One worthwhile, though potentially costly, option for slow travel is taking cruises—especially the longer ones. They offer a unique way to vary your experiences and reach a particular destination while savoring the journey itself. I refer to these as purposeful cruises.

We are excited to embark on our first-ever cruise next year—destination: Iceland! While many opt for a two-week road trip around the country, we chose a cruise as the perfect way to experience this adventure.

We chose Celebrity Cruises, specifically the 7-night Iceland Intensive cruise, as our first cruise experience. One key reason we preferred cruising over driving is that our in-laws are traveling with us. With nightly hotel costs ranging from $300 to $400 per room, a week on a cruise ship offers comparable value. Additionally, food in Iceland is quite expensive, but with the variety of dining options available on the ship, the overall cost and convenience make the cruise an excellent choice. We also booked early, securing two rooms at a very reasonable price.

Purposeful cruising resonates with us. One example is Repositioning cruises, which are one-way transatlantic voyages between Europe and the USA, occurring seasonally in spring (US to Europe) and fall (Europe to US). These cruises offer a cost-effective travel option, often delivering excellent value, and may include unique stops at destinations like the Canary Islands, Madeira, or Bermuda. Typically lasting 13 to 19 nights, these extended journeys feature several consecutive days at sea.

On the Pacific Ocean side, repositioning cruises from Australia to Asia typically depart in February or March each year, while those from Australia to Hawaii set sail in March or April. In the opposite direction, cruises from Hawaii to Australia usually occur in September or October, and voyages from Asia to Australia generally take place in October, November, or December. There are also fall sailings that transfer ships from Alaska to Australia, stopping in Hawaii and Polynesian islands such as Tahiti and Bora Bora before arriving in Sydney. Likewise, spring repositioning cruises may travel from Australia to Vancouver, crossing the Pacific to prepare for the Alaskan season.

With this in mind, you can visualize a possible slow, year-long itinerary no? So a possible route could start in April/May with a repositioning cruise from the Caribbean to Europe, spend summer exploring Europe, then take a repositioning cruise from Europe to Asia or back to the Americas in fall, and spend winter in that new region.

Example itinerary:

• April/May: Atlantic Crossing:
  • Cruise: Take a repositioning cruise from the Caribbean to Europe. These are often more affordable than standard cruises and provide a unique, unhurried way to travel.
  • Example: A cruise from Florida to Spain, with stops in the Canary Islands or Azores.
  • Benefit: This moves you to Europe for its summer season, and you can avoid the cost and hassle of a separate flight.
• June – October: European Exploration:
  • Travel: Stay in Europe after the cruise to explore the continent. This could involve further train travel, car rentals, or even smaller, local cruises.
  • Benefit: You have a full summer season to experience a variety of European destinations at your own pace.
• October/November: Pacific or Transatlantic Crossing:
  • Cruise: Take another repositioning cruise to move to a new continent for its winter season. You could go from Europe to Asia or the Americas.
  • Example: A Transatlantic crossing from Europe to the Caribbean or South America, or a cruise from Europe to Asia.
  • Benefit: This allows you to follow the best weather around the globe and potentially save on airfare. 
• November – March: New Region Exploration:
  • Travel: Enjoy the new region you’ve arrived in, such as Asia or the Caribbean, for the winter months. This could involve further flights, land travel, or local cruises.
  • Benefit: You’ve spent the winter in a warmer climate, continuing the cycle of slow, seasonal travel. 
• March-April – Asia back to the US via repositioning cruise.

If you don’t mind spending many days at sea without docking, repositioning cruises offer a wonderful opportunity to slow down, unwind, and recharge. We look forward to a future where we can enjoy a full year of diverse destinations, without the pressure of rushing to make the most of our limited time in each place.

