Repositioning Cruises

 

Mention 'cruising' to almost anyone and the first image that pops into their mind is a 7-day jaunt that leaves out of Miami, stops in San Juan and a few more ports in the Leeward Islands before returning to the originating port.  For a few, the cruise begins (or ends) in San Diego, passes through the Panama Canal, and ends (or begins) in New York, with the cruisers on board either flying to the first stop or flying home from the last.  For that second group, the notion of a 'repositioning cruise' won't sound at all strange.

Some cruise lines, Holland-America and Celebrity for example, cruise their fleets in warmer waters (the Caribbean, perhaps) during the Winter months, then shift the fleet to cooler waters (Mediterranean, Baltic) for the Summer.  For the North Atlantic market, this shift happens in late March through early May when each ship makes a one-way crossing from the U.S. East Coast to somewhere in Europe, and in late September through early November from Europe to the U.S. East Coast.  As with the New York-San Diego route above, most of the cruisers will have a flight either at the beginning to get them to the start-point, or at the end to get them home.

Any Atlantic crossing by cruise ship will involve a 5-7 day segment where the only thing visible for 360° is 'horizon'.  Eastbound, the first stop in Europe (or the last stop westbound) is either Horta in the Azores, Funchal (Madeira), or Tenerife in the Canary Islands.

In order to avoid sending their ships across the Atlantic with empty staterooms, cruise companies often low-ball their prices and offer deep discounts on the airfares at either end.  As a result, repositioning cruises are typically very economically attractive.  For Holland-America, as an example, prices typically break the $100/night bar, something rarely seen elsewhere on H-A's schedule.

The number of ports-of-call is generally higher than expected.  Whereas a 7-day Caribbean cruise might touch 4 ports, a 15-day transatlantic (of which 8 are sea days) will stop in 7 different ports.  This tremendous variety is not simply for the benefit of the passengers.  At each port, crew members whose contract is expiring will be dropped off and replaced with new crew starting fresh contracts.  It's a win-win for all concerned.

For cruisers who have the time available, repositioning cruises are an excellent bargain, not just in terms of price, but also for the variety of experience.  It's my favorite way to cross an ocean.