The Alaska cruising season isn’t very long.  By September, the weather starts to change and many of the ships leave Alaska bound for the Caribbean, where they’ll spend the fall and winter.  These repositioning cruises, which typically leave from Vancouver or Southern California, use the Panama Canal as a shortcut on their way to the Caribbean.

If you’ve never been through the Canal, it truly is an engineering marvel.  And there’s plenty to see from the ship, especially if you have a balcony stateroom.

In mid September, the Island Princess sails from Vancouver to Fort Lauderdale in 17 nights.  This leisurely voyage has an equal number of port calls and sea days, and balcony staterooms are a little over $100 per night.  With lots of dining options and a big spa, the Island Princess is an attractive home away from home.

You can also join the cruise two days later in San Francisco.

The Norwegian Pearl sails from Los Angeles in late September and calls at three Mexican ports, Guatemala and Costa Rica before transiting the canal.  This two-week itinerary stops in Cartagena, Columbia before arriving in Miami.

With six sea days, there’s a nice balance of sightseeing and free time.  But amenities like a bowling alley, sports bar, and cigar bar provides lots to do on board.  Fares are currently about 50% off.

The Coral Princess sails from Vancouver to Fort Lauderdale, calling at Cabo, Acapulco, Aruba, and six other ports.   Balcony staterooms are running right around $100 a night.

Bay-area residents can take the Sea Princess from San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale on a 15-night cruise.  Or stay aboard for another week and disembark in Barbados.  The longer cruise includes the Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, St. Maarten, Antigua, and St. Lucia.  You’ll save as much as 60% on the shorter cruise, but you’ll pay rack rates for the longer cruise.

Celebrity offers a 16-night sailing in early October aboard their Millennium that leaves Los Angeles and visits several Mexican ports, Costa Rica, Panama, and Aruba before arriving in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  This innovative ship has Champagne and martini bars, an MP3 music library with listening stations, and one of the largest spas at sea.  Balcony cabins are running less than $100 per person, per night.

In May, the repositioning cruises transit the canal in the opposite direction in order to be in Alaska for the summer.

Regent’s Seven Seas Navigator has a 20-night sailing from Ft. Lauderdale to San Francisco.  This luxurious 450-passenger ship boasts all suite accommodations, and one of the highest crew-to-passenger ratios at sea.  Discounts up to 60% off are available.

Another six-star ship, Silversea’s Silver Shadow, pampers its 388 passengers with a Relais & Chateaux restaurant, a Davidoff Humidor room for cigars, and a Champagne bar.  The ship leaves Fort Lauderdale, calls at ports in Columbia, transits the Panama Canal, and then stops in Acapulco and Cabo before disembarking passengers in Los Angeles.

Find out more about trans-Atlantic repositioning cruises here.

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The Atlantic is a big ocean, and there’s not much between the west coast of Europe and New York or Boston.  You can make a bee line and cross the Atlantic in six to eight days.  Or you can go north and visit Iceland, Greenland, and Canada along the way.

There’s so little to see on a straight trans-Atlantic crossing, that these voyages have some of the lowest per-night fares of all repositioning cruises.

If relaxing days at sea are your cup of tea, consider a London to New York crossing on Queen Mary 2.  Launched in 2002, the QM2 combines the romance of the gilded age of cruising with state-of-the-art amenities like the 20,000-square-foor Canyon Ranch Spa.   Ten restaurants, including the award-winning, Todd English, serve some of the best food at sea.  And there’s even an onboard planetarium.  You’ll fit right in with a tuxedo or ball gown.

With fares starting under $1,000, it’s the best way to experience old-school luxury for a modest price.  You can also board Queen Mary 2 in Hamburg two days earlier.  Or do a roundtrip from London.

Sunset at Sea

The two-week cruise aboard the Crystal Symphony gives golfers the chance to play three courses between London and Boston — Nairn in Invergordon, Scotland; Keiler in Reyjavik, Iceland; and Glen Arbour in Halifax, Nova Scotia.   Additional parties, contests, and amenities add some excitement to the sea days.

Those who have plenty of time and would like exotic ports in addition to relaxing sea days can opt for MSC Cruises’ 17-night sailing aboard the MSC Lirica.  The ship leaves Genoa, Italy in early October and calls at Barcelona, Lisbon, and the Canary Islands, before arriving in Recife, Brazil.  The ship also stops in Salvador, Brazil before disembarking passengers in Rio.

