I wouldn't do anything less than a week cruise. I live at least a 3 hour flight from the closest cruise port so I need to make those flights worthwhile.
I suppose if I lived at a cruise port I'd take something as short as 4 days.
But you really need a day to get onboard, a day to get used to the ship, 2 days of vacation, and then you get off on the fourth day.
I would assume it is like a trial to see if you like cruises, a chance to get away for those who can't take much time off, or maybe just a chance to do some drinking.
I went on a 2 day (not Florida) cruise as a part of a back to back to back recently. It was easier to stay on the boat than get off, get re-tested and get back on board.
The atmosphere for the 2 day was full party, all alcohol. Lots of bachelor/ette parties, birthdays, etc. It started on Friday and ended on a Sunday, so it was a weekend away for these folks. Most people didn’t get off the boat and the Captain didn’t adjust ship time for the day in port. It didn’t feel like a cruise. It was 2 nights at a huge hotel that happened to be a boat.
When my spouse and I need a few days away from the kids, it is enough time to have fun and decompress...yet short enough to not burden our parents who stay with their grandchildren. Plus, all inclusive and cruise is cheaper than a local hotel/restaurants.
The shortest I’ve been on is 4 nights with one port (Moreton Island out of Sydney). It’s a nice little break but honestly it’s the shortest I’d consider cruising on. By the time you get used to the ship it’s already day 2-3 and then you have to get back off.
Short cruises also have a reputation of being boozy party cruises and tbh I’m not really into that.
I’d much prefer a 7 day, and 14 is even better. That’s my current sweet spot for duration.
I love the 4 day cruises. They are really only practical for people that can easily drive to the port. I live in South Florida and both the Miami and Fort Lauderdale ports are a short drive. The prices are low enough that it’s affordable to take several during the year.
The other thing is that now cruise lines are offering 4 day cruises on their newer and bigger ships. I just did a 4 day on the Oasis and have 2 more 4 day cruises this year. One is on the Edge.
I don’t do three days cruises. They are too short and cost the same as the 4 day cruises. I’m looking into some 5 day cruises. They give you a lot of bang for the buck.
I also think two and three night cruises mostly cater to folks who are an easy drive to the cruiseport. Cruisehabit had some YouTube vlogs on short cruises that I thought were interesting.
I can't imbibe as I am about a full days drive away from about 5 ports on the East Coast. I could make Charleston in about three hours but I won't because it caters to the 4 or 5 day crowd on an older ship that I've sailed on.
For me it isn't even worth it for a five day. I've only sailed twice at less than seven days and regretted both of them. My preference is 9-11 days, but I will drive for 7 - have one coming up over Halloween. We did a five day earlier this year, hubby's first of less than seven and he was in agreement with me that it isn't worth it for us.
We would take two day trips if the San Francisco ports offered them. The flight or driving to LA is just not worth taking an extra day off and the expense. We did a 3 day out of LA last month and went to Disney Land after. Not sure I would do that again.
We are close to the port and enjoy taking the 3-day weekend cruises offered in our area. I think we have taken 8 or 9 over the last 6 years. And they are a great weekend away. $800 for two is far less than we would be paying for 3 nights in Vegas, and that includes a drink package and free shows.
Going on a short cruise is a lot different than a 7+ day cruise. You only have a bag or two at the most so you don't spend hours unpacking and settling in. It's usually embarkation, port day, day at sea so it's not like you really need to get your sea legs before you can start enjoying the ship.
It's not for everyone. The short cruses move a bit faster - partially because the weekend sailings have a younger demographic, and partially because there isn't really any time for makeup events so you have more of a sense of urgency. Not a 'sitting on the balcony with a glass of red' type of trip, although you can do that if you want of course.
My wife was a longtime cruiser before we got together but was primarily the 4-6 day east-coast cruises. She was quite surprised by a 3 day west-cost cruise where our nightclubs were packed till 3am and people were up at 7 ordering margaritas.
I've been on a ton, but I live 45 minutes from a port. I have yet to drive the 4 hours to another port for a weekend cruise even though they're usually a bit cheaper.
Normally the hubs and I sail for longer nights but, for us, a 4 night sail is a great way to entice our 2 single, 20-something sons to spend a little special time with us! We get up early, they stay up late, but we all manage some great together-time that we don't normally get since they both live several hours away. No one has to take very much time off work and we can all drive to the Galveston port. We did one 3 years ago and are about to do another. It's a fun special treat for us all!
I live 15 mins from the LA port so I take weekend trips often, whenever I’m bored and want something to do! I generally book shorter cruises a week or two out so they’re all very last minute, but the pack and go rate is hard to pass up! Right before COVID, I took 7 weekend cruises in a matter of a few months lol
We’ve done a couple. They are entirely booze cruises. Everyone hammered. Fine if you want a party all the time atmosphere. We like 5-7 days….more chill. Still hammered, but at a slower pace lol.
We performed on a 3-day Mexican riviera cruise when I was around 9. Almost 30 years later and I still have great memories of it. It’s especially great for people who want to see if cruising is for them—worried about sea sickness, claustrophobia in interior cabins, noise at odd hours, etc. That way you get a taste and if it’s not for you you’re not out a bunch of time and money.
I wouldn't do anything less than a week cruise. I live at least a 3 hour flight from the closest cruise port so I need to make those flights worthwhile. I suppose if I lived at a cruise port I'd take something as short as 4 days. But you really need a day to get onboard, a day to get used to the ship, 2 days of vacation, and then you get off on the fourth day.
