Get more value on a longer cruise

Longer cruises are better deals.

This piece of advice may seem counterintuitive—if you’re sailing for more days, eating more food, and spending more nights in your cabin, you should pay more. However, this logic does not apply to repositioning sailings, the one-way cruises that occur when ships need to move from one cruising region to another. These cruises are a great value because travelers are actually doing the cruise line a favor.

Typical cruisers may not have 10 to 20 days to sail across an ocean or even want to spend multiple days at sea. But if the cruise lines don’t get paying passengers onboard for these longer crossings, they will lose money. So they offer these seasonal sailings at extremely affordable per-night rates, hoping to attract guests looking for relaxing, unhurried voyages. Plus, multiple days at sea can lead to plenty of spending at the bar, spa, and casino, which can make up for the cruise’s low initial rates.

What’s in it for you? The main attractions include an affordable vacation, the chance to slow down and really take advantage of all the onboard amenities, visits to an unusual collection of ports, and the novelty of sailing across an ocean. If you’re not intrigued yet, the following sample prices for fall sailings might peak your interest. (All prices were accurate at time of publication.)

• $599 ($40 per night) for an inside cabin on a 15-night cruise aboard Costa’s Fortuna departing from Savona for Ft. Lauderdale on November 2.
• $599 ($50 per night) for an inside cabin on a 12-night cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas departing from Southampton for Ft. Lauderdale on October 30.
• $749 ($54 per night) for an inside cabin on a 14-night cruise aboard Celebrity’s Galaxy departing from Barcelona for Puerto Rico on December 8.
• $1,299 ($76 per night) for an inside cabin on a 17-night cruise aboard Princess’ Star Princess departing from Civitavecchia/Rome for Ft. Lauderdale on December 3.

Have a great travel tip you’d like to share? Send your insider travel strategies to [email protected].