A Pacific coast repositioning cruise makes a wonderful, early fall getaway, especially if you live on the west coast yourself. Once the weather in Alaska becomes too rough for cruising, the ships head south to sail in the Caribbean, Mexico, or Panama Canal.

For residents of California, Washington, or Oregon, these repositioning cruises are a terrific value and a hassle-free way to enjoy everything that cruising has to offer – good food, entertainment, cool amenities, and a complete escape from the same old routine.

Victoria’s Inner Harbor

This September, there are five Holland American ships sailing down the Pacific coast from Vancouver to California. Known for their classic-style cruise ships, impressive art collections, and excellent service, Holland America also has innovative new programs and amenities that will make your days at sea stimulating and enjoyable.

The flagship of the line, Rotterdam VI, features one of the most exciting additions to Holland America ships in recent years – the Culinary Arts Center. This state-of-the-art exhibition kitchen is where you’ll go for cooking classes, wine tastings, demonstrations, and more. It’s a great facility that’s been a big hit with passengers. And it’s now available on all Holland America cruise ships.

Rotterdam VI leaves Vancouver on Sunday, September 19 and spends two days at sea before arriving in San Diego on Wednesday morning, September 22. Which means that you can have a relaxing mini-vacation and still be back at work by Thursday. At press time, Southern California residents could fly one-way to Vancouver for less than $200, and cruise fares were as low as $199 per person. So it’s very affordable.

Their Ryndam adds an extra day to the voyage, so if sea days are your thing, it’s a great choice. You’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the two pools, one of which is under a retractable glass dome, tennis, the spa, sauna, and steam bath. Like Rotterdam VI, she sails from Vancouver on September 19, but she doesn’t arrive in San Diego until Thursday, September 23 – giving you an extra night to enjoy a Broadway-style show in the Vermeer Show Lounge.

Bay Area residents can board Zuiderdam in Vancouver on Saturday, September 25 and disembark in San Francisco on Tuesday, September 28. With one of the highest space-per-guest ratios in the Holland America fleet, Zuiderdam is a delight. The huge spa has a hydrotherapy pool, aroma therapy rooms, a sauna, steam room, and eleven treatment rooms. You can arrange to be pampered to your heart’s content. A variety of dining options make it possible eat in a different restaurant every night of your cruise.

Holland America’s Ryndam

On Sunday, September 26, Statendam sails from Vancouver bound for Victoria, British Columbia. Victoria is a charming town, that’s very British in feel. Passengers can explore the Provincial Museum with it’s impressive totem poles and coastal art, visit the beautiful Empress Hotel on the Inner Harbor, or go for an optional tour of Butchart Gardens. She arrives in San Diego on September 30, following two days at sea.

Like Zuiderdam, Osterdam has lots of extra room and extensive spa facilities. And with two port calls and two sea days, her fall repositioning cruise offers a good balance of sightseeing and relaxing. Osterdam sails from Vancouver on Monday, September 27, so consider spending the weekend there before boarding the ship. She calls at Astoria, Oregon the next day. From there, you can take a side trip to Cannon Beach or Seaside. Passengers will have two days to enjoy the ship’s amenities before calling at Catalina Island. There’s plenty to do on Catalina, and in the surrounding water. Go for a snorkeling trip, take a glass-bottom boat ride, or do some shopping in Avalon. Osterdam arrives in San Diego on Saturday morning, October 2.

Victoria’s Inner Harbor Image Flickr: dbaron
Holland America’s Ryndam Image Flickr: wch14

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As the end of the summer Mediterranean cruising season draws near, Silversea, Costa, MSC, Crystal, and Disney are all offering transatlantic repositioning cruises from Europe to the U.S. in September.

On September 2, Silversea Silver Whisper leaves Southampton, and calls at Fowey, England the following day. Between Plymouth and Falmouth, Fowey is a rarely visited medieval port town with a pretty esplanade and great seafood. The following day, Silver Whisper calls at Waterford, Ireland. After four days at sea, she arrives in St. John’s Newfoundland, followed by another sea day, then Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Lobby of the MSC Poesia

Passengers will have a full day to explore the historic “cottages” of Newport, Rhode Island before disembarking in New York on September 14.

This 13-night voyage has a nice balance of port calls and time at sea, and Silver Whisper’s all-suite accommodations ensure that all passengers will be comfortable. The menus designed by chefs from Relais & Chateaux, and treatments and services at the Mandara Spa make the sea days especially enjoyable. And wines, Champagne, and other spirits are included in the cruise fare.

Sailing from Copenhagen on September 4, Costla Atlantica visits Bremerhaven, Germany, before calling at Harwich and Le Havre, France. After five days crossing the Atlantic, she visits Sydney and Halifax in Nova Scotia, Bar Harbor, Maine, Boston, Massachusetts, and Newport, Rhode Island before arriving in New York on September 19. Passengers will have two nights in New York before disembarking on September 21.

