Relocation/Repositioning Cruises - Anyone had any experience?

try2bhelpful on 22/02/2018 - 11:37
Last edited 22/02/2018 - 12:05

We are thinking about doing a relocation cruise. They seem to be pretty good value and the open ended nature of the cruise would get me over to e.g. Canada and I can travel from there. There are also cruises from America to Europe that would be worth looking at.

https://www.cruiseabout.com.au/deals/royal-caribbean-interna…

Has anyone had any experience with these sort of cruises, I'm looking for the upsides and downsides. Meals and onboard entertainment are usually included but not wine or excursions. Also there are a lof of "at sea" dates but I would be happy to do my crosswords, go to the gym, etc. I Would also be interested in air fares that tie in with this sort of cruise.

Any advice?

Just to explain, to avoid confusion. Boat cruises tend to be seasonal so when the season is over in the Northern Hemisphere then the boats will be relocated to the Southern hemisphere and vice, versa. These cruises are designed to reposition the boat in one direction and take passengers along whilst they are doing this. Because they tend to be long and not many stopover ports they tend to be well priced, however, you do need to find your own way back.

Thanks

Travel

Comments

  • altomic on 22/02/2018 - 12:02

    it's just a one way cruise.

    I'm not sure I understand the question.

    as in, you embark at one end (which you have flown to), and disembark at the other (home).

    so…..???

    • JimmyF on 22/02/2018 - 12:03
      -1

      yeah OP seems to think as its a relocation cruise, they'll get short-changed or something.

      • try2bhelpful on 22/02/2018 - 12:11

        Not short changed, they seem to be well priced. I'm more concerned with finding out if anyone has done one and if they have identified pitfalls and how they made their way home.

        • JimmyF on 22/02/2018 - 12:51

          The main pitfall is the extra sea days. Some people love them, some people find them 'boring' after 2-5 days at sea straight. So really comes down to you.

        • try2bhelpful on 22/02/2018 - 13:09

          @JimmyF: Yeah, I don't have a problem with just sitting round as long as I'm moving. I can't sit on a beach to save my life but I'm happy to sit on trains for 3 days straight without alighting.

        • JimmyF on 22/02/2018 - 13:10

          @try2bhelpful: Then you'll be fine!

        • try2bhelpful on 22/02/2018 - 13:11

          @JimmyF: thanks.

  • JimmyF on 22/02/2018 - 12:02

    Has anyone had any experience with these sort of cruises

    They are no different to the normal cruise offering, just has more sea days and of course, you get on in one country/port and get off in another one.

    You get the same types of rooms/food/service/costs/entertainment as you would any other time.

    They are normally cheaper as most people are lazy and don't like getting off in another country and/or port and getting back home.

    • try2bhelpful on 22/02/2018 - 12:11

      Thanks. That is what I thought. Do you have any suggestions on the best way to get home?

      • JimmyF on 22/02/2018 - 12:51

        flying is normally the common way people get home. Just book a oneway ticket if one isn't included ;)

        • try2bhelpful on 22/02/2018 - 13:08

          I figured so, was just looking for some tricks and tips on the best way to do that, one way flights can be not much less than returns. I know some of the cruises include tickets but I would like to onforward rather than come straight back.

        • JimmyF on 22/02/2018 - 13:10
          +1

          @try2bhelpful: travel for 6 months and then do the relocation cruise back home? :)

        • try2bhelpful on 22/02/2018 - 13:10

          @JimmyF: that sounds like a good idea, thanks. Will probably need the rest by then :)

  • Macmacca on 22/02/2018 - 12:12

    Hi We have done royal Caribbean cruise from Hawaii to Sydney via Tahiti and New Zealand. We booked through Cruise1st website which included air fares. Also did ex Brisbane to Hong Kong same type of deal. Perhaps check out their website.

    • try2bhelpful on 22/02/2018 - 12:13

      Thanks for the info. What was your impression of it, do you think it was worth while?

  • justhooked on 22/02/2018 - 12:28

    Have done a few relocation cruises the are normally cheaper and with extra sea days to get to there destination.
    They don't lessen the activities or food . We have used them to get to a destination and travel on from there.
    The stops they do can be great as well like bora bora . The age group is normally mixed but with a higher % retirees

    • try2bhelpful on 22/02/2018 - 12:46

      Thanks, it is a long time to be at sea if there is something we missed here. We are in our 50s so we aren't looking to "party hard". Did you have the airfare included or did you find your own way back. We were thinking of going to Vancouver and then, maybe, picking up an around the world airfare from there.

