1st Cruise - short or long?

[WeBeCruisers?]

We are leaning toward a 10 night Caribbean cruise out of Miami in February for our 1st. Too long? Maybe a 3-4 nighter to test the waters? Also, going on with an interior room...some reason we should pay a whole lot more for a balcony?

[Keith1010]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

I would go with the 10 day cruise.

 

The reality is that cruises go by very quickly. A three or four night cruise limits your choices and by the time you get settled it's time to pack and for the cruise to end.

 

There is no right or wrong on an interior cabin. The major benefit is the lower price. Some people prefer one with a verandah because it allows them t open the window to get fresh air in the cabin and it also provides a small area for them to sit out and also they can tell day from night.

 

If this was me, I would go with the ten day cruise.

 

I am not sure if you will need to fly to the port of call but if you do I would recommend arriving a day or more before the cruise. If you fly the day of the cruise a major flight delay or a flight cancellation could cause you to miss the ship.

 

Keith

[Peery5]

We are leaning toward a 10 night Caribbean cruise out of Miami in February for our 1st. Too long? Maybe a 3-4 nighter to test the waters? Also, going on with an interior room...some reason we should pay a whole lot more for a balcony?

Welcome to Cruise Critic:

 

Our first cruise was for 7 nights and we had an ocean view stateroom. We didn't know what to expect nor did we have anything to compare it to. It was a great cruise. You always want your first cruise to be a special event and you end up comparing future cruises to your first one.

 

After we had stayed in a balcony cabin, we were hooked. Don't think we will ever downgrade to anything less.

 

The longer cruises definitely spoil you but you tend to spend more money on excursions and drinks. I say go with your gut feeling. If you can afford the longer cruise go for it. But, if you could possibly be prone to motion sickness, you might want to "test" the waters on a shorter cruise.

[WeBeCruisers?]

Thx Keith: We are leaning toward the 10 day, and maybe flying there (1 day early) and driving out of Florida if Hertz has their annual $5/day deal. We may also decide to drive as time is a non issue, and we intend an extended time away.

[paul929207]

I would also recommend a ten day cruise. Gives you time to enjoy the different things offered without being rushed

[Keith1010]

Paklingler, you are very welcome.

 

Keith

[VMax1700]

Our first cruise was a 10 day Caribbean - time just flew by! Second cruise was 7 day - it really seemed too short, especially after taking 1 day to get to the port and one day 'acclimatising' :) A three or four day - DW would only be unpacked by then :eek::rolleyes:

[vmom]

I also vote for the 10 day cruise.

 

We have been in interior cabins, cabins with a window and a cabin with a balcony. There is no right answer. We loved all of our interior rooms because we slept so well. We loved the rooms with a window or balcony because we loved getting up and looking outside.

 

There are some who will only sail with a balcony cabin and there are some who always book interior rooms and save the extra money for excursions.

 

Its really very much of a personal choice. If you think you'll be in the room a lot and would like to see outside, then book a cabin with a window or balcony. If you are the type that prefer to be out and about, then go with the interior room and use the savings for excursions.

[tak81288]

If those are your only choices, I would go with the 10 day. However, if you can find a six or seven day, I would start out with that. Cruises go by fast only if you actually like cruising. If you don't, it is going to feel like you are "stuck" on the ship.

[johneeo]

We are leaning toward a 10 night Caribbean cruise out of Miami in February for our 1st. Too long? Maybe a 3-4 nighter to test the waters? Also, going on with an interior room...some reason we should pay a whole lot more for a balcony?

 

Go with 10 day. You will find less kids, less partiers, and from my experience, a bit of a more sophisticated/experienced group of passengers.

 

Also, by day 6 or 7, you are pretty much getting into it, and the 8th, 9th and 10th day will be greatly appreciated.

[Happy ks]

For a first cruise, I'd never advise a person to take a short 3/4 night cruise, it really doesn't represent what a great cruise is.

 

10 nights, you bet. The time will fly by and you will hardly be ready to disembark.

 

The short cruises are for cruise fixes in between longer cruises ;)

[sugarcharlie]

I've been in both inside and outside cabins and one of the tricks I've used was to leave the TV on to the ships webcam when I'm inside. It acts like a window in that you can see the daybreak and dusk and during the night it is totally dark! Most ships have 32" flat screens so it is like having an ocean view with a 32" window. Poor mans upgrade!

