4-night cruises?

[bride93006]

Since I've read on here that we shouldn't fly in to port the day of our cruise, we may have to take a 4-night cruise instead of a 7-night. This is because our wedding is on Saturday evening and most 7-day cruises leave out Sunday evening. We've never flown before or been on a cruise, and I don't want to miss the boat (literally!)!! ;)

So....can someone tell me if the 4-night cruises are just as nice as the 7-day? What is the difference? Is there still a formal night and activities to do?

I would LOVE to take a 7-day, but that may not be possible since we have to fly in to Florida on Sunday. :(

[montekat]

Getting to the port a day ahead is great, but not everyone can do it. A lot depends on what time your flight is scheduled to land and how long it takes to get to the port, also the weather can play a factor. We prefer to get there a day ahead whenever possible.

 

Have you also considered doing a back to back on the cruise you are taking so you would still have a 7 day honeymoon?

[djacobson]

Since I've read on here that we shouldn't fly in to port the day of our cruise, we may have to take a 4-night cruise instead of a 7-night. This is because our wedding is on Saturday evening and most 7-day cruises leave out Sunday evening. We've never flown before or been on a cruise, and I don't want to miss the boat (literally!)!! ;)

So....can someone tell me if the 4-night cruises are just as nice as the 7-day? What is the difference? Is there still a formal night and activities to do?

I would LOVE to take a 7-day, but that may not be possible since we have to fly in to Florida on Sunday. :(

 

First, congratulations on your upcoming wedding.

 

You may want to consider a 5 day cruise as an alternative. The four day cruises I know about depart on Thursdays and return on Mondays, but I have only been on Carnival.

 

Depending on which port you would be leaving (Miami, FLL, Tampa or Port Canaveral) and your desired intinerary, a 5 day cruise that is from Monday- Saturday might be an option.

 

I have been on one 4 day cruise and it was just too short. I wouldn't do it again if at all possible. There was nothing wrong with the cruise ship and everything was great, but with only one day at sea you don't get to experience all the relaxation that a cruise can provide. By the time you're beginning to relax the cruise is over! Yes, there is a formal night on the ship for a 4 day cruise. On the four day cruise I was on it was after the ship left the first port of call and I was a bit hurried for an early dinner.

 

Apart from fewer ports of call and the number of sea days, a 4 day is just as nice as a 7 day cruise, but is not long enough.

 

Whatever your choice will be, I hope you have a great cruise!

[Cruising89143]

I would not rule out a seven day cruise leaving on Sunday. There is always a risk that something could go wrong but many people do it each week and do not have problems. I myself like getting in a day or two early but it is not always possible.

 

If you are really set on a shorter cruise then RCI has three possibilities out of Florida. The Enchantment of the Seas sails out of FLL on four and five night cruises to the western Caribbean.

 

The Sovereign of the Seas leaves on Monday's from Pt. Canaveral to Nassau and Coco Cay and the Majesty of the Seas leaves from Miami on Monday's going to Nassau, Coco Cay and Key West. If you decide on either of these two ships I would suggest booking a Junior Suite or larger as the regular cabins are small.

[Happy ks]

The most important question is where are you flying from? Then, what destination do you want to cruise to?

 

A 7 night cruise is not completely out of the question if you can get an early morning flight and, more importantly, a non-stop flight to your departure port. Not every cruise leaves from Florida, there are cruises in other areas, too!

 

I'd not compare a 4 night cruise to a 7 night cruise, nor would I recommend back to back 4 and 3 night cruises to make a 7 night cruise.

 

If there is any way you can pull it off, do the 7 night cruise. From our experience, there is quite a bit of difference in the pax makeup and ports visited.

[SpuddGirl]

Ditto the congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

 

First of all, all though I highly recommend flying in at least a day early, depending upon where you would be flying from/to, and the time of year you could probably swing it. The less distance you have to travel, the less you would have to worry about delays making you late for the ship. And, if you can fly non-stop, thats better than layovers. Obviously, if you're flying completely across country, you would have more concerns than if traveling a shorter distance.

 

In any case, you would most likely be just fine regardless - though one never can tell - the flying-in-early thing is just a precaution if at all possible. Sometimes its just not possible.

 

I definitely would not rule out the 7 night cruise. And, you might check with different cruiselines. I've seen some that leave as late as 11pm, though I think most depart around 5pm.

 

Catching a cab from the airport can be quicker than using the shuttle transfers, so keep that in mind if you're flying in same day.

 

Good luck with your decision. I know, the last thing you want to worry about after planning a wedding is the possibility of having flight delays, but I would definitely keep your options open.

 

Best wishes!:)

 

Sue

[bride93006]

Thanks so much for all the advice!

We'll be flying out of Louisville, KY so the closest port will probably be Port Canaveral Florida. I do need to check around for different flight times because I would love to do the 7day cruise!

[SandyToes1978]

First of all, Congratulations! I read your other post about cruising during Hurricane season, and I would say, just go, my first cruise also my honeymoon was right during hurricane season, we went right in between Fabien and Isabell. Never felt any rocking except the first night right out of Miami. My DH had been on two previous cruises and wanted to do one for our honeymoon, but I didn't want to. He finally convinced me to do a 4 day, just to see if I liked it. My recommendation is to do the 4 day and see how you like it. If you hate it, seven days is a LONG time on a ship. You can always book a nice hotel in Miami or where ever you cruise from at the end like we did. I found out that I love cruising and we are doing two more in the near future. As far as flying, KY is pretty close to FL so you should probably be OK flying in the same day, Sunday AM if you choose to do the 7 day. Good luck in your decision and Best wishes for your wedding!

