Savvy cruisers who yearn for days at sea, as well as great deals, look forward to spring and autumn more than any other time of year. This is when repositioning cruises feature as an unsung element of cruise lines' rosters.
Though some ships spend the entire year sailing the same itineraries, many relocate to follow the sun. Few ships stay in Europe when the weather turns, so between September and November there is a veritable armada of ships crossing from Britain to the U.S. and Caribbean, calling at Iceland and the Canadian Maritimes en route. Likewise, in spring many ships, having spent winter in the Caribbean and South America, head back to Britain via the Azores, Canary Islands and Iberian Peninsula.
These one-way voyages are often sold at discount prices as they are not part of regular sailing schedules. To attract passengers, cruise lines may theme them with topics ranging from food and wine, to theatre, and big band music. Enhanced enrichment programmes also make these voyages appealing.
Read on for details of repositioning cruises coming in spring 2024.
When: April 28, 2024
From: New York City to Southampton
Calling at: This 12-day Transatlantic crossing on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas calls in at Funchal, Madeira (May 5), La Coruna, Spain (May 7) and Le Havre, France (May 9), before starting its summer season in Southampton.
When: March 2024
From: Rio de Janeiro to Lisbon
Calling at: As transatlantic repositioning cruises go, Azamara’s 17-night Portuguese Quest Voyage is one of the finest. Azamara Quest, beautifully refurbished in 2021, leaves Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro on March 15, 2024, for Buzios, one of Brazil’s finest beach resort towns, then carries on to Salvador de Bahia, one of Brazil’s many UNESCO World Heritage Site towns.
The Atlantic Ocean crossing is broken with a visit to Mindelo, on Cape Verde’s São Vicente Island, then there’s more island hopping to the Canary Islands for a day in Tenerife and another in La Palma, followed by a day in Madeira before arriving in Lisbon.
When: March 2024
From: 14-nights from Port Sultan Qaboos, Oman to Singapore
Calling at: This all-inclusive adults-only cruise leaves Oman on November 29 heading for “the Gateway to India” Mumbai, followed by Mormugao in the southern state of Goa. Marella Discovery 2 also calls at Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, and there's some time to relax at sea before visiting sleepy Sabang, on Indonesia’s Pulau Weh island.
There are more beaches at Langkawi, off the west coast of Malaysia, before a day at Port Klang to visit Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. The cruise finishes with an overnight in Singapore.
When: October, 2024
From: Seattle, Washington to Miami, Florida
Calling at: After a summer season in Alaska, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore heads south for the winter from Seattle on October 13, 2024, making a couple of calls in California – San Francisco and Los Angeles – before arriving in Mexico. There are calls at Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, which has beaches and cobblestone streets, Manzanillo – great for water sports – and Acapulco.
Among days at sea the ship visits Puerto Quetzal in Guatemala and Puntarenas in Costa Rica, then there’s Panama City before a daylight transit through the Panama Canal to Cartagena, Colombia.
The final stop is in Grand Cayman, famous for its seven-mile beach, before disembarkation at Miami.
When: September 2024: 16-Day Iberian Passage
From: Southampton to Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Calling at: This is a fantastic chance to get on Princess Cruises’ newest ship as Sun Princess leaves Southampton for Florida’s balmier weather and a winter season in the Caribbean.
It departs on September 23, 2024, with a call at Portland in Dorset where you can walk along the amazing Chesil Beach, then sails south to Vigo in northern Spain for excursions to the pilgrimage town of Santiago de Compostela.
Things start to warm up with a day on Madeira, followed by the volcanic island of Tenerife in the Canaries, then there’s eight days of total relaxation during the transatlantic crossing to Fort Lauderdale.
When: April 2024
From: Durban, South Africa to Naples, Italy
Calling at: This 22-Night MSC Grand Voyages on MSC Splendida embarks on a fascinating itinerary on April 6, 2024, after a winter sailing off South Africa’s shores.
The MSC Cruises ship is heading back to its native Italy on a 22-night cruise that starts with three relaxing days at sea before reaching Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, with its dramatic volcanic mountain and UNESCO-listed national park.
There are three days at Port Louis on the subtropical island of Mauritius, then eight days at sea before reaching Safaga in northern Egypt, for excursions to the River Nile temples, and Aqaba in Jordan, where you should not miss a trip to the lost city of Petra. A night-time transit through the Suez Canal is followed by two days sailing the Mediterranean to Naples.
When: May 2024
From: 13-Night Western Europe Transatlantic from Fort Lauderdale to Southampton
Calling at: Celebrity Cruises’ second Edge-class ship Celebrity Apex will be based in the U.K. for the first time from May 2, 2024, following a transatlantic crossing from Fort Lauderdale to Southampton for the summer.
The ship’s fabulous pools, restaurants and entertainment will come into their own during the first seven days at sea but then there’s a call at Ponta Delgada, the capital of São Miguel island in the Azores, with its picturesque harbour and promenade.
A few days later the ship arrives at colourful Cobh in the Republic of Ireland, where you can jump on a train to Cork, then it goes to Portland, in Dorset, for excursions to Stonehenge and beyond. Zeebrugge in Belgium is next, and there’s an easy train journey to chocolate box-beautiful Bruges, before disembarking at Southampton.
When: April 2024
From: Fort Lauderdale to Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Calling at: Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam has an excellent repositioning cruise leaving Fort Lauderdale on April 7, 2024, with a day soaking up the sun in Bermuda before setting off across the Atlantic for six days at sea.
Then there’s a port to visit every day, criss-crossing the Channel from Brest in northern France, with its castle and city walls, to the Channel Island of Guernsey, where St Peter Port has a lovely old quarter of alleys and winding streets.
Next comes Le Havre, Unesco-listed for its Modernist post-war architecture, then Dover with its white cliffs and magnificent castle. The cruise finishes at Rotterdam, now Holland America Line’s spiritual home.