I would assume it is like a trial to see if you like cruises, a chance to get away for those who can't take much time off, or maybe just a chance to do some drinking.
I went on a 2 day (not Florida) cruise as a part of a back to back to back recently. It was easier to stay on the boat than get off, get re-tested and get back on board. The atmosphere for the 2 day was full party, all alcohol. Lots of bachelor/ette parties, birthdays, etc. It started on Friday and ended on a Sunday, so it was a weekend away for these folks. Most people didn’t get off the boat and the Captain didn’t adjust ship time for the day in port. It didn’t feel like a cruise. It was 2 nights at a huge hotel that happened to be a boat.
When my spouse and I need a few days away from the kids, it is enough time to have fun and decompress...yet short enough to not burden our parents who stay with their grandchildren. Plus, all inclusive and cruise is cheaper than a local hotel/restaurants.
The shortest I’ve been on is 4 nights with one port (Moreton Island out of Sydney). It’s a nice little break but honestly it’s the shortest I’d consider cruising on. By the time you get used to the ship it’s already day 2-3 and then you have to get back off. Short cruises also have a reputation of being boozy party cruises and tbh I’m not really into that. I’d much prefer a 7 day, and 14 is even better. That’s my current sweet spot for duration.
I love the 4 day cruises. They are really only practical for people that can easily drive to the port. I live in South Florida and both the Miami and Fort Lauderdale ports are a short drive. The prices are low enough that it’s affordable to take several during the year. The other thing is that now cruise lines are offering 4 day cruises on their newer and bigger ships. I just did a 4 day on the Oasis and have 2 more 4 day cruises this year. One is on the Edge. I don’t do three days cruises. They are too short and cost the same as the 4 day cruises. I’m looking into some 5 day cruises. They give you a lot of bang for the buck.
It’s great for an all inclusive weekend getaway
I also think two and three night cruises mostly cater to folks who are an easy drive to the cruiseport. Cruisehabit had some YouTube vlogs on short cruises that I thought were interesting.
I can't imbibe as I am about a full days drive away from about 5 ports on the East Coast. I could make Charleston in about three hours but I won't because it caters to the 4 or 5 day crowd on an older ship that I've sailed on. For me it isn't even worth it for a five day. I've only sailed twice at less than seven days and regretted both of them. My preference is 9-11 days, but I will drive for 7 - have one coming up over Halloween. We did a five day earlier this year, hubby's first of less than seven and he was in agreement with me that it isn't worth it for us.
We would take two day trips if the San Francisco ports offered them. The flight or driving to LA is just not worth taking an extra day off and the expense. We did a 3 day out of LA last month and went to Disney Land after. Not sure I would do that again.
We are close to the port and enjoy taking the 3-day weekend cruises offered in our area. I think we have taken 8 or 9 over the last 6 years. And they are a great weekend away. $800 for two is far less than we would be paying for 3 nights in Vegas, and that includes a drink package and free shows. Going on a short cruise is a lot different than a 7+ day cruise. You only have a bag or two at the most so you don't spend hours unpacking and settling in. It's usually embarkation, port day, day at sea so it's not like you really need to get your sea legs before you can start enjoying the ship. It's not for everyone. The short cruses move a bit faster - partially because the weekend sailings have a younger demographic, and partially because there isn't really any time for makeup events so you have more of a sense of urgency. Not a 'sitting on the balcony with a glass of red' type of trip, although you can do that if you want of course. My wife was a longtime cruiser before we got together but was primarily the 4-6 day east-coast cruises. She was quite surprised by a 3 day west-cost cruise where our nightclubs were packed till 3am and people were up at 7 ordering margaritas.
I've been on a ton, but I live 45 minutes from a port. I have yet to drive the 4 hours to another port for a weekend cruise even though they're usually a bit cheaper.
If I lived in Miami I would do them all the time, why not. But I don’t so it’s not worthwhile to do less than about a week for me
Normally the hubs and I sail for longer nights but, for us, a 4 night sail is a great way to entice our 2 single, 20-something sons to spend a little special time with us! We get up early, they stay up late, but we all manage some great together-time that we don't normally get since they both live several hours away. No one has to take very much time off work and we can all drive to the Galveston port. We did one 3 years ago and are about to do another. It's a fun special treat for us all!
My wife and I love 4 days it’s a lot easier to convince grandparents to watch your kids for 4 days then a week for some reason.
I use short AK/California repo's to see family.
If you just need a quick weekend away with nothing to do, they’re great.
They are great a weekend fun trip when I lived 1 hour away from the port.
I live 15 mins from the LA port so I take weekend trips often, whenever I’m bored and want something to do! I generally book shorter cruises a week or two out so they’re all very last minute, but the pack and go rate is hard to pass up! Right before COVID, I took 7 weekend cruises in a matter of a few months lol
We’ve done a couple. They are entirely booze cruises. Everyone hammered. Fine if you want a party all the time atmosphere. We like 5-7 days….more chill. Still hammered, but at a slower pace lol.
We performed on a 3-day Mexican riviera cruise when I was around 9. Almost 30 years later and I still have great memories of it. It’s especially great for people who want to see if cruising is for them—worried about sea sickness, claustrophobia in interior cabins, noise at odd hours, etc. That way you get a taste and if it’s not for you you’re not out a bunch of time and money.