Key takeaways
- Many mainstream cruise lines offer 3-, 4- and 5-night itineraries that are ideal for quick and inexpensive trips.
- There are important differences between a full-blown cruise vacation and a weekend escape.
- Browse a list of cruise ships that offer these itineraries through early 2025.
Cruising is a near-perfect vacation. You board the ship at a port (which is sometimes near your home), unpack once and—for one low all-inclusive price—enjoy free meals and entertainment while never having to worry about where to go or what to do next. Just pick from the myriad activities that are laid out in the ship’s daily program, which is delivered to your cabin each day. But with precious few days off during the school year and a busy schedule year-round, committing to a traditional 7-night cruise may sound impossible. However, you don’t have to rule out an ocean voyage for your next stress-busting getaway.
These days, many mainstream cruise lines, like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, Holland America, Princess and Disney Cruise Line, offer three-, four- and five-night itineraries to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexico, New England and more from ports across the United States. These short cruises are ideal for quick and inexpensive (dare we even say cheap) trips. There are important differences, however, between a full-blown cruise vacation and a weekend escape. Let’s look at the pros and cons of short cruises as well as a few cruise ships that offer these itineraries through early 2025.
Pro: Short voyages tend to be inexpensive voyages
If you’re looking for a budget vacation, you can’t do better than a short cruise. These voyages often sell for as little as $60 to $80 per person per night. For example, select four-night itineraries out of Long Beach, California, aboard Carnival Radiance and Carnival Firenze, which visit Catalina Island and Ensenada, can be booked for as little as $182 per person. That’s a true bargain.
Fares will be higher during peak seasons (like holiday weekends), but even then fares are often priced for the budget conscious. Voyages on newer ships and those aboard all Disney Cruise Line ships will carry a premium.
Check pricing directly at cruise line websites, or look for discounted fares online. NEA members can get discounts on cruises through NEA Travel. Or search sites such as Vacations To Go or Cruise Brothers or request pricing from a variety of travel agents simultaneously through Cruise Compete. Agents will respond with their best offers, which may include stateroom upgrades, prepaid gratuities, onboard credit or a free beverage package.
Pro: You can drive to the embarkation port
Many ships that sail short itineraries have a “homeport” in a major American city. That means a specific ship sails round-trip voyages out of that port, part or all of the year. Cruise lines often homeport ships sailing weekend-style itineraries so locals can drive directly to the embarkation point, park their cars and start enjoying a quick vacation. While you expect to see cruises leave from Florida ports, like Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral, Tampa and Jacksonville, there are many more U.S. ports to consider. Look for itineraries departing from Louisiana’s New Orleans, Galveston in Texas, Mobile in Alabama, California’s Long Beach, Brooklyn or Manhattan in New York City, Bayonne in New Jersey, South Carolina’s Charleston and Baltimore, Maryland.
Pro: Teaser cruises give you the chance to see if you’ll like cruising
Short 3- and 4-night “teaser” voyages are ideal for first-time cruisers. You may find that you love exploring the ship, attending trivia competitions, lounging by the pool, hitting the spa, discovering a port of call on a shore excursion, dining out at a different restaurant each evening, taking in a Broadway-style show or belting out a tune during late-night karaoke sessions. But, if you find that cruising really isn’t for you, you’re only confined to the ship for a very limited amount of time.
Con: Most short cruises are on older or less lavish ships
One shortcoming of the weekend cruise concept is that the itineraries are often sailed by a line’s oldest ships. These ships—most dating from the 2000s—may be a bit long in the tooth. These ships have something else in common: They lack some of the more modern amenities and entertainment options that the newest mega-ships all share. You won’t find skydiving or surf simulators onboard, though there may be a rock-climbing wall or two.
If you have your heart set on a short cruise but want to sail on a new ship, look to Royal Caribbean’s mega-ship Utopia of the Seas, which was christened in 2024. The ship sails three- to five-night itineraries from Orlando, Florida, to the Caribbean in early 2025.
Con: The ship’s demographics are different on short cruises
Throw demographics out the porthole on short cruises. A cruise line may tout a certain demographic—families, solo travelers or retirees—that like its product. But, that data doesn’t hold true for shorter voyages. On quick cruises, expect a much wider swath of the population, from young singles and families to middle-aged couples to multigenerational groups and retirees. Be aware, too, that some lines may have a reputation for “party cruises” when it comes to the shorter voyages. Check cruise forums like the one at Cruise Critic to do a bit of research to be sure the ship draws your kind of crowd—even on truncated voyages.
Pro & Con: Nearly every short cruise includes a sea day
A sea day means that your ship will not stop in any port on that day. You will simply enjoy the ship while it sails to the next destination. Short cruises often program at least one sea day because it gives you a chance to experience the ship and pay for all the onboard extras—think bingo, spa treatments, exercise boot camps and wine tasting sessions—that you might not have time for if you were out exploring a port of call. A sea day can be a blessing or a curse. It’s awesome when you’re sailing on a ship that has a lot to see and do; not so great if the ship is small and outdated with limited activities and entertainment options to keep you occupied. So again, do your research before you commit. Visit sites like Cruise Critic and Onboard to read ship reviews, and go to your cruise line’s website to consult the ship’s deck plan. Learn about the public spaces, restaurants and entertainment options onboard before you buy the cruise.
A selection of short cruises in 2024/2025
If you’d like to book a budget weekend cruise, check your options through NEA Travel or click on these links to see short cruises that are available during 2024/2025 from Carnival, Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean.
