharge, and play the hottest slots and table games at Fortunes Casino. It offers a sophisticated ambiance and a captivating atmosphere that comes alive with plenty of action.

Camp at Sea

For our Camp at Sea program, we’ve designed more than 500 activities that make every sailing a brand new experience and an unforgettable memory for our junior cruisers.

Fitness Center

Bring your workout routine along on your modern luxury vacation and enjoy a variety of new fitness classes and seminars along with world class cruise fitness amenities.

Shops on Solstice

Celebrity's European-inspired piazza and elegant galleria hold riches of chic sophistication. Marble walkways lead you to modern boutiques and fine jewelry stores.

Art Gallery

When you visit the Art Gallery, you'll be surrounded with one of the world's largest permanent collections of contemporary art, accompanied by a complete art program.

The Lawn Club

Who said grass can’t be on a ship? Enjoy a friendly pick-up game of leisure sports like Croquet, Bocce, golf putting, Blongo or Baggo.

Jogging Track

Built around the ship’s top deck, the jogging track let’s you take in breathless ocean views while you workout. It’s so mesmerizing, you’ll forget you’re breaking a sweat.

Adults-only Solarium

A serenely beautiful adults-only pool and hot tub experience, The Solarium let’s you relax and daydream of the next destination you’ll be exploring.

Food and Drink

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Price is per person and applies to selected sailing, lowest available fare stateroom category, based on double-occupancy, reflects any promotional savings, and is subject to change and availability until booked. Additional terms and conditions apply to offers. Full deposit must be paid by deposit payment required due date. Standard full deposit penalty is applied if booking is cancelled within final payment period; see Celebrity’s cancellation policy for details. Non-Refundable Deposit Bookings (“NRDB”): To qualify for the lowest available cruise fare, guest must choose a non-refundable deposit. All deposit payments for NRDB made after 03/02/23 are non-refundable from the time of booking. NRDB are applicable to groups at prevailing rates. Not applicable to incentive, contract, or charter groups. Nonrefundable deposit offers are applicable to sailings within final payment, however full deposit is due at time of booking. 

Celebrity Edge® Series Iconic Suites, Edge Villas, Penthouse Suites, Royal Suites, Celebrity Suites, AquaClass® Sky Suites, and Sky Suites (and Family Suites during Holiday sailings) require double the deposit amounts listed.

All Included  pricing applies to sailings booked and departing on or after October 4, 2023, excluding Galapagos cruises, in an inside, ocean view, veranda, Concierge Class, or AquaClass stateroom (“Eligible Bookings”). All guests within an Eligible Booking who choose “All Included” pricing, will receive a Classic Drinks Package and an unlimited Basic Wi-Fi package. All guests in the same stateroom must choose the same rate.  Please visit www.celebritycruises.com/things-to-do-onboard/onboard-packages/beverage-packages for further information on available beverages and full restrictions and www.celebritycruises.com/things-to-do-onboard/onboard-packages/internet-and-phone-packages for further information on wi-fi.

All Included pricing applies to new individual bookings only. Changes to booking may result in removal of Offer. Prices and Offers are subject to availability and change without notice, may be withdrawn at any time, and not applicable to charters or contracted groups. All Included pricing is non-transferable and not combinable with certain rates including, Travel Agent, Interline, Net, Exciting Deals, or worker cabins.  Single occupancy guests paying 200% cruise fare are eligible for All Included pricing. Refer to celebritycruises.com and the Cruise Ticket Contract for additional terms and conditions. Celebrity Cruises reserves the right to cancel offer at any time, correct any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions, and change or update fares, fees, and surcharges at any time without prior notice.

Imagery and messaging may not accurately reflect onboard and destination experiences, offerings, features, or itineraries. These may not be available during your voyage, may vary by ship and destination, and may be subject to change without notice.

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Repositioning Cruises & One Way Cruises to/from Australia

One way cruise deals and repositioning cruises 2024, 2025 and 2026 are win-win voyages for both the cruise line and cruise passenger. Cruise lines use these repositioning cruises to relocate their ships between destinations once they have completed, or are about to start, the Australian cruising season. For the traveller, these repositioning cruises 2024, 2025 are the perfect opportunity to eliminate at least one tiresome international flight and introduce you to unique ports and captivating countries along the way. Book with Cruise Guru to enjoy exclusive discounts* on a huge range of one way cruises. Don’t forget to ask our friendly team about our fantastically priced airfares and hotel deals to complete your cruise holiday.

