Ditch the Plane, Take a Boat! Save With a Repo Cruise

Between Airbnb, Uber, and Google Maps, it’s never been easier to get from point A to point B. But instead of traveling with a rush-hour mindset, my wife Kathleen and I have bought into that oh-so-omnipresent catchphrase: slow travel.

Kat and I had wanted to take a repositioning cruise for years. Most cruises are roundtrip, but repositioning cruises, or “repo cruises,” are one-way. Seasonal cruises, like those heading to Alaska during the summer, need to be docked during the off season. Once upon a time, cruise lines sent these ships back to their home port manned only by a crew… but today, you can often hitch a ride on them for a discounted fare.

We were intrigued, but we’d never done anything longer than a three-day “booze cruise” before, and Kat’s prone to motion sickness.

I found an 18-day repo cruise on Vacations to Go, leaving from Honolulu and terminating in Sydney with stops in French Polynesia. But Kat gave me a nauseated look when I told her about the cruise. I pointed out that it docked in French Polynesia, and she stopped me in my tracks.

“I’ve always wanted to go to Tahiti, but considered it too far away and too expensive,” she said. It was true; flights from our home base could run into the thousands just for that one island, but this cruise only cost $2,200 per person. “Well, if this cruise takes us there, let’s do it.”

At Sea, We Became Shellbacks

Our ride was on Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Sea. It holds fewer people than most ships—just 2,500 guests plus the crew, spread out over 12 decks.

Kat and I were thrilled that it was a smaller ship, since neither of us is a fan of crowds, and our party days are behind us. Our fellow passengers were mostly Aussies and Kiwis—and the most cordial and open people we’d ever met. We quickly learned that this repo cruise is a favorite among Australians and New Zealanders who fly to Hawaii, then head home on the ship.

My concerns that we’d get bored on the ship were unfounded. We could relax by the pool or sun deck, lounge outside the buffet hall, watch new flicks and oldies alike in the movie theater, or stroll to the shops on board. We’d opted out of the alcohol and beverage package, but occasionally we sipped reasonably-priced cocktails at one of the dozen-plus bars on board.

Our go-to activity became the headline shows in the large auditorium. A gentleman who’d apprenticed under Liberace entertained us on the piano, and a husband-wife duo played the violin and guitar. The surprise favorite: a ventriloquist who had us rolling as he brought three dads—prompted by their kids—to the stage and had them answer questions in silly voices.

The weather warmed as we headed south, reaching over 100 F, but the ocean breeze kept us all cool. On day three of our journey, we crossed the equator.

The captain of the ship dressed up as King Neptune and celebrated our graduation from “polliwogs” to “shellbacks.” The polliwog to shellback ceremony is a long and honorable one, dating back to the earliest sailing days on wooden ships. In those days, crossing the equator was suitably “celebrated.” (Think a college fraternity hazing.)

King Neptune brought up various members of the crew and “punished” them for a host of contrived travesties. The crew had water sprayed upon them, spaghetti dumped on their heads… and the worst offenders were showered with fish.

Land Ho! Docking in French Polynesia

Tahiti offered our first sight of land in almost a week. With just a few hours to spend there, we opted to get our land legs back and explore. We found a secluded cove near the Hilton Hotel Tahiti and parked ourselves there to swim and tan.

The water was a deep turquoise and we couldn’t turn in any direction without spotting a mountain. Across the channel, we could see the island of Moorea.

Yet Tahiti didn’t leave us wanting more. The commercialization has taken away some of its island feel, with vendors and taxis hawking their services endlessly.

But the next two days more than made up for our disappointment. Next up was the raw paradise of Raiatea. We circumnavigated the island on a motorbike—it’s small enough to circle in 90 minutes—stopping to explore coves and beaches with waters chock-full of colorful fish.

Then it was on to Moorea, with the most turquoise waters we’d ever seen. We opted for a bus tour of Moorea, which we arranged at the port. We found that skipping the cruise-arranged tours allowed us more flexibility… and saved us on cost.

Albert Transport was our ride of choice. The driver, a third-generation Moorean and Albert’s son, was able to tell us the island’s history—including James Cook’s discovery of it.

The driver also recommended we see Belvedere Point, which offers panoramic views of the mountains as well as the port where our ship was moored.

Spring in Kiwi Country

After three more days back at sea, we crossed the International Date Line, which had us advancing from Oct 15 to Oct 17… meaning we went to bed on Sunday and awoke on Tuesday.

Between that and the time zone changes, we had to rely on our Royal Caribbean app to tell us what day it was—and whether we needed to change our clocks yet again. Kat and I had lost all sense of time… which only added to the novelty of this adventure.

Colder temps kicked in as we arrived in New Zealand, since we were heading away from the equator. We were nearing the Southern Hemisphere’s summer, which peaks around the first of January. We docked in Auckland for a much-too-short time—about eight hours—and opted for the Explorer hop-off bus, which was conveniently close to the port.

We finished at Bastion Point Park, offering stunning views of the harbor.

Then it was on to the Bay of Islands, a collection of 140 subtropical islands in the north of New Zealand. We took a tender boat to the city of Waitangi and explored the city by foot, stopping at a merchant’s market offering native products.

Mostly, we soaked up the scenery, which was jaw-dropping even under overcast and chilly skies. We both wished that we could stay in Kiwi country for longer.

We agreed: Another visit to New Zealand was in order.

Waking Up to the Sydney Opera House

On our 18th and final day at sea, we were expected to dock in Sydney at 6:30 a.m. We’d heard the ride in, passing about a dozen islands, was spectacular.

We set our alarm for 5 a.m. But when we awoke, we were instead greeted with a view of the Sydney Opera House shining against the dark sky. We walked along the ship to take in the Sydney skyline, from the Opera House to Harbour Bridge.

We spent just two days in Sydney. We climbed—yes, climbed—Harbour Bridge, encasing ourselves in bright suits so our guides could spot us and keeping in contact with radios. The two-hour tour took us 440 feet above the water, and required us to climb a whopping 1,332 steps, beginning to end.

From Sydney, we rented a Ducati motorbike and headed south to enjoy the inland forests and coastline.

Our destination was the capital, Canberra, to visit our friends. Initially, we’d planned to spend 11 days in Australia, followed by a flight to Bali. But once we were in Oz, we realized that wasn’t enough time to explore the country that had captivated us.

We plan to return… likely via another cruise, now that we’re seasoned seafarers (or shellbacks, I should say).

As Kat and I move into our sixth year as nomads, we’re adding repositioning cruises as a reliable travel strategy. Between the cheap cost and the unique destinations, they’re ideal for budget travelers, digital nomads, and retirees alike… and we’ll certainly be boarding one again.