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Repositioning cruises for families

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One-way cruising turns transportation into a vacation experience of a lifetime for families

Man savors the sunrise while crossing the Pacific Ocean on a cruise ship. One of our first time cruise tips? Take in at least one sunrise and at least one sunset.
One of our first-time cruise tips? Take in at least one sunset and at least one sunrise.

Transatlantic, transpacific, and other repositioning cruises turn the all-inclusive amenities of cruising vacations into a fun, comfortable way to travel across the world.

In 2024, our family took our first repositioning cruise, sailing 14 nights from Seattle to Tokyo. It turned us into big fans of repositioning cruising with kids.

What is a repositioning cruise?

Throughout the year, cruise lines need to move, or reposition, their ships from one seasonal destination to another. This could be a ship crossing from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean, for example, or from Alaska to South America. The end result is a repositioning cruise.

A typical round-trip cruise vacation starts and ends at the same place. Repositioning cruises are typically one-way: You start in one location and finish in a different location.

The ship is still sailing with its crew, performers, and amenities. So passengers can board these ships for the same cruise experience, but often at discounted rates and less-crowded ships.

Watch this video about our one-way cruise experience

Watch

Family travel and repositioning cruises

10 things our family enjoyed about a repositioning cruise

The idea of combining a vacation with the simple A-to-B act of going from one continent to another really appealed to our family of four. After 14 nights at sea, we arrived at our destination ready for our next adventures—and ready for future cruising trips. Here are 10 things we loved about our first repositioning cruise:

  1. Break from normal household tasks such as cooking and cleaning
  2. Crossing the ocean and arriving fresh, energetic, and free of jet lag
  3. Kids could independently and safely explore the ship and engage in age-appropriate activities
  4. Variety of included on-board activities and entertainment
  5. Mealtime conversations with people from all over the world
  6. Easy to relax and unplug with offline activities
  7. Kids got to engage in more formal dining experiences, and see how they can belong in more formal spaces
  8. Meeting new people and making new friends, out of a common bond of travel
  9. All-inclusive meals and activities meant leaving our wallets in a safe for the entire cruise
  10. Indoor and outdoor spaces enabled not only socializing, but introvert recharging

Learn more and plan your repositioning cruise

When we were planning our first cruise, we found these resources so helpful. They taught us about cruising, some ins and outs, and how to get the most out of our cruise vacation. Check them out for your repositioning cruise trip:

Gary Bembridge’s Tips for Travellers

Gary’s cruise tips YouTube channel

The Points Guy – Repositioning cruises 2024 and 2025: Save money with these unusual itineraries

CruiseSheet – Unlocking the Secrets of Repositioning Cruises: A Guide to Significant Savings

Cruisewatch – Search repositioning cruises

Cruise Critic: Repositioning Cruises: What Are They and Why Should You Take One?