Repositioning Cruises

There are many terms that are used in the cruising industry that can seem complicated if you are new to it and a repositioning cruise is one such terms that we are often asked, “what is that?”.

The simple answer is that a repositioning cruise holiday is simply a cruise itinerary that starts at one port and ends at another but there are several different types of repositioning cruises and some repositioning cruises that start and end in the same place.

So now that we have probably confused you even more, we will take you through all that there is to know about repositioning cruises, cruise repositioning routes and more in our repositioning cruises guide.

If you are simply looking for inspiration or want to quickly see the types of repositioning cruises that are available, why not start with our top 10 guide to repositioning routes video.

Repositioning Cruise Holidays

Repositioning Cruise Routes

A repositioning cruise can be offered by a line for several reasons including moving a ship for repairs, changing a home port, moving from one region to another and locating from there summer season home to their winter summer home.

Sometimes it is simply because the ship has no home port and just keeps moving around the globe and sometimes, a ship spends a few weeks sailing out of a port before moving on.

No matter what the reason, these cruisers are often amongst the cheapest on the market as lines know that guests will have the additional cost of airfare or train fares to get back to where they started.

Those extra costs and the perceived inconvenience can often put of cruisers from choosing these types of cruise holidays but for us, there is no difference from flying to and from the same airport as there is flying to and from 2 different airports.

There are several advantages to repositioning on your holiday as it often allows to explore a much wider area and to visit more ports as you save yourself from sailing back past the ports you have already visited and from the days at sea needed to get from a-b.

Some routes also allow you to take in an incredible number of different cultures, histories and even seasons as some cruises cross the equator and can go from winter to summer and some can start in a cold weather destination and end in a hot one.

That gives you an extra sense of adventure and of exploration that you simply cannot get on a regular cruise around the Med or the Caribbean.

Type of Repositioning Cruises Available

When it comes to repositioning cruises there are a few routes that are iconic in the industry and that are offered by many different cruise lines.

These include the infamous transatlantic route, which allows cruisers to retrace the route of the Titanic, trans-pacific routes, the spice route and sailing through the Panama Canal and the Suez Canal.

Some repositioning routes simply break up a longer cruise into 2 cruises but with guests able to book both journeys, you can sometimes book 2 repositioning cruises back-to-back and therefore allowing you to start and end in the same place whilst enjoying more of the area you want to explore.

One common itinerary of this type is sailing from the United Kingdom to Iceland and then back or sailing from Australia to Asia and then back.

If you are wanting to try a cruise for the first time or are just short of time, another from of repositioning cruise can be in the from of a mini cruise.

Sometimes these will be overnight cruises or cruises of 2-3 nights where a ship is simply moving from one port to another and often you don’t even get to stop, but they can be great value and can be a great way to try a new line or ship.

Repositioning Routes

In the not-too-distant past, there were only a handful of repositioning cruises offered each year including transatlantic routes, predominately from Southampton to New York and from Europe to the Caribbean, transpacific routes from the US to Asia and sailing through the Suez and Panama canals.

The non canal journeys would take place at the beginning and end of the season as ship moved from wintering in the Caribbean and summering in Europe or from summering in Alaska before wintering in Asia, but the growing popularity of repositioning cruise holidays has led to an increasing number of routes offered all year around.

Repositioning Cruise Routes

Amongst routes that are offered all year around are popular routes including itineraries taking guests from Hong Kong to Singapore, Australia to Asia, the Middle East to Africa, Europe to the Middle East, the USA to South America, Europe to Africa, Northern Europe to the Mediterranean and many many more.

Cruise Repositioning Routes

The great news for those of us based in the United Kingdom is that there are a wide range of repositioning cruises from the UK.

Repositioning Cruises From UK

One of the world’s most iconic repositioning cruise route is from the port of Southampton to New York, which is of course the route of the Titanic on its fatal journey, but it is also the route of the worlds last regular liner service, which is offered by Cunard.

Other popular routes include from the UK to the Mediterranean, from the UK to the Caribbean and it is also possible to take one-way trips to such far away places as the Middle East, Asia and even Australia.

Repositioning Cruises From Southampton

If you would like to take a repositioning cruise from the UK, the widest range of lines and itineraries are offered from the UK leading cruise port of Southampton, although there are options from most other ports.

That is especially true for those wanting to take a shorter cruise with mini cruises offered from most ports in England and Scotland.