One of the first choices you'll have to make when booking a cruise is the length of your sailing.
Royal Caribbean cruises range from three days to over three weeks, leaving many wondering what the ideal cruise length is.
I sailed on Freedom of the Seas two times, a year apart, but each sailing was for a different length.
My first cruise, in October of 2023, was a weekend sailing, lasting only three days.
My second, in October 2024, was a full seven-day sailing.
Although they were on the same ship just a year apart, the two sailings were entirely different experiences.
I was surprised by how much the length of your cruise can change the entire cruise vacation.
Read more: How different is a 3-night vs 4-night cruise?
From travel buddies to staterooms, here's how the length of my cruise affected my experiences on the same ship.
I get homesick on longer cruises, but they're much more memorable
When I first started taking week-long cruises, I would feel slightly claustrophobic by days five and six.
Despite the abundance of activities onboard, I tend to feel homesick during seven-day cruises.
However, comparing my weekend and weeklong cruises on Freedom of the Seas helped me see the appeal of a longer sailing.
My weekend cruise went by in a flash: three days onboard, including one stop on Perfect Day at CocoCay, is barely enough time to see everything.
Once the weekend cruise ended, the activities, entertainment, and food onboard felt like a blur. My weekend cruise on Freedom of the Seas was probably my least memorable sailing, simply because it went by so fast.
In contrast, my 7-day sailing on Freedom gave me time to stretch out and take my time to see all the sights onboard. I was able to attend multiple shows and activities, even seeing some things twice!
Plus, the sailing had visits to more ports, calling upon Perfect Day at CocoCay, St Thomas, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Weekend cruises offer plenty of entertainment, but the shorter duration means you must pack your schedule to experience it all. They're a less memorable sampling of a cruise ship.
My weekend cruise prepared me to try a longer one on Freedom of the Seas, but if I had to choose just one experience, I would pick the 7-day sailing.
My week cruise was solo, while I was able to find a travel buddy for the weekend
One disadvantage of taking a longer, 7-day cruise, is setting aside the time to go on a weeklong vacation. Taking time off from work or school for a weeklong cruise can be challenging, especially mid-year in October.
It was easy for me to take along a travel buddy on my weekend cruise—she didn't even have to request time off from work.
However, none of my friends were able to get time off to join me on my later 7-day sailing, so I had to take the longer cruise solo.
While there's nothing wrong with cruising alone, having a travel buddy can make a travel experience more rich and enjoyable.
Plus, if I'd wanted to cruise with multiple friends or my family, it would have been even more difficult to coordinate a weeklong sailing together.
I had time to form friendships on my 7-day cruise
While I didn't bring anyone along on my 7-day cruise, the longer sailing gave me time to form friendships with other cruisers onboard.
I noticed—and was a bit disappointed—that most cruisers on my weekend sailing kept to themselves.
They seemed focused on enjoying their time onboard with their travel groups, rather than making conversation with other cruisers.
On my weeklong cruise, however, I had plenty of time to join Hyperlink events for young adults, spend nights chatting in the hot tubs, and go on multiple shore excursions.
I ended up meeting many more cruisers and crew members on my longer sailing, making the experience an enjoyable, social vacation.
Extra-cost packages are more expensive on a longer sailing
A shorter weekend cruise is often a great opportunity to splurge on extra-cost items. If you've been eyeing drink packages, shore excursions, or specialty dining, a short sailing offers a vacation with a looser budget.
Daily-priced packages like drink packages and WiFi are more affordable overall during shorter cruises since you’re onboard for fewer days.
And shore excursions are worth buying when you visit fewer ports.
On my 3-day sailing on Freedom of the Seas, I splurged and purchased a dinner at Chops Grille. Since the sailing was only three days, it was worth it for me to try a specialty restaurant while onboard.
I also spent more on extras like drinks and Internet.
For example, WiFi runs from $25-30 a day. On my weekend cruise, I paid just $75 for Internet, while WiFi for my 7-day sailing would have cost over $175.
I opted not to purchase Internet for the length of my week-long voyager. This saved me money in the long run but kept me more disconnected on the longer cruise.
Read more: Freedom of the Seas vs. Newer Ships: Does It Still Hold Up?
Since I needed to carefully budget on my weeklong sailing, I spent more time on the ship but had a less lavish experience.
I tried two different staterooms: a balcony and an oceanview
Similar to spending money on extra-cost packages, I was able to splurge on the stateroom category for my shorter sailing.
I booked a guarantee balcony cabin, receiving a spacious stateroom with a private balcony. The cabin featured a spacious couch, a king-sized bed, and a large balcony furnished with patio seating. It was a luxurious stay for the weekend; the perfect spot to relax or watch the ocean wave by.
In contrast, I booked a guarantee oceanview cabin on my longer cruise. The stateroom came with a smaller couch, and a King bed placed under the porthole window.
Read more: 10 things you should know before cruising onboard Freedom of the Seas
While I couldn't feel the sun and breeze like on a balcony cabin, I still enjoyed getting the same ocean views.
However, my oceanview cabin also came with a lot of loud noises, as it was placed low on Deck 2.
In the end, both cabins were enjoyable places to stay, with similar amenities and bathrooms. Choosing the right stateroom all depends on your preferences, budget, and the length of your sailing.
