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Repositioning cruises can offer unbeatable value — but they also come with big risks and hidden catches that could ruin your dream cruise. I share everything you need to know: what a repositioning cruise is, why they’re so cheap, who they’re ideal for, how to find them, and the common mistakes to avoid.
I’ve done many of these unique one-way cruises, and I’ll reveal the insider tips and watchouts to help you decide if they’re right for you. Don’t book one until you watch this!
Links mentioned:
* https://www.tipsfortravellers.com/agents
* https://www.repositioningcruise.com
* https://www.celebritycruises.com/int/popular-cruises/repositioning-cruises
WATCH NEXT: "I’ve Been Back On Every "Premium" Cruise Line. Here’s What I Found" https://youtu.be/tRFhiGriBYs
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Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
While repositioning cruisers can be an
0:02
absolute bargain, they come with
0:03
catches, watch outs, and easily made
0:06
mistakes that can turn what looks like
0:08
the cruise deal of a lifetime into a
0:10
regretfilled trip. Welcome aboard. I'm
0:13
Gary Benbridge. And having done many
0:15
repositioning cruisers, I want to share
0:17
not only what they are and how to find
0:19
them, but also the mistakes I see many
0:21
cruisers make and importantly, how to
0:24
avoid them. First, what exactly is a
0:27
repositioning cruise? Some people
0:29
misunderstand exactly what it is. They
0:33
are when cruise lines move their ships
0:35
on one-way trips between different
0:37
cruising regions, usually in spring and
0:40
autumn. In spring, March, April, ships
0:42
are moved from the Caribbean to Europe
0:44
or Alaska for the summer seasons there.
0:46
And in autumn, October, November time,
0:49
ships are moved back to the Caribbean
0:51
for the busy season there. Instead of
0:54
sailing ships empty, the cruise lines
0:56
sell these one-way journeys as what the
0:58
industry calls repositioning cruisers.
1:02
The three most common are transatlantic
1:04
repositionings between Europe and the
1:05
Caribbean, Panama Canal, US West Coast
1:08
repositionings between Alaska and the
1:10
Caribbean, and trans-Pacific
1:12
repositionings like the one I'm just
1:14
back from between Alaska and Japan.
1:17
There are other though less common
1:19
repositionings like to and from the
1:21
Mediterranean via the SE canal to Asia,
1:24
to and from Australia and Alaska via
1:26
French Polynesia and Hawaii, and to and
1:29
from South America and Europe. What many
1:32
people don't appreciate is that
1:34
repositionings almost all happen in only
1:37
two time periods, spring and autumn. So,
1:40
cruisers are limited on when they can
1:42
actually do them. And due to their
1:44
distance, they're longer voyages lasting
1:46
10 to 21 nights or sometimes even more.
1:50
Unlike regular cruises around a region
1:52
which are port intensive, they all have
1:54
many sea days, often five or six in a
1:57
row, as a line wants to get their ships
1:59
in place to start running regular
2:01
cruises as quickly as possible. For
2:03
example, that Silver Sea Silver Silven
2:05
Nova Trans-Pacific repositioning I
2:07
mentioned that I'm just back from Alaska
2:10
to Japan. It had eight sea days, six of
2:13
them backto back. So, if they're so
2:16
seedday heavy, why are they popular with
2:18
so many cruisers? And what do many not
2:21
understand about them? First, they are
2:25
fantastic value because they appeal to a
2:27
limited market due to those sea days,
2:30
few ports, and length. Fairs are usually
2:32
much lower per night than the same
2:34
ship's regular cruises. For example, my
2:37
Silver Nova repositioning daily rate was
2:40
about half a regular cruise on that
2:42
ship. And I've got transatlantic
2:44
repositionings booked on Crystal and
2:46
Regent for next year at even bigger per
2:49
night savings. These lower fairs have
2:52
the added appeal to many cruisers
2:54
because they can then afford to travel
2:56
in a better grade of cabin or even a
2:58
more premium cruise line than their
3:00
budget would usually cover. For example,
3:04
friends of mine frequently use
3:06
repositioning cruisers to be able to
3:08
cruise on Viking, the small ship luxury
3:10
line. Now, their regular cruisers are
3:12
way out of their budget, but they're not
3:14
if they go on repositionings. I'm using
3:17
repositionings to go on the ultra luxury
3:19
region in Crystal next year. as I
3:20
mentioned because it is way less cost
3:22
than cruising on them normally. Another
3:25
reason many go on them is for the very
3:27
unique itineraries. Although there's
3:29
many sea days in between, they usually
3:32
offer unusual port combinations. For
3:34
example, I once did a pino cruisers
3:36
repositioning from the UK to the
3:38
Caribbean via the Canary Islands. Those
3:41
are two regions you rarely see or can do
3:43
in one itinerary. on that silver trip I
3:46
mentioned. I got to visit Alaska and
3:48
then eight Japanese ports in one trip.
