3 day cruises

[shellyfronk]

Has anyone ever taken one? We have booked the Caribbean Princess for Memorial Day weekend. Just wondering what you all might think of a three day cruise if you have ever taken one. Would you do it again? Any tips?

 

I already know that there are no formal nights - Yay!

 

Thanks in advance.

[Gunner22aa]

We did a 3 day because we needed a quick getaway and also to take advantage of Princesses 100% FCC which we have applied to our next cruise in April.

 

Would I do it again, never. Not that we didn't have a good break but it was just too short for us. We typically cruise for a minimum of three weeks at a time and our next two cruises are 31 and 28 days respectivly.

 

Also we live in land locked Alberta Canada and it seemed like we spent as much time on the plane getting to LA as we did on the ship.

 

These cruises work well for folks that live handy to the port but I don't ever see another in our future.

[cruiserking]

Has anyone ever taken one? We have booked the Caribbean Princess for Memorial Day weekend. Just wondering what you all might think of a three day cruise if you have ever taken one. Would you do it again? Any tips?

 

I already know that there are no formal nights - Yay!

 

Thanks in advance.

 

We did a 3-day cruise on the HAL Eurodam during her maiden year, it was an introductory cruise from NY just a few blocks from our home. Some short cruise can veer toward a real party crowd it depends on the crowd.

 

I'm sure you'll have a great time, something to look forward to until the next one.

 

Jonathan

[navybankerteacher]

Three days is awfully short - especially if you have to travel to the port. The first day is really just half a day because you cannot board before 11:00 AM earliest - and are unlikely to get access to your cabin before one or two. You really just have two and a half days.

 

You also may find the ship loaded with heavy drinking partiers - of course that could be what you want - depending on your demographic.

[shellyfronk]

thank you both for your input. I was wondering about it feeling so quick. Also, we have to fly from NY into FLL so that is a chore. Prices are pretty high now!

[cb at sea]

The ONLY way I'd do a short cruise, is if I could easily DRIVE to the port...no airfare involved! It's simply not worth the time or expense, IMO, for what is essentially a 2 day cruise, bearing in mind that you only have 1/2 day the "1st" day, and are herded off the ship before 9am in most cases on the last morning.

[YubaSutter]

I used to do three day cruises a lot. I lived in the port city, so traveling was only 5 minutes. No way would I take one if I had to fly.

[cruiseaholic777]

3 days would never be long enough for me. But that being said the Caribbean Princess is a great choice. I have cruised on this ship 3 times. Have a great cruise. ;)

[Cruisin' Chick]

We did a few of the Baja ones -- more for a quick getaway or to see how our little one did on a vacation. But they're way too short. In fact, my hubby thinks even the 7-day cruises are too short now.

[mtwingcpa]

One of my cruises was a 3-day. It was probably the only one where there were lines for everything...and all venues seems crowded. I suspect this was because people were trying to cram as much as possible into the short time frame. On longer cruises people tend to chill out and pace themselves. ;-)

 

I wouldn't go out of my way to do a short cruise like that again. But, if it fit my schedule, etc., I wouldn't shy away from it either. I would just gear my expectations accordingly.

[mizLORInj]

Caribbean Princess is an awesome ship. Can you add another cruise on to the 3 nighter to make it a longer vacation?

I would not travel far for a 3 nighter. Too much hassle for just 3 nights.

[ehfl]

We do 2-3 three day cruises per year. They are a great weekend getaway. We can getaway to the Bahamas for a lot less than going north to Disney or South to the Keys for the weekend.

[bobbycruiser]

I've done a few 3 or 4 night cruises, mostly out of Miami. And they are a lot of fun if you are in the party mindset. They are typically booze cruises with a LOT of younger people. Would I do one again? DEFINITELY! Would I travel a distance to take a 3 day cruise? definitely NOT!

 

On a side note, with the current snow forecast and all the snow we have had so far this winter in NJ, I would fly to Miami RIGHT NOW to take a 3 nighter;)

[klauer]

I've done a couple of 4-day cruises and I felt that those were way too short. As soon as we got on the ship, unpacked, and went to the Welcome Aboard party it was time to pack up and go to the Gala Farewell.

[Lerin]

I would only do it if I lived close enough to get a ride to/from port.

Even the additional price of parking or a cab wouldn't be worth it to me.

[Essiesmom]

We have done two 3 day cruises. the first was full of large family groups pushing their way through the crowds like schools of fish, mindless of those around. trying to get a weeks worth of vacation out of three days. The second was the US inaugural of the MSC Divina. We did that because it was a bargain and a way to try out a different cruise line. I would avoid them in the future unless they were a real bargain and I could drive to the port. EM

[Krazy Kruizers]

I would never consider a 3 day cruise -- just too short. Plus we do not live near a port so would have to deal with the hassle of flying and we have no direct flights to anywhere.

Also 3 and 4 day cruises tend to be party cruises.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It might be a bunch of new byss ...

[CruiseGirlKS]

I used to do three day cruises a lot. I lived in the port city, so traveling was only 5 minutes. No way would I take one if I had to fly.

 

X2. I usually only do a 3-day cruise if its an add-on to something else we are doing.

[ediesbeads]

We live in IL and are considering a 4 day cruise attached to the front or back end of a beach vacation we are planning in Florida in June. We're driving anyway and will be there so why not!?

[TC1957]

The only way we would do a three day cruise is to get to the next level in a loyalty program. We have only cruised RCI so if after a week long cruise we are one of two points short of moving up a level we would take a three day to improve our discount for the next week long cruise.

[Sue Do-Over]

Quick math... subtract the number of cruise days from 8. The remainder is the average number of (tacky or mis-spelled) tattoos per guest.

 

For each tattoo, choose one of the following: ball cap with the tag still on it, baggy shorts worn below the waist, muffin top, too-small shorts/skirts, crazy-rediculous CFM shoes, and an overloaded buffet tray.

 

The shorter the cruise, we have seen, the more discarded food, trays and ice cream cones are left around the decks and in the hallways. Children seem to be less supervised. More drinking, which means more noise late at night, running in the halls, and shouting, in general.

 

We find a 5-7 day cruise to have the right balance of fun and quiet.

[cruiseapril]

We have done two 4 day cruises and a 5 day cruise and enjoyed all. Didn't have a problem with excess party stuff.

 

Prefer the 7 or 10 day cruises, but sometimes family can only do short cruises and we have had fun.

[Freedom2014]

3 days is not long enough for me!

[PeterPan]

The only way we would do a three day cruise is to get to the next level in a loyalty program. We have only cruised RCI so if after a week long cruise we are one of two points short of moving up a level we would take a three day to improve our discount for the next week long cruise.

 

Just an observation....

You would spend the money on a 3 night cruise to save an additional 75 or 100 bucks on the next cruise? Doesn't make sense to me mathematically. Of course it doesn't make sense to me to "chase" the next level in a loyalty program. The perks are nice, but not worth what you spend to get there. We cruise because we enjoy it, not for a title. Just my opinion.