Repositioning Cruises
A Special Class Of Cruises
Repositioning cruises refer to when ships are given a different itinerary from the one that is normally navigated. Generally, they will sail from one hemisphere to another.
For the most part, these sailings are referred to as transatlantic or transpacific depending over which ocean the ship navigates.
For example, a transatlantic cruise is when a ship navigates from Fort Lauderdale (United States) to the port of Southampton (England), crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
This type of itinerary will likely have stops along the way, usually at ports in the Caribbean.
It is worth mentioning that a cruise ship leaving from a US or Caribbean port in the spring (say in April) may not return until December.
Therefore, bookings occur both ways.
Also, ships often sail from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean in April and Alaska in May. These ships usually return to the Caribbean in September.
By now you have probably figured out that you have to provide for your own return trip.
Sometimes the return airfare is included in the cabin price, but don’t count on it. Make certain that you know the cost of your return trip before you book your cruise.
Repositioning Cruises
You can not beat the value
If voyaging is what you love to do then repositioning cruises are for you.
First,
you can cruise from two to three weeks and sometimes for as long as a month.
Second,
for obvious reasons, you will enjoy many relaxing days on transatlantic and
transpacific cruises. When you are in open waters, there are simply no ports of
call. However, you will not get bored.
The cruise lines want a full booking. Therefore, they make certain to provide many options for passengers to do many things.
You will find many seminars by guest speakers. You will also find movies, games, and various types of demonstrations (such as cooking), as well as activities designed specifically for that cruise.
Third,
many repositioning cruises stop at "exotic" ports such as Casablanca,
Tangiers, Canary Islands, Gibraltar, and so on. If you are like most
people that go on a cruise, you will not normally visit such locations.
Fourth,
the prices are usually very low to ensure full occupancy. In fact, you
should reserve early because cabins sell fast, and the more expensive
cabins go first.
Often, outside cabins and those with balconies are not much more than the less expensive inside cabins.
One reason for these cheap cruises include the fact that cruise lines spend a lot on fuel and other expenses to reposition a cruise ship. The ship is going to make the voyage and cruise lines want to keep their staff and crew busy.
Cruise lines usually contract for crews to work from six to nine months at a stretch, and a major portion, if not all, of a crew’s income is from tips.
Fares for an inside cabin are as low as the seven hundred dollar range for a 12 or 13 night cruise. Here is an example of repositioning cruises with Celebrity Cruises.
Do the math and you will agree that reposition cruises offer unmatched value among all of your vacation options.
(Also read this web page: Cruise Travel vs. Land Vacation).
Warning! Take care to watch your expenses in the casino and the bars.
Due to the longer uninterrupted trips (with few or no port calls) many passengers are surprised at how much they spend while on board ship.
Contact the cruise line or a travel agent for detail information and
do not forget to ask if there are any repositioning cruises that include
return airfare.
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