Can You Take a One Way Cruise?

Most cruise ship itineraries start and finish in the same port. Passengers who want to go from here to there and stay there may find some different alternatives.

Considerations

U.S. law prohibits cruise passengers from departing from one U.S. port and arriving at another U.S. port. This applies to non-U.S. flagged vessels, which includes all major cruise line vessels.

Significance

To take a one-way cruise, the best opportunities are with cruises that start at a port outside the U.S. Some international cruises are only one-way. Many South American cruises start in Buenos Aires and finish in Chile.

Identification

One way to take a one-way cruise is to book on a repositioning cruise. Cruise companies will move their ships from one region to another for seasonality or market reasons. In January 2009 the Carnival Splendor was repositioned from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to San Francisco, California, with a 49-day cruise around South America.

Considerations

Repositioning cruises are not listed on regular cruise schedules. Contact the cruise lines or a travel agent specializing in cruises to get information.

Famous Ties

The Cunard Line owns the luxury cruise ships Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria. These ships offer at least one around-the-world cruise each year. The entire trip takes more than 3 months, but you can book shorter legs of the trip. Other cruise lines that offer around-the-world cruises are Princess, Regent, Holland America, P&O and Crystal.

References

• Cruise Critic