The Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is the first cruise liner in 35 years to be built specifically for trans-Atlantic cruises.  It combines the elegance of the golden age of cruising with state-of-the-art technology.   And with ten restaurants, 14 bars, and a 20,000-square-foot Canyon Ranch spa, it offers plenty of ways to enjoy long, leisurely days at sea.

Trans-Atlantic cruises are just a part of QM2’s repertoire.  She also does several repositioning cruises that take passengers to some of the world’s most exotic ports.  Cunard lets passengers embark and disembark in a variety of port cities, so you can cruise for as few as six nights or as many as 108.

In November, QM2 sails from Southampton to New York and then heads for the Caribbean.  She calls at ports in Panama, Curacao, Grenada, Barbados, St. Kitts, and the British Virgin Islands before returning to New York.

Passengers can choose to do the trans-Atlantic crossing, or the whole 19-day cruise.

On January 4, 2010, QM2 leaves New York for Dubai.  The first leg of the voyage features six days at sea before the ship arrives in Southampton.  Passengers can embark in Southampton instead of New York, if they prefer.

From Southampton, QM2 calls at Lisbon, cruises the Strait of Gibraltar, stops in Rome and Cairo, transits the Suez Canal, and then visits Luxor and Muscat before arriving in Dubai.  Fares for this cruise are currently discounted about 50%.

The next leg is a 10-day voyage that leaves Dubai on January 27 and sails to Singapore with stops in Mumbai, India, Phuket, Thailand, and Penang and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.   With balcony cabins going for as little as $1,599 per person, this is a fantastic cruise bargain.

Passengers who want to visit Bangkok and Viet Nam can stay on for another week and disembark in Hong Kong on  February 13.

From Hong Kong, QM2 spends 23 days sailing to Sydney, Australia, stopping in Japan, Guam, Papua New Guinea, the Whitsunday Islands, and New Zealand en route.  Fares for this leg are also about half off the rack rate.

Those who have the time, and the money, can continue on from Sydney to Capetown, South Africa.  That voyage stops in Adelaide, Perth, and Mauritius before arriving in Durban, South Africa.   This itinerary includes 12 sea days.

From Capetown, QM2 sails on March 25 to New York, via Rio de Janeiro, Barbados, and Ft. Lauderdale.

In August, the ships sails from Hamburg, Germany to New York and then visits Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Quebec City before returning to New York.  This 17-night cruise visit New England and the southeastern coast of Canada at a lovely time of year.   This voyage also operates in reverse in early September.

Find out more about Seabourn Cruise repositioning cruises here.

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Seabourn Cruise Line is one of the finest at sea.  Their five Yachts of Seabourn offer all-suite accommodations and  amenities like luxury bed linens, Hermes and l’Occitane toiletries, and dinner menus created by Charlie Palmer.  The three smaller ships — Seabourn Legend, Seabourn, Pride, and Seabourn Spirit — carry just 208 privileged passengers.  And the Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Sojourn accommodate only 450.

Unique programs like Shopping with the Chef, Caviar in the Surf, and Evening Under the Stars al fresco barbecues make Seabourn cruises different and memorable.  And the no-tipping policy and open bar throughout the ship make these one of the few all-inclusive cruises.

Because the ships are small, they can visit many ports that larger ships must skip.  And because they sail virtually everywhere with only five ships, there are many Seabourn repositioning cruises to choose from.

On October 31, the Seabourn Pride embarks passengers in Cairo and transits the Suez Canal before calling at Petra, Jordan, and Luxor, Egypt.  The ship then spends five days cruising the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden before arriving at Salalah, Oman.   After two days cruising the Arabian Sea, the ships arrives in Khasab, Oman, and then disembarks passengers in Dubai.

Cruisers who have more than 17 nights can stay aboard for 35 nights and add India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia to their itinerary.  That voyage ends in Singapore.  The final option is to stay aboard and visit more of Thailand and Viet Nam before disembarking in Hong Kong 49 days after boarding in Cairo.

Fares for these remarkable repositioning cruises are currently discounted by about 50%.

Those who love sea days can board the Seabourn Odyssey in Malaga, Spain on October 31 and arrive in Fort Lauderdale ten days later.  The only port call is in Funchall, Madeira.  With all that time at sea, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the ship’s amenities.

Also in late October, the Seabourn Legend leaves Civitavecchia outside Rome and calls at six ports in Spain, Casablanca, and Lisbon before arriving at Funchall, Madeira.  After that, there are nine days at sea before the Legend arrives in Fort Lauderdale.

This 23-night trans-Atlantic repositioning cruise is selling for about half off rack rates.   Those with less time — and money — can board the ship in Lisbon for the crossing.

Seabourn Spirit leaves Lisbon in mid-November and also sails for Fort Lauderdale, stopping in Funchall en route.  Those who wish to stay on board can call at Turks & Caicos, and Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands before disembarking in St. Thomas.  With another week to kill, you can add Guadeloupe, Antigua, St. Martin, and Prickly Pear Island to your itinerary and disembark in St. Thomas 24-days after boarding in Lisbon.

In early January 2010, Seabourn Spirit heads for South America, and offers several alternatives leaving from Fort Lauderdale.  The shortest of these is a 19-night sailing that visits Costa Rica and transit’s the Panama Canal before calling at Ecuador, Peru, and Chile.  Passengers can disembark in Valparaiso on January 23, or remain on board, cruise the Chilean Fjords, sail around Cape Horn, and visit ports in Argentina before disembarking in Buenos Aires.

If you have 60 days to invest, you can continue on to Uruguay and Brazil, disembarking in Manaus or make it a round-trip and stay on until Ft. Lauderdale What a lovely way to start the year.  The rack rate for the 70-day voyage is nearly $80,000 per person, but if you act now, you can probably lock in a cabin for less that $35,000 apiece.

By April 2010, the Legend is ready to return to Europe and you can sail from Ft. Lauderdale to Monte Carlo on a 24-night cruise that calls at eleven ports in Portugal and Spain en route.

A Seabourn repositioning cruise offers an unrivaled opportunity to enjoy the most pampered life available at sea.

Find out more about repositioning cruises aboard the Queen Mary 2 here.

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