Repositioning Cruises from the UK and Beyond

Where Do Repositioning Cruises Go?

Repositioning cruises are point-to-point sailings that move a ship between its seasonal home ports — and that is precisely what makes them interesting. Rather than looping back to where you started, you cross an ocean, arrive somewhere new, and see a string of ports along the way. The concentration of sailings here is on transatlantic routes, with world voyages and transpacific crossings also well represented.

What Makes a Repositioning Cruise Different?

An ordinary cruise returns you to the port you left. A repositioning cruise does not — the ship has somewhere else to be, and you travel with it. That one-way shape means itineraries tend to be longer (many of the sailings here run around 19 nights, with some stretching considerably further), port calls are often more varied, and fares can be notably lower than a round-trip of comparable length. The trade-off is straightforward: you will need to arrange your own way home, or fly out to join a sailing that starts abroad — and we can sort both.

Bear in mind that the majority of sailings are one-way. If a sailing ends in New York, Fort Lauderdale, Sydney or elsewhere, a flight home is part of your planning. We can book that flight, along with hotels either side and transfers, so the whole trip sits on one booking.

Which Regions Are the Focus?

Transatlantic

The transatlantic crossing is the classic repositioning voyage, and it accounts for the largest share of what is on sale. Ships move between European and American home ports — Southampton, Barcelona and Rome (Civitavecchia) on one side; New York, Fort Lauderdale and Miami on the other. If you are sailing to Florida, it is worth checking both Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) and Miami — they are about half an hour apart, so either can work depending on dates and prices.

Southampton is one of the most popular embarkation ports, which means a good number of these sailings need no flight at all — you can travel by road or rail and board the ship the same day. On a one-way sailing ending in the United States or elsewhere, we book the return flight and any accommodation you need either side.

World Cruises

World cruise sailings appear here too, with itineraries calling at ports across multiple continents. These are among the longest voyages on the page — some running well over a hundred nights — and they suit travellers who want a single, extended journey rather than a sequence of shorter trips. Several of the cruise lines represented here run dedicated world voyage programmes, and we can help you work out which sailing and which cabin grade fits your plans. For sailings departing from Southampton specifically, see our world cruises from Southampton page.

Transpacific

Transpacific repositioning sailings are less numerous but genuinely different in character — crossing between the west coast of North America and destinations further afield. Los Angeles and Yokohama (Tokyo) both feature as ports on these routes. If a Pacific crossing is what you have in mind, these sailings offer a way to make the journey part of the trip rather than something to get through.

Which Cruise Lines Offer Repositioning Cruises?

MSC Cruises, Cunard, Princess Cruises, Costa Cruises and Seabourn are among the most active lines in this corner of the market, alongside Cruise1st Packages that bundle the cruise with flights, hotels and transfers. Other lines including Royal Caribbean, Oceania Cruises, Holland America Line and Regent Seven Seas Cruises also have sailings on these routes.

Ships Worth Knowing About

Queen Mary 2 — Cunard

No ship suits a transatlantic repositioning quite like Queen Mary 2. She is the world’s only true ocean liner — purpose-built for the North Atlantic, not a cruise ship adapted for it — and the crossing is what she was designed to do. On board, the Illuminations venue holds the first planetarium at sea, running stargazing sessions alongside cinema screenings, concerts and lectures. The Queens Room hosts nightly ballroom dancing; there are six speciality restaurants and a Royal Court Theatre with West End-calibre productions. For a crossing that takes several days, that depth of programme matters.

Cabin choices on Queen Mary 2 run from compact to palatial. See the Queen Mary 2 cabins and deck plans for the full picture, but here is the range available:

• Inside — Britannia Inside HB (14.8 m²): The only inside cabin with a view into the ship’s atrium, so it feels noticeably brighter than a standard interior room.
• Outside — Britannia Solo KB (16.5 m²): Designed for solo travellers with no single supplement, giving full Britannia comfort for one person.
• Balcony — Britannia Balcony BU with covered loggia (25 m²): A sheltered loggia rather than an open balcony, so you get fresh air and sea views even when the North Atlantic does its thing.
• Suite — Queens Grill Grand Duplex Q1 (208.9 m²): A two-storey maisonette with over 200 m² of private living space — more than twice any other Queens Grill suite on board.

Cunard offers several fare types, including flexible options with on-board credit, complimentary shuttle buses at ports and priority upgrade eligibility — and a Saver fare for those happy to take a pre-allocated cabin in exchange for a lower price. Our team can walk you through which works best for your booking.

