First trip next spring break-5 or 7 days?

[MFG]

Hi all! We’re looking to cruise for the first time next spring break, either 5 days out of Ft Lauderdale or 7 out of Port Canaveral. Would be 3 adults (2 parents, one grandma) and two kids (5/8). Only grandma has cruised before and she’s done lots. It’ll be brand new for the rest of us. We’ll do adjoining rooms with balconies to allow for some space.

My question-is 7 days too much for the first time? Would 5 be better? This is all new to me so love to hear opinions!

 

[Cheburashka]

7 nights is perfect for a first cruise because you'll get the complete DCL cruise experience, which is geared towards 7 nights. You'll get the special animation show in Animator's Palate (make sure you eat at AP on the second evening that you're scheduled for AP), you'll get an optional dress-up night, etc.

If you hate cruising (which is unlikely), 5 nights isn't going to be a lot more merciful than 7 nights, anyway. But you're likely to enjoy the experience. Cruise ships are very stable, so seasickness is not usually a serious problem.

 

[auntlynne]

Are there ports involved? Which ones? I ask because I would base it on itinerary over length of cruise (I am in the minority here. Most people seem to recommend 7 days.). Transportation and cost, ship, etc… are deciding factors.

But I don’t feel the difference of two days matters. @Cheburashka us right - if you don’t like cruising, it won’t matter.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

7. The more days the better.

 

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

Hi all! We’re looking to cruise for the first time next spring break, either 5 days out of Ft Lauderdale or 7 out of Port Canaveral. Would be 3 adults (2 parents, one grandma) and two kids (5/8). Only grandma has cruised before and she’s done lots. It’ll be brand new for the rest of us. We’ll do adjoining rooms with balconies to allow for some space.

My question-is 7 days too much for the first time? Would 5 be better? This is all new to me so love to hear opinions!

I did 5 days for my first cruise but it was just barely long enough for me to appreciate cruising. It was also during pandemic protocols.

Honestly, the longer you have, the more stuff you get to do , more chances to do thinks you may have missed on other days (ex: character meets, hitting whish slide they have on a pool deck), and a better acclimation to cruising.

The only downside is if you feel like you're trapped on the ship (i think i was feeling this on our sea days in my 5 night but that could have been from pandemic protocols limiting a lot of things).

 

[lanejudy]

While I generally lean towards longer-is-better, I would also take into consideration the port stops involved and whether your family will take advantage of port excursions or simply stay onboard.

 

[sponica]

I'd base it on ease of getting to the port and/or cost. I prefer non stop flights, so would do PC because I have to change planes to get to FLL.

 

[lklgoodman]

We've done 8 cruises and they have all been 7 nights, so I don't think 7 nights is too many for your first cruise. As someone else mentioned there will be certain activities that aren't offered on the shorter cruises. My daughter always loved Pluto's PJ party in the Oceaneer's Club when she was your kid's ages. And dh and I love the Anyone Can Cook demos(you get to eat what the chef prepares, yummy!!)

 

[cvjw]

When is your spring break? The two weeks around Easter this year were insane on the fantasy. 4500+ passengers for one cruise and 4300+ on the other. I love the fantasy, but you couldn’t pay me to sail with that many guests onboard.

 

[Carohs]

7 nights. There's so much to do and you can't possibly do it all, even if you had been on the ship before. Especially during spring break, when things tend to be a little more crowded and lines are longer. A word of warning, our first was 4 nights (Wonder), so with 7 nights we relaxed thinking one week is so much more time we'll get another chance to.... whatever... and we were so busy and caught up with it all we never found another chance for some things. That is to say, just because 7 days is more opportunity to do things don't think you can pass by any chance to do something you really want to do because time really flies! Finding the balance of relaxing and participating is how we ended up booking a third and now a fourth cruise!

 

[soniam]

I usually recommend 7+ nights. However, if you have motion sickness issues or think that you might have problems on a cruise, then even 5 might be too much. I don't have any issues, and neither does anyone in my family, so we love long cruises, especially with a lot of sea days.