利用遊輪進行慢旅行

一種值得考慮的（雖然可能成本較高）的慢旅行方式是乘坐郵輪——特別是長途郵輪。這類旅程提供了一種獨特的體驗，讓你在抵達目的地的同時，也能細細品味旅途本身的樂趣。我將這種旅行稱為「有目的的郵輪之旅」。

我們非常興奮，因為明年將展開我們人生中的第一次郵輪之旅——目的地：冰島！雖然許多人會選擇花兩週時間環島自駕遊，但我們決定以郵輪作為體驗這場冒險的最佳方式。

我們選擇了名人郵輪（Celebrity Cruises），並特別挑選了為期七晚的「冰島深度之旅」（Iceland Intensive）作為我們的首次郵輪體驗。我們之所以選擇郵輪而非自駕，其中一個主要原因是這次有公婆同行。由於冰島飯店每晚房價約為每間 300 至 400 美元，乘坐郵輪一週下來，其實在價值上相當划算。此外，冰島的餐飲價格相當高，但郵輪上有多樣的餐飲選擇，讓整體的費用與便利性都更加令人滿意。我們也提早預訂，成功以非常合理的價格訂下了兩間艙房。

「有目的的郵輪旅行」這個概念讓我們深有共鳴。其中一個例子就是「換季郵輪」（repositioning cruises），這類航程是歐美之間的單程跨大西洋航行，通常在春季（從美國前往歐洲）與秋季（從歐洲返回美國）進行。這種郵輪提供了一種高性價比的旅行方式，往往物超所值，並且可能在加那利群島、馬德拉島或百慕達等獨特地點停靠。這類航程通常為期 13 至 19 晚，途中會有數天連續的海上航行時段。

在太平洋航線方面，從澳洲前往亞洲的換季郵輪通常於每年二月或三月啟航，而從澳洲前往夏威夷的航程則多在三月或四月出發。相反方向的郵輪，例如從夏威夷返回澳洲的航程，通常在九月或十月進行；而從亞洲前往澳洲的郵輪，則多安排於十月、十一月或十二月。

此外，也有秋季的換季航程，將郵輪從阿拉斯加調往澳洲，途中會在夏威夷及大溪地、波拉波拉等波利尼西亞群島停靠，最終抵達雪梨。同樣地，春季的換季郵輪可能會從澳洲前往溫哥華，橫跨太平洋，為阿拉斯加的旅遊季節做準備。

有了這樣的概念後，你是否能想像出一條可能的慢速年度旅行路線呢？例如，行程可以從四月或五月開始，先搭乘從加勒比海前往歐洲的換季郵輪；接著在夏季探索歐洲；到了秋季，再乘坐從歐洲開往亞洲或返回美洲的換季郵輪；最後在冬季，於新地區悠閒度過寒冬。

範例行程：

四月／五月：橫越大西洋
郵輪：搭乘從加勒比海前往歐洲的換季郵輪。這類航程通常比一般郵輪更實惠，並提供一種獨特而悠閒的旅行方式。
範例：從佛羅里達出發前往西班牙的郵輪，途中停靠加那利群島或亞速群島。
優點：可順利移動至歐洲，迎接夏季，同時避免額外搭乘航班的費用與麻煩。

六月－十月：探索歐洲
旅行：郵輪抵達後，留在歐洲深入探索整個大陸。可選擇搭乘火車、租車自駕，或參加短程區域郵輪。
優點：你可以用整個夏季的時間，以自己的步調體驗多樣的歐洲目的地。

十月／十一月：橫越太平洋或大西洋
郵輪：搭乘另一趟換季郵輪，前往新大陸迎接冬季。可選擇從歐洲前往亞洲或美洲。
範例：從歐洲橫越大西洋前往加勒比海或南美洲，或從歐洲啟程前往亞洲的航程。
優點：讓你能隨著全球最佳氣候移動，並有機會節省機票費用。

十一月－三月：探索新地區
旅行：在冬季享受你抵達的新地區，例如亞洲或加勒比海。可繼續搭乘短途航班、陸路旅行或當地郵輪。
優點：在溫暖氣候中度過冬季，延續緩慢、隨季節遷移的旅行節奏。

三月－四月：從亞洲搭乘換季郵輪返回美國

如果你不介意在海上度過多天、不靠港的時光，換季郵輪將為你提供一個絕佳的機會，讓你放慢腳步、放鬆身心並重新充電。我們期待有一天，能享受一整年的多樣旅程，不再因為時間有限而感到匆忙，而是悠閒地細細體驗每一個目的地的魅力。