An Italian line, MSC is expanding rapidly.  Guests enjoy the friendly Italian staff and the excellent food.

Lucky travelers with even more time can save almost 50% on the Seabourn Odyssey.   This 31-night voyage leaves from Athens, calls at several ports in the Greek Isles and Mediterranean, and then leaves Funchal, Madeira and arrives Fort Lauderdale a week later.

With only 450 passengers, and fewer than that on repositioning cruises, the Seabourn Odyssey is one of the most luxurious and spacious ships at sea.   Ninety percent of the staterooms have private verandahs.  And The Restaurant features menus created by Charlie Palmer.

Seabourn also has 12-night voyages from Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale aboard the Seabourn Spirit.

Another luxury cruise line, Sea Dream Yacht Club offers an 11-night cruise that sails from Seville, Spain to San Juan, Puerto Rico, stopping in Funchal and Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands en route.   The Sea Dream II carries just 110 passengers and has unusual amenities like Balinese Dream Beds for sunbathing on deck.

Discounted fares are around $200 per person, per night.

Holland America has a mid-October 16-night program from Rome to Fort Lauderdale aboard the Noordam.  You’ll explore lots of Mediterranean ports, including Livorno, Monte Carlo, and Barcelona before crossing the Atlantic.  Their Oosterdam sails from Barcelona, and visits Spain, Casablanca, and Portugal before sailing for Fort Lauderdale.

These cruises are currently discounted by about 50%.

For the ultimate in relaxation, Windstar offers a 13-night sail cruise aboard the 312-passenger Wind Surf.  This five-masted, motor-sail vessel is a great choice for those who love sailing.  This voyage leaves from Lisbon and disembarks passengers in Barbados.

Find out more about Alaska  repositioning cruises here.

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Around the middle of September, the Gulf of Alaska becomes pretty inhospitable and the ships that have spent the summer there head south for the winter.

Because of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, also known as the Jones Act, cruises that originate in U.S. ports cannot end in U.S. ports unless another country is visited.  As a result, Alaska cruises that begin in the U.S. usually end in Canada, and vice versa.

Vancouver is the departure port for most cruises that end in Alaska.  And it’s the city of departure for most repositioning cruises leaving Alaska at the end of the season.

Many Vancouver repositioning cruises can be taken for different lengths of time.  You can take a 3-night cruise aboard the Coral Princess from Vancouver to Los Angeles,  with no stops in between.  Or, you could stay on board, transit the Panama Canal, and disembark 18 nights later in Fort Lauderdale.

Perhaps the least expensive cruise ever is the three-night cruise aboard the Sapphire Princess from Vancouver to Los Angeles.  Inside cabins for this late September sailing are going for as little as $99.  And you can upgrade to a balcony stateroom for  $100 more.

Princess also offers a 17-night cruise from Vancouver to Fort Lauderdale aboard the Island Princess.  This relatively small ship — 1,900 passengers — offers 24-hour buffet, bistro, and room service.  Three restaurants serve steaks, Italian, and Cajun food.  And the Sanctuary Spa provides a relaxing retreat.

The ship calls at San Francisco, and several ports in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia, and Aruba, before arriving in Fort Lauderdale.

Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas goes north to Alaska before heading down the coast for San Diego.

After visiting Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, the Serenade calls at Seattle, Astoria, Oregon, and San Francisco before arriving in San Diego two weeks later.  Fares start around $100 per night.

Those who want to try cruising without spending much money can put their toe in the water on Norwegian’s 7-night cruise from Vancouver to Los Angeles.   One of the least expensive repositioning cruises out there, fares aboard the Norwegian Star start at just $349.

Guests aboard the Norwegian Pearl can sail from Vancouver to Los Angeles in five nights, or  travel down the Mexican coast and through the Panama Canal to Miami in nineteen nights.  Because of the popularity of Panama Canal cruises, this voyage isn’t the bargain that many others are.

The Big Daddy of all repositioning cruises from Alaska is aboard Holland America Line’s Volendam.  The ships leaves Vancouver in late September and arrives in Hong Kong 46 days later.  En route, you’ll call at six ports in Japan, South Korea, seven ports in China, and three in Viet Nam.  What’s more, the ship overnights in Tokyo, Beijing, and Shanghai.

With  twenty sea days, there’s plenty of time to relax and enjoy the amenities aboard the ship. If you have the time, this is a great itinerary.  And fares are currently about 50% off the rack rate.

Find out about Panama Canal cruises here.

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