What Is a Repositioning Cruise and Is It Right For You?

Have you ever heard about a repositioning cruise? Want to know whether it might be right for you?

What Is a Repositioning Cruise?

A repositioning cruise is a kind of one way cruise itinerary. A one way cruise itinerary is one where the ship starts in one port and ends in another. On a repositioning cruise, in addition to starting and ending in different ports, the ship starts and ends in two different geographical areas. The most common route for such a cruise is from Europe to the Caribbean, or vice versa. That is because cruise itineraries tend to be seasonal with more ships in Europe during the summer, and more cruise ships in the Caribbean during the winter months.  Another route is for cruise ships that were in Alaska to be relocated to the Caribbean, Panama Canal/South America or even to Australia,  New Zealand or Asia.

What are the Pros?

The primary lure of these cruises is that they tend to be less expensive per day than other cruises. This is particularly true of cruises that you may book at the last minute. That is because repositioning cruises are sometimes hard for cruise lines to sell out. The cruise lines then reduce prices to attract passengers near the sailing date. As an example, there is currently a 12-day cruise from Florida to Spain in March of 2020 where the cruise fares start from only $599 a person!

Another pro to some passengers is that these cruises have several days at sea. These passengers appreciate being able to relax and read a book or otherwise unwind without having to worry about daily shore excursions. Some passengers also enjoy the days at sea to make fuller use of the activities and options their ship offers.

What are the Cons?

The primary con for some people is the lack of several ports. Many repositioning cruises only have between 2-4 total ports with the rest of the days sea days. If you start and end cruise ports are good however, you can and should spend time in both destinations pre and post cruise allowing you to explore at least two ports in some depth.

The other con for some passengers is getting bored on the sea days. For this reason, if you are not the type to want to chill, relax and read, you should pick a ship for a repositioning cruise that has enough amenities and activities to keep you interested and engaged throughout the cruise.

Want to know repositioning cruise or other cruise options? Please contact us.  We would be happy to help you.

Purple Light Vacations provides you with the knowledge, insight and personalized service to make your vacation all you want it to be at no additional cost. We help you travel in the know wherever you go. To get started, fill out this quick form or call 619.324.1444 (ext. 3).