On a Repositioning cruise what should I expect?

[lilkrz]

I will be doing my first 13 day repositioning cruise on the Jewel from Miami to NYC on 4/11.

I've been on 23 cruises and love even sea days but my question is what should I expect different if anything on a repositioning cruise. We will be doing 6 ports of call.

[InTheCruisingYearsOfLife]

I've been on 23 cruises ... my question is what should I expect different if anything on a repositioning cruise.

 

 

Off hand, I'm guessing you'll end up some place different than from where you started.

 

InThe

[NewYearsBaby]

I'll be on the same cruise. Come on over to our roll call. We've got about 60 folks scheduled for the meet and greet. I think folks there would be able to answer your questions. Some were on the New York to Miami repositioning of the same ship in the fall. As for me, I've done just one repo, and that was on a Princess cruise nine years ago from Alaska to Asia. Probably not much comparison. Generally, I think a big difference would be an older demographic on a longer cruise. It sounds like we can expect the best of the best in the caribbean, and on the ship good entertainment, good food and everything you'd expect on an NCL cruise. Look forward to meeting you.

[IWORK2CRUISE]

One nice thing about the repos is that you usually have a port call or 2 that are a little outside of the ordinary itinerary. Another, is that they are longer cruises than the average 7-day.

The staff can be excited about change, too. Some of them may be on their 1st contracts and have only experienced one area and are therefore looking forward to seeing something new. Some of them may be returning to areas where they have family or friends.

 

The entertainment can vary as some entertainers have been on-board for a while while others are hopping on in order to relocate.

 

There may be some different menu options since there are more days involved.

 

The best thing about repositioning cruises is the value. They are usually quite well (read low) priced.

[garycarla]

I will be doing my first 13 day repositioning cruise on the Jewel from Miami to NYC on 4/11.

I've been on 23 cruises and love even sea days but my question is what should I expect different if anything on a repositioning cruise. We will be doing 6 ports of call.

 

If you have been on 23 cruises, you will not really see much of anything different. A few more sea days. More people just chilling out as compared to 7-9 day cruises. Staff a bit more excited due to new ports vs the same ole crap, week in and week out.

[EileenN]

I personally felt that I wasn't rushed on a repo and the atmosphere was more relaxed. The extra sea days slow it down a bit. I enjoyed the treat of reading a full book and taking a nap in the afternoon. We will also be on the 4/11 cruise with you and look forward to meeting you. Please join our roll call. It seems like a great group.

[DMH15]

I personally felt that I wasn't rushed on a repo and the atmosphere was more relaxed. The extra sea days slow it down a bit. I enjoyed the treat of reading a full book and taking a nap in the afternoon. We will also be on the 4/11 cruise with you and look forward to meeting you. Please join our roll call. It seems like a great group.

 

 

Absolutely agree. The most peaceful and relaxing cruise I've been on. But mine was transatlantic... We had 6 sea days in a row. No problem, I love sea days. Read, played games, spa, casino, movies, eating, sleeping, lectures, etc. I loved it.

[Beachbum1944]

Like EileenN and NewYearsBaby said, come over to our rollcall. It's in my signature. We have a lot of nice people over there. The best thing for us is the fact that we only have to fly one way. We can have someone pick us up at the end of the cruise.

[lilkrz]

Thanks guys for all the feed back.

 

Eileen: I looked at the Roll Call board but you guys are up to 21 pages alot to read. Will correspond to the board soon. It's always great to have new friends to meet. My friend and I are both widows now. We've been traveling together for over 20 years. Our husbands mine didn't like to fly and her husband said when he retired they would have plenty of time to travel together. Well life doesn't always work out as planned. We discovered cruising in 99' and haven't been able to stop we have cruised 23 times now. I see alot of people on the board from NJ. We're from Hamilton NJ. Looking forward to talking with everyone on the Roll Call board.

[BruceMuzz]

Most "repo" cruises are unique.

 

The cruise line is trying to cover the costs of fuel and food to get the ship from one popular sailing itinberary to another. To get to that new area, they must pass through an area that has little of interest, or poor weather, or few interesting ports.

 

To (hopefully) fill the ship and hopefully pay for the fuel and food, the cruise lines typically offer deep discounts that convince passengers on fixed or low incomes to sail. Many of these pax have relatively low expectations, considering the price they paid for the cruise. The demographic on repo cruises tends toward the older crowds.

 

The cruise lines take advantage of this situation by removing many of the more expensive items from the menus and offering a lower quality level of entertainment during this crossing. The headline entertainers usually take their holidays away from these cruises.

 

Crew are excited to have a new itinerary, but crew morale on these cruises is generally quite low. They know from experience that their "repo" passengers are the lowest tippers of the year.

