As a rule, most repositioning cruises take place during spring and fall when the seasons change in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Since relaxing by the pool is an essential part of cruising, most cruise ships try to cruise where the weather’s nice, the seas are relatively calm, and plenty of cruisers can travel.
But there are a few repositioning cruises available during the winter months. And they have the advantage of being very affordable. In fact, many are available for 50% – 60% off the already low brochure rates. And you won’t have to worry about hurricanes in the Atlantic, which aren’t uncommon in the fall.
The most exciting repositioning cruise this winter will be the maiden voyage of Oceania Marina. The firs vessel built expressly for Oceania, Marina will carry almost twice as many passengers as Oceania’s other ships. On January 22, Marina will cruise from Barcelona, Spain to Miami, Florida, where she’ll arrive on February 4. The ship will visit Malaga, Morocco, and the Canary Islands along the way.
Passengers on this cruise will have the opportunity to try out all of Marina’s exciting new features, including the Culinary Center, Canyon Ranch Spa, and Jacques Pepin restaurant.
Travelers with lots of time and money can sail from the tip of South America to the tip of Africa on Prince Albert II, Silversea’s expedition-style ship. The cruise leaves from Ushuaia in Argentina and ends in Capetown, South Africa. This cruise is especially appealing to travelers who like to collect destinations, because it visits lots of places you couldn’t visit any other way.
Passengers will visit the Falkland Islands, the South Georgia Islands, and islands you’ve likely never heard of.
In early-to-mid-March, MSC Cruises’ Poesia cruises from Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona, Spain, or Genoa, Italy. P&O’s Ventura cruises from Barbados to Southampton, England, and Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas cruises from Sao Paolo in Brazil to Rome.
Fares for some of these voyages start at less than $700 per person, so if you’ve never thought about taking a repositioning cruise, perhaps you should. There’s plenty to do, you’ll eat well, and have plenty of opportunities to just get away from it all, literally and figuratively.
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