3:52
The third reason I find many go on them
3:54
is for the sea days themselves. Some
3:57
people really love the chance to have
3:58
days with no pressure to explore ports
4:01
and be able to have days backtoback to
4:03
really relax, dive into enrichment
4:05
lectures and just enjoy ship life. One
4:09
thing I found is repositioning cruisers
4:11
are chosen by highly social travelers
4:14
because the multiple sea days along
4:15
with, as you'll hear more about later,
4:17
mixed weather means there's lots of time
4:20
to meet and get to know fellow cruisers.
4:23
The fourth reason many like them is for
4:25
the vibe and similar traveler mix. They
4:27
attract way fewer families because
4:29
they're longer and fall in shoulder
4:31
seasons out of school vacation times.
4:33
And the crowd tends to skew older,
4:36
quieter, and is definitely more relaxed.
4:38
I'm frequently asked by people attracted
4:41
by all of these. How though do you find
4:43
repositioning cruisers as they don't see
4:45
them advertised normally.
4:48
Probably the easiest way is to ask a
4:50
cruise specialist travel agent. And if
4:52
you are looking for a good agent, I have
4:54
recommendations for those in different
4:55
countries in an article on my blog at
4:58
titsraers.com/agents.
5:01
However, there are a few great websites
5:03
that list repositioning cruisers that I
5:05
use to check out options. My personal
5:08
favorite and the most comprehensive by
5:11
far is repositioning cruise.com. It's
5:14
run by the well-known site vacations
5:16
togo.com. I find it not only has all
5:19
options from resort mega ships to small
5:22
ultra luxury ones, but it's the best
5:24
resource to easily look at all lines,
5:26
itineraries, and dates in one place and
5:28
get a really good feel for the prices.
5:31
Now, I use this to see which would work.
5:33
Though, I then actually use my travel
5:35
agent to find the best fairs and to
5:37
actually book. But if you are set on a
5:40
specific line, most have on their
5:42
website an option to set a filter in
5:44
their cruise search for repositioning
5:46
cruises. And some have dedicated
5:48
repositioning pages listing all of them.
5:51
For example, Celebrity does that. And if
5:53
you're on a cruise and want to do one on
5:55
that same line, check in with the future
5:57
cruise team and they'll absolutely be
5:59
able to help. I did that and I got that
6:02
Crystal Lisbon to Miami repositioning I
6:04
mentioned with added onboard discount. a
6:06
fair that gave me one great upgrade and
6:09
a pre cruise hotel stay by doing it on
6:12
board. Even when cruisers have got all
6:14
of this right, there are still a few
6:16
areas where I see people getting things
6:19
wrong. And here they are. First, many
6:23
think they run like a regular cruise
6:24
does. Being longer and with so many sea
6:28
days, the lines must find ways to fill
6:30
all of those days and keep passengers
6:32
entertained. So I often see the program
6:34
can be rather different to one of their
6:36
regular cruisers selling in the
6:38
Caribbean, Mediterranean, Alaska and so
6:40
on. On repositioning cruises,
6:42
entertainment leans more to enrichment
6:44
lectures, trivia, bingo, competitive
6:47
activities like table tennis golf
6:49
putting officers versus passenger
6:51
challenges, dance classes, cooking
6:52
demonstrations, senior officer and
6:55
theater singers and dancers, Q&As's, and
6:57
it can get a little bit repetitive as
6:59
they just keep repeating those things.
7:02
The line only has a limited number of
7:03
production shows, so they have to
7:05
supplement them as they did in my recent
7:06
one by letting the individual singers
7:08
putting on specific cabaret shows and
7:10
even some of the live musicians on the
7:12
ship put on concerts on my latest
7:14
repositioning to fill the many nights.
