Carnival Repositioning Cruises: Routes, Ships and What to Expect

Carnival runs a small number of transatlantic crossings each year and a steadier stream of shorter Pacific repositioning runs. They are among the cheapest ways to cross an ocean, and the onboard experience is nothing like the traditional crossing lines: louder, younger, and built around entertainment rather than lectures.

What Carnival actually repositions

The transatlantic sailings depend on how many Carnival ships are deployed to Europe in a given summer, which varies year to year. When a ship is going, it crosses in April or May and returns in October or November, taking 13 to 16 nights with a stop in the Azores, Madeira or the Canaries.

More reliable are the Pacific coast runs: ships moving between the Mexican Riviera and the Alaska season through Los Angeles, Vancouver and Seattle. These are four to seven nights and appear every spring and autumn.

What a Carnival sea day is like

Carnival does not slow down for a crossing. The program that fills a Caribbean sea day keeps running: deck parties, comedy club sets in the evening, trivia, the water park when weather allows, and bars that stay busy. If your idea of a good sea day involves a lecture on North Atlantic navigation, this is the wrong line.

That said, Carnival’s comedy club is genuinely good and runs multiple shows a night, which over fourteen nights is more live entertainment than most lines manage. The crowd skews younger than on Holland America or Cunard, and there are more families aboard even outside school vacations.

The ships

Carnival’s fleet is large and varied, and which ship you get matters. The newer and bigger vessels have more indoor space to spread into when the weather closes the top decks, which is the main risk on an autumn Atlantic crossing. The older and smaller ships are cheaper and quieter but have less shelter.

Check the deck plan before booking a cheap inside cabin. Fourteen nights below a nightclub is a different proposition from seven.

What it costs

Carnival sits in the cheapest tier of transatlantic crossings alongside MSC and Costa, frequently between $60 and $90 per person per night. The Pacific coast runs go lower still.

Budget for extras, because Carnival’s fare includes less than the premium lines. Gratuities are charged per person per night and add up over two weeks, and a drinks package on a voyage with this many sea days is a real expense rather than an optional one.

Who it suits

Carnival crossings suit people who want the cheapest possible two weeks at sea and do not want it to be quiet. They suit families better than most crossing lines, since there is actually something for children to do. They suit anyone hoping for a contemplative ocean passage rather badly.

If price is the priority but the atmosphere is not, compare against MSC, which usually undercuts Carnival while feeling more European and more adult.