Repositioning cruises take place when a cruise line moves a ship from one area to another.  For example, the Alaska cruise season lasts from May until September.  Before and after that, the weather isn’t very conducive to standing out on deck and enjoying the scenery.

So the ships that are in Alaska during the summer are someplace else in the winter.  It’s that way all over the world, so repositioning cruises are usually available twice a year – in the spring and in the fall.

In the springtime, which is fall in the Southern Hemisphere, many ships reposition from the Caribbean or South America to Alaska or Europe.  And in the fall, they return.

Because they don’t stop as often as other cruises, they aren’t as popular with passengers who want to see many places.  To compensate for this, these cruises are usually discounted.  Sometimes, a lot.

Several years ago, the early bird got the worm where cruise fares were concerned.  Most cruise lines offered early-booking discounts and these were the lowest fares available.  The cruise industry experienced tremendous growth over the past decade and many cruise lines ordered new cruise ships.

When the economy took a downturn, there was more supply than demand, and the cruise lines needed to cut prices to fill their ships.  For a cruise line, an empty cabin is a lost opportunity, because in addition to the price of the cabin, there’s no revenue from drinks, gambling, shore excursions, or other services.

It’s better for most cruise lines to discount their cruise fares and fill up the ship than it is to operate the cruise with no one aboard.

Most repositioning cruises are discounted to begin with.  Those that don’t have enough passengers booked 90 days before departure may get discounted again.  And within 60 days of sailing, prices really hit rock bottom.  So if you can afford to wait, that’s likely when you’ll find the best price.

If there’s one particular cruise line that you like, visit their web site for deals, or watch the ads in your Sunday paper.   Good buys are available through several websites, so an online search will sometimes result in discounts of up to 70%.

Read more repositioning cruises advice at http://repositioningcruisesguide.com.   And find cruise bargains at http://repositioningcruisesguide.com/category/great-deals.