Repositioning Cruises: The Slow Travelers' Hack
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 มิ.ย. 2024
- Wondering why so many slow travelers talk about Repositioning Cruises? There is a lot to learn, but when used correctly, Repositioning Cruises can end up being surprisingly affordable for the savvy slow traveler, and when you know what you're doing, can make sense even for the budget traveler.
In this video we cover a lot, answering three basic questions. 1. What is a Repositioning Cruise and why would you want to take one? 2. How to find and book Repositioning Cruises to get the best deals. 3. Tips on how to best prepare to fully enjoy your cruise.
--- As promised in the video, here is a link to the free GOOGLE SHEETS TEMPLATE to quickly calculate just how affordable any particular cruise might be for you.
bit.ly/RepositioningCruise
00:00 - Intro
01:27 - What is a Repositioning Cruise?
02:14 - Why take a Repositioning Cruise?
06:32 - How to find them
09:23 - Free Spreadsheet Template
10:03 - Can you afford it?
18:20 - How to book
21:54 - Cruise Tips!
32:32 - Bloopers!
► ABOUT US
This channel is for travelers. We are David and Robb, and have been traveling together for 30 years. We’ve been to over 85 countries and territories (so far) on trips that have ranged from a couple of weeks to a couple of years. We are currently taking a four year sabbatical and offer you an unconventional example of what is possible.
► FREE THINGS FOR TRAVELERS
How many countries have you been to?
To get our free counting spreadsheet, click here → bit.ly/WorldwideTreasureHunt
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Part 1: HOW MANY COUNTRIES - The Rules for which destinations to count → bit.ly/CountriesPartOne
Part 2: HAVE YOU BEEN TO - The Rules on what you have to do to say you've "been there" → bit.ly/CountriesPartTwo
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#slowtravel #expat #repositioningcruise #ExpatCouple #cruisetips
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As promised in the video, here is a link to the free GOOGLE SHEETS TEMPLATE to quickly calculate just how affordable any particular cruise might be for you. (In our video next week we will walk you through using the spreadsheet, but it isn't complicated.)
bit.ly/RepositioningCruise
If you've taken a Repositioning Cruise, what is an itinerary you would recommend?
This is wonderful! Thanks. 😊
Our favorite repositioning cruises were Cunard’s Queen Victoria from SF to Sydney and Princess from Singapore to Anchorage.
@@slowmads Singapore to Anchorage, I haven't seen that itinerary before, I bet that was a fun one!
@@tendegreeswarmer It was Spring 2018 on the Golden Princess. 29 days with stops in Vietnam, Korea and Japan. We flew to Singapore 10 days before the ship set sail. We’ll be taking another repo cruise from Singapore to LA on Carnival Panorama next September. Also a great itinerary.
NO cruise ship goes to Alaska for the winter, despite your comment in the intro. I've done at least 10 repo cruises....unfortunately, people have found how great they are, and at least on some lines, they are tending to fill up. For instance, my first repo on DCL had about 35% of the cabins filled. That line now sails full, BUT most of the kids on board are very young (the middle schoolers and up can't take 2 weeks off). My first repo on Virgin had 1300 passengers during the crossing on a ship that holds 2700. On my most recent crossing, they had 2348. That's a big difference. Fully agree with V2G for searches...that doesn't mean you need to book with them. Also realize that their search engine only covers the cruise lines they sell. My thoughts on travel agents is a little different than what you presented--a good agent can be worth her weight in gold while a bad one can make a disaster of your booking/trip. I've also found that when I've seen a "great' deal advertised, my agent can usually match or beat it. Thus, while I do on line research looking for cruises, I stick to one agent for booking because I know her and her quality....and as a regular customer, she knows something of my needs and likes. I used to use Cruise Critic roll call, but recently their activity level has decreased a lot. I now find FB threads for my cruise; often more than one for a particular cruise. Jut be careful--look at who is running it and what their policies are. Research the cruise line and ship you are sailing in advance. For instance, the video said "there's a library." On some lines, that it true. On others there is a book case, and on some there is nothing. My most recent FB group dealt with the absence of a library by arranging a "book swap" on several sea days. Add to your list to bring a multi plug outlet. These don't need to be on an extension cord--they can be a cube that plugs in and turns your one outlet into 3 + 2 USB ports. Another consideration is that many ship bathrooms don't have any outlets. That means that any bathroom tools you use (electric toothbrush water pic shaver etc) will need to be rechargeable so you can charge them in the room.
