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Ships tend to relocate in April and these repositioning cruises offer some of the best value around.
April is traditionally one of the cheapest months for cruises and cruise lines are more eager to please than ever after three separate vessels made international headlines in recent months.
Ships tend to relocate in early spring, with many moving from their winter homes in the Caribbean to more popular summertime destinations including Europe and Alaska, John Felice, vice-president of franchise operations for Expedia Cruise Ship Centers, explained in an email.
This makes for some unique limited-time only itineraries. On an April repositioning cruise you can travel from North America to Europe for instance or from Florida through the Panama Canal to Vancouver, and even on to Alaska if you want.
“These voyages are very popular because they are longer and often priced at exceptional value because the cruise lines want the ships to sail full,” Felice said.
April is also sandwiched between the busy spring break and summer tourist seasons making it easier to score a deal.
A 3-night Bahamas cruise on board Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas is currently listed at $197 plus taxes and fees at Expedia.ca. In May, that same trip costs $249. Other April bargains include a 7-night Mediterranean cruise for $379 (at Expedia) and comparable trip for $399 over at Travelocity.ca.
As we know, 2012 has proved a challenging year for cruise lines. Thirty-two people died when the Costa Concordia hit the rock off the Mediterranean island of Giglio on Jan. 13. Weeks later, a sister ship, the Costa Allegra, lost power and drifted for hours in pirate-infested waters on a voyage from Madagascar to the Seychelles. Most recently, Azamara Quest was disabled by an engine room fire en route to Malaysia. All 590 passengers and 411 crew members arrived at their destination safe and sound.
In a speech last month, Howard Frank, vice chairman of Carnival Corporation and chairman of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), said, member cruise lines have taken additional steps to strengthen safety procedures beyond what is currently required by law.
“The cruise industry maintains an excellent safety record and every cruise operator recognizes that the safety and security of our guests and crew is our top priority…To that end, CLIA and its member lines are examining their safety practices and identifying areas for improvement,” he said.
Onboard crime is rare and the fatality rate on cruise ships during the decade 2002 to 2011 was 0.13 per million people and 0.04 per million for passengers alone.
“This is no cause for complacency. Not a single fatality is acceptable to our industry. But it is a testament to our industry’s commitment to continuous improvement,” said CLIA’s president and CEO, Christine Duffy.
The headlines came at time when cruise companies including Carnival and Royal Caribbean were adding capacity. Thirteen new ships were put on the water last year with 14 more coming in 2012, according to CLIA. The one-two punch of excess capacity combined with negative press has led to lower overall base fares.
In the weeks following the Concordia disaster, prices fell as much as 12%, according to the New York Times. Companies are also throwing in free extras, like $100 to spend onboard and spa vouchers.
“A strong Canadian dollar means cruises have never been better priced for Canadians,” Felice said, adding that Europe appears to be the best deal this year thanks to a concentration of new vessels there.
“River cruising in Europe has also increased in popularity however since these ships only carry about 200 guests, they need to be booked much further ahead.”
Dreaming of an Alaskan cruise? You might have better luck travelling between May and September when prices tend to dip.
Top 10 cruise tips (courtesy of Expedia):
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