Information to Repositioning Cruises — and 5 to Guide Now

As I stepped off the pier and onto my ship in Ushuaia, Argentina, it dawned on me that this was the final time I might be on continental land for almost three weeks. Lindblad Expeditions’ Nationwide Geographic Explorer was about to ferry me throughout the South Atlantic, all the way in which to Cape City. Now that is a cruise.

In actual fact, it was a really particular sort of cruise often known as a repositioning cruise, or a “repo.” Repositioning cruises do precisely what their identify entails — they reposition a ship from one place to a different. Within the case of my crusing, Nationwide Geographic Explorer had simply wrapped up a season in Antarctica and was scheduled for a stint in Africa. So, the ship sailed a repositioning cruise to get from one area to the opposite, bringing alongside a handful of intrepid vacationers.

Learn on to search out out all the things you must find out about repositioning cruises.

What’s a repositioning cruise?

Repositioning cruises reposition cruise ships — it is so simple as that. However to know why cruise ships should be repositioned, you must have a look at how most cruise traces function their vessels.

Usually talking, cruise ships do not simply crisscross the world on a collection of one-way journeys, crusing from A to B, then B to C, then C to D, and so forth. Most ships spend months at a time “homeported” at a particular cruise port, similar to Miami or New Orleans, or generally in a basic area, just like the Mediterranean. Then at some stage in a season, they will sail both an equivalent itinerary or maybe a number of comparable itineraries. Take, as an example, a cruise that is homeported in Miami for the winter. That ship may sail Japanese or Western Caribbean itineraries for a number of months, however not essentially the complete yr.

“As a result of climate and seasonality, most cruise ships don’t keep in the identical geographic space for a whole yr. They due to this fact should reposition from one area to a different — and people cruises are known as repositioning cruises,” Journey + Leisure A-Record Advisor Rob Clabbers, president of Q Cruise + Journey, tells T+L. “For instance, a ship that sails summers in Alaska might spend the winter within the Caribbean; and due to this fact will reposition within the fall to go from Alaska through the West Coast and the Panama Canal to the Caribbean, then again within the spring.”

Relying on the route, cruise traces may select to reposition ships with out friends onboard. In that case, the crew may spend the time deep cleansing and performing upkeep on the vessel. However repositioning cruises nonetheless use lots of costly gasoline, so many cruise traces decide to open them as much as friends to assist offset that value — and even flip a revenue, in the event that they’re fortunate. From the visitor perspective, you get to sail a non-traditional itinerary, which might take you to less-visited locations. In my case, we ventured to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and the extraordinarily distant Tristan da Cunha, a tiny volcanic island in the midst of the Atlantic that is solely accessible by ship.

The place do repositioning cruises go, and the way lengthy are they?

Clabbers shares some frequent repositioning routes under, however repositioning cruises can occur just about anyplace on the planet. There’s one rule for all repositioning cruises: They have to be one-way.

• Between Mediterranean and South Asia: Historically through the Suez Canal, however extra just lately across the tip of South Africa.
• Between Antarctic and Arctic polar areas: By way of the coasts of the Americas (may embody an expedition onto the Amazon); or in some circumstances through the coast of Africa and Europe.
• Between Alaska and Japan: By way of the North Pacific.
• Between North America and Australia/South Pacific: By way of Hawaii and French Polynesia to Australia and New Zealand.
• Between Europe and North America: By way of the Atlantic, which can additionally imply from the British Isles through Iceland and Greenland to Canada for the Canada/New England season within the late summer time/fall.
• Between Alaska and the Caribbean: By way of the West Coast and the Panama Canal.

As for the way lengthy repositioning cruises are, that varies. “Repositioning cruises, similar to transatlantic sailings, are typically longer than a ‘commonplace’ seven-night itinerary and can embody extra sea days, as they must cross a bigger distance,” says Clabbers.

However some repositioning cruises could be damaged up into shorter segments. Within the occasion of a ship repositioning from Alaska to the Caribbean, there could also be a West Coast crusing adopted by a Central America crusing that transits the Panama Canal. When you might stack the 2 journeys to create one lengthy cruise, you might additionally guide it in shorter segments.

What occurs on a repositioning cruise?