Typically, repositioning cruises from Australia to Asia depart in February or March of each year, while cruises from Australia to Hawaii depart in March or April. Coming home, cruises from Hawaii to Australia sail in either September or October, while cruises from Asia to Australia are usually in October, November and into December, however, you can also find a small number of repositioning cruises that depart throughout the end of the year. Whether you are searching for Royal Caribbean repositioning cruises from Australia or are looking into Princess repositioning cruises from Singapore to Sydney, we’ll undoubtedly have a sailing just right for you. Compare cheap repositioning cruises and find yourself a bucket-list adventure today!

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What are repositioning cruises?

A repositioning cruise is where a ship travels from one popular vacation destination to another destination. Also known as one-way cruises, repositioning cruises are often more affordable as they happen during quieter parts of the year. As the seasons' transition from one to another, cruise ships tend to transition to a new homeport as it chases after sunny and warm summer shores. For example, moving from Miami to the Mediterranean or going from Alaska to Sydney! In these transition periods, cruise lines have repositioning cruises that guests can totally book and experience for themselves.

With plenty of sea days as it races to its final destination, a cruise ship repositioning is a perfect match for guests looking to leisurely sail from one locale to another. Popular one-way cruise destinations from Australia include to/from Asia and to/from Hawaii, however there are options to make your way to North America, South Africa and even Europe. You will also find more global one-way cruises listed as world cruises. So, whether you are in the market for Carnival repositioning cruises or a repositioning cruise Hawaii to Sydney, there'll definitely be an itinerary out there waiting for you to book!

Are repositioning cruises cheaper?

Yes, due to the number of days at sea, a repositioning cruise is typically cheaper than a regular cruise. A repositioning cruise will almost always take an alternate route than the usual voyage a cruise ship would take as the main objective of the voyage is to move to a new locale. As such, repositioning cruises are often at a reduced and more affordable rate due to their "off-the-beaten-path" route. If you're looking for an affordable way to sail the seas, repositioning cruises are the best way to do it!

How do I find the best repositioning cruises?

You've come to the right place! Visit Cruise Guru and you'll quickly find the best repositioning cruise deals on offer on the deals page. From there, you can sort by cruise line, departure port, as well as the month and year of departure. With hundreds of sailings happening throughout the year, you'll find the right one-way cruise for you in no time.

*Terms and conditions apply. Prices shown are an average price per person, twin share in AUD inclusive of all discounts, taxes & fees. Prices are as categories as specified. Prices are subject to change and availability. Once the lead in stateroom is sold out, prices may increase to a higher fare, or be withdrawn without notice. Cruise line offers are valid for new bookings only and are not combinable with any other offer. Oceanview staterooms and balcony staterooms may have obstructed views. Discounted fare will reflect in the final booking screen. Offers are not combinable with any other offer unless otherwise stated. Sailing itinerary may vary from what is shown. Itinerary changes are at cruise lines discretion. Additional surcharges will apply to dining reservations made at any of the ship's specialty restaurants. Some onboard entertainment will have a participation charge, please contact guest services on board for full details. All offers are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Cruise Guru reserves the right to correct any errors inaccuracies or omissions and to change offers, fares and surcharges at any time without notice. Credit card fees are not charged for deposit payments via Visa or MasterCard. Final payments will incur a 1.3% merchant fee via Visa or Mastercard. American Express incurs a 2% merchant fee for both deposits and final payments.

The savings percentage amounts are a comparison between the current lowest available fare and the current highest available fare on the same category, regardless of promotion. Each fare level has its own terms and conditions.

Shipboard credit offer is in the currency onboard the ship and is per stateroom. It is non-transferable, non-refundable and not redeemable for cash. Shipboard credit offer is capacity controlled and subject to availability. The shipboard credit amount will reflect in the final booking screen. Shipboard credit cannot be used at the Medical Centre or the Casino and will expire at 10pm on the last night of the cruise if not used prior.