[Starry Eyes]

Our first cruise was a 4 nighter because DH did not think he would like cruising. It was long enough for him to learn he liked it, allowing us to book more and longer cruises since. If anybody in your party is unsure if cruising will agree with them, a short cruise is a good start. OTOH, if everybody in your party is sold on the idea, go ahead with a longer cruise.

 

One other thought: cruises longer than 7 days generally tend to draw a somewhat older, somewhat more sedate crowd with fewer children. Perfect for some, but those looking for a younger crowd or more party atmosphere or playmates for kids may want to select shorter cruises (even if it means booking back to back short cruises to fill their available vacation time). So, you might want to factor that in as well as you select your cruise.

[beauv]

Our first cruise was a 35 night cruise - by the end of it we didn't want to leave the ship. Best holiday of our lives. :D Next cruise in 33 days time is a 14 night one. Cruising is the way to go. :)

[OCruisers]

The 10 Day would be great! As many have said, on one less than 7 Days you won't get the real feel of cruising and could come to the wrong conclusion ....

[dln929]

Our first cruise was a seven nighter because I was afraid I might not fall in love with cruising (yes, I really did think that :rolleyes:). Well, a week went by like lightning and I was crying in my Kleenex on my last dinner in the MDR because I was so sad at the idea of packing up and leaving the next morning. If you have the chance to go cruising for ten nights, take the opportunity and don't look back!!!!! You will be so happy you did.

[Waihekean]

My first cruise was a twelve nighter and felt I really wanted two more days. Booked a 14 nighter for second cruise, but that one got cancelled. So am now going on a 11 nighter and planning to really taking it all in a bit better.

[luckybecky]

I know most people are saying go with a longer cruise, but I think it wouldn't hurt to take a short introductory cruise first.

 

We took our first cruise in January and weren't sure if we would like cruising. We LOVE to travel, but we worried that we might feel cooped up on the ship or that it would be too limiting somehow. Also weren't sure if sea sickness might be a problem for us. So we took a 4 day cruise from a port close to home to see how we would like it. I'd recommend doing the same if you have any doubts.

 

As it turned out, we loved it. It wasn't absolutely perfect, but no vacation ever is. There are always some kinks here and there. But we had a great time and now we have booked our next cruise, as 12 day Mediterranean adventure!

 

As for interior vs balcony: if you can afford the balcony, go for it. In spite of the fact that the weather was poor and we weren't able to use our balcony for much of the trip, I still would not trade our balcony room for anything. Our kids were in an inside cabin across the hall. Their room just seemed dreary to me without a window or any daylight. I liked being able to pop outside in my pajamas just to check the weather, or, during the times when the weather was nicer, sitting out there and enjoying a glass of wine. To me, it was worth the added expense.

 

Long or short, balcony or inside, no matter what you choose, I am betting you will have a fantastic time and be hooked on cruising!!

 

Have fun!

 

Becky

[MisterMe2011]

I had never cruised, but had heard enough about it from my Brother and his wife .... as they fell in love with it ...

We were talking about taking a longer cruise to somewhere other than the Caribbean - as we were born/raised/and live in the Bahamas ..... so thought that we would take a quickie/cheapie cruise to see how I liked it ...

My thoughts .. first of all, it was a 4 day on Carnival Destiny..... on superbowl Sunday weekend ... which we never realized ..

The food in the Dining Room was very good .... Lido was ok .... the kiosks/counter places ... ie. burgers, pizza, etc what CRAP!!!...

We never even SEEN the cruise director ... and the rooms were clean and bigger than I had expected .. but .. we never saw any attendants ... i told my brother that they must have been like house elves .... and came in the minute that we went out .... and we were also in an inside room on the first deck ... I LOVED it ... Dark, no deck noise, and when there was a bit of motion on the higher decks - it was not noticeable in the room .... -- and an added point - even though you may THINK that you don't get motion-sick - carry something ... I was born/raised/and live on an island in the Bahamas - that is accessible only by boat ... and we learn to drive a boat just after the training wheels on our bicycles come off ... but ... It's a different feel on a ship ...

