Cheap Repositioning Cruises

Repositioning cruises — sometimes called relocation cruises — are one-way ocean crossings that happen when cruise lines move their ships between seasonal homeports. Every sailing is a transatlantic crossing, running from 7 to 14 nights (most are around 13 nights), and all are priced at £599 pp* or less. Fares start from £278 pp*, and many sailings carry a discount on the price previously listed for that cabin grade.

What Is a Repositioning Cruise?

Twice a year — roughly spring and autumn — cruise lines shift their fleets between the Americas and Europe to match seasonal demand. Rather than sail empty, they sell those crossings at reduced fares. The result is a long ocean voyage at a price that would rarely buy the equivalent number of nights on a round-trip itinerary. You get days at sea, access to everything on board, and a genuine crossing rather than a port-heavy package. Because these are one-way sailings, a flight home (or out to join the ship) is part of the planning — and our team can book that alongside the cruise, along with a hotel either side and transfers, so nothing is left to sort separately.

Where Do These Sailings Go?

Every sailing is a transatlantic crossing. Ships sail between European embarkation ports and ports on the eastern seaboard of the United States. Embarkation ports include Barcelona, Southampton, Ravenna, New York, Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) and Miami. Disembarkation ports include Southampton, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral, New York and New Orleans.

A small share of sailings depart from Southampton, which most of Britain can reach by road or rail — no flight required at that end of the trip. On those departures you board at home and disembark abroad, so you’ll need a flight back, but we can arrange that as part of the same booking. For the majority of sailings that start in Europe or the US, we book the outbound flight and any hotel nights you need either side.

Miami and Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) are about half an hour apart, so if you’re flexible on Florida ports it’s worth checking both for dates and prices — one may suit your travel plans better than the other. Lisbon also features among the ports these itineraries call at during the crossing.

Which Cruise Lines Offer Repositioning Cruises?

Six lines appear across these transatlantic sailings, and each brings a noticeably different character to the crossing.

Cunard leads the volume. Queen Mary 2 is purpose-built for the North Atlantic — it is the world’s only true ocean liner, designed for the crossing rather than adapted from a cruise ship. The Illuminations venue hosts the first planetarium at sea, alongside cinema, concerts and lectures. Six speciality restaurants, a Royal Court Theatre with West End-calibre productions, and nightly ballroom dancing in the Queens Room make the days at sea the point of the voyage. If you want to look at cabin options, the Queen Mary 2 cabins and deck plans page covers the full range — including the Britannia Solo cabin (16.5 m²), designed for solo travellers with no single supplement, and the Queens Grill Grand Duplex Suite (208.9 m² across two storeys). Cunard fare tiers range from the flexible Cunard Fare — which allows amendment up to the balance due date and includes complimentary shuttle buses at ports — to the Saver fare for those happy to accept a pre-allocated stateroom at the lowest possible price. For last-minute Cunard options, see last-minute Cunard cruise deals and Cunard cruise deals.

Royal Caribbean has 4 sailings. Explorer of the Seas was refurbished in 2025 and now carries a FlowRider surf simulator, The Perfect Storm dual waterslides, the Royal Promenade boulevard and an ice-skating rink with professional shows and open passenger sessions — one of very few ships with skating at sea. 10 dining venues include Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table and Izumi Japanese. See the Explorer of the Seas cabins and deck plans for the full cabin range, from the 15.5 m² Inside cabin with Promenade view to the 117.1 m² Royal Suite. Freedom of the Seas adds a 3D cinema, open-air screen and an ice rink; see its cabins and deck plans for options. Royal Caribbean fare types include last-minute fares and other promotional offers — our team can walk you through what’s available when you call. For a deeper look at Royal Caribbean repositioning sailings, see Royal Caribbean repositioning cruises, and for deals see Royal Caribbean cruise deals.

