Repositioning cruises

[JohnGc]

Probably been discussed before but I am considering a repositioning cruise. I am wondering if my CC friends on here prefer Australia to overseas or the reverse and why. Do you get more Australians going than the reverse etc. 

 

Cheers John.

[OzKiwiJJ]

We've done two repositioning cruises, both Australia to Asian ports. The timing of both of them suited our needs at the time but if that hadn't been a consideration I would have preferred to fly to the embarkation port and cruise home.

[windsor26]

Good idea then the over weight luggage is Free 

[subaru94]

They are a great idea, we are looking at flying to Tokyo and cruising back to Australia.  They are usually good value for money too.  Go for it.

[JohnGc]

Thats great I was favouring Singapore to Brisbane. Flight cost and Insurance seems to be the biggest expense. Don't fancy it but Jet star seems to be a lot cheaper than the others, just wondering if I can stand the cramped conditions for the long flight. I suppose I could recover on the cruise back 🙂  I like the overweight luggage idea on the return or should I say the wife would like it.

Edited August 15, 2023 by JohnGc

[Ozwoody]

We prefer to fly there, make a holiday there, then cruise home.

Good way to relay coming home, no excess luggage charges, and no time zone fatigue when you get back home.

 

 

[Hogbay]

Fly cruise back ,too depressing staying in a hotel /resort and constantly having to grab your wallet for everything. AND who enjoys flying /airports anyway , get it over with first . But just booked lomanosa Brisbane to Seattle via Japan for Cherry Blossom🌸 . Sometimes the flying and choice of ship is overlooked when itinerary is the reason . The casino offer might have something to do with it too 😄

[yes!yes!yes!]

I did a repositioning cruise once. Dubai to Singapore on the Mariner of the seas. Flights both ends.

It was full of Americans, coming from the USA.

A normal repositioning cruise does March/April to the USA or September/October to Australia, do whatever month suits you best.

[arxcards]

Always a preference for us to fly out and cruise home when all else is equal. Getting the more intense travel out of the way first and returning home refreshed is front of mind for us, and there are no issues with the weight of the luggage you are bringing home if you don't have to fly home after the cruise.

 

The time of year and a more interesting itinerary will always determine if that is possible though. If you want to go across the Pacific in March/April, then you will be cruising out/flying home. We are doing Dover - Sydney in 2025 in preference to Sydney - Dover. While it is a bonus to be cruising home, it is the ports in Norway/Iceland/Greenland that were the number one priority when making that choice.

[lyndarra]

10 hours ago, JohnGc said:

Thats great I was favouring Singapore to Brisbane. Flight cost and Insurance seems to be the biggest expense. Don't fancy it but Jet star seems to be a lot cheaper than the others, just wondering if I can stand the cramped conditions for the long flight. I suppose I could recover on the cruise back 🙂  I like the overweight luggage idea on the return or should I say the wife would like it.

Have done two repos to Singapore. I don't mind which way, to or from.

On the first we flew back on Scoot IIRC. The second was Qantas (last January). Scoot was better. The Qantas was the worst international flight I have ever experienced, cramped, old Oz domestic plane with terrible inflight food served in cardboard boxes.

The two cruises were booked through an online TA and flights were included. Was much cheaper than booking seperate.

[LC1950]

I've done a few repo cruises, both cruising first flying home and flying first and cruising home.  Personally I prefer to cruise first then spend a few days before flying home.  For me it helps to ease the disembarkation 'blues' if I have a few days ahead to explore another country.  I'm not a shopper so airline weight restrictions aren't a problem.

Edited August 16, 2023 by LC1950
spelling!

[possum52]

We have done one repositioning cruise - Sydney to SIngapore. We loved it but thinking back on it, I would prefer to have flown to Singapore and cruised home as others have said. 

[Cbtours]

15 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

We've done two repositioning cruises, both Australia to Asian ports. The timing of both of them suited our needs at the time but if that hadn't been a consideration, I would have preferred to fly to the embarkation port and cruise home.

I am currently investigating for 2025! Want to fly to South Africa and then sail back from Cape town to Australia. We don't mind which port of Australia as its easier to fly across Aus than to fly back from South Africa! Haven't found anything yet but ill keep my eye open. I'm not sure if you can nominate to disembark a particular port on a world cruise. 

[Cbtours]

1 hour ago, possum52 said:

We have done one repositioning cruise - Sydney to SIngapore. We loved it but thinking back on it, I would prefer to have flown to Singapore and cruised home as others have said. 

If I find my cruise that's what we will do. Wanting Capetown South Africa to Australia

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, Cbtours said:

I am currently investigating for 2025! Want to fly to South Africa and then sail back from Cape town to Australia. We don't mind which port of Australia as its easier to fly across Aus than to fly back from South Africa! Haven't found anything yet but ill keep my eye open. I'm not sure if you can nominate to disembark a particular port on a world cruise. 