7:17
Also, I have frequently seen the lines
7:19
try new shows they're planning to roll
7:20
out on repositioning cruises because
7:22
there's time for performers to work on
7:24
it. So, they're not always quite right
7:26
yet. And again, they did that on my
7:28
recent repositioning cruise. Next, I
7:31
have on all the ones I've done met
7:32
cruisers who booked a repositioning on a
7:34
line they'd never been on before because
7:36
of the price or route being one that
7:39
appealed to them, but they didn't enjoy
7:41
it and felt stuck because the line
7:43
wasn't to their liking or style. For
7:45
example, other friends encouraged by the
7:47
experience of those other friends I
7:49
mentioned doing repositions on Viking,
7:51
they booked on Viking and found quite
7:53
quickly they didn't like it. They like
7:55
an upbeat late night high energy vibe, a
7:58
much more partylike program when
8:00
cruising. So, they disliked the quieter
8:02
Viking vibe, which was lectures, smaller
8:05
scale shows, no casino, less late night
8:07
activities. It made the 12-day
8:09
repositioning feel very long for them
8:11
indeed by not choosing the right line.
8:14
Also, many cruisers go on repositioning
8:15
cruises, assuming calm seas and sunny
8:17
weather. But crossing oceans like the
8:19
Atlantic or the Bearing Sea between
8:21
Alaska and Japan at those times of year
8:24
can mean stormier weather and choppy
8:26
seas. On reposition cruises I've been
8:28
on, there's been decks closed due to
8:30
wind pools closed or drained, lots of
8:32
movement, so not always suiting people
8:34
prone to seasickness. Plus, because
8:37
they're in shoulder seasons before and
8:38
after the best weather in a region,
8:40
weather on a repositioning can usually
8:42
be cold, wet, and windy at times. This
8:45
was the case on my most recent one, too.
8:47
Most cruisers also don't factor in that
8:49
even the few ports on the itinerary
8:52
could be cancelled due to this weather
8:54
increasing even further the number of
8:56
sea days. This happened to me on that
8:58
Pino transatlantic repositioning I
9:00
mentioned where we had to drop a port on
9:02
the way due to weather. The most
9:05
dramatic example I can think of weather
9:07
impacting a transatlantic repositioning
9:09
in the last few years is the Norwegian
9:11
Aqua repositioning when it came into
9:13
service out of the UK. Due to poor
9:15
weather in the North Atlantic, it didn't
9:17
even sail and end in the scheduled port
9:20
of Boston at all. It sailed further
9:23
south. It diverted and ended in New
9:25
York. Instead, it took 3 days longer
9:27
than scheduled to do that as well. The
9:30
weather can make packing tricky, too.
9:32
Generally, the weather at the start and
9:34
end will be quite different with
9:36
sweaters at the start and shorts and
9:38
t-shirt at the end or vice versa. So you
9:41
do need to pack for a multiple set of
9:44
weather. So for example on that piano
9:46
batania from the UK to the Caribbean, it
9:48
was autumn as we left and had to be
9:50
wrapped up with big coats, but by the
9:52
time we got to the Caribbean, it was hot
9:54
beach short weather. I also see far too
9:56
many cruisers booking the wrong cabin on
9:59
these. People who find an inside cabin
10:01
works on a regular seven night port
10:03
intensive cruise in the Caribbean,
10:05
Mediterranean or Alaska find on a long
10:08
repositioning it actually feels rather
10:10
claustrophobic, especially sitting out
10:12
on the deck due to weather, it's not
10:14
always possible for some of the trip and
10:16
they find with all the sea days and the
10:17
pace, they actually want to spend a
10:19
little bit more time in their cabin and
10:21
an inside or ocean view doesn't always
10:23
work. But that's why kind of balcony
10:25
cabins or certain cabins with big
10:27
windows can make a real difference on a
10:29
repositioning because you use the cabin
10:31
differently. Midship cabins are also
10:33
really good because the sea conditions
10:35
are likely to mean more movement. So
10:37
midshipips is a good bet. One area I see
10:40
many slip up is not factoring in the
10:42
potentially high cost of the required
10:44
one-way international flight and pre and
10:47
postday hotels. These can wipe out a lot
10:50
of the savings from the lower cruise
10:52
fair in many cases. For example, I
10:55
needed to get to Anchorage to join that
10:58
Silver Nova Transpacific and stay a
11:00
night. I did leave booking a hotel a
11:02
little bit later than I should and by
11:04
the time I booked it, it cost me $600
11:07
for one night even in the Hilton because
11:09
most of the hotels were sold out. If you
11:11
don't factor all that in, the savings
11:13
could disappear and the cost for the
11:14
entire trip end up being not much more
11:17
of a bargain versus a regular cruise. I
11:20
also see people not thinking through the
11:22
impact of time changes on repositioning
11:24
cruises and going in the kind of the
11:26
wrong or less ideal direction. Let me
11:28
explain. On that silver Nova from Alaska
11:32
to Japan, we gained an hour every night.
