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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If you live on the west coast, a repositioning cruises from Southern California to Vancouver may be just thing after a long, wet winter. For a few hundred dollar apiece, you can enjoy a mini-vacation with good food, beautiful scenery, and smiling staff ready to answer to your every whim.

You can drive to San Pedro or San Diego, cruise for three, four, or seven nights and then fly back from Vancouver to Los Angeles. At press time, one-way fares were around $150.

So why not celebrate the start of spring with a little getaway.

NCL west coat repositioning cruises.

Norwegian Star

The 2,376-passenger Norwegian Pearl sails from Los Angeles on Saturday, April 24, 2010. Passengers on this cruise can eat in a different restaurant every night of their cruise. There’s a steakhouse, an Italian restaurant, a tapas bar, an Asian restaurant, and more. With a dozen bars and lounges, there are also plenty of places to wet your whistle, including Maltings which has the largest beer and single-malt Scotch menu at sea. Norwegian Pearl was the first cruise ship to have a bowling alley, and it has a rock-climbing wall and thalassotherapy pool. In the evening, comedy shows by the Second City improv group are hysterical.

After a day at sea, you’ll arrive in San Francisco, where you can explore Fisherman’s wharf, visit Chinatown, or tour Sausalito or Sonoma. After another day at sea, you’ll spend a day each in Astoria, Victoria, and Nanaimo, where you can take a trip on a 1929 steam train, or visit a grove of 800-year old Douglas fires. The cruise ends in Vancouver on Saturday, May 1. With four port calls, there’s lots to see and do on this voyage. Fares start at $599.

Victoria, BC

Similar to Norwegian Pearl, the 2,240-passenger Norwegian Star sails from Los Angeles on Saturday, May 1, 2010. With 12 restaurants and as many bars, there’s plenty of variety at meal time. And the 24-hour fitness center helps burn off the calories. This itinerary is perfect for those who also want to see some of the spectacular scenery of Alaska, because after three days at sea, she calls at Juneau and Ketchikan, and cruises the Inside Passage before arriving in Vancouver on May 8. Passengers can take a helicopter flight onto a glacier, take a whale-watching cruise, go fishing, enjoy a salmon bake, or take a wildlife-spotting excursion. Fares start at $599.

Princess Cruises west coast repositioning cruises.

Princess has three cruises to choose from. The 1,970-passenger Coral Princess is one of the line’s roomiest vessels. Ninety percent of her cabins are ocean view, and most of those have balconies. In addition to the main dining rooms, there’s Sabatini’s Italian restaurant and the Bayou Café steakhouse. The huge, poolside LCD screen is a passenger favorite. She sails from Los Angeles on Thursday, May 6, 2010, and calls at Victoria after two days at sea. Passengers leave the ship in Vancouver on Monday, May 10. Fares start at $399.

Golden Princess

The 2,006-passenger Golden Princess sails from Los Angeles on Sunday, May 9, 2010. With three showrooms and Movies Under the Stars out on deck, there’s plenty to do at night. And with four pools and nine whirlpools, you can soak up the sun on the day at sea. Golden Princess arrives in Catalina Island the first morning and overnights there, sailing at one the next afternoon. You can tour the island, go for a kayaking or rafting trip, play a round of golf, snorkel, SCUBA dive, or go for a glass-bottom boat ride. That evening, you can have dinner ashore, or pop into town for a night cap. The next day, you’ll arrive in San Francisco. You’ll have a full day there and in Victoria before arriving in Vancouver on Friday, May 14. Fares start at $449.

A sister ship to Coral Princess, the 1,970-passenger Island Princess sails from Los Angeles on Friday May 14, 2010 and arrives in Vancouver on Monday, May 17. There are no port calls, so this itinerary is a great choice for cruisers who love life at sea. Enjoy the shows at night, sleep in in the morning, and then have a relaxing day at the spa, pool, or art auction. Fares start at $349.

Find more west coast repositioning cruises here.

Norwegian Star Image Flickr: Tom Mascardo 1
Victoria BC Image Flickr: Dustin and Jenae
Golden Princess Image Flickr: anthony_goto

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