It’s almost spring and that means that many of the cruise ships in the Caribbean and South America will sail to Europe for the summer cruising season. These repositioning cruises offer many relaxing days at sea, a chance to unwind and catch up on the latest novels, and leisurely fine dining.

They’re also good cruise deals, with fares well below voyages that call at lots of ports.

Princess Cruises has three ships offering transatlantic cruises this spring. The first sails from Fort Lauderdale on April 27, aboard Emerald Princess. With nearly 900 balcony staterooms, the 2,080-passenger Emerald Princess is a great choice for those who want to enjoy the endless ocean views.

Cobh, Ireland

After two days at sea, she arrives at the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda for the day. Passengers can spend the next five days at sea enjoying the amenities of the ship, and attending lectures, special meals, and evening entertainment.

On May 6, Emerald Princess arrives in Cobh, Ireland, the port city for Cork. She calls at Falmouth, Le Havre – for Paris – Rotterdam, London, and Oslo before disembarking passengers in Copenhagen on May 13.

Passengers who wish to see Northern Europe can stay aboard and visit Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Berlin, and Aarhus, before returning to Oslo and then leaving the ship in Copenhagen on May 24. After the crossing, they’ll be well rested for their sightseeing excursions.

Repositioning cruises on Star Princess.

The 2,600-passenger Star Princess manages to offer the amenities of a bigger ship in a more manageable space.

Tenerife, Canary Islands

She sails from Fort Lauderdale on May 3 and heads for Tenerife in the Canary Islands. She arrives after a full week at sea. After a day exploring beautiful Tenerife, she sails for Gibraltar, arriving on May 13. From there, she calls at Alicante and Barcelona in Spain, Marseille, and Florence. Cruisers leave Star Princess on May 18 in Rome.

This voyage offers ports that are very diverse in nature. It packs a lot of travel experiences into a brief span of time.

Repositioning cruises on Grand Princess.

We’ve sailed on the 2,600-passenger Grand Princess several times and have always enjoyed being aboard. The ship seems much more intimate than her passenger capacity would suggest.

The Movies Under the Stars out by the pool are always enjoyable.

On May 5, Grand Princess leaves Fort Lauderdale bound for Ponta Delgada, Portugal. The crossing takes a week.

After leaving Portugal, passengers will enjoy a cruise through the British Isles, visiting Cork, Dublin, Glasgow, Holyhead, Falmouth, and Le Havre, before leaving the ship in Southampton on May 21.

Passengers who would like see more of Europe can remain on board and call at St. Peter Port on the isle of Guernsey; Brest, France; Lisbon, Portugal; and Vigo, Spain before disembarking in Southampton on May 28.

Read more about Princess repositioning cruises.

Cobh, Ireland Image Flickr: Shaun Merritt
Tenerife, Canary Islands Image Flickr: SanShoot

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For residents of California and Washington State, a repositioning cruise along the west coast from Vancouver to Los Angeles or San Diego can be an inexpensive and exciting vacation with very few hassles. Southern Californians simply fly one-way to Vancouver and then drive or take ground transportation from the disembarkation port to their home. Washingtonians transfer to Vancouver and then fly back from Southern California.

One-way airfare is around $150, per person, and transfers are usually available through the cruise lines.

Parliament Building Victoria B.C.

For less than $500 per person, you can enjoy the cruise experience and all that goes with it – beautiful views of the coast, dining out each evening, dancing, seeing a Broadway-style show, and testing your luck in the casino.

Celebrity Millennium is a striking ship with a 25,000-square-foot spa, a demonstration kitchen, wine cellar for private dining, and a digital music library. For those who want a nice long cruise with several port visits, Millenium has a ten-night voyage that leaves from Vancouver on September 17 and calls at Nanaimo and Victoria on Vancouver Island before arriving in Seattle. After a day at sea, she arrives in San Francisco and overnights there, sailing at 8PM on Thursday, September 23. This gives passengers the opportunity to have dinner in San Francisco. The next day, she calls in Monterey, then spends a day at sea before spending a day at Catalina Island. Passengers leave the ship in San Diego on September 27.

Princess has two west coast repositioning cruises this September. The 1,900-passenger Coral Princess sails from Vancouver on Saturday, September 18 and spends two days at sea before arriving in Los Angeles on Tuesday, September 21. During the time at sea, cruisers can play mini-golf or use the sport court, enjoy entertainment in the three showrooms, get a treatment in the spa, or just enjoy some time by the pool. Sabatini’s and Bayou Café and Steakhouse provide alternatives to the main dining room.