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Vancouver, BC, Canada

Cruises from Vancouver depart from spring through fall. Located on the southwestern coast of British Columbia, Vancouver is Canada's third most populous city. The bustling metropolis is known for its cultural diversity, which is on display in areas like Chinatown, brimming with authentic eateries and apothecaries. Gastown, Vancouver's oldest neighborhood, exudes historic charm thanks to cobblestone streets and Victorian architecture harmoniously interspersed with trendy boutiques and galleries. Outdoor activities abound in the urban Stanley Park, home to gardens, beaches, trails, totem poles and the seawall amid a lush forested setting totaling about 1,000 acres. The city is a jumping-off point for whale-watching tours, which reward keen eyes with glimpses of orcas and humpback whales as well as pelicans, puffins and bald eagles. A short hop northward across the harbor into North Vancouver is Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, where seven bridges and a cliff walk delight thrill-seekers.

Driving Directions and Parking Information Canada Place Ship Terminal 999 Canada Place Vancouver, BC, CANADA The Port of Vancouver is 25 minutes from Vancouver's International Airport (YVR). Parking is available at the Canada Place Ship Terminal for C$26.00 per day (for 3 days or more). Rates are subject to change by the Port Authority. Traveling North from I-5 - Take I-5 which will become Provincial Route 99 N. Take the Marine Drive West ramp. Stay straight to go onto SW Marine Drive. SW Marine Drive becomes Granville Street. Granville Street becomes Granville Street/ Granville Bridge. Take the HWY-99N/Seymour Street ramp towards BC ferries/Horseshoe Bay/Whistler. Stay straight to go onto Seymour Street. Turn left onto W Georgia Street. Turn right onto Burrard Street. Burrard Street becomes Burrard Place which becomes Waterfront Road W. The Ship Terminal should be visible from Waterfront Road.

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Frugal Traveler

Standby Cruising: A New Option for Bargain Seekers

Are you a flexible traveler? Holland America’s standby cruises may be for you. The cost: $49 a day, excluding fees, taxes and extras. The catch: It might be a hair-raising, last-minute scramble.

By Elaine Glusac

Elaine Glusac is the Frugal Traveler columnist, focusing on budget-friendly tips and journeys.

In February, Barb McGowan took a seven-day cruise on Holland America Line, visiting the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the Dominican Republic for just $343, or $49 a day, excluding taxes, port fees and extras. By comparison, Holland America currently lists a seven-day Caribbean itinerary in October from about $700.

The catch: She had just 48 hours’ notice.

Ms. McGown, a 64-year-old from Naples, Fla., who runs a restaurant franchise, took one of the line’s new standby cruises , which are aimed at travelers who live near departure ports and intended to fill ship vacancies.

“I look for deals, and this was an especially good experience,” Ms. McGowan said, praising the food and entertainment. “I was impressed enough to put down a deposit on a future cruise.”

A way to keep ships full

Holland America introduced its standby program last August to maximize ship occupancy, knowing that cancellations are inevitable. So far, the rest of the cruise industry has not followed its lead.

“If cancellations are within a week or two of sailing, it’s difficult to resell that space in the open market,” said Dan Rough, the vice president of revenue management at Holland America.

In the same way that airlines oversell seats, cruise lines may compensate for cancellations by overselling staterooms. Filling in with standbys, however, reduces Holland America’s reliance on overselling, which runs the risk of bumping passengers to distant departures or potentially offering generous cash incentives to coax volunteers to cancel.

Though the company does not heavily promote the new practice, it has attracted a following among the thrifty by dangling a bargain rate — $49 a person, whether sharing a cabin or traveling solo, before taxes and fees — on a web page that lists available departure dates to attract flexible travelers. Standbys should expect an inside cabin, according to the company, though ocean-view and veranda cabins have been assigned. (The company declined to say how many standby cabins it has offered.)

“Forty-nine dollars per person, per day is pretty exceptional,” said Colleen McDaniel, the editor of CruiseCritic.com , a website that reviews cruises, noting that the price covers all meals and entertainment. “You can’t find a cheaper rate at a land resort for what’s included.” (In 2023, the average nightly rate for a hotel room in the United States was nearly $156, according to STR, a data analytics firm that monitors the hospitality industry.)

