Transatlantic Repositioning Cruise from Miami to Barcelona on MSC
We took a 13 night repositioning cruise from Miami to Barcelona in April 2026 on the MSC Grandiosa. We kept seeing fantastic last minute prices listed for a couple repositioning cruises from Florida to Europe. Finally, a week prior to the cruise start date, we decided we could fit it into our schedule. I could continue working on my physical therapy in the boat’s gym while we enjoyed the luxuries of a cruise. Upon arrival in Barcelona, we planned to stay for a while to see the city.
What is a Repositioning Cruise?
A “repositioning cruise” is when a cruise ship repositions itself to another area in the world for the next season of cruising. Our cruise ship had been in the Caribbean all winter and was moving to Europe and the Mediterranean for the summer. In the fall it will come back across the Atlantic and spend another winter in the warm Caribbean. If a person has flexibility to watch for a deal, often these repositioning cruises can be purchased for quite a great price. The cruise company wants to fill up the boat and usually less people are looking for a cruise that only has a couple stops, consists mostly of sea days, and ends in a different location than it started.
Getting on the ship in Miami
The trip started off a bit rough before we could even see the boat. The port area of Miami was a disaster with so many cars backed up. This is the first time we have had this experience, but have read that it can be fairly common in the Miami port area. There were port workers directing cars off the main road along a loop, all the way to the end of the port area just to turn around and slowly creep back to almost where you started. Then you turn again and finally head along the road that leads to the cruise ships. It took us over an hour from entering the port area until we reached our drop-off.
The trip turned around after getting out of our Uber though. The onboarding process was quick and easy. The only steps were to show our passport to a staff member, take a photo, and send the luggage through a screening x-ray. Then we were free to walk onto the ship and find our cabin.
Once settled into our room, we explored the boat, ate in the buffet, and grabbed a couple ciders at the bar by the main pool. Time to relax!
Exploring the Ship
The next two days were spent on the ship in transit to our first port. During these days we explored what the ship had to offer. The MSC Grandiosa has 3 pool areas, each with a few hot-tubs nearby. There is a children’s pool and play area as well which has a couple waterslides that adults can enjoy. A high-ropes course can also be found here.
We found the gym to be kind of small and very busy. It was best to go when it opened right at 6 am otherwise it was challenging to get any piece of equipment. There was lots of waiting around for weights, machines, or treadmills in the later mornings.
For breakfast and lunch each day we joined the chaos of the buffet. The food offered was at least 50% the same each day, with some varying options. It can be challenging to see what food is available as you walk around because of how many people are lined up at the counters.
Every night a sit down meal was offered (free of charge) in an assigned dining room. Guests are committed to the same dinner time every night of the cruise. There is always the option of dining in the buffet whenever you please though. We enjoyed the more relaxed feeling of the sit down dinners over the buffet most nights. The ship also has a few restaurants that cost extra if you desire something different but we stuck to the free options to save money.
Deck 6 and 7 had shopping and the restaurants that were an extra cost. This area had a bit of a Main Street feeling with its indoor promenade. The high ceiling above was an LED screen which changed the view throughout the day. Sometimes it looked like blue sky and clouds above you, sometimes it was artwork, and occasionally it displayed a short audio and visual show.
Many of the bars on this ship are a bit boring, feeling quite similar to each other. These had just a line of stools along the bar and a small seating area. These bars are situated on consecutive floors and look into the open area around the stairs linking decks 4-7. The bars we found to have more ambiance included an English pub and the Sky Bar that looked out over the main pool area. There are also bars at each pool area if you want a cocktail by the pool.
We also enjoyed the Grandiosa Bar because it had a cool ceiling, a great bartender that poured extra wine into our glasses, and dance classes were taught here multiple times each day. Throughout our cruise we attended 4 dance classes. Each class is just 30 minutes, but you can learn the basic steps within that time. We joined for the Waltz, the Charleston (really fun!), the Disco Foxtrot, and East Coast Swing.
As well as dance classes, some exercise classes, trivia, crafts, and short lectures were offered. What was offered changed each day. It was nice having various things to do on the boat, but they wouldn’t put out a schedule for the day on their app until midnight of that day. If they had the schedule for a couple days out in advance it would be easier to plan around what interests you.
Each evening a free show was presented in the theatre. We went to a variety of these including a Whitney Houston tribute singer, an illusionist and a woman that created impressive pictures in real time with sand and a projector. My favorite show was a talented Spanish couple; he played the violin and she danced.
Port Stop #1: Sint Maarten
On the morning of day 4 our ship docked at port in Sint Maarten. This island is actually occupied by two nations. The southern portion is Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands. The northern half is the French territory of Saint Martin. Since we had visited this island and checked out the capital city of Phillipsburg on a previous cruise, we chose to go on a snorkeling tour this time.
