Repositioning Cruise Deals
One-way Pacific voyages, judged as deals once the flight home is counted.
Get Repositioning Cruise QuotesThe Other Side of Repositioning
When people talk about repositioning cruise deals, they usually mean a spring or autumn crossing of the Atlantic. Our sister sites Transatlantic Cruise Deals and Repositioning Cruises cover that well. This site looks west. Every year ships move up and down the Pacific coast, out to Hawaii, across the Pacific to Asia and Australia, and through the Panama Canal between Florida and California, and those one-way voyages can be some of the best-value sailings on the calendar.
A repositioning voyage happens because a ship has to move between seasonal homes. Alaska’s cruise season runs through the northern summer, so ships arrive in spring and leave in autumn, and the voyages that carry them there are sold to passengers. Some last two or three nights; others take three weeks. What they share is a one-way route, more sea time than usual, and a fare that often reflects how much harder they are to sell than a Caribbean week.
Pacific Repositioning Routes
Alaska repositioning cruises
Spring voyages that bring ships north for the season, and autumn ones that take them away.
Alaska repositioning →
Pacific Coastal cruises
Short one-way hops between California and the Pacific Northwest or British Columbia.
Pacific Coastal →
Transpacific cruises
Long crossings to Japan, Asia, Australia and the South Pacific, and back again.
Transpacific →
Panama Canal repositioning cruises
Florida to California, or the reverse, with a full transit of the canal.
Panama Canal →Hawaii fits in between: ships on their way to or from Alaska often sail between Vancouver and Honolulu. See Hawaii repositioning cruises.
How to Judge a Repositioning Cruise Deal
A low fare on a one-way voyage is only half of the story. Before you call it a deal, line up the whole trip:
- The cruise fare, plus taxes, fees and port charges.
- Gratuities, which are charged per day, so longer voyages add up.
- The one-way flight home from the end port, or to the start port.
- A hotel night before sailing, which protects you from flight delays.
- Perks that may come with the booking, such as onboard credit, which vary by line and sailing.
Then compare the total with a round-trip cruise of similar length plus a round-trip flight. On a Pacific Coastal or Alaska repositioning, the flight home is often a short domestic hop, so the deal usually holds up. On a transpacific, the long-haul one-way flight can change the picture.
A Rule That Shapes West Coast Itineraries
Foreign-flagged cruise ships, which is nearly all of them, may not carry a passenger from one U.S. port to a different U.S. port unless the voyage includes a distant foreign port. Under the U.S. customs regulation on coastwise passenger travel, ports in Canada, Mexico, Central America, Bermuda and the Caribbean count as nearby, not distant, while Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao count as distant. That is why so many one-way West Coast cruises start or end in Vancouver rather than Seattle, and why Panama Canal voyages between Florida and California so often call in Colombia or the ABC islands. Our one-way cruise planning page explains how it affects you.
Where This Site Fits
Why fares are low
Our sister site explains why repositioning fares can be so low.
When ships move in 2027
Cruise Sailings keeps a repositioning calendar for 2027.
Bargains by region
Cruise Travel Bargains compares repositioning bargains by season.
Live fares today
Cruising for Less shows current lowest fares, and Wave Season gathers the big promotions.Repositioning Deal Questions
What makes a repositioning cruise a real deal?
The total trip, not the fare alone. Add taxes and fees, gratuities, the one-way flight home and any hotel night, then compare that with a round-trip cruise of similar length. On the West Coast the flight home is often short, which helps the math.
When do West Coast repositioning cruises sail?
Mostly in spring, as ships head north for the Alaska season, and in autumn, as they leave Alaska for Mexico, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, Asia or the South Pacific. Exact dates depend on each ship’s deployment.
Are repositioning cruise deals better at the last minute?
Sometimes, because these voyages can be harder to fill. But the best cabins and the most convenient dates go early, so if you have a firm preference, book when the sailing opens.
Who Is Behind This Site
Repositioning Cruise Deals is part of the Smart Traveler network, led by Mister Cruise. He has sold travel since 1972 and worked full-time in the industry since 1977. He has sold or originated more than $500 million in cruises and has trained more than 500 travel agents.
When you ask for a quote, our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise handle it personally — not a call center — and book everything for you. Meet Mister Cruise →
Find more cruise specialists in the Official Cruise Directory and everything travel in the Official Travel Directory. Planning time at home before or after a West Coast sailing? Best of the USA has ideas. Thinking of selling cruises yourself? Visit Be a Travel Agent.
Find a Pacific Repositioning Deal
Tell us the route that interests you and your flexible dates. Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise will compare repositioning cruise deals, flights included in the math, and send free quotes.
Get Repositioning Cruise Quotes