Short Cruises (3-5 days) - Has anyone done any before?

[cybrkitn]

DH are contemplating doing a short 3-5 day cruise. We live in NY (Long Island) and he was thinking of doing the upper New England cruise. While I'm not too sure about that one or a 3-5 day cruise to the Bahamas.

We have cruised before with RC back in 2001 when we did a 7 day Alaska cruise. But we haven't been on a cruise ship since. July of 2017 marks a special anniversary for us. Although we have only been married since 1999, we will be celebrating 30 years being together. We started dating back in high school in 1987. I still can't believe it's been that long already!

Are the short cruises worth doing? We're really not able to do a 7 day cruise.

Thanks!

 

[Trekker]

The shortest I've done is a 4 night on DC to the Bahamas which really gives you 3 full days. We had fun and it was worth it, but I do prefer bit longer like a 7 night.

 

[Pigletpal40]

We did the 5 day from Port Liberty to Bermuda. Loved it!

 

[cybrkitn]

The shortest I've done is a 4 night on DC to the Bahamas which really gives you 3 full days. We had fun and it was worth it, but I do prefer bit longer like a 7 night.

That's good to hear. I would prefer to do a 7 day cruise, but can't. Money is part of it, and the other is DS13. We have always done family vacations. This will be the first time that DH and I are thinking of going a way for a short vacation without DS. I feel kind of guilty but at the same time, DH and I need that time alone together to be husband and wife instead of mom and dad. DS would be staying with my mom if we decide to go forward with this plan.

I have to admit that I feel so guilty thinking of leaving DS behind on a vacation. Like I'm a bad parent or something for even thinking of it

 

[aregister]

First of all-CONGRATULATIONS!!

If you are a bad parent for going on a vacation without your teenager for the first time than I'm a HORRIBLE one! Seriously, you need time with just you and hubby because soon that's all you will have...my DH and I go on vacations without our TWO kids at minimum once a year. Sometimes it's just for a long weekend, one year we went to Europe for 12 days!

Anyway, I've ONLY done (so far) short cruises and live in the Central Florida area, so they are more readily available to me anyway. I will say that it really depends on the cruise line and the ship you are on. (I've been on DCL and several "classes" of Royal Caribbean"). I prefer a cruise that has at least one day at sea if it's a short cruise, so I feel I don't have to rush on and off.

Cruises are my favorite vacation to take-because all your dining and entertainment and hotel are included. Sometimes it's fun to have a specific destination but other times it's nice to just plop yourself in a poolside lounge chair and read.

Let me know if you have any specific questions!

 

[ronandannette]

That's good to hear. I would prefer to do a 7 day cruise, but can't. Money is part of it, and the other is DS13. We have always done family vacations. This will be the first time that DH and I are thinking of going a way for a short vacation without DS. I feel kind of guilty but at the same time, DH and I need that time alone together to be husband and wife instead of mom and dad. DS would be staying with my mom if we decide to go forward with this plan.

I have to admit that I feel so guilty thinking of leaving DS behind on a vacation. Like I'm a bad parent or something for even thinking of it

We've actually done lots of short ones for almost all the same reasons you mentioned. We love them; they (IMO) are the PERFECT couples' getaway! We also take them because we absolutely only ever get 1 week of vacation at a time and travelling to the Florida departure ports is impossible the same day as sailing. Which itineraries are you looking at? The 5 day ones with two ports and two sea days are my absolute favourite but the 4 day ones have been really great for us too. Don't listen to anybody that says they're too short. Heck, DH and I did a 4 night land trip to Hawaii a couple of years ago. Our reasons were both financial and work-schedule related. So many people told us we were nuts but we had a great time. You will too. Happy Anniversary!

 

[msjprincess]

We're doing a 5 night on IOS next February, it stops in Labadee and Jamaica. We also live on LI, but because we can only sail when the kids are out of school it always ends up cheaper for us to fly to FL than to sail out of NJ.

 

[bumbershoot]

We did a 5 night out of Fort Lauderdale on Vision and liked it.

We don't have anyone to leave DS with, so we disagree that couples NEED vacations alone. They are nice if you can get them, but if you can't, make the best of it!

 

[cybrkitn]

Thank you so much for the replies! It sounds like doing a 4 day cruise is worth it. I was afraid it would feel like a rushed vacation. You know, where you leave on a Friday, have all day Saturday and then leave on Sunday to come home. The only thing you get is one full day.

aregister and ronandannette, thank you! Both of you have put my fears at ease. I guess it's natural to feel guilty going on a vacation without kids. Especially when vacations are always done as a family. I did ask DS how he feels about it and he was a little disappointed.

Bumbershoot, The Vision was the ship we were on for the 7 day Alaska cruise. It was our first time on a cruise ship and we loved it! Btw, OT here, but weren't you on the Community board or Theme Park board at one point on a regular basis? Your name sounds a bit familiar.

