What is the perfect amt of time to cruise?

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Well, I generally go on 7 day cruises because it fits well into my husband's work schedule and gives us enough time to unwind and enjoy. That said, there are many options....

3-day weekenders: These are popular as a modestly-priced vacation or mini-break. Since these require little time off work, weekender cruises tend to have a younger demographic, including both couples and young families. As a result, these are lively and often party-oriented. These are usually only offered by mass-market cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Carnival, though higher-end lines occasionally offer short repositioning cruises (see below).

4-day mid-week: If you can cruise mid-week, these can actually be cheaper than the 3-day weekend cruises. Guests are typically retired, especially outside school holidays. These are usually only offered by mass-market cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Carnival, though higher-end lines occasionally offer short repositioning cruises (see below).

1-4 day repositioning cruises: Unlike the regularly-scheduled short cruises, short repositioning cruises are occasional events that occur when a ship repositions (e.g., on the way to Alaska for the summer). These cruises are a good way to "test" a cruise line (or cruising in general) to see if it appeals to you. They are usually a good value, but will need to buy at least one one-way flight; these cruises are never round-trip.

5-day: A few cruise lines are now experimenting with 5-day cruises. These seem to cater to working-age people who want to take a week off work, and have a day on either end to travel to and from the port.

7-day: This is by far the most common itinerary, as it fits best into working people's vacation schedules and most people's budgets. In general there will be a wide range of ships to choose from, including the very newest ships.

8 to 14-day: This duration is popular especially in Europe and more exotic locales where there is a lot to see, and a lengthy flight from the US warrants more time at the destination. Sometimes two 7-day cruises can be combined to form one 14-day cruise.

More than two weeks: Longer cruises appeal to guests who have both money and time. A long voyage by ship can be a relaxing and leisurely way to see the world. The extreme example is the 100+ day around-the-world itinerary now offered by several upscale cruise lines.

There's more on the different cruise durations, and other factors in choosing a cruise, here:
http://www.cruisesavvy.com/savvyguide/choosing_your_cruise/how_many_days

Dusie

My husband and I are still looking for the answer to that question. What could be more fun to research? So far we've done 7 day cruises and 10 days. 7 days is way too short for us. 10 days were much better but still not long enough. Next time we're planning either a 12 day or B2B 7 days with alternating itineraries. We are empty nesters so there is nothing at home to worry about any more. Perhaps when we retire ( in 10 years or so) we'll be able to do 30 to 90 days.

boguegirls

The best cruise would be a 7 days cruise. Carnival has one from Texas. There are also some really great ones from Florida if u could take that kind of drive. After you get done with 7days then u could do a 10 to 12 days cruise.

TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only

Its been my experience that the more you cruise the more you will like it. When I first started cruising a 7 day was plenty fine. But then after I did 9 and 12 day cruises I came to like the longer ones better. The longer cruises give you the opportunity for more port stops and thus to see interesting places. They also usually have more "at sea" days when there is no port stop and thus you have time to enjoy the ship, relaxing at the pool, using the gym, or just lounging around, etc.

I also feel like after I spend all of the time and money to get to the ship I may as well stay as long as I can. For me a 4 or 5 day cruise is a short cruise; in fact, anything 7 days and under is short for me.

I suggest that you skip the 4 and 5 day cruises and just move on up to 7 days. I think you will really enjoy the longer stay on ship.

Cheripie

I say 10-14 days minimum to get the full benefit. One week is just not long enough. 14+ days is nice, but one may not want to come home & get depressed when they do so. lol 21 days would be the ultimate.

Time travler

Seven to 10 days are my favorites and I have cruised as long as 29 days. Now that was a long cruise. 3 or 4 days is way too short. I mean, you get unpacked, learn the ship pretty good, and then it's over.

willimemo12

Of course it depends on where you are going, who you are with and the cruise line it self, but I would say that a five day cruise is best. It is a whole week and you will get about two stops in. I was about ready to go on the fifth day when we docked. By the end of the trip I had exhausted all there was to do on the boat.

Lost Soul

A seven day cruise is always just right for me. I've had enough fun, yet I'm not totally worn out.

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