Remember that each ship and each line is different--do your homework in advance. Look at packages--for instance NCL "Free at Sea" includes a beverage package that you can upgrade to a higher package. We have never purchased an alcohol package but do drink a little....so on an upcoming cruise with that deal we would pay only the 20% gratuity on the package. That amounts to the cost of 2 drinks per day and includes soft drinks so we went with it. Then we looked at the difference between the included and the higher grade package. On the included one, we can't get wine by the bottle in the dining room but we can get unlimited glasses of wine....so no benefit there. The higher package includes Starbucks, but the price increase was such that we'd have to each get 4 Starbucks drinks per day to make it worthwhile...so another "we can buy our own." Some lines include soft drinks in their price. Some include tips. Some include all restaurants while others only include one main dining room. Some include wifi. Some will give you a loyalty package if you have "status" on another line. I repeat--do your homework so you know what your are getting.
Sorry to hijack your video, but I have another relo hint. We've done trips where we went from Florida to Barcelona in April and then did Barcelona to Florida in October. You can save money by purchasing a round trip plane ticket being sure that you book Barcelona to your home city as the departure and then your home city to Barcelona as the return. Then add the one way flights on Southwest to get from home city to wherever the cruise departs from. Just double check your dates as it feels like you are doing it backwards!
Thank you for the very thoughtful comment! You give a lot of valuable nuance here to the conversation. I do agree that the secret of Repositioning Cruises is out, and with the post-pandemic travel boom, they are filling up more and more over what they used to be. But deals can still be found if you are willing to look around, especially on less common routings.
We really try to use our Cruises as transportation, but for those that don't, your idea of booking round trip plane tickets (from Barcelona in your example) is a solid tip. Round trip tickets are often (though not always) cheaper than two one-way tickets, and sometimes significantly so. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing your experience with cruise ships- I have never traveled on a cruise ship. I am thinking of doing a river cruise ship in Europe- less people, being on the rivers, sailing at night and during the day stopping in all these beautiful cities. I think I would enjoy that but you did convince me to look at a repositioning cruise!
River cruises are a repositioning cruise of sorts - the ship isn't always repositioning itself at the end of a season, but it could be repositioning you from one city to another. River cruises aren't going to be as cost-effective as the bigger ships, but could still offer a really amazing experience. Let us know if you decide to take one, I'll want to hear all about it! 😃
Some much good information and you two are delightful hosts
Thank you, I'm glad you found the video useful! 😃
This was very informative.
Thank you
Glad it was helpful! 😃
An excellent overview with just enough details.😊
Thanks so much, I'm glad you found it useful! 😃
Very informative. Thank you. 👍
Glad you found it helpful!
We’re scheduled to take a cruise from Rio to Lisbon this next spring. Saving the flight costs, hotel and food costs as well as easing the time zone and trauma of the quicker flights. No to the drink package.
We're so jealous! Are you going with NCL or MSC? (Or is there another line with that itinerary I don't know about?)
@@tendegreeswarmer NCL. You should come!
@@erinaustin9968 I would love that, but we'll be in Montenegro about then. We've been following this itinerary for two years now, hopefully one of these seasons the timing/location will work out. But in the meantime I plan on living vicariously through you!
You two left no stone unturned!!! All my questions answered and a shoe rack to boot! (see what I did there?) Bravo!!! Thx, guys!😅
You two left no stone unturned! All my questions answered and a hanging shoe rack to boot (see what I did there?) 😅 Nice work; keep 'em coming!
It's funny the little hacks that end up being so useful. For our last cruise we spent two days in Sydney scouring the city for a hanging shoe rack, but to our dismay couldn't find one! lol
Amazing info!
Glad you found it useful, thanks for watching!
I don't know why you don't have more subscribers! Thanks for the info.
We all start from the beginning, but we're growing! Glad you enjoyed the video.
Just found your channel. Love u guys!❤ Going to binge watch now lol Thank u 4 this info.🌞🌴😎
Glad you enjoyed the video, welcome! 😀
Thanks for passing on that knowledge. We have plans for a group trip next year from Hawaii to Sydney with Royal Caribbean. Shall be fun.
I hope you have a great time. Crossing the International Date Line is just weird! 😆
Thinking of taking a cruise from Brazil to Europe. Thanks for the great information!
Is that on NCL or MSC? We keep looking at that itinerary as well. One of these days!
Great advice, very good content. Your spreadsheet is excellent. Just subscribed, you have excellent video and content on you site. We are leaving on NCL south Hampton to Miami in Feb 13. This will be our 3rd trans Atlantic, we need to do the trans pacific on ncl next.