Anyway, Needless to say, I don't think that I have a good perspective on cruising - from my 4 day experience ... there are things not offered on the 4 day - galley tours, Captain's table, the steakhouse, and menu items, etc..... it's a "party" crowd for the most part ( we don't drink ) ... different clientele ..... and just a totally different "feel" .... so my brother tells me ... he says that he would never waste his time/money on less than a 7 day ...

Also, consider the ship ... Destiny is smaller ... and apparently due to be refurbished ... it was CLEAN ... but old and dated .... and consider the ports ... as for Key west ... I liked, but shore time was so limited that it was a waste .. and Cozumel - unless you drink or party ??!?! ... just do the turtle/stingray stuff ... as beaches don't thrill us ... lol - but that's just us ! ...

To sum things up .. in my opinion ... you get what you pay for .... and i think that we got a lot for what we paid ... ( about $350 USD - for EVERYTHING ... room/tipping/port fees/etc... ) ...

Enjoy yourself no matter what ... and the good thing about a cruise - especially on one of the More affordable Lines - so i'm told .. is that it's all about YOU - you do what you want, when you want, wear what you want, eat what you want, and just RELAX - no pretension ... It's a vacation - by definition .... so, HAVE FUN! ... and if you don't get to do everything offered on the longer cruise - it's a good reason to book another one! ...

[FawnRiver]

Our first cruise was a seven day in a mini-suite (which was upgraded to a full suite). We chose our cruise based on our TA's suggestions, I was terrified of boats but I needed a vacation so badly I decided to risk it and I also happen to be claustrophobic, so we had to have a balcony at least.

 

If you don't have an issue with boats/ships and aren't claustrophobic, I would suggest that you start with the 10 day interior option. The problem with having your first cruise in a full suite is everything else is a bit of a letdown. Our second cruise was another 7 day in a mini (no upgrade fairy on that one), and while we still loved it, it couldn't compare to the first.

 

Our next is a 10 day with an aft balcony, DH having declared that 7 days isn't long enough (who am I to argue?) and we have decided that the aft balcony is the most appreciated "extra" that we can currently afford.

 

Good Luck & Happy Cruising!

[Marie51]

Well I am going to go against the majority here and say that you should do a short cruise for your first time. Personally I love cruising and don't understand how anyone would not feel the same. However my brother-in-law came with us a couple years ago for his 1st time. It was a 7 day cruise and by the 2nd day into the cruise he was unhappy and ready to jump ship. Needless to say he made the rest of us miserable and there was not much to do about it.

I know he is in the minority, but it does happen.

[cruiseapril]

For a first cruise, we would book a 7 day -low and mid-ship, with plenty of port stops.

[PeaPod1946]

I agree with the above two posters - for a first cruise, I would not book a 10-day, and if you do go 10 days, not so sure about interior cabin.

 

I would do a 5-7 day to start. You may not like it -- many people don't like cruising, but you won't find them on these boards, so opinions are going to be skewed.

 

Have fun planning - let us know what you decide!

[lakeguy]

Guess I will put my two cents in. 10 days might be a little long but please don't do anything less than a 7 day. You just won't be giving it a fair chance. Years ago our first two or three cruises were 7 dayers but since everything is longer and we love it.

In our opinion a inside cabin is great and we almost always book one. We only use the room for sleeping and changing. But be fair and if you book a inside cabin this trip try a balcony next cruise, also you might sign up for the cabin crawl with the cruise critic people on your cruise. This might give you some insight into the different cabins available.

Happy sailing. Lou

[lovevacadays]

I'm not a fan of having first time cruisers try a 3-4 day cruise as their first cruise experience. In theory, it sounds good. However, most cruise lines send their oldest or least desirable cruise ships to do these short cruises. I've done a couple of 3 day cruises and had a great time but they werent' my first. They were just a get away and I knew what to expect from the ships.

 

If you can do a 7 day that would be ideal. 10 days may be a bit too long for a first time cruiser. I love balconies but know many who are fine in an inside. I've sailed once in an inside. It was ok but I tend to want some light coming into my cabin so if I don't get a balcony I get an oceanview. You may be just fine in an inside