Golden Princess leaves Vancouver the next Sunday, September 26 and does the same itinerary, arriving in Los Angeles on Wednesday, September 29. This 2,600-passenger vessel, a sister ship to Grand Princess, has a central piazza with a coffee house and wine bar, the Crown Grill Steakhouse, and an adults-only Sanctuary for relaxing.

Golden Gate Bridge

With a bowling alley, ten restaurants, a dozen bars, rock-climbing wall, and sports bar with games by day and cool lounging beds in the evenings, Norwegian Pearl has more than you can likely do in just five days. She sails from Vancouver on September 19 for Astoria, Oregon. Passengers can explore Astoria or visit the nearby Oregon beach towns. After a day at sea, she calls at San Francisco, and then spends another day at sea en route to Los Angeles, where she docks on September 24.

Cruisers who want a little more time to enjoy NCL’s Freestyle Dining and amenities can board Norwegian Star in Vancouver on October 2 for a 6-night cruise that visits Victoria, Astoria, and San Francisco. Norwegian Star was 14 lounges and bars, a two-level Mandara spa, 24-hour fitness center, and driving range.

Read about West Coast cruises on Holland America here.

Parliament Building Victoria B.C. image Flickr: WriterGal39
Golden Gate Bridge image Flickr: chadh

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Princess Cruises has five ships that spend the summer season in the Mediterranean and then return in the fall to the Southern Hemisphere. So, they have several transatlantic repositioning cruises to choose from.

A sister ship of the Caribbean Princess, Crown Princess is one of Princess’s newest ships. With more than 900 balcony staterooms, it’s a great ship for those who love being at sea. There’s a Sabatini’s Italian restaurant and Crown Grill in addition to the main dining rooms, and a Lotus Spa for relaxing. The atrium lobby is like a piazza with a sidewalk café and wine bar.

Crown Princess

She sails from London on September 3, 2010 and calls at Cornwall in England, Belfast and Dublin in Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland before disembarking passengers in New York on September 17. With seven port calls and seven days at sea, this voyage has a nice balance of activity and relaxation.

Grand Princess launched in 1998 as the first Princess Grand Class ship. For such a large ship — she carries 2,600 passengers — she’s surprisingly intimate with lots of cozy places. The adults-only Sanctuary is a good place to unwind and there’s a nine-hole putting course where you can work on your short game.

On Saturday, September 25, Grand Princess sails from London and visits Bergen in Norway, the Shetland Islands, Denmark, two ports in Iceland, and Nova Scotia before docking in Fort Lauderdale on October 11. With ten days at sea, this is a great choice for cruisers who want to enjoy the ship’s amenities and life at sea.

Ruby Princess is the same class as the Crown Princess, so she has the same dramatic, atrium lobby where passengers gather to enjoy a glass of wine or watch the performers. There are more than 900 balcony cabins to choose from, and several alternative restaurants.

Passengers embark Ruby Princess in Venice on October 8 and overnight onboard. She sails the next day and visits Naples, Rome, Cannes, and Barcelona. After three days at sea, she calls at Ponta Delgada, Portugal and then spends five days at sea en route to Fort Lauderdale. Passengers disembark there on October 24.

Grand Princess

Travelers with a little more time (16 nights) and a taste for the exotic should consider a repositioning cruise on the Star Princess this fall. The ship has three dining rooms, three showrooms, two alternative restaurants, and a full-service spa. With four pools, nine whirlpools, and a golf simulator, there’s plenty to do on sea days, and Movies Under the Stars are a fun evening activity.

Star Princess sails from Rome on Saturday, December 4 and calls at Florence, Cannes, Barcelona, and Casablanca and Agadir in Morocco. After five days at sea, she arrives at Recife in Brazil. After two more sea days, she arrives in Rio de Janeiro, where passengers overnight onboard the ship. They disembark in Rio on Monday, December 20.

Carrying just 64 passengers, Pacific Princess is one of the smallest ships in the Princess fleet. She is one of the R Class ships that Princess acquired from the now defunct Renaissance Cruises. And she’s a real gem to sail on. The food and service are a cut above, and the smaller scale contributes to on-board camaraderie.

Pacific Princess leaves Rome on Sunday, December 5th and visits Florence, Monte Carlo, and Barcelona. She calls at rarely visited Ceuta, which is a Spanish Territory, and then continues on to Casablanca. After visiting Ponta Delgada, Portugal, she spends four days at sea before arriving in Hamilton, Bermuda. She spends another two days at sea before disembarking passengers in Fort Lauderdale on December 22.

Find more Princess repositioning cruises here.

Crown Princess Image Flickr: MoToMo
Grand Princess Image Flickr: P/\UL

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