To participate, travelers choose an itinerary from the standby list on the website — current embarkation ports include Boston; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Montreal; Quebec City; San Diego; Seattle; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Whittier, Alaska — and pay for the trip in advance by calling Holland America or booking through a travel adviser.

There are no refunds for standby cruisers who want to back out. However, if the gamble fails to pay off, and the cruise line cannot offer a cabin to someone on the standby list, it issues a refund.

The company says standby offerings are added on a rolling basis and usually lists itineraries within two to three months of departure. Current offerings include seven-day sailings in Alaska’s Inside Passage from April through September and seven-to-11-day trips cruising the coast of New England and Canada’s Maritime Provinces between May and October.

Proximity is a bonus

Standby cruisers don’t learn of their acceptance or denial until a week to two days before departure, complicating transportation arrangements.

“Last-minute airfare could offset the savings on a cruise,” wrote Crystal Seaton, the owner of Road to Relaxation Travel , a travel agency based in Raleigh, N.C., in an email. Though she has not booked a client on a standby sailing yet, she surmised that it is intended for travelers who can drive to a port.

“We were lucky; we found out Tuesday we were going on a Friday 3 p.m. sailing,” said Sheila Valloney, 66, of Clermont, Fla., who with her husband spent nine days aboard a Holland America ship in the southern Caribbean in February by going standby.

Before being cleared, she reserved a parking spot near the ship dock in Fort Lauderdale, which would have set her back about $6 if she canceled. She also kept their vacation clothes ready to go at the last minute for the three-and-a-half-hour drive to port.

Booking a refundable airline ticket — or at least one that guarantees a credit in loyalty points or cash in the event of cancellation — is one way travelers who must fly can take advantage of the deal.

For her standby sailing, Ms. McGowan drove 90 minutes from her home to the ship in Fort Lauderdale. But her travel companion was coming from Indiana, so when she joined the standby list a few months before the departure date, she booked her friend a Southwest Airlines flight using frequent flier points that would be refunded if the last-minute cruise didn’t come through.

Avoiding extra charges

Once on board, charges for extras like cabin upgrades, Wi-Fi, alcohol and shore excursions can inflate the bill, though the thriftiest travelers try to avoid them.

Ms. McGowan sprang for the $17.50-a-day charge for an upgraded drink package (basic nonalcoholic drinks are included in the cruise) and took one shore excursion, focused on coffee growing, which she deemed a good value at $89.

On their Caribbean cruise, the Valloneys asked around for recommendations for good beaches, where they went to relax on port days, and waited until they were on land to check emails, in order to avoid paying for Wi-Fi on the ship.

“We didn’t miss it at all,” Ms. Valloney said. “For beverages, we would wait until happy hour, when it was buy one, get one free.”

Will other companies follow suit?

To date, no other cruise lines have adopted standby programs.

Princess Cruises said it did not plan to offer cabins on a standby basis, but noted that it already offers last-minute deals , which tend to run about $50 to $60 per passenger per day. For example, a seven-day Alaska sailing from Vancouver to Anchorage departing on May 8 is listed at $399 a person in a double-occupancy cabin.

Several other major cruise lines did not respond to inquiries about potentially adopting standby programs, though operators like Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line also offer last-minute deals on their websites.

“We would be surprised to see many mainstream cruise lines begin to adopt a similar model” to the standby system, wrote Kimberly Coyne, the head of sales and content strategy for Cruiseline.com , a cruise review site, in an email. She said the standby fares might be financially unsustainable for cruise lines and cited the potential that travelers might become too accustomed to late-booking deals.

More ways to save

With the recent surge in cruise bookings, companies are discounting less, said Ms. McDaniel of CruiseCritic.com.

She identified more reliable ways to get a deal compared with going standby, such as booking during “ wave season ,” a sales period that generally runs January through March, or taking a repositioning cruise, in which a ship relocates from one region to another seasonally. A repositioning itinerary might sail in the fall from Alaska to the Caribbean via the Panama Canal.

