Repositioning Cruises from Seattle: Alaska Season Crossings
3 min read Updated September 2026
Crossing
From
Seattle
To
California
Updated: Rewritten for the 2026-27 seasons with current pricing and routes.
Worth knowing
- Two narrow windows: April to early May, and late September into October
- Four to seven nights, typically calling at Victoria, Astoria and San Francisco
- Among the cheapest cruising anywhere, sometimes under $400 for a four-night run
- Seattle is in the US, so no border crossing and cheap domestic flights
Ports of call
Seattle exists on the repositioning map because of Alaska. The city is one of the two main home ports for the Alaska season, and every ship that spends a summer there has to arrive in spring and leave in autumn. Those arrivals and departures are sold as short repositioning voyages along the Pacific coast.
When Seattle repositioning happens
The Alaska season runs from early May to late September, which fixes the schedule:
- April and early May: ships arrive from California, Mexico and occasionally Hawaii, positioning for the first Alaska sailings.
- Late September and October: the same ships leave, heading south to Los Angeles and San Diego, onward to the Mexican Riviera, or across the Pacific for the southern summer.
Both windows are narrow. The ships move within a few weeks of each other, which means a concentrated burst of one-way sailings and then nothing until the next season.
What the voyages are like
Typically four to seven nights, coastal rather than open ocean, with one to three sea days. Common calls are San Francisco, Astoria, Victoria and Vancouver. The Pacific coast in spring and autumn can be gray and can be rough, particularly off Oregon and northern California, but it is nothing like a North Atlantic crossing.
The scenery is a genuine part of the appeal on the northern legs, and the voyages are short enough that the sea days feel like a rest rather than a test.
Seattle or Vancouver?
Both serve the Alaska season and ships reposition to each. The practical differences matter more than the distance:
- Seattle is in the United States, so there is no border crossing for American passengers and domestic flights are cheap and frequent.
- Vancouver is in Canada, which means customs, and it is the port most one-way Alaska itineraries use because of maritime law on round trips from US ports.
For a repositioning voyage specifically, Seattle is usually the easier end of the trip to fly home from.
What it costs
Among the cheapest cruising available anywhere. Short coastal repositioning sailings regularly sell below $70 a night, all meals included, and the cheapest inside cabins on a four-night run can come in under $400 per person.
Because the flight home is domestic and short, the total cost of one of these trips stays close to the fare, which is not true of an ocean crossing.
Who it suits
People who want to test the repositioning format cheaply, people who want a short break with a couple of quiet days at sea, and anyone in the western United States who can drive or take a short flight to one end of the voyage. It is not a bucket-list ocean crossing, and it does not pretend to be.
From the finder
Upcoming sailings
14 one-way sailings that match this guide, checked on the cruise lines' own websites on September 29, 2026. Fares change daily, so follow the link to see today's price.
Seattle → Mobile
Carnival Spirit
Carnival Cruise Line
Sydney → Seattle
Noordam
Holland America Line
Mobile → Seattle
Carnival Spirit
Carnival Cruise Line
Tampa → Seattle
Carnival Legend
Carnival Cruise Line
Miami → Seattle
MSC Poesia
MSC Cruises
New York → Seattle
Norwegian Bliss
Norwegian Cruise Line
Brisbane → Seattle
Quantum of the Seas
Royal Caribbean
Seattle → Tokyo
Noordam
Holland America Line
No sailings match these filters. Try a wider month or any cruise line.
Questions before booking
When does the Alaska cruise season start and end?
Early May to late September. That fixes the repositioning windows: ships arrive in April and early May, and leave from late September into October.
Should I pick Seattle or Vancouver?
For a repositioning voyage specifically, Seattle is usually easier: no customs for American passengers and cheap domestic flights. Vancouver handles more one-way Alaska itineraries because of US maritime law on round trips.
Is the Pacific coast rough in spring?
It can be lively off Oregon and northern California, and gray weather is common in both windows. It is nothing like a North Atlantic crossing, and the voyages are short enough that a rough day passes quickly.
Further voyages
Routes & Ports
Repositioning Cruises from Los Angeles: Routes and Timing
Los Angeles repositioning runs twice a year: north to Vancouver and Seattle in April and May for the Alaska season, and south again from mid-September. These coastal voyages are four to seven nights, frequently under $70 per person per night, and the flight home is domestic, which makes them the easiest introduction to repositioning anywhere.
Routes & Ports
South America Repositioning Cruises: Europe to Brazil and Buenos Aires
South America repositioning cruises move ships from Europe to Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina for the southern summer. They leave Genoa, Barcelona, Marseille or Lisbon in November and reach Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, Santos or Buenos Aires in about 14 to 21 nights, crossing the Atlantic and the equator from the Canary Islands or Cape Verde. The same ships sail back to Europe in March and April.
Routes & Ports
Repositioning Cruises to Japan and Asia: The North Pacific Crossing
Repositioning cruises to Japan leave Seattle or Vancouver in September and October, when ships finish the Alaska season, and follow the northern Pacific past Alaska and the Aleutian Islands to Hokkaido and Tokyo in about 14 to 16 nights. In April and May ships make the reverse trip. Expect four to five sea days in a row, cool weather, and a lost calendar day at the international date line.