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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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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Royal Caribbean has five ships sailing in the Mediterranean in the summer of 2010.  All five ships return to spend the winter in the Caribbean or Southern Hemisphere.  So there are five transatlantic repositioning cruises on Royal Caribbean to choose from this fall.

Because Royal Caribbean’s ships offer so much, they’re great for repositioning cruises.  There’s never a shortage of things to do and see on these ships.  And with fares starting as low as $499 for 14 nights, these are fantastic cruise deals.

Adventure of the Seas

Navigator of the Seas is an especially good choice for cruisers who like to play sports and stay fit.  Passengers can ice skate, play golf, basketball or volleyball, in-line skate, or work out in the fitness center.  Afterwards, the spa is the perfect place to relieve sore muscles.

When it’s time for dinner, Portofino Italian restaurant and Chops Grille are alternatives to the main dining rooms.

Navigator of the Seas leaves Rome on Saturday, October 23, 2010 and calls at Toulon, Barcelona, Cartagena, Malaga, and Tenerife before crossing the Atlantic.  She arrives in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, November 6, after a week at sea.  This is a nice itinerary for cruisers who want to see some Mediterranean ports before relaxing and enjoying the many amenities Navigator has to offer.

A sister ship of Navigator of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas sails on Sunday, November 7, 2010, from Barcelona, Spain.  She visits Cartagena, and then has a day at sea before calling at Funchal in Madiera and La Palma in the Canary Islands.  These are interesting ports you’re not likely to visit unless you’re on a cruise.  She spends the next six days at sea, and then visits Nassau in the Bahamas.  She arrives in Galveston, Texas on Sunday, November 21, after two more days at sea.   With a total of nine sea days, there’s plenty of time to unwind on this voyage.

The 1,800-passengers Splendour of the Seas is small by Royal Caribbean standards.  In fact, she carries about 1,300 passengers fewer than Navigator.   But there’s still plenty do with a fitness center, solarium with retractable roof, and 18 hole mini golf course.

Splendour of the Seas sails from Barcelona on November 27, 2010, which is the Saturday following Thanksgiving.  Port visits before crossing the Atlantic include Cadiz, Lisbon, and Tenerife.  She spends six days making the crossing before arriving in Salvador, Brazil.   She spend one more day at sea before calling at Rio de Janeiro.  Passengers disembark the next day, December 12, in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Adventure of the Seas entertains its 3,114 passengers with an ice-skating rink, rock-climbing wall, and full-sized basketball court.  Johnny Rockets 1950s-style hamburger restaurant is a fun alternative to the dining rooms and buffet.  And the 15,000-square-foot spa offer a wide selection of health and beauty treatments.

The Royal Promenade

On Sunday, November 28, 2010, Adventure of the Seas leaves Barcelona, and calls at Toulon, Ajaccio in Corsica, Palma de Mallorca, and Cartagena.  After a day at sea, she visits Grand Canary Island on Saturday and Tenerife on Sunday.  A week later, on December 12, she arrives in San Juan, Puerto Rico where passengers leave the ship.

One of Royal Caribbean’s first Vision Class vessels, Vision of the Seas has a soaring atrium lobby that’s flooded with natural light.  It’s a bright ship with many floor-to-ceiling windows and skylights.  The indoor, solarium pool adjacent to the spa and fitness center lets passengers enjoy some pool time whatever the weather.  And  the two-story dining room is especially attractive.

Some of the inside cabins have windows that overlook the Promenade — Vision’s café and boutique-lined main street.

Vision of the Seas leaves Lisbon on November 30,2010 and calls at both Grand Canary Island and Tenerife before crossing the Atlantic.   Six days later, she arrives in Recife, Brazil.   She has a sea day, a port call at Salvador, another sea day, and a port call in Rio before disembarking passengers in Sao Paolo on December 14.

Find more Royal Caribbean repositioning cruises here.

Adventure of the Seas Image Flickr: briandrum
The Royal Promenade Image Flickr: GregM35

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