 

Food consumption on a repo cruise is usually 50% higher, per person, than on a regular cruise. Bargain hunters trying to get their money`s worth?? Buffets are overcrowded day and night. Wait staff are exhausted by the end of the cruise.

 

The ship typically visits ports that are visited only a few times per year. The ship management does not know the ports, the local officials, and local tour operators. Ship clearing and disembarkation is typically very slow and shore tours are usually quite disorganised.

 

If you book one of these cruises knowing the possible negatives you may encounter, you should be able to plan around most of them.

[boeckli]

Most "repo" cruises are unique.

 

The cruise line is trying to cover the costs of fuel and food to get the ship from one popular sailing itinberary to another. To get to that new area, they must pass through an area that has little of interest, or poor weather, or few interesting ports.

 

To (hopefully) fill the ship and hopefully pay for the fuel and food, the cruise lines typically offer deep discounts that convince passengers on fixed or low incomes to sail. Many of these pax have relatively low expectations, considering the price they paid for the cruise. The demographic on repo cruises tends toward the older crowds.

 

The cruise lines take advantage of this situation by removing many of the more expensive items from the menus and offering a lower quality level of entertainment during this crossing. The headline entertainers usually take their holidays away from these cruises.

 

Crew are excited to have a new itinerary, but crew morale on these cruises is generally quite low. They know from experience that their "repo" passengers are the lowest tippers of the year.

 

Food consumption on a repo cruise is usually 50% higher, per person, than on a regular cruise. Bargain hunters trying to get their money`s worth?? Buffets are overcrowded day and night. Wait staff are exhausted by the end of the cruise.

 

The ship typically visits ports that are visited only a few times per year. The ship management does not know the ports, the local officials, and local tour operators. Ship clearing and disembarkation is typically very slow and shore tours are usually quite disorganised.

 

If you book one of these cruises knowing the possible negatives you may encounter, you should be able to plan around most of them.

 

How many repo cruises have you been on? And on which cruise line/ship?

[terrymtex01]

Most "repo" cruises are unique.

 

The cruise line is trying to cover the costs of fuel and food to get the ship from one popular sailing itinberary to another. To get to that new area, they must pass through an area that has little of interest, or poor weather, or few interesting ports.

 

To (hopefully) fill the ship and hopefully pay for the fuel and food, the cruise lines typically offer deep discounts that convince passengers on fixed or low incomes to sail. Many of these pax have relatively low expectations, considering the price they paid for the cruise. The demographic on repo cruises tends toward the older crowds.

 

The cruise lines take advantage of this situation by removing many of the more expensive items from the menus and offering a lower quality level of entertainment during this crossing. The headline entertainers usually take their holidays away from these cruises.

 

Crew are excited to have a new itinerary, but crew morale on these cruises is generally quite low. They know from experience that their "repo" passengers are the lowest tippers of the year.

 

Food consumption on a repo cruise is usually 50% higher, per person, than on a regular cruise. Bargain hunters trying to get their money`s worth?? Buffets are overcrowded day and night. Wait staff are exhausted by the end of the cruise.

 

The ship typically visits ports that are visited only a few times per year. The ship management does not know the ports, the local officials, and local tour operators. Ship clearing and disembarkation is typically very slow and shore tours are usually quite disorganised.

 

If you book one of these cruises knowing the possible negatives you may encounter, you should be able to plan around most of them.

 

I have got to say that with the exception of taking longer to disembark in Balitmore on one repo cruise we were on, we have never encountered any of the "negatives" you have mentioned. Granted we have only been on two repos, but they were actually almost complete opposites to what you have described, for us at least.

[BruceMuzz]

How many repo cruises have you been on? And on which cruise line/ship?

 

I have lost count, but the number is somewhere between 60 and 70 repositioning cruises in the past 35 years.

I have worked on these "special" cruises on 28 different ships for:

Cunard

Royal Viking

Holland America Line

Seabourn

NCL

Carnival

RCCL

Royal Cruise Line

Princess

 

and a few other non-descript lines.

 

Any other questions?

[lilkrz]

BruceMuzz your description of a Repo cruise is not very welcoming but you certainly have the experience to give your opinion.

 

I had in mind perhaps they would be painting, replacing of worn anything going on around the ship. That the cruise director might not have a full staff so the activies may be fewer then usually. I hope my experience is not what you describe.

 

Thanks again for everyone's replies.

[Planer's Edge]

Most "repo" cruises are unique.

 

The cruise line is trying to cover the costs of fuel and food to get the ship from one popular sailing itinberary to another. To get to that new area, they must pass through an area that has little of interest, or poor weather, or few interesting ports.

