$1500 Repositioning Cruise
 

There was an ad in the Mercury News for a Repo Cruise from San Juan Puerto Rico to Barcelona Spain with stops at San Marteen, Santa Cruz Canary Islands, Cadiz(Seville Spain), Gibraltar, Cartegena, Majorca and Barcelona. This includes the flight from SFO-SJU and BCN-SFO and Inside Cabin.

I don't want a balcony as smoke can billow in and also the view may be obstructed by a lifeboat.

Is this a good deal with Royal Caribbean? Any advice? Thanks

How long is the cruise?

If it includes the flights... sounds like a good deal... repositioning cruises are often the best value until you include the one way flights.

Not sure I would want an inside cabin though... been there, done that, hate that! :)

You can check whether the view is obstructed as you pick your cabin. Balcony "feels" more spacious. JMHO

My cruise addicted aunt does this cruise about once every two months and loves it. It's about 10 days right? I think she pays slightly more with flights ex-UK but I think it is awesome value for money.

In her words, it is even better value doing it the other way around "from East to West" because of the time zones, you get about 12 hours more cruising than the West to East route.

I don't sleep in a clothes closet at home. Why would I pay to do so for 10 days at sea?

Celebrity doesn't allow smoking on their balconies. You might check the smoking rules on RC. In all my cruises, smoking around me has never been an issue.

There are great values to be had on repositioning cruises this year because there are so many ships in Europe. I would do some research on what's the best itinerary for you.

Because the closet with a balcony is so much more expensive? :D


OP: that sounds like a fantastic deal if that's the total price. The flights alone would account for a major portion of that. If you have to add in tax for the cruise and flights, it will be quite a bit more expensive. I would think you could upgrade relatively cheaply if desired. Balconies can't be too expensive when you're travelling across the Atlantic because there isn't much to see for most of the cruise. Though, with a TA cruise I'd probably go low and mid-ship, since those can be rough waters.

We've had the upwind chain smoker problem on a previous cruise ourselves, but that was an extreme case and the smoke doesn't billow in ... especially when you're moving at 20 knots.

Are you talking smoke like people next door smoking or are you talking smoke like smoke from the smokestack?

Either can be controlled by picking the right cabin.

You could also get an outside cabin with windows that do not open so there's no chance of smoke, but you still can see out and let light in.

As to obstructed views, again picking the right cabin can eliminate that issue.

I get cruise promos all the time. This one just came in a few days ago with several repositioning cruises. OP might be able to get a better deal than $1500 ^ Definitely try to get at least an outside cabin!
http://www.crucon.com/edeal101211ss.htm
This says it was valid thru 10/14; prices might still be the same tho -- worth checking :)

Because I spend so little time in the clothes closet, since that is all it really is - a place to change clothes. Whether one books an inside cabin or the penthouse suite, they basically get the same public areas, dining rooms and food on the entire ship. And as was said, a clothes closet with a balcony is a lot more expensive.

Not sure about the value of this particular repo cruise, but I booked a repo cruise from Dubai to Barcelona in April 2013. Fourteen nights for $1,000 all-in for a single. Does not include air but that is fine with me. I am not planning on flying into Dubai before the cruise anyway and will use miles for the TA flights.

All brand's re-position cruise are CHEAP. The cost of the cruise is less than 20% what I spend on food for the same time period at home and that is not including eating out.

The catches are

• The one way flight back is criminally expensive.
• There will be 5-6 at sea days which some people find hard to deal with being on the ship. It is not lounge and drink around the pool weather.
• The swells are higher in the open water of Atlantic as oppose to in the Caribbean or along coastlines.

I can stay on a ship and really relax during the at sea days so these shortcomings do not bother me.

If you have the time, can plan ahead and can handle the long at sea stretches then do two positioning cruises a year.
I buy cheaper round trip tickets. Cruise to Europe springtime, chill around Europe and then fly back. In the fall when the ships are going back to the Caribbean I fly over on the return portion of the ticket and sail back.

Before taxes and gratuities I am averaging around $2000pp each year of two cruises plus one RT ticket during the last two years

Great plan! What a good deal...

We have booked a cruise for next Nov leaving Malaga, Spain for 15 nights arriving in San Juan with RCCL balcony room for $1012 each with a $75. Room credit flights both way are with FF miles ie free

A balcony is well worth the money unless you are comfortable spending the majority of your day time in public areas.

OP, you've heard from all the pro-balcony people. Thought I'd put in a word for that inside cabin. I really didn't find it that bad. Cosy, quiet, comfortable temperature, private. Oh yeah, inexpensive. I happily laid and read several hours each day.

As to spending "all your time in public areas", there are ways to deal with that too. For starters, a repositioning cruise often isn't fully sold out, so the ship just isn't as jammed. For semi-private public areas, there are lots of nooks and crannies to be found. The library is a good one. That exercise room during less popular hours. Lots of areas all over the different decks during the more favored dining times. Think non-rush-hour for whatever, and you'll be fine.

I loved the repositioning cruise I took, and am watching for another good deal one. www.vacationstogo.com can be a good source.

Romelle