With Carrara marble accents, a recreation of one of the most famous cafes on the Piazza San Marco in Venice, and the Via Veneto Lounge, Costa Atlantica is Italian through and through. Expect many of your fellow passengers to be European on this cruise.

Another European cruise line, MSC has a repositioning cruise on September 4. MSC Poesia sails from Kiel, Germany to Copenhagen, Denmark. After a sea day, she visits Southampton and Le Havre. Passengers will have half a day to explore Vigo, Spain, and then a full day in Lisbon before sailing for the Azores. The 13,000-sqare-foot-spa is a great place to unwind during the four days Poesia spends en route to Bermuda. She arrives at King’s Wharf at 8 in the morning on Saturday and sails on Sunday afternoon, giving passengers the opportunity to spend the evening ashore in Bermuda. She arrives in New York on Tuesday afternoon and docks for the night. Passengers disembark the next morning – September 22.

Crystal Serenity Tenders

The luxurious Crystal Symphony sails from Dover on September 5 and calls at Dublin, Reykjavik, Nuuk in Greenland, and Halifax, Nova Scotia before arriving in New York on September 19. With nine days at sea, there’s plenty of time to enjoy the shipboard amenities, including a wraparound teak promenade, a state-of-the-art spa, putting green, and paddle tennis court. Two alternative restaurants, one Italian and one Asian, provide plenty of dining variety.

Families with children will enjoy the voyage aboard Disney Magic, which sails from Barcelona on September 18. She has full days in Gibraltar and Funchal, Madeira, before spending five days sailing to the Caribbean. There, she visits St. Maarten, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, and Castaway Cay, in the Bahamas, which was voted the best private island in the Caribbean. Passengers leave the ship in Port Canaveral on October 2.

Although Disney cruises are designed for kids, adults enjoy the progressive dining program in which passengers change dining rooms several times during the course of the cruise. There are plenty of adults-only spaces on board. And kids’ programs and babysitting services ensure that parents have some alone time.

Find Princess transatlantic repositioning cruises.
Find Royal Caribbean transatlantic repositioning cruises.

Lobby of the MSC Poesia Image Flickr: Tambako the Jaguar
Crystal Serenity Tenders Image Flickr: Der Etienne

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Cruise ships that have spent the summer in Europe will start to head back to the United States in August. With fares as much as 65% off, now is a great time to book your trip.

The weather is still pleasant in Europe, many of these cruises include interesting ports in Europe and visits in Iceland, Greenland, and the Martime provinces of Canada along the way. So a repositioning cruise would be a lovely way to end the summer.

Holland America’s Eurodam sails from Amsterdam on August 19, then spends a day at sea before overnight in South Queensferry. This is the port for Edinburgh, Scotland, and Eurodam overnights so passengers will have the opportunity to attend the 59th annual Edinburgh Military Tatoo. Hundreds of pipers, drummers, and members of the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland perform. It’s a thrilling spectacle you’ll never forget.

Newfoundland

After South Queensferry, Eurodam calls at Kirkwall, Scotland, and Torshavn, Denmark before spending a day at sea en route to Reykjavik, Iceland. Passengers will be able to learn more about the Eyjafjallajokull volcano during their visit. After two more days at sea, Eurodam arrives in Qaqortoq, Greenland, where passengers can tour the Norse ruins of Halsey.

The ship spends the next five days in Canada, calling at ports in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Passengers arrive 19 days later in New York City on September 6. Big discounts are currently available on this sailing.

Travelers with more time can board Eurodam in Amsterdam on August 8 and visit Stockholm, Tallinn, St. Petersburg — where the ship overnights — Helsinki, and Copenhagen in addition to the ports described above. Passengers can choose from several evening activities in Saint Petersburg. The 29-night voyage offers a huge number of ports for a repositioning cruise.

Launched in 2008, Eurodam has the Culinary Arts Center sponsored by Food and Wine magazine, several excellent alternative restaurants, a large spa, and the largest gymnasium in the HAP fleet.

On August 22, Crown Princess sails roundtrip from Southampton and does a 13-night British Isles itinerary visiting Guernsey, Cork and Dublin, Irleand, Liverpool, Belfast in Northern Ireland, and Glasgow, Invergordon, and South Queensferry in Scotland. She calls at Le Havre before returning to Southampton on September 3. Those with less time can board Crown Princess then.

Edinburgh Castle at night

We did this cruise two years ago and really enjoyed Guersney and Liverpool, which was nothing like what we expected. When a strike prevented us from calling at Le Havre, we went to Dover instead, and spend a delightful day in Canterbury.

After leaving Southampton, passengers will visit Falmouth — the gateway to Cornwall — Dublin and Belfast, before sailing to Reykjavik. After leaving Iceland, she has two days at sea before arriving in Greenland, then two more days at sea before visiting St. John’s, Newfoundland. Passengers disembark in New York on September 17.

You can find more transatlantic repositioning cruises here.

Newfoundland Image Flickr: jurek d.
Edinburgh Castle at night Image Flickr: http2007

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