 

[ronandannette]

Thank you so much for the replies! It sounds like doing a 4 day cruise is worth it. I was afraid it would feel like a rushed vacation. You know, where you leave on a Friday, have all day Saturday and then leave on Sunday to come home. The only thing you get is one full day.

aregister and ronandannette, thank you! Both of you have put my fears at ease. I guess it's natural to feel guilty going on a vacation without kids. Especially when vacations are always done as a family. I did ask DS how he feels about it and he was a little disappointed.

Bumbershoot, The Vision was the ship we were on for the 7 day Alaska cruise. It was our first time on a cruise ship and we loved it! Btw, OT here, but weren't you on the Community board or Theme Park board at one point on a regular basis? Your name sounds a bit familiar.

Stupid iPad is acting up his morning so I can't paste the link, but do check out the Independence of the Seas sailing a 5-Day out of Ft. Lauderdale to Cozumel and Belize. We did that one for our Anniversary 2 years ago and LOVED it! It was the perfect balance of (semi)exotic ports and sea days and the ship was amazing. (And just my $.02 - remember that one of the most important things you can do for your DS is to stay in love with his Dad! ) I hope you have a great time, whatever you choose to do.

 

[cybrkitn]

Stupid iPad is acting up his morning so I can't paste the link, but do check out the Independence of the Seas sailing a 5-Day out of Ft. Lauderdale to Cozumel and Belize. We did that one for our Anniversary 2 years ago and LOVED it! It was the perfect balance of (semi)exotic ports and sea days and the ship was amazing. (And just my $.02 - remember that one of the most important things you can do for your DS is to stay in love with his Dad! ) I hope you have a great time, whatever you choose to do.

LOL I very rarely use the iPad for typing. I need an actual keyboard so I can type faster. Anyway, I sent DH an email while he was at work yesterday about all the information I got from RC when I called. Right now, it's cheaper for us to leave out of NY rather than pay the extra money for airfare to FL. We would get a limo or town car take us in so we don't have to worry about leaving the car in the City. He has chosen the Upper New England cruise. Which I'm fine with. The farthest we've been is Massachusetts and we've driven there.

 

[bumbershoot]

A short cruise can feel rushed but just set expectations. Read the Compass and figure out how you will spend your day, and when in each activity (trivia, sunbathing, craft class, etc) fully settle and relax and enjoy it. It's amazing how long it can feel if you really commit to each part of the day, and don't let yourself get caught up in feeling rushed.

As DS gets older I'm jealous of those with sane and healthy family members who can and want to watch kids. The one family member I could have trusted died before I even met DH.

I visit most boards. I have lots of downtime while teaching DS and have to do something! I generally don't hit Community on purpose anymore bc it brings out my argumentative side lol. If you see me there it's a post that was moved from another board or one of those ones linked to from other pages.

 

[karmacats]

DH are contemplating doing a short 3-5 day cruise. We live in NY (Long Island) and he was thinking of doing the upper New England cruise. While I'm not too sure about that one or a 3-5 day cruise to the Bahamas.

We have cruised before with RC back in 2001 when we did a 7 day Alaska cruise. But we haven't been on a cruise ship since. July of 2017 marks a special anniversary for us. Although we have only been married since 1999, we will be celebrating 30 years being together. We started dating back in high school in 1987. I still can't believe it's been that long already!

Are the short cruises worth doing? We're really not able to do a 7 day cruise.

Thanks!

dh and i do a short (3-5 night) cruise on disney every year, and have done 5-nighters on liberty of the seas twice. i think 3 nights is a bit short, but 4 or 5 nights is fine.

since you're in NY, i'd recommend a 5-nighter on anthem of the seas to bermuda. it will leave from NJ, so no wasting time flying. it's a fun itinerary - 2 days in bermuda, plus a sea day on either end to relax. bermuda is beautiful. and when you get back, an easy trip home from port. they are offering them twice in july this year, though i don't think summer 2017 has been released yet.

 

[cybrkitn]

dh and i do a short (3-5 night) cruise on disney every year, and have done 5-nighters on liberty of the seas twice. i think 3 nights is a bit short, but 4 or 5 nights is fine.

since you're in NY, i'd recommend a 5-nighter on anthem of the seas to bermuda. it will leave from NJ, so no wasting time flying. it's a fun itinerary - 2 days in bermuda, plus a sea day on either end to relax. bermuda is beautiful. and when you get back, an easy trip home from port. they are offering them twice in july this year, though i don't think summer 2017 has been released yet.

You are correct, the summer of 2017 cruises have not been released yet. I called RC yesterday and was told they will be released about March 6th. I'm just curious if anyone knows if the summer is generally any higher, lower or about the same as during the winter months?