Unfortunately there aren't many cruises that go South Africa to Australia. Princess used to do an Indian Ocean Circle from Fremantle every few years but most of the world cruises go the other way around and mostly through the Suez Canal - probably because there would be too many sea days going around Africa.

[Cbtours]

41 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Unfortunately there aren't many cruises that go South Africa to Australia. Princess used to do an Indian Ocean Circle from Fremantle every few years but most of the world cruises go the other way around and mostly through the Suez Canal - probably because there would be too many sea days going around Africa.

So I’m finding out. There’s a perfect one going Feb 1st 2024 Cunard one of the queens. But it’s too early! We only just got back from SA on 31 july. And we’ve got granddaughter wedding Feb too. Ideally it would have gone 2025 but serms it will not go til 2026

[arxcards]

20 hours ago, JohnGc said:

Probably been discussed before but I am considering a repositioning cruise. I am wondering if my CC friends on here prefer Australia to overseas or the reverse and why. Do you get more Australians going than the reverse etc. 

 

Cheers John.

Well, this one might be worth a look.

10th October, 18 nights, Quantum of the Seas, Honolulu to Brisbane, inside guarantee $1099pp twin. You just need to pair a decent price for a flight over.

[JohnGc]

1 hour ago, arxcards said:

Well, this one might be worth a look.

10th October, 18 nights, Quantum of the Seas, Honolulu to Brisbane, inside guarantee $1099pp twin. You just need to pair a decent price for a flight over.

Thank you that sounds great but a bit too close for us. Thanks for all the replies they have been a great help. I have just booked a repo cruise Singapore -- Brisbane. We will spend 5 days in Singapore before the cruise back. I wonder if any of you guys that have stayed in Singapore could point me in the right direction for any reasonable cost accomodation that you have stayed at. This would be very appreciated. 

 

Cheers John.

[yes!yes!yes!]

1 hour ago, JohnGc said:

Thank you that sounds great but a bit too close for us. Thanks for all the replies they have been a great help. I have just booked a repo cruise Singapore -- Brisbane. We will spend 5 days in Singapore before the cruise back. I wonder if any of you guys that have stayed in Singapore could point me in the right direction for any reasonable cost accomodation that you have stayed at. This would be very appreciated. 

 

Cheers John.

Singapore doesn't really have reasonably priced accommodation.

I suggest staying in the Clarke Quay area, great atmosphere at night, next to underground train station, short walk to China town.

[yes!yes!yes!]

1 hour ago, JohnGc said:

Thank you that sounds great but a bit too close for us. Thanks for all the replies they have been a great help. I have just booked a repo cruise Singapore -- Brisbane. We will spend 5 days in Singapore before the cruise back. I wonder if any of you guys that have stayed in Singapore could point me in the right direction for any reasonable cost accomodation that you have stayed at. This would be very appreciated. 

 

Cheers John.

Have stayed a couple of times after cruises at the Swissotel merchant court in Clarke Quay, I think it Has a new name Paradox merchant court or something like that. In the same area there is a Novotel and a few other chains.

[yes!yes!yes!]

2 hours ago, arxcards said:

Well, this one might be worth a look.

10th October, 18 nights, Quantum of the Seas, Honolulu to Brisbane, inside guarantee $1099pp twin. You just need to pair a decent price for a flight over.

I would do this one if it wasn't October. Most repositioning cruises are in months that don't work for me.

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, yes!yes!yes! said:

Singapore doesn't really have reasonably priced accommodation.

I suggest staying in the Clarke Quay area, great atmosphere at night, next to underground train station, short walk to China town.

And being near an MRT station is a must in Singapore IMHO otherwise you end up walking a long way in the heat and humidity, and half the time it decides to rain just as you get halfway between your hotel and the MRT entrance!

 

I used to tag along on some of Rolf's business trips to Singapore before he retired. A couple of times the hotels were a fair hike (uphill) from the nearest MRT. Lovely 5-star hotels though.

[windsor26]

4 hours ago, JohnGc said:

Thank you that sounds great but a bit too close for us. Thanks for all the replies they have been a great help. I have just booked a repo cruise Singapore -- Brisbane. We will spend 5 days in Singapore before the cruise back. I wonder if any of you guys that have stayed in Singapore could point me in the right direction for any reasonable cost accomodation that you have stayed at. This would be very appreciated. 

 

Cheers John.

The   V Lavender is excellent budget and well situated. Or more expensive but includes good breakfast the meridian which is the one next to raffles 

[GUT2407]

Cruise home, then I get back more relaxed for back to work. But cruising and work are both over, so it doesn’t matter.

[arxcards]

I guess the other point is how long you are travelling before coming home. If you are flying just for the cruise, I think it is much more relaxing to be cruising home. If you are doing some land travel between the flight and the cruise, it is a choice between arriving jetlagged for your holiday or returning home with it. 

 

On our first US/Alaska trip, our arrival into the US was LAX and connecting to Vegas. That city would have been much more fun without being preceded by a long-haul flight. Spending the next afternoon walking around the Grand Canyon wasn't as comfortable as it could have been.