      • justhooked on 22/02/2018 - 14:36

        The sea days are good time to relax or join into the activities. Lots to do on the ships these days
        What ship are you looking at ?
        We normally book our own flights as we can decide where we go next rather that going straight back home . We are in our 50s and normally a fun bunch on board around our age..

        • try2bhelpful on 22/02/2018 - 15:19

          We were sort of toying with coming back from Vancouver to Melbourne - probably via Sydney if the boats don't come to Melbourne. We hadn't got as far as boats - never taken a cruise before. What I would like is good food and wine, the ability to go to the gym, some shows, etc. Is it worth going the extra for a balcony room?

        • justhooked on 22/02/2018 - 16:33

          @try2bhelpful:

          Food is great you can also opt to go to better restaurants and pay a small fee
          We normally only opt for a balcony if we are doing scenic cruises
          Alaska/ New Zealand where you can watch the views all day and if your partner
          Is changing/ sleeping you don't miss anything. But with larger water crossings I would rather spend my cash on shore tours.

          Also you can join forums like cruise critic and sign up to chat and even organise
          Private tours with others going on the same cruise. It seems more active
          On repositioning cruise and those out of the USA/ Europe.I have done this many time and have met may great people and shared and organised private tours
          A lot cheaper that those offered via the cruise line.

        • justhooked on 22/02/2018 - 16:36

          @try2bhelpful:

          The shows are good they also have guest acts that come on board
          The gyms are full equipped first few days they are busy everyone has good intentions at the beginning but will empty out fast !!!

        • try2bhelpful on 22/02/2018 - 16:38

          @justhooked: Thanks, that has been really helpful. They looked like pretty good value but, as per everything, you look for the catches. I will look into Cruise Critic as well. I know I will be thrown out of Ozbargain but I'm not after the absolute cheapest, I'm just looking for the best value.

        • justhooked on 22/02/2018 - 16:49

          @try2bhelpful:

          You can alway get a good deal without going budget.
          Just shop around online as cruise lines offer different deals to different travel agents
          And you can always get that bricks and mortar store to price match
          Have done it many times we are upto about 50 cruise now and 100s of land based trips now and can normally get 5 trips in for the cost of my friends 1 trip and see and do more just by doing the research

          Have fun and enjoy 😊

        • try2bhelpful on 22/02/2018 - 16:53

          @justhooked:

          Let me sit at the feet of the master.

          Any tips as to which are the best ships/cruise liners to go with. There is so much out there that I get confused and I don't want to spend that amount of time working out if I can get the lifeboat into the sea without anyone noticing.

  • hasselbladsnapper on 22/02/2018 - 13:43

    We have done a number or premium cruises with several "sea days" 3-4 despite great food and all in food etc we would not wish to do that again with smaller ships. Great food, all drinks, and much trivial pursuit, Press Reader free news, and a superb coffee shop do not make up for shore visits!. So strongly consider if you are up to it, we are not.

    That being said, it can be a cheap and effective way to get from one hemisphere to the other. In terms of costing, look at the numbers and in SOME instances you can cancel the trip and immediatly re-book IF there is a cost benefit in it. LATER price drops, pre final payment end date.

    This is best delt with by your agent, and we have saved thousands by doing this ..ssssh!, would not try this with an online booking!!. Another word of warning, IF you book a "bonus" flight with the cruise line, they often will also cancel that too so you must do the numbers to see if that is worth it. Just make sure you have a Kindle app and pre download some books that interest you!!, have a great trip.

    • try2bhelpful on 22/02/2018 - 15:14

      Thanks for the assessment. You are probably right about the flights as well which is why I would take this onto other travel we would be doing.

      Thanks also for the tip on getting a travel agent to talk this over with. The guy we used at Flight Centre was great for our last trip so we will probably trundle down to him. Unless know a good agent in Melbourne (checked and saw you were Adelaide). Do you have an idea on what wine costs per bottle onboard, just as an average.