“It’s not unusual to see a repositioning cruise at less than $75 per night,” Ms. McDaniel, said, noting that other expenses such as an airline itinerary into one city and returning from another may cost more than a standard round-trip ticket.

Repositioning cruises tend to stop at fewer ports and add more shipboard enrichment programs, such as lectures and activities like cake decorating classes and craft spirits tastings.

“For a lot of people the ship is the destination and this is the perfect activity for people who like to be on the ship,” she said.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Come Sail Away

Love them or hate them, cruises can provide a unique perspective on travel..

 Cruise Ship Surprises: Here are five unexpected features on ships , some of which you hopefully won’t discover on your own.

 Icon of the Seas: Our reporter joined thousands of passengers on the inaugural sailing of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas . The most surprising thing she found? Some actual peace and quiet .

Th ree-Year Cruise, Unraveled:  The Life at Sea cruise was supposed to be the ultimate bucket-list experience : 382 port calls over 1,095 days. Here’s why  those who signed up are seeking fraud charges  instead.

TikTok’s Favorite New ‘Reality Show’:  People on social media have turned the unwitting passengers of a nine-month world cruise  into  “cast members”  overnight.

Dipping Their Toes: Younger generations of travelers are venturing onto ships for the first time . Many are saving money.

Cult Cruisers: These devoted cruise fanatics, most of them retirees, have one main goal: to almost never touch dry land .

The 8 best Hawaii cruises in 2024 and 2025

C ruising the Hawaiian Islands offers U.S. travelers an immersive South Pacific escape with all the comforts of home. In fact, the Aloha State is in many ways an ideal cruise destination. It has year-round sunny weather, four main islands featuring varied topographies — including sandy beaches, cascading waterfalls, volcanic mountains and vibrant green valleys — and a wide array of land- and water-based activities.

The main caveat? Hawaii cruise options are somewhat limited — just a fraction of what's available in the Caribbean — and many itineraries involve multiday crossings from the West Coast. Only one cruise line offers Hawaii itineraries throughout the year; most others visit during specific months or when repositioning ships in spring and fall.

For more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Looking for the Hawaiian Islands sailing that's right for you? Here's a look at the eight best Hawaii cruises for every type of traveler.

Norwegian Cruise Line's 7-night Inter-island Hawaii

For travelers who want more aloha time than the typical eight-hour port call allows, Norwegian Cruise Line has a solution. Its 2,186-passenger Pride of America lets vacationers sample four Hawaiian islands over seven days, with overnights in Maui and Kauai, plus port calls on both Hilo and Kona on the island of Hawaii. In total, this itinerary offers nearly 100 hours of shore time.

Pride of America sails round-trip from Honolulu every Saturday year-round. As a U.S.-flagged ship, it's the only large vessel permitted to sail this way. Not only do you skip the long Pacific crossing that most cruise ships do to reach Hawaii, but passports are not required for U.S. citizens, and you can tack on pre- or post-cruise stays on Oahu.

The overnights on Maui and Kauai also mean it's possible to try several of Hawaii's signature experiences that most port calls don't allow. Passengers can catch dusk or dawn from atop Maui's massive 10,023-foot dormant volcano with sunrise and sunset excursions to the Haleakala Crater. And with the ship in port all night on Kauai, guests who want to enjoy traditional Hawaiian cuisine, music and hula performances can book the Luau Kalamaku for a fun evening out.

Pride of America, which has been cruising Hawaii since 2005, doesn't have the onboard thrills (race track, virtual-reality gaming, waterslides) of Norwegian's newer ships , but that's okay because the islands, not the ship, are your main destination. Its American-themed decor celebrates U.S. cities in a vibrant, and at times, kitschy way, but a 2021 refurbishment left its cabins and public spaces feeling refreshed.

Many of Norwegian's specialty dining venues (which incur a surcharge) are on board, including Cagney's Steakhouse, Le Bistro (here, it's Jefferson's Bistro), Moderno Churrascaria and Teppanyaki.

Who should go: Anyone seeking a convenient way to island-hop — and see a lot of Hawaii — by making the most of the generous shore time with a combination of independent exploration and shore excursions. Most sailings attract couples ages 50 and older, although summer and holiday sailings have plenty of families on board.