MSC Cruises brings 3 sailings. MSC Grandiosa is MSC’s Meraviglia-Plus flagship: its 93-metre Galleria Grandiosa LED promenade is the longest at sea and becomes a live entertainment boulevard each evening. Eataly at sea brings Italy’s iconic food-market brand on board, alongside a Jean-Philippe chocolaterie and 14 restaurants in total. Twin F1 simulators, an interactive 4D cinema and a dedicated MSC Kids Club make it popular with families. Cabin grades on Grandiosa run from the 17 m² Deluxe Inside Fantastica to the 59 m² two-level Maisonette Suite, and the Super Family cabin Plus with balcony sleeps up to 10 guests across 51 m² — see the full MSC Grandiosa cabins and deck plans. MSC Divina — christened by Sophia Loren — carries a Swarovski crystal staircase, a stern Infinity Pool that dissolves into the ocean horizon, and a Pantheon Theatre with Broadway-scale productions; its cabins and deck plans are available too. For MSC sailings from Southampton, see MSC Cruises from Southampton, and for MSC repositioning cruises specifically see MSC repositioning cruises.

Norwegian Cruise Line has 3 sailings. Ships include Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Dawn and Norwegian Pearl. NCL’s fare structure ranges from a straightforward cruise-only booking to packages that bundle speciality dining, a premium beverage package, Wi-Fi and shore excursion credits — worth comparing when you call. See Norwegian Epic cabins and deck plans, Norwegian Dawn cabins and deck plans and Norwegian Pearl cabins and deck plans for cabin options across all 3 ships.

Carnival Cruise Line and Princess Cruises each have sailings. Carnival’s Carnival Sunshine features a 3-deck adults-only Serenity Retreat; its cabins and deck plans are available if you want to compare grades. Last-minute Princess Cruises deals are worth checking if Princess fits your travel dates.

What Are the Discounts Like on Repositioning Cruises?

Because these are one-way, fixed-date crossings, cruise lines price them to fill., most sailings carry a reduction on the price previously listed for that cabin grade — typically around 10%, with one departure reduced by up to 32%. Fares start from £278 pp*. These are not all-inclusive fares, so it’s worth discussing with our team which fare tier gives you the best value for how you like to cruise — some NCL and Cunard tiers, for example, include perks such as beverage packages, priority upgrades and flexible amendment rights.

Repositioning Cruises with Flights — How Does That Work?

Because every sailing here is one-way, most bookings involve at least one flight — either to reach the embarkation port or to get home from the disembarkation port. As part of a Cruise1st Package, our team can book flights, hotels, transfers and insurance alongside the cruise, bundled into a single holiday. If you’re sailing from Southampton, you may only need a return flight from wherever the ship drops you; if you’re joining in Barcelona or Ravenna, you’ll need the outbound flight too. Tell us both ends of your trip and we’ll put it together.

Repositioning Cruises from Southampton

A handful of sailings depart from Southampton, which most of Britain can reach by road or rail without a flight. Board the ship in England and disembark on the other side of the Atlantic — you’ll need a flight home from there, and we can book that as part of the same package. For shorter sailings from the same port, short cruises from Southampton and 3-day mini cruises from Southampton are also available. Cunard cruises from Southampton and Princess Cruises 2027 from Southampton are worth browsing if you want to narrow by line.

How We Put Your Repositioning Cruise Together

Booking a one-way ocean crossing involves more moving parts than a round-trip — there’s a flight at one or both ends, possibly a hotel the night before embarkation, and transfers to and from ports that may be a distance from the nearest city. Our team handles all of it. As one of the UK’s leading cruise specialists, we know these ships and itineraries, and we can recommend the cabin grade and fare tier that suit your circumstances. Expert advice is on the phone before you book, and everything goes on one booking. We’re also ABTA and ATOL protected and rated 4.5/5 on Trustpilot from over 7,000 reviews.

Browse all cruises if you want to widen the search, or check cruises under £699 pp* for more value options. If you’re after something closer to home, cheap cruises around the British Isles are also available. For more repositioning sailings beyond this price filter, see the full repositioning cruises listing. Caribbean cruise deals are also worth a look if your disembarkation port is in Florida and you want to extend the trip.

*Prices are per person based on 2 people sharing, and are subject to change. This price is not kept up to date and therefore does not reflect live pricing and availability. Prices and any discounts shown were checked on 14 October 2026.

Where a discount is shown, it is a reduction from the price previously listed for that cabin grade on that sailing, not a comparison between cabin grades or against a brochure rate. Discounts and prices shown are not kept up to date: the reduction available now may be smaller, or may have ended, and prices may have changed.