11:35
So, a total of 7 hours in seven days as
11:38
we moved across time zones. This change
11:41
overall felt more easy because when I
11:43
went to bed, it was basically an hour
11:44
earlier as I changed the clock back,
11:46
giving me more sleep and rest. But if
11:48
I'd headed the other way, I'd have lost
11:50
an hour every night and that would be
11:52
much more brutal. But still adjusting to
11:53
that time zone change a lot of people
11:55
struggled with. The same with
11:57
transatlantics. Westbound from Europe to
11:59
the Caribbean, you gain 5 hours, making
12:02
for 25-hour days, while eastbound, you
12:04
lose it having five 23-hour days
12:07
instead. And it can be rather tiring.
12:10
There are a few practicalities that I
12:12
have also seen many forget or not take
12:15
enough account of like not thinking
12:17
through and checking any visa or transit
12:19
requirements. As repositionings pass
12:21
through multiple countries, there may be
12:24
a need to get a visa or a series of ESTA
12:27
or ETA electronic travel authorizations
12:30
to enter different countries. They have
12:32
to be applied for and sorted in advance
12:34
and not having them could mean being
12:36
refused boarding if you don't have them.
12:39
On some repositionings, there will be
12:40
in-person immigration process, maybe
12:42
multiple times, like we had on board
12:45
when we were entering Japan on that
12:47
Silver Nova repositioning. Many people
12:49
assume Wi-Fi will be available and
12:51
reliable with plans or need to stay in
12:54
touch with family or do some work calls
12:55
or work. However, even with Starlink
12:58
these days, you can't assume this and
13:00
you may need to pay for premium services
13:02
to get streaming or to use a VPN and
13:05
there may be periods where it is patchy
13:07
or not available. All of that was the
13:09
case in that silver repositioning
13:11
because it was an area where Starlink
13:13
wasn't allowed to operate and the ship
13:14
had to revert to the less reliable slow
13:17
marine satellite alternative. I also
13:19
worry that many do not appreciate that
13:21
travel insurance with cruise cover is
13:23
really important on these longer
13:25
sailings that sell far from land and
13:27
ports. If you do need medical attention
13:29
and must be medivvaced, it will cost an
13:32
absolute fortune. So having cover that
13:34
includes both that and foreign hospital
13:36
stays and repatriation home is
13:39
essential. Bearing in all this in mind,
13:42
who have I seen should and should not do
13:45
reposition cruises and why?
13:47
Repositionings are best for experienced
13:49
cruisers who know that they love sea
13:52
days. They're ideal for retirees or
13:54
people with flexible schedules that can
13:56
be comfortably away for that amount of
13:58
time and can travel in the two narrow
14:01
windows when these all take place.
14:04
They're also a great option for budget
14:06
conscious travelers who want to do more
14:09
days for less, especially if they enjoy
14:11
a more enrichment and relaxed focused
14:14
program. I find them, by the way, also
14:16
good for solo travelers because the
14:18
better value fairs make them more
14:20
affordable, even if there's no solar
14:23
supplement. They're not good for
14:25
first-time cruisers nor families with
14:27
kids, as it may prove rather hard to
14:29
keep them entertained. They're also not
14:32
right for anyone who wants port
14:34
intensive itineraries, dislikes, or
14:37
struggles a lot with motion sickness. If
14:40
you're thinking of doing a repositioning
14:41
on a premium line, why not join me over
14:43
in this video where I compare and
14:45
contrast them to see which is best and
14:47
worst these days. See you over there.
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