It’s that time of year when the ships that have spent the summer sailing in the Mediterranean are starting to make their way back to the U.S. and Canada. There are some excellent deals out there with some cruises selling for 70% off brochure prices.

NCL repositioning cruises fall 2011.

Fans of Norwegian Cruise Lines can board the recently refurbished Norwegian Sun in Copenhagen on September 11 and spend more than two weeks visiting ports in Northern Europe and the Atlantic. With calls at Berlin, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Zeebrugge, Lisbon, and Ponta Delgada, there’s plenty to see before the six-day crossing to Port Canaveral.

Norwegian Sun docked in Lisbon, Spain

Those with less time, can board the ship the second time she calls at Copenhagen, on September 20. Passengers leave the ship in Port Canaveral on October 5, 2011.

Royal Caribbean repositioning cruises.

Royal Caribbean has eight ships offering transatlantic repositioning cruises this fall. Jewell of the Seas sails from Harwich on September 3, and calls at Le Havre, Cherbourg, Cobh, Dublin, and Reykjavik before arriving at St. John’s, Newfoundland on September 14. Passengers disembark in Boston on September 17.

Mariner of the Seas leaves Rome on October 26 and arrives in Galveston on November 11 after calling at ports in Spain, Portugal, and the Bahamas. Liberty of the Seas visits ports in Spain and the Canary Islands on her voyage from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale. She sails on October 29.

Voyager of the Seas sails from Barcelona on October 30 and arrives in New Orleans on November 12. With only three port calls, this is a great choice for cruisers who love days at sea. Grandeur of the Seas sails that same day and visits several Caribbean ports before arriving in Colon, Panama on November 13.

Navigator of the Seas leaves Rome on November 6 and Adventure of the Seas leaves Malaga the following day. Navigator visits ports in Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal, while Adventurer makes stops in the Canary Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Princess repositioning cruises.

Emerald Princess

Princess only has two ships crossing the Atlantic this fall: Emerald Princess and Grand Princess. The first sails from Copenhagen on September 11 and visits Norway, the British Isles, Iceland, Greenland, and Nova Scotia before arriving in Fort Lauderdale on September 29.

Grand Princess leaves Southampton on November 4 and calls at Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, and Bermuda before disembarking passengers in Fort Lauderdale on November 19.

Norwegian Sun Docked in Lisbon, Spain Image Flickr: Sean and Lauren
Emerald Princess Image Flickr: Bruce Tuten

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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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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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