As we all get older, do we all prefer longer cruises?

[Slarty]

Since we have to fly to most any embarkation port, we've noticed that as we've grown older, we prefer longer cruises. Anyone else?

 

It's all about the hassle of:

 

reservations/getting-a-deal that you are happy with,

packing/meds

limos/taxis,

TSA, flying,

Luggage pickup, bell-hop,

Transfer to the hotel,

pre-departure hotel; a meal,

Xfer to the ship, more tips,

 

... reverse, when you get off the ship, also blows chunks!

 

So, all these upfront costs, why do a 7-day?

[kazu]

Since we have to fly to most any embarkation port, we've noticed that as we've grown older, we prefer longer cruises. Anyone else?

 

It's all about the hassle of:

 

reservations/getting-a-deal that you are happy with,

packing/meds

limos/taxis,

TSA, flying,

Luggage pickup, bell-hop,

Transfer to the hotel,

pre-departure hotel; a meal,

Xfer to the ship, more tips,

 

... reverse, when you get off the ship, also blows chunks!

 

So, all these upfront costs, why do a 7-day?

 

 

We haven't done a 7 day cruise in years (other than one sweet deal and a desire to escape coupled with a stay in FLL about 7 years ago)

.

It has nothing to do with being older.

 

It has to do with getting my dogs to the vacation home, the hassle to get out of here, the same work to get ready to go, the time of the flights and the cost.

 

We just found that 7 day cruises were too short.

 

By the time we were in cruise mode, it was time to think about packing.

 

The prep time is the same, the vacation time is different ;)

 

We can't say we have been on x number of cruises of course,but we spend a lot of time on each ship and each cruise so the days add up the same as someone who does 4 seven day cruises when we do our 30 day.

 

It's the only way to travel IMO if you can ;)

[Lizzie68]

Yep. I only do 7 day cruises if it is from my home port of Vancouver. No flying.

 

Sent from my SM-J320W8 using Forums mobile app

[PEB]

We have always liked longer cruises ever since our first one in 1991.

[bUU]

why do a 7-day?

As folks get closer to the end of their career, they tend to more often be more critical to their work. I have no idea whether the director would approve a two week vacation were I to request it. Of course, once I retire, that changes the dynamic entirety.

 

Having all the time in the world in your control makes a big difference.

[Homosassa]

No.

For us, anything shorter then seven days is too short. However, anything longer the thirteen days and we are desperate to get off the ship.

 

We realized this a long time ago and it hasn't changed since we retire.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Our first cruise was 14 days.

We have no choice but to fly to all embarkation ports. And now it is really a hassle since we no longer have direct flights anywhere.

We have never done just a 7 day cruise.

[RuthC]

At least in my case, "older" had nothing to do with it. It was decades ago that I discovered the joys of longer cruises.

[bleacher04]

As we get older, we have the time, and hopefully the money, for a longer vacation.

[Traveling Library]

We opt for 10 day+ cruises or 2 7-day B2B. We've been doing this for years and I work full time in a very responsible management position. My job is to ensure that my staff can do my job (or a reasonable facsimile) while I'm away. After 30+ years they haven't failed me yet.

My company knows I take 2 weeks at a time and rarely individual days and they have been and continue to be fine with it. I work around the company's schedule (e.g. don't go away at year end or during busy season). I've learned as long we are all clear on expectations things are fine. That being said, once I retire the cruises will be longer. Have a few more years to go but I see that retirement date coming closer and closer ;-)

[POA1]

We prefer longer cruises and have since we were in our 30s. Flying doesn't even enter the picture for us in most cases. We're a 10 minute cab ride from Port Everglades, and if we had our druthers we'd never go for less than 10 days. Sadly, someone else had our druthers in December and we only got to go for a week. Seven days is way too short.

[SmoothFlying]

Since we have to fly to most any embarkation port, we've noticed that as we've grown older, we prefer longer cruises. Anyone else?

 

It's all about the hassle of:

 

reservations/getting-a-deal that you are happy with,

packing/meds

limos/taxis,

TSA, flying,

Luggage pickup, bell-hop,

Transfer to the hotel,

pre-departure hotel; a meal,

Xfer to the ship, more tips,

 

... reverse, when you get off the ship, also blows chunks!

 

So, all these upfront costs, why do a 7-day?

 

Heck, if it were left up to me(not the checkbook) I'd do nothing but B2B for a couple of years. :) When I made this comment to some friends, one of them said, 'Oh !! you'd get tired of it after six months'. I told him I'd LOVE to give it a try, just too see. LOL !!

 

Mac

[knittinggirl]

We've done three cruises under 7 days, our first cruise, the first cruise after a hospital visit, and leg two of a near b2b. Because we wanted to try out Disney.

 

Even back in our working days, we preferred at least a 7 day cruise to make up for the horrible days pre and post. Airfare hassle continues to get worse.

