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Of all the ways to locate cheap cruises, one of the very best is to reserve your ticket on a repositioning cruise. A repositioning cruise typically sets sail in the autumn or in the late spring, during which seasons the cruise lines are sailing their ships from the Alaska waters to the routes in the Caribbean or the other way around.

Instead of moving these vessels without any passengers between the two regions, destinations, the cruise companies carry passengers on these repositioning voyages at what often amounts to a huge savings over regular in-season cruise pricing.

Repositioning cruises can be both long and short, ranging from three and four cay cruises between Vancouver and California to several week Trans-Atlantic and Trans Pacific cruises.

The longer types of cruises that include ocean crossings often stop at few ports, but this gives ship passengers a great opportunity to enjoy all the modern entertainment on board the ship when it is not very crowded.

Of course, it is easy to spend a lot of money in the ship’s bars and casino during a long cruise, so you might want to keep track of your tab along the way to avoid any unexpected and aggravating surprises when you get your final bill after the cruise ends.

One other factor to weigh when considering a repositioning cruise is the cost of the airfare getting you to the starting point and home from the ending point of the cruise.

Because these repositioning cruise routes begin and end in totally different ports, often far apart, you’ll need to buy a split fare airline ticket in all likelihood, and this can really drive up the cost of your trip.

However if the cost of the air transportation is quite reasonable, the you are in luck — a repositioning cruise could be a very good way to visit exciting new places on the most up to date cruise ships for not much money. It is hard to beat a deal like that.

Repositioning cruises are not a new phenomenon, they’re just one of the best kept secrets in the cruising industry. Like the migrating birds, many cruise ships head for warmer climates in the Autumn months and return in the Spring. Some move south for the winter months and then sail back again for the summer months. Other cruise ships cross the Atlantic or the Pacific Ocean to “reposition” themselves in warmer weather. Just like most vacationers, these fleets of ships are seeking seasons in the sun.

These unique one-way cruises are available at deep discounts to attract new and seasoned cruise lovers alike. No cruise line wants to ever have the expensive proposition of moving a large ship across hundreds or thousands of miles of ocean without having any paying cruise passengers onboard. This is an opportunity for vacationers to enjoy a luxury dream cruise for a bargain basement price.

A repositioning cruise is not just a stripped down version of a luxury cruise. It is a luxury cruise! All passengers enjoy the same meals, the same entertainment, and have the same onboard privileges. And your deeply discounted ticket, sometimes costing as low as fifty dollars per day, entitles you to everything that is usually included in a luxury cruise.

The main difference between a standard cruise and a repositioning cruise is that the latter is longer, usually lasting from two to four weeks, with more time spent at sea and fewer, or possibly no ports of call. This means more relaxing days spent at sea and a less hectic itinerary. And on some repositioning cruises certain ships will drop anchor in very unique ports of call that are usually reserved for very expensive world cruise itineraries.

Usually these repositioning cruises happen in the months of September and October, and also in March and April. Some of the main destinations in the Winter are Hawaii, the Caribbean, Mexico, the Panama Canal, South America as well as Asia. The destinations in the Summer are Europe, Canada, Alaska, New England, and the Mediterranean.

Depending on the season, vacationers can sail to or from Europe and North America; Alaska and British Columbia, and the United States southwest coast including ports in Mexico; the northern United States and the Eastern coast of Canada, and a number of southern U.S. as well Caribbean destinations. Some repositioning cruises sail to and from Asia, Africa, as well as the Middle East.

There are a few important things that you should consider if you want to go on a repositioning cruise. First is booking an “open jaw” flight where you fly to the departure port of call and then fly home from the cruise ship’s destination port. These air flights can be pricey compared to the usual return airfares that most travelers are familiar with. Sometimes it is possible to book your flight through the cruise line, but not always. Even with the usual extra cost for an open jaw ticket over a regular airline return ticket, a repositioning cruise is still an incredible value for your travel dollar. However, if you are fortunate to live close by, or within driving distance of your departure port, then you would only have to book a one-way airline flight back to your departure port and then drive back home.

When you book your flight it may be advisable to arrive at your departure port a day before you sail and stay overnight at a hotel. This will avoid any problem of unforeseen flight delays that can sometimes happen and leave you stranded on the pier waving goodbye to a cruise ship that has left without you.

If you think you would enjoy a long and relaxing luxury cruise then you will love a repositioning cruise which usually is not filled to capacity with passengers and spends more time at sea.

P.S. Don’t forget your camera equipment and a wardrobe to reflect the possible weather conditions on your cruise.