  • hasselbladsnapper on 22/02/2018 - 17:11

    Cost of vino per bottle is not a thing I can help with as we often cruise with Seabourn - all inclusive, but others might assist. Could be upwards of $25 USD as that is most often currency used on ships, some might be in Euros.

    Flight Centre is a general travel agent, the cruise only like - "Cruise Guru" have been good with us, and I think they have a link with Qantas which could be handy. There are several cruise type agency's - just do a Google OR IF you know an general agent staff member well, by all means enlist them in your quest. Travel shows are a good place to gather tips and general info for your trip planning … it's what we do!.

    • try2bhelpful on 22/02/2018 - 17:18

      We just went to the Travel show but there were some many Cruise liners and so many show goers we found it a tad overwhelming. Will chase up Cruise Guru. Thanks for the help, it has been great.

      I love the information age but it can get a tad overwhelming until you have done a task a few times. We've done a bit of travelling in Europe and America by plane/train/car but getting but boat crusing is a different beast.

  • dane45 on 22/02/2018 - 17:18

    I've done a relocation cruise Sydney - Singapore via Brisbane, Darwin and Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang). There were 11 sea days in total, and I flew Scoot home from Singapore (who usually seem to price their 1-way flights at half of the return fare)

    I found on this cruise (and I've heard that this is the case for a lot of others) that the crowd was generally older (people in their 40s, 50s, retirees) and so the activities were more geared towards that age bracket. I've heard that this is generally the case with relocation cruises since a lot of retirees will do it as part of a larger holiday, whereas younger people are restricted by their cash/annual leave.

    • try2bhelpful on 22/02/2018 - 17:20

      Thanks. How did you find the extra costs like wine, tips, etc?

      • dane45 on 22/02/2018 - 17:30

        Can't comment on the wine (we purchased an all-inclusive beverage package). Tips were roughly $15/day added to your on-board account (although we asked for this to be turned off and chose to tip our room attendant directly).

        The other extra costs were on-board internet (around $200 for the 14 days if I recall correctly, but check with your travel agent) shore excursions (which were generally a rip-off, but this may vary based on the ports you visit) and we chose to do an all-access tour of the ship (around $99 I think). These aren't any different than on a standard cruise.

  • 12Sydney34 on 23/02/2018 - 11:31

    Seems that this will be your first cruise which would be 16-20 days.
    Suggest to try a shorter cruise as a first timer to get the feel of it.
    7 days cruise outside of school holidays give a good feeling of what to expect.
    Sampler cruise 2-3 days attract different demographics.

    Myself have booked directly with the cruise lines.
    For me unless the travel agent gives you some extras, like OBC, on board credit. Check and compare. Also travel agents have admin fees if you cancel even when final payment is not due by the cruise line (75-90) days before ship date.

    As for alcohol, no suggestion as we never bought a package being very light drinkers.

    Edit: one other thing to add for 1-way airfare especially between USA/Canada and Aus, they are expensive, not just 50% of return fare.
    Royal Caribbean has Air2Sea which are competitive. Many Americans on Cruise Critic have good feedback on them.
    I am looking at them for planning a repositioning cruise next year.

  • SlickMick on 23/02/2018 - 12:07

    So how much cheaper are these cruises, and how do I find them? Is there 1 or 2 times per year this happens? When is that?

    Would love for someone to find me a bargain if there is anything in July :)

    • try2bhelpful on 23/02/2018 - 12:30

      July might get be tricky but look up reposition cruise and check cruise guru site. These are one way cruises, don’t have a lot of stops and you may need to find your own way back. Given the number of days they are quite cheap.

  • mutnyi2001 on 23/02/2018 - 14:42

    The cheapest bottle of wine may cost between $25-$30 depending on the cruise line. Generally, the more stars are present in the cruise line reviews the higher the prices. The good news there is always a sommelier/Matre'd to suggest the wine based on your preference and budget.

    • try2bhelpful on 23/02/2018 - 16:07

      thanks. I suspected something like that given the food was included.

  • iniff on 23/02/2018 - 15:56

    Wasn't a 1 way cruise but did find the sea days the most enjoyable. When at port the on-board entertainment is minimal, sea days have the most activities to keep you occupied and are usually included. Most excursions are expensive as the ship provides all transport & safety equipment and vets the company they work with, you can usually find the same experiences cheaper but the quality is usually also much lower.

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