Related: Best time to cruise Hawaii

UnCruise Adventures' 7-night Hawaiian Seascapes

Cruisers seeking a less traditional, more carefree Hawaii experience can have it from November to April aboard UnCruise Adventures ' 36-passenger Safari Explorer. The seven-night Hawaiian Seascapes itinerary, which begins either on Molokai or the island of Hawaii, is an unconventional one designed for those who enjoy going off the beaten path in an intimate and more authentic setting. U.S. passports aren't required to sail.

UnCruise visits four islands — Maui and Lanai plus Molokai and Hawaii — and focuses on not only their striking landscapes and underwater beauty but also the cultural traditions, cuisine and music of the Hawaiian people. On Molokai, where there's not a single traffic light and the lifestyle is slow-paced, passengers get a chance to "talk story" with locals and enjoy a pa'ina (feast) and evening jam session. Lanai activities range from snorkel, paddleboard and kayak excursions to off-road adventures exploring the privately owned island's dramatic sea cliffs, red rock formations and vast fields once filled with Dole pineapples.

Most UnCruise sailings are during Maui's humpback whale season, so sightings while cruising off the coast of Maui are possible. You might also catch glimpses of dolphins and sea turtles. A "Captain's Choice" day is a wild card determined by the weather, marine life in the area and other factors, while the final two days are spent exploring the Big Island of Hawaii — including a hike up Hualalai volcano and a skiff ride along the rugged coast.

Constructed in 1998, Safari Explorer was designed with adventure itineraries in mind (in summer the U.S.-flagged ship repositions to Alaska). Its size allows it to navigate areas larger ships can't reach, which in Hawaii means bays and coves ideal for snorkeling or watersports.

With such a small number of passengers aboard, guests get to know each other — and Safari Explorer's friendly and knowledgeable crew — quite well. Passengers come together over meals featuring locally sourced ingredients, and as all UnCruise fares include unlimited wines, spirits and microbrews, shipmates can raise a glass without worrying who's buying a round. It all lends itself to an exclusive yet utterly relaxed week of cruising.

Who should go: The ship's laid-back onboard vibe paired with its land- and water-based activities make the Hawaiian Seascapes itinerary ideal for active travelers seeking a nature-focused itinerary — although cruise fares (which start around $5,900 per person) are among the priciest for a Hawaii cruise.

Related: Why it's easier to meet new people on a smaller cruise ship

Holland America's 17-night Circle Hawaii

Travelers who have more than two weeks to spare and who prefer to arrive in Hawaii via ship rather than an airplane can do so on Holland America 's 17-night Circle Hawaii itinerary. They'd better also love sea days because crossing the Pacific from San Diego or Vancouver to Honolulu and back requires 10 days.

That means passengers enjoy five or six days in Hawaii on Kauai, Oahu, Maui and the island of Hawaii. Some itineraries stay in select ports overnight. Cruises departing from San Diego also call on Ensenada, Mexico. With either departure port, passports will be required.

The itinerary is offered in 2024 and 2025 on the 2,650-passenger Koningsdam and 1,432-passenger Zaandam.

Travelers with more time on their hands can also visit Hawaii as part of longer Pacific island cruises with Holland America. Koningsdam will sail a 35-night Hawaii, Tahiti & Marquesas itinerary in 2025 that combines visits to four Hawaiian islands with calls on five islands in French Polynesia and Fanning Island, Kiribati (and 20 sea days).

Related: Holland America unveils epic cruise to Hawaii and Alaska for 2025

Zaandam will also sail 51- to 56-night Tales of the South Pacific itineraries that visit multiple islands in Hawaii and French Polynesia along with ports in the Cook Islands, American Samoa and Fiji.

Holland America is popular with cruisers ages 60 and older, many of them retired, who have time to enjoy longer itineraries on ships that offer good value with a focus on culinary and musical enjoyment. Two of Koningsdam's most popular venues are its live entertainment area with three venues — B.B. King's Blues Club (for Memphis-style rhythm and blues), Billboard Onboard (for chart-topping hits played by a live pianist) and Rolling Stone Rock Room (for a live band playing classic rock), and World Stage, a theater with a 270-degree screen used for both special BBC Earth in Concert and theatrical productions.

