We all know that Americans are infamous for overtaxing themselves in their careers—you know: working 80 hours a week, answering work emails at 3 am, and not taking any vacation days. Given the difficulty many of us have getting away for extended periods, a three-night cruise can sound quite appealing – a fun short getaway at a very attractive price point.

As alluring as the concept of this “fun getaway” may seem, the reality of the three-day cruise is that they most always miss the mark. Most of us will invest several hours simply traveling to the cruise port – a loss in travel time, or a significant chunk of our vacation fund, if a flight is involved.

Once at the pier, the morning of embarkation day is spent checking in … followed by an afternoon of unpacking & settling into your stateroom … and ultimately in attending the mandatory safety drill.  It’s not until around the 4 pm sail-away that you are finally able to kick back and begin to fully enjoy your cruise.

On a typical itinerary, you will spend a delightful Day Two of your cruise exploring colorful Nassau, while Day Three might call at the cruise line’s private island, or perhaps provide a relaxing sea day. Remember, however, that some portion of this third day will find you attending the ship’s disembarkation lecture … with a good chunk of your last evening spent packing up and preparing to disembark the next morning.

As the above typical itinerary demonstrates, for the majority of cruisers, a three-day itinerary means you may spend  more time traveling and settling in than actually enjoying the destination and shipboard amenities!  A three-day cruise generally provides a budget-friendly price point – but is rarely the best value for your precious vacation dollars.

To maximize your cruise experience, we recommend a cruise of five or more nights whenever possible … but even a four-night sailing will significantly improve the flow of your trip.  Exception:  the one time when a 3-night cruise could be a legitimate bargain would be for those fortunate individuals who live near the departure port. With no concern about travel time, and frequently the potential for added savings in the form of resident discounts as well, a 3-day sailing can provide a great weekend getaway for the fortunate few.

Are you considering a cruise vacation or possibly are among the “cruise curious” and have questions? We can likely save you hours of time and research and there’s never a service charge to our cruise travelers. At Dancing Moon Travel, we really are experts on everything cruise. Contact us today at (404) 913-4386.