Glad you enjoyed the video! We would definitely recommend the transpacific with NCL, we really enjoyed every one of our island stops. It is a longer voyage than crossing the Atlantic, but NCL is the best (in our opinion, and at least at the moment) for having the most interesting itineraries. Enjoy your cruise, wow that is just in a few days!
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it 😀
Great content thanks.
Thanks for watching! 🙂
Highly endorse Vacations 2 Go. Booked my Princess relocation, L.A. to Sydney, through them. Booked the cheapest inside cabin, but advised my agent that I would accept a free upgrade. I ended up with an upper deck balcony cabin. Yes, it was not the most desirable configuration, but it suited me fine. I loved the trip and the ship. BTW, yes, there was a few days with state 3 seas, but it was barely noticeable except the pools were closed.
Thanks for the first-hand tips! It's awesome when things like that work out 😀
I enjoyed the outtakes!😂
Thanks, I'm glad you did 😂😂😂
This is such a great video!!! I so badly want to do a repositioning cruise and have been browsing them a little bit for 2024 - it doesn't look like it's going to work out for us just yet though :( we just keep wanting to go the wrong ways at the wrong time of year haha but thank you SO MUCH for putting all of this information together!!!!
Yeah timing is everything. We are heading to Europe in November which is the exact wrong time of year to take a repositioning cruise there. But hopefully you’ll be able to work it out eventually, they can be a lot of fun!
Good video and tips, thanks, and thanks for the spreadsheet!
Glad you found it helpful!
@@tendegreeswarmer it's also good to see more of David's Cruise Ship Performer side! 😉
@@ExploreTayo It is a shame we didn't have the ability to record everything back in those days like we can today. He was really good (and, obviously, super cute)
@@tendegreeswarmer I'm sure posterity missed out on some super-cute, talented moments, but we also benefitted from some colossally stupid moments not living forever on the internet! 🤣
@@ExploreTayo I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about. 🤣🤣🤣
I love repositioning cruises! Have done 3 transatlantic and 2 transpacific. You guys are adorbs!
Awww, thanks! You have done more than us, but we love them and will definitely do more 😀 Do you have another one planned yet?
@@tendegreeswarmer yep, transpacific this Sept. Crown Princess, SFO to AUK
@@wadewave4323 Nice! We haven't sailed with Princess yet, but it is on our wish list
@@tendegreeswarmer It's my fav. I did the world cruise with them last year.
Also, there are trans-Atlantic crossings year round on Cunard’s QM 2 (just never call it a cruise!).
I've never even looked at the Queen Mary, I take it for granted our limited wardrobe would be a non-starter. But thanks for the reminder, it is always good to be aware of all the options!
@@tendegreeswarmer We travel with only 1 backpack each and 1 small roller bag. And while my husband has a tux, you can get by with a button down shirt and a sportsjacket, even on formal nights (he also brought a tie). We have now sailed on her 3 times and have a 4th crossing booked in 2025. An interior cabin is not terribly expensive and the food, enrichment speakers and ambiance is so wonderful. Twice The Royal Shakespeare Company was on board. This past year, English National Ballet was with us. It’s sailing the way sailing used to be. Just never call it a cruise-it’s a crossing!
FB groups aren't new! We did it 5 years ago, and I think our cruise 2 years before that. It's a great way to connect! Doing our first Transatlantic this fall!
That makes sense, they are a lot easier to deal with since everyone is on Facebook. But I've never seen them get any attention from the Cruise Line, which is a shame. Maybe that will change as they grow?
Love vacations to go.You even get your own rep. For all your cruises. Excellent service
Thanks for the review! We haven't used them yet, but I use their website for searching all the time.
We've never been on a cruise, but I was curious to see what a repositioning cruise was. We slow travel full time, and this might be a great way to get from one part of the world to the other. We've subscribed (#46) so that we can follow along on your travel adventures. Cheers from Vancouver :)
Glad to have you along! We don't cruise as often as some people do, but we definitely find it a great tool to skip some flights and have some luxury and adventure for a convenient and affordable cost. I'll certainly never regret going to the South Pacific!
South Pacific would be amazing!@@tendegreeswarmer
Thank you so much. I really enjoyed learning a bit more about repositioning cruises. I’ve never been on one boat but once I retire in about a year, I will definitely consider. Plus I have a lot of airline miles that have built up to get to the debarkation city. Thank you for the suggestions on how to find these cruises.
Thanks for the comment. There are plenty of ways to travel, but we've had some great luck with Repositioning Cruises, I hope you find a fun one to take! (Airline miles are the best, keep collecting them!)
