Are Repositioning Cruises Cheaper? What the Numbers Actually Show
3 min read Updated September 2026
Updated: Rewritten for the 2026-27 seasons with current pricing and routes.
Worth knowing
- Crossings run roughly $60 to $110 per night, against $150 to $250 for a standard cruise week
- Compare per night, not per cruise: a 14-night crossing looks expensive until you divide
- Gratuities are charged per night and add up over a long voyage
- The flight home decides whether the saving survives; book it with the cruise
Ports of call
Yes, and by a wide margin, but only if you count the whole trip. The cruise fare is roughly half what an equivalent standard sailing costs per night. The flight home is where the saving is won or lost.
The fare comparison
Compare per night, not per cruise, because a fourteen-night crossing will always look expensive next to a seven-night cruise until you divide.
- Standard seven-night Caribbean, mainstream line, inside cabin: roughly $150 to $250 per person per night.
- Transatlantic repositioning crossing, same class of ship, same cabin grade: roughly $60 to $110 per person per night.
- Pacific coast repositioning, four to seven nights: frequently under $70, sometimes well under.
- Transpacific, 14 to 21 nights: often the lowest per-night rate available anywhere.
All of those include accommodation, all main meals, entertainment and transport between continents. Very little else in travel does.
Why the discount exists
Because the ship is going anyway. The line has already committed the fuel, the crew wages and the two weeks of operating cost. An empty cabin on that voyage earns nothing at all, so any fare that covers the marginal cost of carrying one more passenger is better business than sailing with it empty.
This is why the discount is structural rather than promotional. It is not a sale; it is what the voyage is worth to the line.
What is not cheaper
Gratuities. Charged per person per night on most lines, so a fourteen-night voyage costs twice what a seven-night one does. On a cheap fare this can be a surprisingly large proportion of the total.
Drinks. Priced the same as on any sailing, but you will buy more of them across two weeks with this many sea days. A drinks package is close to essential rather than optional.
The flight home. The one that matters. A one-way transatlantic booked six months ahead is manageable. Booked six weeks ahead, in the week an entire ship needs the same route, it can cost $700 to $900 and turn a bargain into an ordinary vacation.
A worked example
A 14-night eastbound crossing at $80 per night is $1,120 per person. Add gratuities at roughly $16 a night, which is $224. Add a drinks package, say $500. Add a one-way flight home booked early, say $400. The total is around $2,250 per person for two weeks including transatlantic transport.
The same two weeks as two consecutive seven-night Caribbean cruises at $180 a night would be $2,520 in fare alone, before gratuities, drinks or flights, and you would end up back where you started.
How to keep the saving
- Book the return flight at the same time as the cruise, not afterwards
- Compare lines on the all-in total, not the headline fare, since what is included varies a lot
- Look at MSC and Costa first if price is the only criterion
- Consider an older ship, which on a crossing is often the better experience anyway
- Watch the final eight to twelve weeks for unsold cabins, accepting the flight will cost more by then
More on finding the lowest fares is in our guide to cheap repositioning cruises.
Questions before booking
Why are repositioning cruises so cheap?
Because the ship has to make the voyage regardless. The line has already committed the fuel, the crew and the two weeks, so an empty cabin earns nothing at all. Selling it at a low fare that still covers the marginal cost of a passenger is simply better business than sailing with it empty.
Do cheap repositioning fares mean an older ship?
Often, and that is usually a good thing on a crossing. Older ships tend to have proper sheltered promenade decks and more indoor public space, both of which matter far more mid-Atlantic than a water park nobody can use.
Are drinks and extras more expensive to compensate?
No, onboard pricing is the same as on any other sailing of that ship. But you will use it more: a drinks package pays for itself faster across fourteen days than across seven.
Further voyages
Planning & Costs
Transatlantic Cruise Time Changes: 23-Hour and 25-Hour Days Explained
On a transatlantic cruise, the ship changes its clocks one hour at a time, usually overnight on sea days, until it matches the destination. Florida to Barcelona is six hours and New York to Southampton five. Westbound, clocks go back, giving 25-hour days. Eastbound, they go forward, giving 23-hour days. Westbound is easier on the body, and either way you arrive with little or no jet lag.
Planning & Costs
Flights Home After a Repositioning Cruise: When to Book and How Late to Fly
Book the flight home soon after the cruise is confirmed, as a one-way ticket or as an open-jaw (multi-city) itinerary that combines the outbound and return. On the last day, don't book a flight earlier than 4 to 7 hours after the ship's scheduled arrival, depending on the port and airport; Southampton to Heathrow and New York to JFK need the most time. Many passengers add a hotel night instead.
Planning & Costs
What to Do on Sea Days: How Long Runs at Sea Actually Feel
On sea days, ships run a full daily program: lectures, trivia, classes, cooking demonstrations, tastings, fitness sessions, pool time, shows and late-night music, plus the spa, casino and shops, which open at sea. Repositioning cruises add extra talks and events because they have five to nine sea days in a row. Most people do best with a loose routine: exercise, one or two scheduled activities, reading and an early dinner.