DH was contemplating a 5 day Bahamas cruise when I mentioned it, but after I told him about having to fly down, he wasn't up for it. It's an added expense that we just can't do right now. If we could afford it, I know he would go for it. NJ isn't too far, but I don't think that would be do-able for us. Neither of us want to worry about driving there and back. Especially if it's during rush hour traffic. NYC and Long Island can get pretty bad during rush hour. The L.I.E. (Long Island Expressway) has a nickname of "The World's Largest Parking Lot", lol! After a cruise, I want to stay relaxed and not have to worry about keeping our eyes on the road and the other drivers!

 

[cybrkitn]

As DS gets older I'm jealous of those with sane and healthy family members who can and want to watch kids. The one family member I could have trusted died before I even met DH.

I visit most boards. I have lots of downtime while teaching DS and have to do something! I generally don't hit Community on purpose anymore bc it brings out my argumentative side lol. If you see me there it's a post that was moved from another board or one of those ones linked to from other pages.

If we could do a week and afford it, I would. DS13 has A.D.D and is on medication for it. He also has a tendency to sleep late when there is no school. Like getting up between 10 and 11 am. I have to repeatedly remind him to take his meds in the morning. Neither DH nor I can deal with him when he forgets. DS can get on our last nerves. If it's before 3 pm, he can still take it. Otherwise it's too late in the day. My mom has already said she wouldn't be able to watch him for a full week anyway. Besides, a short cruise sounds real nice and is less expensive than a week long cruise.

As far as the Community board, I hear you. It can get pretty heated there. I pretty much stay away from those type of threads and just stick with civil ones.

 

[msjprincess]

You are correct, the summer of 2017 cruises have not been released yet. I called RC yesterday and was told they will be released about March 6th. I'm just curious if anyone knows if the summer is generally any higher, lower or about the same as during the winter months?

DH was contemplating a 5 day Bahamas cruise when I mentioned it, but after I told him about having to fly down, he wasn't up for it. It's an added expense that we just can't do right now. If we could afford it, I know he would go for it. NJ isn't too far, but I don't think that would be do-able for us. Neither of us want to worry about driving there and back. Especially if it's during rush hour traffic. NYC and Long Island can get pretty bad during rush hour. The L.I.E. (Long Island Expressway) has a nickname of "The World's Largest Parking Lot", lol! After a cruise, I want to stay relaxed and not have to worry about keeping our eyes on the road and the other drivers!

Did you look at prices for this summer to get a general idea? You can compare prices out of NJ to prices of of FL. Like I said, I've always found it cheaper to fly down during the summer. I would love to sail out of NJ but when we cruised last summer, Liberty out of NJ was double the price Indy out of Fort Lauderdale. Even after adding in airfare and hotel it was cheaper to leave from Florida. NY can be cheaper if you can sail when school is in session.

 

[bumbershoot]

DS13 has A.D.D and is on medication for it. He also has a tendency to sleep late when there is no school. Like getting up between 10 and 11 am. I have to repeatedly remind him to take his meds in the morning. Neither DH nor I can deal with him when he forgets. DS can get on our last nerves. If it's before 3 pm, he can still take it. Otherwise it's too late in the day.

DS dances with several kids with ADHD, most of whom take medication. Alas, some classes are held as the medications are wearing off, and most parents there don't bother with it over the summer, when dance classes are still held. It definitely doesn't seem easy! (most of the above parents originally put their kids in dance to help keep activity levels HIGH as they find it works to help with symptoms with their kids)

Hugs.

 

[cybrkitn]

Did you look at prices for this summer to get a general idea? You can compare prices out of NJ to prices of of FL. Like I said, I've always found it cheaper to fly down during the summer. I would love to sail out of NJ but when we cruised last summer, Liberty out of NJ was double the price Indy out of Fort Lauderdale. Even after adding in airfare and hotel it was cheaper to leave from Florida. NY can be cheaper if you can sail when school is in session.

I haven't, but that is a good place to start. Thanks I'm also beginning to think that we may have to leave out of NJ if they don't have one leaving from NY. At least that's what I've been seeing. It looks like the ones leaving NY are the longer cruises.

Sailing during the school year is definitely out. Our 30th anniversary (being together, not wedding) is in July.

 

[msjprincess]

As I was typing my replies, I thought of another good question.


I haven't, but that is a good place to start. Thanks I'm also beginning to think that we may have to leave out of NJ if they don't have one leaving from NY. At least that's what I've been seeing. It looks like the ones leaving NY are the longer cruises.

Sailing during the school year is definitely out. Our 30th anniversary (being together, not wedding) is in July.

Sorry when I said NY I meant NY/NJ. RCCL only leaves from NJ. NCL and Carnival leave out of Manhattan.

 

[cybrkitn]

Sorry when I said NY I meant NY/NJ. RCCL only leaves from NJ. NCL and Carnival leave out of Manhattan.

I was just realizing that when I was over at their web site. I'm also wondering if the short cruises are offered in July. From what I was seeing with NCL and RC, it doesn't look like it, which would be a bummer.