We booked a four hour tour with Captain Allan’s and paid extra for a pickup from the port area to make it easy. We had a friendly driver that drove us north to their boat docks. We signed waivers, paid our fees, and were set up with fins. The process was well organized and not rushed. Soon we were on a boat and on our way to visit three stops.
The first stop was just off of Tintamarre Island. This location is known for spotting sea turtles. We snorkeled above the sea grass and looked for interesting sea-life. While there wasn’t an abundance of things to see, we were happy with the experience. We spotted a couple sea turtles, an eagle ray, and 2 nurse sharks.
The second stop was Creole Rock which is known for having colorful smaller fish. It wasn’t as impressive as I had hoped, initially looking like just a bunch of rocks. But when I slowed down and really looked between and under the rocks, I noticed there was coral growing in these areas. We saw a good variety of colorful fish. They were never abundant, but they would swim out and around the rocks. I even spotted an eel that must have been at least 3 feet long!
Our final stop was just off a sandy beach with a restaurant and shops along it. Most of the passengers on our boat checked out the beach, but a few of us just relaxed on the boat. We enjoyed taking in the views and drinking a free beer while enjoying the sunshine.
Back on the Ship
We had another 6 days on the boat before our next stop. It was a surreal feeling to look out at endless ocean and realize how far away from any land we really were. During these days the boat rocked more than while in the Caribbean but we soon adjusted and hardly noticed it.
We filled the days with the gym, dance classes, hot tubs, pools, a few free shows in the evenings. I also joined a couple yoga classes on the boat, learned about octopuses in a lecture, and we tried out the waterslides.
Since we were traveling east, we would need to adjust our clocks ahead 6 hours by the end of the transit. So night after night we kept losing an hour. Soon we weren’t waking up early enough for that 6 am gym visit. Instead of setting an alarm, I just accepted the wait for each piece of equipment in the crowded gym.
Port Stop #2: Funchal, Madeira
On the 10th full day of the cruise we arrived in Madeira. We took an Uber from the port to the pretty streets near the center of Funchal. We chose to just wander around and enjoy the nice day. We started at “Jardim Municipal do Funchal”, a city garden. Then we stopped by a confectionery shop next door called “Nata 7” where I ordered a capachino and we each had a delicious pastel de nata.
We wandered on down Av. Arriaga admiring the pretty Portuguese pavement. Portuguese pavement is comprised of small pieces of stone that are arranged in a pattern or mosaic. We passed by Blandy’s Wine Lodge (where we had tasted Madeira wine the last time we were in Funchal). We saw the pretty facade of the Bank of Portugal and stepped into the Funchal Cathedral. A mass was taking place, so I didn’t snap any photos, but we both thought the geometrically designed wood ceiling was lovely.
We wandered down the narrow street of Rua de Santa Maria filled with restaurant tables, and enjoyed all the cool painted doors. We had stayed in this area back in 2023 and it was fun seeing the artwork again. Walking a bit farther, we found ourselves at the Fort of São Tiago. Locals were swimming in what looked like chilly waters next to the fort, just as we saw them doing the last time we were here. It was really hot during our last visit but this time it was only in the low 60’s.
As we made our way back from the fort, we stopped at a place called Banana’s and ordered a poncha. Poncha is a local alcoholic drink made from sugar-cane spirit, honey, sugar, and lemon juice. It was originally created by fishermen to stay warm and is now a popular cocktail. We grabbed some Nepalese/Indian food nearby and then stopped at another table in a crowded small alley for a sample of Madeira wine. It was then time to head back to the ship.
Final Days on the Ship
Another day with nothing to see but water all around us.
However, it did get more exciting that night when the boat passed through the Strait of Gibraltar. Unfortunately, since it was night and very dark it was hard to see very much. We could see the flashing from a couple lighthouses and lights of the towns glowing on shore. It was much easier to see the mountains on the coast of Africa than any of Spain. We saw the first glimpse of land in Africa a little after 9 pm and I stayed awake to see the Rock of Gibraltar just before midnight. While it was dark, a bit foggy, and the Rock of Gibraltar was quite a ways away, I am glad to have seen it. I then adjusted my watch another hour ahead to be on Barcelona time and went to sleep.
On our final cruise day we woke up late and took it really easy. Our views from the boat were just fog, fog, and more fog over the water pretty much all day. Although we were likely not sailing far from the Spanish coastline, we couldn’t see it. We were ready to get off the boat and on to something new, so we were excited to reach Barcelona in the morning.
Disembarking was pretty easy. We only had carryon luggage, so we were able to get off whenever we chose. Those with larger luggage were assigned to a time when they would get off and their luggage would be ready for them. The line to get off the boat moved pretty slow, but once off we just got our passports stamped and were free to head into Barcelona.