Onboard specialty dining options (at an added cost) include Pinnacle Grill for steaks and seafood, Tamarind for Pan-Asian cuisine and Rudi's Sel de Mer for French Brasserie specialties and seafood.

Who should go: Mature travelers who prefer not to fly and who enjoy a more traditional cruise experience. They should also love sea days as much (or even more so) than port exploration.

Related: 16 mistakes cruisers make on cruise ship sea days

Princess Cruises' 15- or 16-night Hawaiian Islands

Princess Cruises is also a good option for longer sailings. The cruise line offers numerous round-trip itineraries to Hawaii from Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego in the fall and winter.

The majority of sailings are aboard the 3,080-passenger Crown Princess and Ruby Princess from San Francisco, and the 2,600-passenger Grand Princess and 3,080-passenger Emerald Princess from Los Angeles.

Ships are in port for nine to 11 hours in Hawaii (Hilo), Kauai and Maui and for 16 hours in Oahu. Itineraries include a stop in Ensenada, Mexico (so passports are required), plus nine or 10 sea days.

The ships feature many of Princess' popular dining venues, including Alfredo's Pizzeria (a sit-down venue serving personal-size pizzas), Crown Grill for steaks and Sabatini's Italian Trattoria. There's plenty of outdoor space for soaking up the sun — including an adults-only sun deck — and a dazzling Piazza for enjoying cocktails, gelato and pop-up street performers.

Fans of Princess' Movies Under the Stars poolside screenings (with free popcorn) and Discovery at SEA enrichment programming will have ample time to enjoy these perks on a Hawaii sailing.

Who should go: These sailings will appeal to couples or groups of friends who prefer to have a wide choice of sailing dates, can take the time to enjoy a leisurely Pacific crossing and appreciate Princess' focus on quality cuisine and a sun deck designed for relaxation rather than thrills.

Related: Best Hawaii cruise shore excursions

Celebrity's 9- to 12-night Hawaii Cruise

Travelers seeking modern interior decor on a ship designed with couples in mind can visit Hawaii aboard Celebrity Cruises ' 2,852-passenger Celebrity Solstice or 2,918-passenger Celebrity Edge on itineraries ranging from nine to 13 nights — but only if the timing is right. That's because the line offers only two sailings per ship each year (in spring and fall) as the ships reposition between Alaska and destinations in the Pacific. The itineraries are one-way (Vancouver to Honolulu or vice versa) with passports required.

These cruises call on three ports on two islands: Honolulu (Oahu) and Hilo and Kona (Hawaii), with one or two overnights in port and 10 hours ashore on one-day visits. All include five days in a row at sea. Since the itineraries either begin or end in Honolulu, there's also a chance for some pre- or post-cruise exploration.

Sea days offer opportunities to enjoy the chic, grown-up ambience and amenities aboard these ships. Each vessel offers multiple complimentary and extra-fee specialty restaurants. Celebrity Solstice features Tuscan Grille for Italian specialties and steak and Murano for modern French cuisine, while Celebrity Edge offers the whimsical Le Petit Chef and the international Eden Restaurant.

Celebrity's signature Martini Bar and many other onboard watering holes keep the grown-up vibe going day and night. Choose cruise fares that include alcohol and Wi-Fi, or pay a lower rate and pay for your drinks as you go.

Who should go: The slightly shorter one-way sailings and the ships' contemporary ambience make these itineraries ideal for couples and groups of friends seeking a relaxing escape — especially Gen Xers in their 40s and 50s, who are Celebrity's target market.

Related: 6 national parks you can reach by cruise ship (and 2 are in Hawaii)

Carnival's 14- or 15-night Hawaii from Los Angeles

If fun is your cruise mantra, the "Fun Ship" brand Carnival Cruise Line offers a handful of round-trip sailings to Hawaii from Los Angeles (Long Beach) aboard the 2,984-passenger Carnival Radiance. Like other roundtrips from the West Coast, these itineraries spend just five days in Hawaii, offering eight to 14 hours of shore time in ports on four islands: Maui, Kauai, Oahu and Hawaii. Along with enjoying eight sea days, guests will also call on Ensenada, Mexico, so passports are required.