When comparing cruise days to hotel days, remember that once home, there are NO hotel costs, as you will be living at home.
This is true, if that is your plan. A flight home could easily be less expensive than a cruise home. As long term slow travelers, we aren't heading home though, we're heading to a new destination, using the cruise as transportation. This can make repositioning cruises more affordable (but not always lol). But it is also a much better experience if you have the time and money 😀
@@tendegreeswarmer It sounds like a wonderful, but very hectic life.
Enjoy it while you can. Ya never know when ya can't.
@@cruisecrazy7066 Thank you! We thought life in the US was even more hectic (and expensive), but that of course is our bias. But you are exactly right, we don't know what time we have, so we want to make the most of it while we can.
@@tendegreeswarmer And remember.....
Wherever you go, there you are.
Your luggage is another story. LOL
@@cruisecrazy7066 Every traveler is going to have a lot to say about luggage! 😆😆😆
OK, now I know….. While in Split & Dubrovnik, Croatia (not via a cruise), I kept seeing stores that only sold rubber duckies 🦆🦆🦆. I was like, what the h#!! is that about, weird. Now I know! Thanks for connecting the dots. Still weird though. 😂😂😂
Every traveler has their weird quirks. lol But I'm sure the cruisers who hide ducks would love those stores! We'll be in Dubrovnik in May, I'll have to keep my eyes out for that place, thanks for the tip! 😀
Great site is What's in Port to see what the situation is at different ports of call.
Thanks for the tip, I'll be checking this one out!
Great video. My partner and I are taking out second repositioning cruises with NCL in November and just love the crowd. People are super chill and extremely outgoing and friendly. There is no rush, especially if you have three sea days in a row.
@@jeffrosenberg8456 I thought I would find the "no rush" vibe frustrating and boring, but instead I've realized how healthy it is just to slow down for a few days and make some friends. We definitely appreciate the ambiance on NCL for sure.
Do you have a South Pacific repositioning cruise that you would recommend?
For us, any repositioning cruise is all about itinerary. For our dollar, NCL has the best itinerary, at least between Sydney and French Polynesia. On ours we visited New Caledonia, Vanuatu, two stops in Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa, and then three stops in French Polynesia. Every other cruise we looked at had one or maybe two stops in New Zealand and then straight to French Polynesia. We were on the NCL Spirit which, if like us you prefer the smaller ships, is one of our favorites with an excellent Observation Deck and pool area. Just our experience.
Thanks
If I take a repositioning from near home,Las Vegas, what do you guys do to get back home???😮
The sweet spot of repositioning cruises is when you are traveling one way and not round trip. If you are looking for a vacation to then come home from, a Repositioning Cruise might have appeal if you like the itinerary/ports, but it won't be as good of a deal as it could be if you were just traveling, say, from Los Angeles to Sydney with plans to stay in Australia for a few months.
@@tendegreeswarmer
That's what I thought and then find another cruise to land you in another area to explore
@@blindhopeDiana That's the fun part of travel, sorting through all of the opportunities to see what is going to work best for you 😁
Most cruise lines allow wine for free. Bring screw top or your own opener. Get a wine glass from bar and enjoy. IF you take to dinner and have them open it, then they charge you.
Our recent experience was with NCL, and they no longer allow any free wine as they had in the past, even if you drink it in your cabin there is still a $15 corkage fee. I haven't checked other lines recently, I'm sure there are variations in policy so it is worth checking out. Either way, bringing a screw top is good advice!
The rules are different for cruises that leave from ports in the UK and Europe, even for the same cruiselines. Just check out the rules for the specific cruise you are taking.
@@slowmads Another great tip, thanks for sharing!
Great info!!! We are John and Teri Just Go traveling for the next 4-5 years! Give us a follow too... Stay safe ya'll 🤘
I love the name of your channel, I'll definitely check you out! 😀
Aww thanks!!! Love channels helping channels 🤘
I’ve never heard of a cruise in Alaska in the winter.
Yeah that was a slip of the tongue, we definitely meant the North American summer! 😂
how about doing laundry?
NCL has laundry service. Though for small things on longer cruises we've been known to do it in the sink, there is usually a line that can be extended in the bathroom for things to dry on. Another perk to getting status is eventually you get a free bag of laundry which we very much appreciate!
Please shrink your intro to about 5 seconds. Uggghhh.
Thanks for the feedback!
We're off to AMSTERDAM from Florida this spring. My second transatlantic, my husband's first.
That sounds fun to me, which line are you sailing with? I hope you have a great trip!
@@tendegreeswarmer Holland America Zuiderdam