 

We were on a 14-night transitional cruise followed by an 11-night. The 14-night had mostly retired passengers, while the 11-night had the average age drop 10-15 years. With an 11-night cruise, most can do it with only two weeks of vacation. Can't really do that w/ a 14-night. That's unless it's summer and you're a teacher.

[ger_77]

We used to take 7 day cruises because of our vacation allottment, but now that we're both retired, we have the time to take 14 day and longer cruises. It no longer seems reasonable to take 1 full day to fly to port and just sail for 7 days, so we take advantage of the extra time we now have pre cruise, on the cruise itself, and post cruise.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[sail7seas]

No.

For us, anything shorter then seven days is too short. However, anything longer the thirteen days and we are desperate to get off the ship.

 

We realized this a long time ago and it hasn't changed since we retire.

 

 

I have litle reason to not sail most anywhere for as long as I wish but I have little desire for a very long cruise. Even hen I sailed with DH, w both agreed ws weer nto cut out for a world cruise. Neither of us liked being awya trmendouusly long.There is notthing go hold me homr now but that I don't want to be away for long I have mostly seen,, visited the majority of places that I wantred to see the most. I will not make the long ttrip to Australia and don't much care to go to Far East now..

Edited March 11, 2017 by sail7seas

[DaveOKC]

Since almost all of airline trips require a connection and thus at least 5 hours of travel time, we like the longer cruises.

 

One thing we have just starting doing is looking for inexpensive first class fares (yes, they do exist). I have a roundtrip from Oklahoma to Fort Lauderdale in April for only $550 on Delta (normally pay around $400 in coach), so they can be found.

 

Yes it is more expensive, but it makes flying not such a chore.

[serendipity1499]

We're boaters & have always enjoyed the longer cruises.. Have only taken one or two 7 day cruises since we started cruising on big ships in the nineties..

 

Our last 7 day was to Bermuda in 2010 while we were visiting family in New York for several weeks..

 

All of our other cruises ranged from 10 to 68 days.. The longer they are, the better we enjoy them.. Of course it's nice to get back home too after a long vacation..

 

We've never taken a Christmas-New Year cruise, which perhaps we can someday.. But these days I still keep decorating for Christmas.. We live on the water & invite all our Friends to our boat parade party the Sunday before Christmas.. :cool:

[kazu]

Wait a few years when you are older. You're obviously a ********* ****** *****.

 

Obviously what please? What do the stars mean?

 

I simply answered the post. :confused:

[iancal]

No. 17/20 days is our limit before we get 'cruised out'. We may do a land trip for a few weeks and then take another cruise. Currently travelling for eight weeks with one 15 day cruise in the middle.

 

We get tired of the food and the environment after a while. plus we tend to eat far to much and have too little exercise.

[sevenseasnomad]

Heck, if it were left up to me(not the checkbook) I'd do nothing but B2B for a couple of years. :) When I made this comment to some friends, one of them said, 'Oh !! you'd get tired of it after six months'. I told him I'd LOVE to give it a try, just too see. LOL !!

 

Mac

 

Yep, I'm with you. I'm still working to be able to afford the cruises, so we can only cruise when there's a school break. Since I'm an 11-month teacher, July is the only month where I can cruise longer than 2 weeks, and we've now been fortunate enough to go on a 24-day Med cruise. It was sheer heaven to us.

 

My idea of the perfect retirement is to cruise constantly and pay for our unmarried adult child to join us for Thanksgiving & Christmas! If only. . . . . .

[MMDown Under]

I started out on my first cruise with a return world cruise to UK, which set the benchmark for all future cruises.

 

Love of long cruises is not age related, it is the sense of discovery/adventure of new and exotic destinations.

[MMDown Under]

 

My idea of the perfect retirement is to cruise constantly and pay for our unmarried adult child to join us for Thanksgiving & Christmas! If only. . . . . .

 

Ha ha

 

My adult daughters just said to me recently that they would go on another cruise with me, if I paid!

[msmayor]

Two years ago while on the Westerdam my husband and I lamented how a 7-day cruise just seemed short...by day 5-6 we were so relaxed and set in a routine, and it was time to pack and think about going home.

 

Last year we tried our first 10-night cruise and it was FABULOUS! We were like giddy children as we reached day 7 and knew we still had three more days. Its one reason why we are taking another 10-night this year on Zuiderdam.

 

We both are still working and its harder for us to get enough time off to go more than 10 days so we're eagerly anticipating retirement when we can try some 14-15 night itineraries. We'll see how we make out on those trips before deciding even longer itineraries.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Yes Yes

It is one of the things I told Orlando when he was on the Amsterdam.

[cb at sea]

Nope...we can afford the time off..but we've found that we get tired of the ship after about 8 days....need something new!