A repositioning cruise itinerary can save you thousands. Photo / Getty Images
A repositioning cruise itinerary can save you thousands. Photo / Getty Images
If you’re new to cruising, you may not have heard of repositioning itineraries, but savvy sailors can save bundles thanks to these unique voyages, writes Tiana Templeman.
When ships swap hemispheres, move to another region or head into dry dock for refurbishment, this type of one-way voyage is called a repositioning cruise. Here are nine reasons to consider one of these sailings for your next trip.
They’re cheaper than a regular cruise
Repositioning cruises are longer, which rules them out for many travellers, and they tend to stop at fewer ports, which means the price is generally (much) cheaper than what you’ll pay for a regular cruise. It’s not unusual to see these sailings for less than NZ$95 per person per day, like P&O Cruises’ 14-night cruise from Sydney to Singapore on Pacific Adventure, which stops at just four ports - Airlie Beach, Darwin, Komodo Island and Bali - on its way to Singapore.
Repositioning cruises are longer, allowing cruisers to make the most of onboard downtime. Photo / Cunard
If you’ve always wanted to visit a well-known destination that can be expensive to reach, such as Tahiti or Komodo Island in Indonesia, a repositioning cruise can save you thousands. There’s no need to limit yourself to the Asia Pacific region, either. Ships also reposition via the Middle East, South America, the United Kingdom and the US. A repositioning cruise can take you from Southampton near London to San Francisco via the iconic Panama Canal, another bucket list travel experience.
Save on airfares
Repositioning cruises from your home port only require a one-way airfare, which can save you thousands, but remember to check the price of any flights before you hit the booking button on your dream sailing. This is especially important if you’re thinking of travelling at the last minute as, unlike cruises, airfares tend to get more expensive the closer they are to their departure date.
A repositioning cruise can save you thousands by stopping at fewer ports.
Photo / P&O Cruises_Pacific Adventure
It’s easy to beat jet lag
On Transatlantic cruises from Europe to the United States, the ship’s clocks are set back by one hour every second day while you’re at sea. By the time you arrive at your destination, you’ve already adjusted to the local time zone and are well-rested and ready for action. Cruising in this direction means you also score an extra hour every second day, giving you added value for your holiday dollar.
Maximise on-board fun
Combine a ship with loads of on-board activities like Quantum of the Seas by Royal Caribbean with a repositioning itinerary with loads of sea days, and you’ll be able to make the most of everything on board. With activities like skydiving, rock climbing, bumper cars and a surf simulator, you’ll have time to learn extra tricks in the iFly skydiving tunnel and graduate from boogie boarding to hanging ten on a surfboard on the FlowRider. For an activities sailing adventure further afield, cruising from San Juan to Lisbon on Norwegian Viva offers plenty of on-board fun with two free-fall dry slides, a go-kart track and more.
With extra sea days, make the most of everything on board. Photo / Royal Caribbean International
Enjoy more programmes and activities
Many cruise lines include additional musical acts and enrichment programmes as part of their longer repositioning sailings. On a 15-night Transatlantic cruise on board Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam, we danced across the Atlantic with a superb swing ensemble invited on board for the long crossing. On longer Cunard cruises, there are dance lessons, Zumba classes, daily art classes and insight talks with guest speakers who specialise in a diverse range of topics.
Enjoy additional musical acts and enrichment programmes on board Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam.
Photo / Holland America Line
Learn a new skill
With plenty of sea days and time to fill, repositioning cruises are ideal for learning new skills or trying something different. Many on-board activities, such as trivia challenges, foreign language lessons, cooking demonstrations and ballroom dancing classes, are complimentary. If you enjoy playing chess or card games, you’ll find plenty of willing players on board.
With plenty of sea days and time to fill, repositioning cruises are ideal for learning new skills. Photo / Tiana Templeman
Visit lesser-known destinations
One of the best things about repositioning cruises is that they often visit lesser-known or off-the-beaten-track destinations that you wouldn’t usually get the chance to see. On our cruise across the Atlantic, we spent a day at Funchal in Madeira, an archipelago comprising four islands off the northwest coast of Africa, and tried the famous fortified Madeira wine in the place it originated from.
Solo travellers rejoice
Repositioning voyages are superb for socialising and meeting fascinating people as these journeys tend to attract a well-travelled clientele. They’re also popular with solo travellers. On longer voyages, there’s almost always a solo travellers’ table, and everyone is more relaxed and willing to chat. With these longer itineraries, there’s time to really get to know people and form meaningful friendships.
Repositioning voyages are superb for socialising and meeting fascinating people. Photo / Cunard
