What is a repositioning cruise, and why would you want to go on one? Well, you might not want to, but there are many reasons why you would or would not want to embark on such a journey. A repositioning cruise is a little bit different from a normal cruise for a couple of reasons. Below is outlined some of the ways that it is different from a regular cruise and how this works for and against you and your travel needs.

(1) A repositioning cruise leaves one port and arrives in another. That is, a repositioning cruise does not return to the port from which it departed. This is because of the changing climates of the water. So, like birds, cruise ships relocate north or south depending on the season. This often takes a number of days and a lot of resources, so instead of relocating the ships sans passengers, the cruise lines offer 'repositioning' cruises at a deeply discounted price.

(2) That brings us to pro number one. The cost is much less than your average cruise. However, since you have to pay your own air fare to and from the ports of call, it could end up being about the same in the long run, since your plane tickets to two different locations will likely be more than a standard round trip ticket.

(3) These trips are often longer than normal cruises, lasting an average of nine to eighteen days. This is great for longer vacations, and tend to be very relaxing for those who are able to take advantage of such an extended journey. However, many people can not afford to take so much time off of work, so this really is a niche market.

(4) Repositioning cruises tend to make much less stops at ports of call, since their main purpose is to relocate the ship to a final destination. This is good if you would like to spend a lot of time at sea, but if you want to see a lot of different places, than it is unlikely that you will find what you are looking for on a repositioning cruise.

So where can you find a repositioning cruise? Well, you could watch the birds and see which way they are flying. If that is not working for you, however, you could check out some of these resources:

? The Carnival Spirit winters on the Mexican Riviera and repositions to Alaska via Hawaii in the fall.

? The Carnival Liberty goes from the Mediterranean in the summer to the Atlantic in the fall

? The Celebrity Constellation and the Celebrity Millennium relocate from the Caribbean to Europe in the spring and then head back for the Americas in the fall

? The Costa Atlantica and Costa Mediterranea cross the Atlantic to reposition from the Caribbean to Europe in the spring.

There are many other opportunities to cash in on this great cruise discount. The best place to check is cruises repositioning from Alaska for the winter. Give your travel agent a call and check it out.