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Why fall repositioning cruises are a good bargain

vsaunders | Jul 12, 2010 |

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Fall is a popular time of year for repositioning cruises. By September, the seas get too rough and the temperatures get too low for cruising in Alaska to be much fun. And even though the weather is still moderate in parts of the Mediterranean, most people prefer to travel there in summer.

Cruise ships that have spent the summer in those destinations relocate to areas that are popular for winter cruising -- the Caribbean, South and Central America, Mexico, and the Panama Canal. The voyages between the two places are called repositioning cruises, and they're usually much less expensive than cruises in either area.

Fall repositioning cruises aren't for everyone, because they don't visit a lot of ports. There are lots of days spent as sea, which some seasoned cruisers love. But those new to cruising may be bored with the same view of the waves day after day.

Some of the least expensive repositioning cruises leave from Vancouver, British Columbia. The Jones Act makes it so that cruises that begin in the United States can't end in the United States unless they visit a foreign country in between, which isn't all that convenient. So it's easier to just begin these cruises in Canada.

These cruises can be as short as three days and spend the entire time at sea, or they can be as long as ten days and visit several ports along the west coast of the United States. For travelers with limited time and budget, they're a good deal.

If you have more time and money, you can stay on board and transit the Panama Canal, which is a memorable experience in itself.

The other option in fall is a repositioning cruise from Europe to America or the Caribbean. This year, more than a dozen ships are making this crossing, which can take as little as 12 days or as many as 28, depending on the number of ports. Some ships visit several ports in Europe before crossing the Atlantic and others visit ports along the way, such as those in Iceland, Greenland and the maritime provinces of Canada.

Because there's a lot of time at sea, many of these cruises have special demonstrations and seminars on board to keep the passengers entertained. If you're going to do one of the repositioning cruises, choose a ship with all the features you enjoy, such as a fitness center, sport court, and spa.

You'll also probably enjoy yourself more if the ship you're on has several dining options. Frequent cruisers, especially older ones, enjoy the social aspects of dining in the same dining room with the same table mates every night. But many younger travelers get bored with the lack of variety.

A ship with at least two alternative dining rooms, often a steakhouse and an Italian restaurant, will give you a few more options for those nights when you prefer not to be social or just want a change of scene or cuisine. Most the these restaurant charge a small fee of $15 or $25 per person to eat there. But most passengers think the extra cost is worth it.