 

Actually, I forgot to add:

 

There are still many activities on a 4 nite cruise, yes there is a formal night too! We went on Majesty of the Seas and loved every minute of it, even though DH had strep throat!:eek: There were so many activities to do all the time. Two midnight buffets even! Have fun!:)

[Mike & Sue]

As long as you are not flying in during snow type weather, very little likelyhood of enough of a delay to make you miss the ship. Just try to get an early flight on Sun. and you should be fine. Flying early in the morning also reduces the risk of thunder storm type delays. I would not trade a 7 day for a 4 day just for reason of getting in a day early. And, hey, have a wedding and honeymoon. Congrats!! :D

[MonaCK]

I am with the crowd here. While my preference is always to fly in for a cruise the day before, sometimes that is not feasable. Book your flight early enough in the day, and odds are pretty good that you'll be able to get down there in plenty of time before the ship sails.

 

Don't trade in the 7 day for a 4 day. Go on the 7 day and have a blast. :)

[cb at sea]

It may be in your interest to let RCCI book your flight. That way, they are responsible for getting you to the ship, should something go awry! It may cost a touch more (sometimes, not always!) but it would be worth the peace of mind! 7 days is much better than 4!

[renata102]

KY to FL is not a very long flight. If you must, fly out the next morning....also for piece of mind, book your flight with RCCL - in case soemtihng did happen.....

GO FOR THE 7 DAY CRUISE OF COURSE!

[WECoyote]

Congratulations! What wonderful way to honeymoon!

 

I would reinforce letting the cruise line book your air. It may be a few bucks more in most cases (but not all), but the company gets you to the ship and back. A taxi or transfers are not inexpensive and transfers are included with the air fare. If anything goes wrong with the flight, it will be up to the cruise line to see you connect with the ship.

[LLindaC]

Hi! I'm from Louisville, too, and usually fly in the morning of the cruise. Only done it differently once out of 12 cruises. I have another great suggestion for you and give it a thought. I play piano at many weddings and play calliope on the Belle, so I work with tons of brides. You'll be exhausted after your wedding. The best way to do your honeymoon is to go a week after your wedding. Spend your wedding night at the Brown or the new Marriott, have breakfast, then spend the next week writing thank you notes, setting up house, being normal. Take your cruise the next Sat or Sunday. After seeing this done, that's what I did when we married 5 yrs ago (not the first time) My first marriage, I got sick on my honeymoon because of all the stress. We had all week to tie up loose ends, pack, take our time. If you don't do that, at least get trip insurance so if something happens you are reimbursed. I wouldn't do any other cruise than the 5 day Enchantment. The other ships are too old and don't have the amenities. Do a 7 day on a new ship and have a ball. You'll get lots of good advice here, keep returning and asking questions!

[suezyq50]

I would agree, KY to FL is not a very long flight. My daughter and her husband flew out of Lexington Sunday morning after their wedding on Saturday. It worked out fine for them.

 

I have done 3, 4 , and 7 day cruises. On shorter cruises you still have the formal nights, but IMHO, few dress as formally. To me, it is all part of the experience. There are still activities, again not as full scale as 7 day cruises. Go for the 7 day. I would rather do a 4 day, than none at all. But 7 would be that much nicer.

 

I would also book air through cruise line this time. It would give you that added security and avoid additional concern.

 

Congrats and happy planning!

[emdia43]

I flew from Louisville to Miami for our first cruise onboard Majesty of the Seas on the day of our cruise. At that time I didn't know any different,hadn't heard of cruise critic....and fortunately we didn't have any problem going down but on the return flight we got stuck in CIncinnati waiting over 5 hours for a crew to fly us back to Louisville. I coulda walked it by then....

If that had happened on the way down we would have missed the ship. Now I always go in the day before. Who needs that stress if you can avoid it.

Majesty sails on Monday(you can be onboard by lunchtime) and returns on Fridays for the 4 day trip and I would highly recommend it for a first cruise. Get married Saturday,fly Sunday,cruise Monday- PERFECT).

WONDERFUL SHIP,GREAT EXPERIENCE.

[bancytu]

Congrats on your wedding. A honeymoon cruise is the best. Thats what my husband and I did. We were married in January, flew out the next day and got to our cruise on time. I wouldnt rule out a 7 day cruise. I have always flown in the same day the cruise has left. Something could always happend but then again it could happen any day you leave. Good luck on booking your cruise. RCCL is a great cruise line.

[SpuddGirl]

You'll be exhausted after your wedding. The best way to do your honeymoon is to go a week after your wedding.

 

I was thinking this same thing. Going a week or more after the wedding is worth considering if its something you could live with. I too got sick with a bad cold the day after my (first) wedding, and spent the next several days on Nyquil, due to all the stress!

My (second and last!) wedding, DH and I were married in Dec. and took our honeymoon in January after all the stress of the wedding was over and we were all settled down. It was awesome. So relaxing.

 

Just something to consider if timing the HM is flexible. Then your concerns about getting to port or having to cut down from a 7 night to a shorter cruise are taken care of! I personally think even 7 nights is short - but its all we can do because how on earth would DH's work get along without him for more than a week - (note sarcasm!):rolleyes:

[beachrus4]

I live in Cincinnati. You can easily get a morning flight even with a connection and make it to a Florida port by noon. In July I'm flying to Los Angeles for the Monarch of the Seas and in that case I would suggest flying in the night before.

 

Hey y'all - get a Hilton American Express or a Marriott Visa and use the points to do your pre or post cruise hotel visit. Those points add up quick and well worth it!!! Just my humble opinon. :)