How many days are good for a cruise?

The first step to planning a cruise vacation is to decide how long your vacation can last. Then, you can choose a destination, cruise line, and other necessities. If you are already planning for a cruise, you would know there are a ton of things to experience. Hence, it is important to plan an itinerary that will help you strike a balance between all the activities.

Keep reading this write-up to get an idea of the ideal time to spend on a cruise.

Popular cruise itinerary ideas

Generally, your itineraries depend on the number of days you can spare from your busy schedule. Here are some popular trip durations to consider for a cruise.

1. 1 to 3 nights cruises

If you can only take out time on weekends, a 1 nights to 3 nights cruises is perfect for you. On a short cruise, you can visit quick getaways and have a great time with your loved ones. However, as you do not have more time to spare, you may have a packed schedule as there are innumerable activities to try on board.

Routes to explore:

• Genoa to Marseille
• Marseille to Genoa
• Marseille to Marseille
• Savona-Barcelona-Marseille
• Piraeus-Split Croatia-Venice
• Port Canaveral-Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve Bahamas-Port Canaveral
• Port Canaveral-Nassau-Castaway
• Miami-Nassau-Perfect Day Cococay-Miami
• Fort Lauderdale-Perfect Day Cococay-Nassau-Fort Lauderdale

Also, Read: How much does a cruise ship cost per person?

2. 4 to 6 nights cruises

Sailing for 4 nights cruises to 6 nights cruises days gives you more time to explore the ports. Additionally, you can partake in activities or schedule a relaxing time at a spa on board. In addition, if you have any special occasion like birthdays or anniversaries, you can celebrate it in a grand way. Nevertheless, this also falls under the category of a short cruise.

Routes to explore:

• Orlando to Mexico and back to Orlando
• Port of Miami-Nassau-Castaway
• New Orleans to Cozumel-New Orleans
• Miami-Nassau-Miami
• Zeebrugge-Le Havre-Southampton-Hamburg
• Port Canaveral-Nassau-Princess Cays-Port Canaveral
• Galveston-Cozumel-Galveston
• Charleston-Nassau-Charleston
• Barcelona-Marseille-Savona-Barcelona

Also, Read: How much does a river cruise cost?

3. 7 to 9 nights cruises

Spending more than 7 night cruises to 9 nights cruises is perfect if you are looking for long cruises. You can experience all the luxurious amenities and have enough time to check out the exciting activities offshore. In addition, most of the week-long cruise starts sailing on Saturdays or Sundays. So, you can wrap your days' work on Friday, take a week off, and board the ship.

Routes to explore:

• Genova-Marseille-Barcelona-Cagliari-Palermo-Civitavecchia-Genova
• Istanbul-Troy-Ephesus-Rhodes-Athens
• Marseille-Barcelona-Cagliari-Palmero-Civitavecchia-Genova-Marseille
• Athens-Ephesus-Crete-Sicily-Naples-Rome
• Palma De Mallorca-Barcelona-Marseille-Genoa-La Spezia-Naples-Palma De Mallorca
• Barcelona-Marseille-Genoa-Civitavecchia-Palermo-Valletta Malta
• Valencia-Marseille-Civitavecchia-Napoli-Barcelona-Valencia

Also, Read: How much does a 1 week cruise cost?

4. 10 to 13 nights cruises

One of the major advantages of taking a longer cruise is that there are a variety of port calls. This is because it requires more time to reach destinations from the home port. When you sail for more than ten day's, you can use it to visit offbeat places and try thrilling activities.

Routes to explore:

• Port Canaveral-Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve-Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve Bahamas-Port Canaveral-Nassau-Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve-Costa Maya Mexico-Cozumel-Canaveral
• Brisbane-Alotau-Papua New Guinea-Rabaul-Kiriwina Island-Conflict Islands-Brisbane Australia
• Genoa-Marseille-Malaga-Las Palmas De GCanaria-Santa Cruz De Tenerife-Bridgetown Barbados
• Miami-Basseterre-Kingstown-Roseau-Gustavia-San Juan-Puerto Plata-Miami

Also, Read: What Are the Most Budget Friendly Cruise Lines?

5. 14 and more nights cruises

People generally choose longer cruises for faraway destinations. However, if you plan a long vacation, you may consider fourteen or more nights on the cruise or even over 1 month. This will allow you to use the amenities on board and explore more places and activities. In short, more days equal more fun!

Routes to explore:

• San Diego-Puerto Vallarta-Huatulco-Puerto Quetzal Guatemala-Puerto Caldera-Enter Panama Canal-Balboa-Exit Panama Canal-Cartagena-Fort Lauderdale
• Istanbul-Troy-Ephesus-Rhodes-Crete-Athens-Ephesus-Crete-Sicily-Naples-Rome
• Fort Lauderdale-Cozumel-Belize City-Roatan-San Jose-Colon-Montego Bay-Fort Lauderdale
• Los Angeles-Honolulu-Kauai-Kona Hawaii-Hilo Hawaii-Ensenada-Los Angeles

Final words

These are some popular cruise routes you can explore. However, for shorter cruises, itineraries are limited when compared to longer cruises. Nevertheless, the quick getaways are amazing places to tour around. On the other hand, if you have planned for longer cruises, you can check out destinations with less people.