 

To (hopefully) fill the ship and hopefully pay for the fuel and food, the cruise lines typically offer deep discounts that convince passengers on fixed or low incomes to sail. Many of these pax have relatively low expectations, considering the price they paid for the cruise. The demographic on repo cruises tends toward the older crowds.

 

The cruise lines take advantage of this situation by removing many of the more expensive items from the menus and offering a lower quality level of entertainment during this crossing. The headline entertainers usually take their holidays away from these cruises.

 

Crew are excited to have a new itinerary, but crew morale on these cruises is generally quite low. They know from experience that their "repo" passengers are the lowest tippers of the year.

 

Food consumption on a repo cruise is usually 50% higher, per person, than on a regular cruise. Bargain hunters trying to get their money`s worth?? Buffets are overcrowded day and night. Wait staff are exhausted by the end of the cruise.

 

The ship typically visits ports that are visited only a few times per year. The ship management does not know the ports, the local officials, and local tour operators. Ship clearing and disembarkation is typically very slow and shore tours are usually quite disorganised.

 

If you book one of these cruises knowing the possible negatives you may encounter, you should be able to plan around most of them.

 

Did you just make this crap up? What a fertile imagination.

 

I experienced none of this on the repos I have been on. But then again I did not do repos as a disgruntled employed either.

 

PE

[EileenN]

Since NCL does not advertise repo cruises as such, readers on this board request how to find them. Yet every repo we researched are sold out long before final payment. Why would that be? Good bargain? Yes Good food? yes Great crew? Yes Different Itenerary? yes.

I guess I not only don't agree with you, but I find it insulting to the pax and crew members to be judged as a group so strongly.

[DMH15]

Wow, some opinions sure come out of left field. I never imagines the scenarios expressed... I don't doubt the poster's word as his opinion, which he is entitled to, but my one repo on the Jewel was not indicative of those negatives. Not saying it might be true sometimes, but certainly not all the time.

[MrLee]

Wow, some opinions sure come out of left field. I never imagines the scenarios expressed... I don't doubt the poster's word as his opinion, which he is entitled to, but my one repo on the Jewel was not indicative of those negatives. Not saying it might be true sometimes, but certainly not all the time.

 

I have to say I've never experienced any of these negatives either. I've done 4 repo's ( 1 transatlantic) and thoroughly enjoyed all of them. I could probably find some negatives on all of them, but they were fleeting moments. ;)

[garycarla]

We have done two repo cruises and love them. I do not want to disagree with the former employee since he has actually taken them. We tended to find great people and great service. We tend to look for these cruises and have zero interest taking the typical carribean cruise. Same ole t-shirt and jewelry stops every day LOL!

 

I would imagine some of the the poster said could be true. We just did not see it.

[mpk218]

I must say , looking at a repo from the perspective of an employee opposed to a passenger on vacation would most likely be clouded. ;)

[terrymtex01]

Since NCL does not advertise repo cruises as such, readers on this board request how to find them. Yet every repo we researched are sold out long before final payment. Why would that be? Good bargain? Yes Good food? yes Great crew? Yes Different Itenerary? yes.

I guess I not only don't agree with you, but I find it insulting to the pax and crew members to be judged as a group so strongly.

 

Well Eileen.. for full disclosure.. and to be completely honest.. any cruise with you onboard would be a blast for sure. 8-)

 

I have to say I've never experienced any of these negatives either. I've done 4 repo's ( 1 transatlantic) and thoroughly enjoyed all of them. I could probably find some negatives on all of them, but they were fleeting moments. ;)

 

Hey Mr. Lee.. Just wanted to say Happy Holidays. 8-)

 

 

I must say , looking at a repo from the perspective of an employee opposed to a passenger on vacation would most likely be clouded. ;)

 

I do have to say I agree. I don't believe the poster did not feel what they posted and I don't believe it isn't how they see it, but I do believe them being a former employee maybe why they see it as they do.

[BruceMuzz]

Did you just make this crap up? What a fertile imagination.

 

I experienced none of this on the repos I have been on. But then again I did not do repos as a disgruntled employed either.

 

PE

 

Actually I`m not disgruntled at all. Just realistic. And quite happy with my job.

But like all cruise line employees, I do whatever I can to avoid Repo cruises and all the hassles normally associated with them.

 

I do not enjoy being forced to choose which high cost items to cut from menus for the trip. I don`t think this is quite ethical, but most cruise lines do it.

 

It doesn`t seem fair when the "A-Team" of entertainers jumps ship and is replaced by substandard ones for the repo trip. But this happens very often. The good entertainers don`t want to be there either.

