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Royal Caribbean Empress of the Seas
Repositioning Cruise
4/22/06
Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean (RCI, RCCL)
Cruise Region: Repositioning Cruise
Length of Cruise: 8 nights
Departure Port: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Cruise Price: $800 for a single obstructed oceanview cabin
Itinerary:
 Day 1, Friday, April 21, 2006. San Juan, Puerto Rico
Day 2 Saturday, April 22, 2006. Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
Day 3, Sunday, April 23, 2006. Philipsburg, St. Maarten
Day 4, Monday, April 24, 2006. Day at sea
Day 5, Tuesday, April 25, 2006. Day at sea
Day6, Wednesday, April 26, 2006. Nassau, Bahamas
Day 7, Thursday, April 27, 2006. Day at sea
Day 8, Saturday, April 29, 2006. Port of Philadelphia, Debarkation
Ports of Call:
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
- St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
- St. George's/Hamilton, Bermuda
- Philadelphia, PA
What is a Repositioning Cruise?
Why would anyone go on a REPO CRUISE? That must mean the bank repossessed the ship, right?!! (... and why they're usually so much cheaper than a "real cruise"!)
Actually a repositioning cruise is defined as "A voyage designated by a ship line to move a ship from one cruising area to another."
As the seasons change, some ships relocate their home port either north or south depending on the season. In the winter ships depart from ports such as San Juan; in the summer these ships are able to cruise out of more northern ports.
This is especially true of ships that cruise Alaska. And, a cruise I'd love to take, the transatlantic repositioning cruise. This is the one you choose if you want to experience crossing the Atlantic as well as visiting some cities in Europe.
 On this particular voyage we were enjoying the repositioning of the Empress of the Seas from sailing out of Puerto Rico during the winter months on its voyage to Philadelphia, PA where it would depart for its summer sailings.
Some of your best cruise deals can be found on repo cruises.
One of the reasons for reduction in cruise price is often the need to purchase one-way airline tickets to/from two different airports. But for those that live in the area (i.e. New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, ets.) this is a plus as you only need one-way airfare. Other reasons for cheaper fare: you often have more sea days; unusual times in port; and sometimes unusual ports of call.
Quick Tips/Suggestions:
If you enjoy the cruise portion of the cruise (days at sea are my favorite), this is a TERRIFIC VALUE!
Repositioning cruises aren't always easy to find. The best place I've found is vacationstogo.com and choosing "repositioning" as the destination. They are the only site I'm aware that you can search this way.
Many Alaska cruises or Panama Canal cruises are (in a sense) repositioning cruises. They often begin at one port and end up at another.
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