Thanksgiving is a great time to travel.  The crowds are less hectic than they are at Christmas.  The weather is better in many places.  And for many workers, two paid holidays can really help extend vacation time.

Plus, if Mom’s cooked turkey dinner for the last twenty years, maybe it’s time to give her a break and let someone else do the cooking — and the clean up.  Trust us, there will be plenty of leftovers for all.

Repositioning cruises are always some of the best cruise bargains, and this year, late November sailings are especially well priced.

On Wednesday, November 18, Costa Cruises’ Costa Magica departs Savona, Italy bound for Brazil.  This is a great itinerary that augments seven sea days with eleven port calls, including Malaga, Casablanca, Tenerife, the Cape Verde Islands, and six ports in Brazil, including Rio and Sao Paolo.  Costa is known for their Italian hospitality and warm service.  And guests will enjoy the modern fitness center and spa.  Ocean-view cabins start at $899. for 18 nights.

Royal Caribbean’s 2,400-passenger Vision of the Seas sails from Lisbon on Thursday, November 19.  Passengers on this 14-night itinerary will visit Funchal, Madeira and Tenerife in the Canary Islands before calling at Recife, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paolo, Brazil.   Ocean-view cabins start at just $788, making this one of the least expensive trans-Atlantic repositioning cruises.

If you can get away for nearly three weeks, Costa Cruises’ 18-night voyage aboard the Costa Concordia has one of the lowest per diems ever.  With ocean view cabins as low as $899, rates are under $50 per night, per person.

The itinerary begins in Savona, Italy on Sunday, November 22, and calls at several ports in Spain and Portugal before arriving at Funchal, Madeira.  The ship spends five days at sea before arriving in Recife, Brazil and stops in four Brazilian ports, including Rio de Janeiro, before disembarking passengers in Sao Paolo on Thursday, December 10.

Those with less time can sail from Southampton on Monday, November 23, aboard Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas.  Passengers will visit Le Havre and Cherbourg in France, and Vigo, Spain before arriving in Funchal.  There are six sea days before the ship docks in Fort Lauderdale.  And with a water park, FlowRider surf simulator, cantilevered whirlpools, and a full-size boxing ring, you’ll have plenty to keep you occupied.  Ocean-view staterooms start at $937.

Oceania Cruise Lines is one of our favorites.  Their roughly 700-passenger ships are small enough to call at off-the-beaten path ports, and service and dining are first rate.  Their Insignia sails from Barcelona on Wednesday, November 25, and visits Gibraltar and Porto Grande in the Cape Verde Islands.  After several days at sea, Insignia calls at Recife and Salvador before arriving in Rio de Janeiro.  Passengers enjoy an overnight in Rio before disembarking.

Seabourn Spirit sails from Fort Lauderdale the day after Thanksgiving bound for St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.  The Yachts of Seabourn are some of the nicest ships at sea and with capacity for just 208 passengers, the Spirit is no exception.  Port calls on this 5-night sailing include Grand Turk in Turks & Caicos, and Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands.

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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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