All of it will depend on the place you are crusing. “Relying on the a part of the world, the ships cease at fewer ports of name and/or cease in ports which can be considerably uncommon due to their location,” T+L A-Record Advisor Olga Placeres, president of Most well-liked Journey & Co, tells T+L. She factors to transatlantic cruises for instance — they’ve quite a few sea days, however in addition they may cease in distant locations just like the Azores.

In case you’re repositioning on a mega ship, you may probably get to totally immerse your self in all of the facilities that the ship has to supply. My transatlantic repositioning cruise was on a tiny expedition ship, which meant that the main focus of our programming was training and journey, so our sea days had been crammed with lectures and wildlife recognizing — and loads of time for contemplation.

When do repositioning cruises occur?

Repositioning cruises can occur at any time of yr, however most happen within the spring and fall, that are historically shoulder seasons for cruises. Some cruises use seasonality to their benefit. For instance, when ships are repositioning from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean within the fall, they will benefit from fall foliage within the Northeast U.S. and Canada.

Are repositioning cruises cheaper?

The quick reply: It will depend on demand. And demand will depend on the itinerary and the dimensions of the ship. “Extra distinctive itineraries — by the Panama Canal, or alongside a number of the extra uncommon/off-the-beaten-path islands within the South Pacific — will be very excessive in demand, which is mirrored within the fares,” says Clabbers.

However not all repositioning itineraries attraction to the mass market, and cruise traces might battle to fill the ship. “Fewer vacationers take pleasure in a crossing with many sea days. Most friends want to see ports, not solely the ocean,” says Placeres. “Climate is one other issue — crossings will be tough, and you must be an excellent sailor to take pleasure in a bumpy voyage.” In these circumstances, demand will be low, and due to this fact costs (when damaged down per day) can be comparatively low.

Usually talking, nevertheless, many repositioning cruises are, in truth, cheaper than extra conventional week-long sailings. “There are lots of ships that sail from the Caribbean to Europe within the spring, together with a number of the bigger up to date cruise ships. Meaning there may be fairly a little bit of capability at a variety of engaging fares every year for those who want to journey between the continents,” says Clabbers. “These cruises will be fairly reasonably priced, particularly when taking a look at it from a per-day perspective. As well as, with fewer ports of name, the taxes and port expenses could also be decrease, too.”

5 Repositioning Cruises to Guide Now

Movie star Cruises

17-night Fiji Transpacific on Movie star Solstice

Departs April 9, 2025

Sail throughout the South Pacific on a grand journey from Sydney to Honolulu. Whereas there are 9 days at sea, there are fairly a number of particular ports of name on this itinerary, together with Loyalty Island in New Caledonia, Thriller Island in Vanuatu, two Fijian islands, Apia in Samoa, Pago Pago in American Samoa, and Kailua-Kona in Hawaii.

Royal Caribbean

16-night Tokyo to Los Angeles on Ovation of the Seas

Departs Might 15, 2025

Get your sea legs prepared. Although this cruise does name at a number of ports in Japan, plus an additional day in Los Angeles, it’s going to spend most of its time at sea. Luckily, the huge ship has loads onboard to maintain you entertained, from a skydiving simulator to a spa to greater than two dozen eating places.

Holland America

18-day Voyage of the Vikings on Zuiderdam

Departs Aug. 5, 2025

In case you’re trying to take a repositioning cruise that does not have too many days at sea, this itinerary connecting Rotterdam within the Netherlands and Boston is for you. There are solely six sea days, with the majority of the itinerary together with ports throughout Eire, Iceland, Greenland, and Canada.

Viking

22-day Southern Atlantic Crossing on Viking Jupiter

Departs Nov. 8, 2025

Are you able to courageous three weeks at sea? Viking’s crusing from Barcelona to Buenos Aires features a transient stint within the Mediterranean and a name in Casablanca, Morocco, earlier than taking to the Atlantic. To interrupt up the week-long transatlantic portion of the voyage, Viking Jupiter will go to São Vicente Island (Mindelo), Cape Verde. And it will wrap up with every week crusing the coast of South America.

Virgin Voyages

16-night Panama Canal and Pacific Wonders on Good Woman

Departs March 21, 2026

Sail by the enduring Panama Canal on this journey from Miami to Los Angeles on this well-paced voyage. There are by no means greater than three sea days in a row, with ports like Cartagena, Colombia; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico breaking apart the journey.