Carnival Radiance first sailed under that name in 2021, but it's not a new ship. Before an epic makeover, it sailed for the cruise line as Carnival Victory. Ship features include many of Carnival's signature complimentary and extra-fee dining venues, including Guy's Burger Joint and Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse, BlueIguana Cantina, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse and Bonsai Sushi Express.

Additional guest favorite destinations on board include the RedFrog Pub, Alchemy Bar and WaterWorks aquapark. Expect high-voltage theater shows from Playlist Productions at night and poolside interactive contests by day.

Who should go: Socially inclined cruisers who love Carnival's emphasis on onboard fun and can appreciate a colorful ship with a lively ambience and lots of day and evening activities.

Related: Best Hawaii cruise tips for getting the most from your island-hopping trip

Royal Caribbean's 9- to 13-night Hawaii Cruises

A megaship cruise experience to Hawaii is available, too — with pricing that's quite affordable. Royal Caribbean cruises there on two vessels in one of its newer classes of ships: the 4,180-passenger Quantum of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas.

All are one-way cruises just before or after the Alaska cruise season (so late April or early October) between Oahu and Vancouver (or vice versa). The ships call on two Hawaiian islands and spend four or five days in a row at sea. Passports are required since these itineraries begin or end in Vancouver.

Ovation of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas feature a mix of thrills for all ages. These include RipCord by iFly simulated sky diving, FlowRider simulated surfing, bumper car racing in the SeaPlex indoor activity complex and the North Star sightseeing capsule, which ascends 300 feet above the top deck for 360-degree views.

Both ships also offer 14 dining venues, including the innovative Wonderland, Jamie's Italian by Jamie Oliver and kid-favorite Dog House, as well as bar options that include Schooner Bar for by-request piano tunes, Boleros for mojitos and merengue and Bionic Bar for drinks poured by robotic bartenders. Entertainment includes live cover bands in the Music Hall and multimedia music and dance performances in Two70.

Who should go: Cruisers who love a big ship with a wide array of dining choices, all kinds of evening entertainment and plenty of exciting activities to pass the time on sea days. Quantum-class ships are great for families, but the sail dates might not work for those with school-age kids.

Related: Do you need a passport for a cruise?

Viking's 16-night Hawaiian Islands Sojourn

For a guaranteed adults-only sailing in a relaxed, boutique-style setting, upscale cruise line Viking also offers round-trip Hawaii cruises from Los Angeles in late 2024 and early 2025 on its 930-passenger Viking Neptune.

What sets Viking apart from most of the other lines offering Hawaii cruises is that it includes a free shore excursion in every port. These include a highlights tour of Honolulu and Pearl Harbor on Oahu and a visit to a scenic waterfall and the Kilohana sugar plantation on Kauai. Additional excursions can be booked at an extra charge.

The 16-night Hawaiian Islands Sojourn sailings visit four islands — Hawaii (Hilo), Oahu, Kauai and Maui — and like other round-trip sailings from the West Coast include 10 sea days and a call on Ensenada, Mexico, so passports are required.

Viking Neptune will also do 32-night Grand Hawaii and Polynesia sailings round-trip from Los Angeles in late 2024 and early 2025 that visit four islands in Hawaii and four in French Polynesia.

The ship, which debuted in 2022, features sleek Scandinavian-inspired decor, a soothing spa with a complimentary thermal area, an aft infinity pool and hot tub, a panoramic Explorer's Lounge and five onboard restaurants. Specialty restaurant Manfredi's serves an extensive menu of Italian specialties, while The Chef's Table offers rotating five-course themed menus, including Asian, French and California-inspired.

In addition to the free shore excursions, pricing includes complimentary wine or beer with lunch and dinner, specialty dining at no extra charge, crew gratuities and transfers.

Who should go: Couples who prefer the quieter ambience of a ship that doesn't allow anyone under 18 onboard, doesn't have a casino and offers presentations by regional experts that enhance immersion into local culture. Viking cruisers are generally over age 55.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• Top ways cruisers waste money
• The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.