 

I`m not a tipped employee. But it is difficult to pull crew morale back up after the repo cruises. These people have worked extra hard in most cases, and earned far less for their troubles.

 

My biggest hassles are sorting out all the complaints about sub-standard shore tours, and trying to explain to the head office why the passenger ratings for the repo cruise were so low.

 

But the ratings for the cruises before and after the repo cruise are always quite high. Funny how that works.......

 

You have to ask yourself why the cruise lines would discount repo cruises so deeply if the quality was as good as a regular cruise. Many of the pasengers live in the starting or ending port, so they already have a built in discount on airfare.

[halos]

Most "repo" cruises are unique.

 

The cruise line is trying to cover the costs of fuel and food to get the ship from one popular sailing itinberary to another. To get to that new area, they must pass through an area that has little of interest, or poor weather, or few interesting ports.

 

To (hopefully) fill the ship and hopefully pay for the fuel and food, the cruise lines typically offer deep discounts that convince passengers on fixed or low incomes to sail. Many of these pax have relatively low expectations, considering the price they paid for the cruise. The demographic on repo cruises tends toward the older crowds.

 

The cruise lines take advantage of this situation by removing many of the more expensive items from the menus and offering a lower quality level of entertainment during this crossing. The headline entertainers usually take their holidays away from these cruises.

 

Crew are excited to have a new itinerary, but crew morale on these cruises is generally quite low. They know from experience that their "repo" passengers are the lowest tippers of the year.

 

Food consumption on a repo cruise is usually 50% higher, per person, than on a regular cruise. Bargain hunters trying to get their money`s worth?? Buffets are overcrowded day and night. Wait staff are exhausted by the end of the cruise.

 

The ship typically visits ports that are visited only a few times per year. The ship management does not know the ports, the local officials, and local tour operators. Ship clearing and disembarkation is typically very slow and shore tours are usually quite disorganised.

 

If you book one of these cruises knowing the possible negatives you may encounter, you should be able to plan around most of them.

 

You have GOT to be kidding me. :eek:

:rolleyes:

I think this may be another addition to the ignore list.

*shakes head*

 

I will be doing my first 13 day repositioning cruise on the Jewel from Miami to NYC on 4/11.

I've been on 23 cruises and love even sea days but my question is what should I expect different if anything on a repositioning cruise. We will be doing 6 ports of call.

OP:

I'm SO jealous!!!!!!

I want to take that cruise but my DH can't get off for two weeks because we are already cruising for a week in feb and will cruise in the fall as well.

 

I love repos...we usually take them in the fall (going the opposite direction ;)) but what you can expect is just a good experience IMO. The crew seem to like the repos...they're always so happy. Long cruises are just awesome. A repo has a totally different feel and a much better selection of ports. NCL does a great job of keeping the entertainment fresh on long cruises. To be honest, I really can't even imagine doing a long cruise on any of the other lines I have sailed.

 

repos are my favorite cruise, hands down. You are going to really enjoy it!! :)

[owl61]

You have GOT to be kidding me. :eek:

:rolleyes:

I think this may be another addition to the ignore list.

*shakes head*

You would think that after accumulating over 15000 posts one would appreciate that the poster halos is asking us to ignor as lacking credibility is an experienced hotel mgr for a major cruise line. Sorry halos, but it is you who has lost credibility both for your poor manners and your ignorance.

[Planer's Edge]

You would think that after accumulating over 15000 posts one would appreciate that the poster halos is asking us to ignor as lacking credibility is an experienced hotel mgr for a major cruise line. Sorry halos, but it is you who has lost credibility both for your poor manners and your ignorance.

 

Halos was commenting about adding someone to her own ignore list. She in no way suggested anyone else ignore this person. She was making a personal observation and did not deserve your comments about her manners and supposed ignorance. It is you who might be considered to have bad manners for coming to new forum for you, and attacking a long time poster for posting her own opinion.

 

If you know this person to be "experienced hotel manager for a major cruise line" then good for you. We have no way of knowing this about the poster. Most of us that have comments to the contrary of his/her observations are basing it on our own experiences. We have thoroughly enjoyed out reposition cruise experiences. But, then again we did not do reposition cruises back 20, 25, 30 years ago. I could go point by point and explain my differing experience to BruceMuzz's. But, what would be the point, he/she has their opinion and I have mine. He/she seems to believe that reposition cruise are these awful things to be avoided at all cost and I believe that they are one of my favorite itineraries.

 

PE

 

P.S. You may want to go back and read the terms and conditions, that you agreed to, about posting here at Cruise Critic. Specifically read the portion about personal attacks on your fellow members.