Just as holidaymakers chase the sunshine, so do cruise ships. When the weather turns chilly, repositioning voyages take vessels from one part of the world to another for the start of a new season. Typically this tends to be in autumn and spring, when ships often move between the Mediterranean and the Caribbean .
Read Next Eight great no-fly cruises, sailing from UK ports Just like relocation car rentals, joining one of these strategic journeys can be a cost-effective way to travel as lines look to fill empty cabins. The cost of a “repo” sailing is significantly lower than that of your standard cruise holiday . Itineraries are point-to-point rather than round-trip.
They are typically transatlantic, although occasionally ships stay in one region and simply change their home port. Since repositioning cruises often cross oceans, they tend to be longer than regular voyages and feature several sea days – giving a chance to read a book by the pool, spend a day in the spa , learn a new skill or attend on-board enrichment lectures. If you’re looking for a relaxing escape that is also great value, here are eight to consider this autumn or next year.
Honolulu to Sydney Sunshine beckons on Celebrity Cruises’ 17-night Tahitian Treasures voyage, on board the 2,850-passenger Celebrity Solstice . Departing from Honolulu – the home of sea, surf and Hawaiian shirts – the sailing features six more stops: Mo’orea, Papeete and Raiatea (French Polynesia); Auckland and the Bay Of Is.