Find cruise deals in the fall

Repositioning cruises

If you’ve ever wanted to take a cruise at a bargain price, repositioning cruises can be a great option. Such cruises typically make fewer stops and spend more days at sea, but you still get all of the perks and amenities of a regular cruise. These cruises are offered in the fall and spring, when cruise lines want to move their ships for the upcoming sailing season.

We see repositioning cruises in the fall from Vancouver to ports in the Western U.S. and out of Europe to the U.S. from September through November. Repositioning cruises to and from Europe can be 14 days or more, so you’d need at least two weeks of vacation time.

Many of the West Coast cruises that depart out of Vancouver are three to five days long, so they can be a great option if you don’t have a ton of vacation days or you want to make a shorter trip. Also, airfares to the West Coast and Vancouver are much cheaper than Europe, and you don’t have to pay the hefty fuel surcharge.

Another bonus: If you fly into Vancouver and cruise out, you can get decent one-way fares without having to pay Canadian exit fees.

Most Vancouver repositioning cruises have final destinations in San Francisco, Los Angeles or San Diego, giving you a choice of three great cities to finish your cruise.

We recently found West Coast repositioning cruises for as low as $50 per night for sailings in September and October. Norwegian offered a four-day Vancouver to San Diego cruise starting at $199 and a five-day Vancouver to Los Angeles journey starting at $279. Both cruises departed in late September.

If you want a really quick cruise, Princess is offering a one-night cruise from Seattle to Vancouver, starting at $59 per person for an inside cabin, $69 for an ocean view, $99 for a balcony and $129 for a suite. The cruise departs Sept. 21.