MSC Virtuosa — MSC Cruises

MSC Virtuosa launched in 2021 as MSC’s Meraviglia-Plus flagship and brought a few firsts with it — among them Rob, the world’s first humanoid robotic bartender at sea, stationed at the Starship Club. Seven speciality restaurants include Indochine for French-Vietnamese fusion, Butcher’s Cut for premium steak, and 2 Kaito Japanese venues. The Savannah Aquapark, a 1,168 m² LED Galleria and Starlink internet throughout give you plenty to do on longer sea-day stretches. See the MSC Virtuosa cabins and deck plans for grades and sizing.

MSC Divina — MSC Cruises

Christened by Sophia Loren, MSC Divina carries Italian glamour through every public space — from the Swarovski crystal staircase to the De Jorio-designed Piazza. The Infinity Pool at the stern dissolves into the ocean horizon in a way that makes sea days feel genuinely different. The Pantheon Theatre delivers Broadway-scale productions nightly, and a Casino, 4D cinema and F1 simulator round out the options for longer voyages. Full cabin options are on the MSC Divina cabins and deck plans page.

Coral Princess — Princess Cruises

Coral Princess has a specific advantage on repositioning routes: at 91,627 GT her slimmer beam lets her reach narrower waterways and smaller ports that larger ships cannot access. The Universe Lounge runs three revolving stages for cabaret, cooking demonstrations and lectures — useful programming on longer sea-day passages. Crown Grill and Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria handle premium dining, while The Sanctuary gives adults a quiet retreat on deck. Check the Coral Princess cabins and deck plans for available grades.

Princess offers fare types including the Plus package — which covers casual dining meals per voyage, beverages, MedallionNet Wi-Fi, crew appreciation and reserved theatre seating — alongside a standard base fare for those who prefer to add extras separately. Fare types such as tactical offers and last-minute deals also appear; our team can tell you what is current.

Costa Deliziosa — Costa Cruises

Costa Deliziosa is the only Costa ship with dedicated golf facilities — a simulator and an outdoor putting green on deck. Her Samsara Spa covers 3,500 m² across 2 decks, with a thalassotherapy pool and thermal suite. The glass-roofed pool deck has a retractable cover and a giant cinema screen for open-air film nights. For cabin choices, see the Costa Deliziosa cabins and deck plans.

Costa fare types on these sailings include an All Inclusive option and a Comfort Plus tier covering full board, unlimited drinks and room service, as well as last-minute and flash fares for those booking closer to departure.

Cheap Repositioning Cruises — What to Expect on Price

Repositioning fares can be among the most competitive in the market precisely because the cruise line needs the ship to move regardless. Prices start from £425 pp* on these sailings, and a significant share of available sailings carry a reduced fare. If budget is a priority, our cheap repositioning cruises page filters to the most affordable options. The price you see is per person based on 2 people sharing; our team helps you find the cabin grade and fare tier that gives you the right balance of cost and inclusions.

Sailing from Southampton

Southampton is the largest single embarkation point for these sailings, and it is genuinely convenient for most of Britain — reachable by road or rail without needing to fly. If you are joining a repositioning sailing from Southampton, you can be at sea the same afternoon, with no airport at either end of the outbound journey. Browse repositioning cruises from Southampton for sailings with that specific start point, or see the full cruises from Southampton listing for comparison.

Booking by Year

Repositioning sailings are available across multiple departure years. If you have a specific year in mind, our repositioning cruises in 2027 and repositioning cruises in 2026 pages filter the inventory by departure year, making it easier to plan around specific dates or travel windows.

Make It a Complete Holiday

Because most repositioning sailings end somewhere other than where they began, the return leg needs planning. Cruise1st can put the whole trip together — flights home, hotels before or after the cruise, transfers between airport and port, tours along the way, and travel insurance — as a single booking. We also have Cruise1st Packages that combine cruise and travel arrangements from the outset, which can simplify both the planning and the cost. Whether you are sailing from Southampton on a no-fly basis or flying out to join a sailing in Rio de Janeiro or Buenos Aires, we make sure nothing is left hanging.

We are rated 4.5/5 on Trustpilot from over 7,000 reviews, and we are ABTA and ATOL protected. If you want to talk through options before booking, our cruise experts are on the phone to help. You can also explore all cruises from the UK or 2027 cruises from Southampton if you want to compare repositioning sailings against other itineraries.

For Caribbean sailings with a New York stay built in, our Caribbean 2027 cruises with New York stays page covers a popular combination that sits alongside many transatlantic repositioning routes. And if you are considering a cruise by a specific line out of Southampton, pages for P&O cruises from Southampton, Cunard from Southampton, MSC from Southampton and Princess Cruises in 2027 from Southampton each narrow the search further.

*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.