A weekend cruise is short and seems to ends just as it starts, but they're exactly what many people that have never cruised before tend to book.
According to Royal Caribbean Group executives, the market for people that have never gone on a cruise before has been growing at a rate of 16% year over year.
The company told investors recently that short cruises are an important entry point for new-to-cruise customers, and Utopia of the Seas has been the vector for attracting even more of those customers.
"Caribbean bookings have been strong with Icon and Utopia continuing to perform well above expectations," said Naftali Holtz, Chief Financial Officer for Royal Caribbean Group.
With such focus on a short cruise, I went back on Utopia of the Seas to try it out again.
I took my wife and daughters on a weekend sailing that departed on Friday and returned on Monday, booking connecting balcony rooms.
Here's what you should consider before you decide on a short cruise.
The best thing about a short cruise is you can squeeze it in almost anytime
The saying "better than being at home" holds true for the reasons to book a weekend cruise.
The best thing about a cruise that begins on a Friday and ends on a Monday is the convenience factor.
With the weekend taking up most of the itinerary, you can minimize the amount of days off from school or work you need to take.
In my case, I can have the kids skip work on a Friday, but still make it in for school on Monday morning. For most other people, a weekend cruise means less days out of the office than a week-long one.
There's a good chance the fare for a 3-night cruise will cost less than a 7-night cruise, and that's attractive to most people.
Anyone on a tight budget may gravitate towards a short sailing in order to save money. Granted, the cost per night may be more on a short cruise, but it's still relatively inexpensive.
Plus, that low price tag makes it easier to bring friends and family. It seems there's always a wedding, quinceanera, or bachelorette party on a weekend sailing.
Also, Royal Caribbean isn't wrong that a short sailing is a great introduction to cruising.
New cruisers are usually tepid about committing to a week on a ship because they're unsure if they'll like this vacation, worried they'll get seasick, or think they'll be bored.
A quick few days is easier to manage, and it's attractive because you get to give a cruise a try without a lot of risk.
To that point, the cruise line is also stacking short cruises with visits to Perfect Day at CocoCay and Nassau, Bahamas so first-timers have no sea days.
Short cruises are quick and not as cheap as you think
There are a few realities of a short cruise worth considering before you pick it out.
By definition, the nature of this sailing is that it's only a few nights and it will feel like it's over before you know it.
With just a few days onboard combined with a port visit every day, it leaves little time to "see it all" on the ship, and this is compounded by the fact Royal Caribbean has giant Oasis Class ships sailing these short cruises.
Utopia of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas have more things to do see, eat, and do onboard than you can in a week, let alone a weekend.
I'm lucky enough to have sailed on Utopia a half dozen times, but I hear all the time from people they didn't get to see everything because of how limited their time was aboard.
I feel it takes a day or two to get fully into "cruise mode" where you settle into life on a cruise ship, and that basically means the cruise is over before you know it.
Another issue is the cost. While the overall cruise fare is probably going to be cheaper than a longer one, the per-night cost tends to be much more.
It cost me $1,723.54 for two people in an oceanview balcony cabin. That means I paid $3447.08 for two connecting rooms for my family. That cost is on par with a weeklong cruise on other ships.
As an example, a 3-night Utopia of the Seas in a balcony cabin over July 4th weekend, costs $841.23 per person. But a 7-night cruise on Harmony of the Seas over the same week costs $1659.96 per person.
The per night cost, is actually cheaper on Harmony. And that difference grows dramatically if you opt for a smaller and older ship doing a 7-night sailing.
Speaking of costs, you've got to factor the cost of flights and transportation into your vacation budget, and those flights might be more expensive than your three nighter.
Ideally, a weekend cruise is best for those that can drive to the port easily. But if you're going to fly down for it, you'll need to incur the cost of airfare, hotel, rental car, food, and more. Definitely don't even think about flying down the same day the cruise begins.
One more potential issue with a weekend cruise is you're only ever going to The Bahamas.
Royal Caribbean would tout this fact as a plus, given how popular it's private island is among everyone. While this is true, there's simply no alternatives if you want to mix it up if you're taking a weekend cruise from Florida.
To be fair, there are 3-night cruises that sail from Los Angeles, and four-night cruises from Tampa, or Galveston, and those do offer sailings to Mexico instead.
A short cruise is worth it, but longer cruises are better
I had a great time on Utopia of the Seas for the weekend, but it greatly helps that I live so close to make it very convenient.
My recommendation for a new cruiser is to go with a 7-night voyage instead so there's a mix of sea days and port days, and you get more variation in where you sail to. Plus, nearly all of Royal Caribbean's cruises around the Caribbean visit Perfect Day at CocoCay too.
However, I know how attractive it is to hop on a cruise ship for the weekend and getaway from it all. If the numbers from the cruise line are any indication, more and more people are doing just this.
The biggest downside to a short cruise is how quickly it comes to an end, leaving you little time to try to squeeze everything in.
It's refreshing that Royal Caribbean puts some of its biggest and newest cruise ships on 3- and 4-night cruises, but it's a struggle to do everything you wanted to.
Pros and Cons of a short weekend cruise
✅ Low risk option
✅ Cheaper than a week
✅ Less days off work/school❌ Cruise is over before you know it
❌ Expensive if you add airfare & hotel
❌ No itinerary variation
Nonetheless, it's great to get away for a few days and be on a cruise ship than not. And for first timers, there's a good chance they experience it, love it, and come back again for more.
If you're going to take a 3-night cruise, plan your time accordingly so you can maximize every minute.
