Ever since Oasis of the Seas began offering cruises in 2009, these massive ships have sailed weeklong cruises. But Royal Caribbean is going to change all of that, and it's not sitting well with some cruise fans.
The introduction of Utopia of the Seas to the short cruise market when she debuted was unconventional, but since it was just one ship most people overlooked the decision as simply something different to do with that ship.
Royal Caribbean's idea was to use an impressive new ship to offer the best short cruise option in the market and gobble up the lion share of the new to cruise customers. That gets them hooked on cruising, and subsequently a "loyal to Royal" fan in the same way new moms who are given one brand of diapers tend to only use them.
However, that decision has proven very successful, as it drew many new cruisers while being quite profitable too.
With this formula a proven success, the decision was made to have more Oasis Class ships sail these short routes instead of a 7-night cruises.
That shift in strategy unleashed a torrent of feedback from cruisers that lament the idea of short cruises for their lack of port diversity, higher per-night pricing, and unattractiveness to travel to sail to these cruises.
Quickie cruises on big ships
Joining Utopia of the Seas in the short cruise market will be Wonder of the Seas later this year.
Wonder of the Seas will shift to Miami and offer 3- and 4-night cruises that visit just two places: Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas.
That puts Royal Caribbean's two newest Oasis Class ships offering weekend cruises.
Fast forward to winter 2026-2027, more of these ships make the change.
Harmony of the Seas will move to Port Canaveral to offer 4- and 5-night cruises. The five night voyages combine a visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay with Cozumel, Mexico. The four nighters will visit Nassau, Bahamas and CocoCay.
Oasis of the Seas will be based from Fort Lauderdale, and just like Utopia and Wonder, will offer 3- and 4-night cruises out of Port Everglades to The Bahamas, including Royal Caribbean's private island.
Lastly, Allure of the Seas will be based in Miami in winter 2026-2027 and sail a mix of short and weeklong cruises. It's not quite a full commitment to short cruises, but you'll find a smattering of them.
That really leaves just Symphony of the Seas as the only Oasis Class ship to offer only weeklong cruises from Galveston, Texas.
So if you're in the market for a 7-night cruise from Florida on one of Royal Caribbean's newest ships, that leaves the Icon Class.
Icon of the Seas is sailing out of Miami, and tar of the Seas will start sailing 7-night itineraries from Port Canaveral this summer.
The third Icon-class ship, Legend of the Seas, will first sail in Europe before offering 7-night cruises out of Fort Lauderdale.
Why cruise fans aren't happy with the plan
Offering more short cruises on big ships may seem like a good play for the market, but some cruisers hate the idea.
When we shared this shift in cruise offerings on YouTube, it generated a lot of comments with many people explaining why they simply don't like it.
"If I'm on a bigger ship, I want at least 7 nights," wrote BethNeutze.
MikeK02048 posted, "For those of us that live a plane ride away from the ports, it makes no sense to book a 3-4 night cruise. Airfare is too expensive."
shernik1 added, "Many people, myself included, cannot afford the outrageous prices of the Icon ships. I can't believe that Florida, with the most and biggest cruise ports, will have no 7 or more day cruises on Oasis ships."
"So unless Royal has a 7-9 day cruise that meets our needs, we'll be sailing with another cruise line."
For some, this change is an afront to being loyal to the cruise line. BEYONDYOURIQ wrote, "Never forget who supported you for years. Take care of those who took care of you."
"I hate this trend from RCCL. My loyalty and Crown & Anchor status will only carry you so far, Royal," is what RealBkay45 wrote.
"The shorts market is the on-ramp"
Offering short cruises on impressive ships is about bringing more new customers to the market, and that's behind this strategy shift.
In the lead up to the launch of Utopia of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International President CEO Michael Bayley spoke at a conference about the importance of these sailings.
"Please acknowledge and understand that the shorts market is the on-ramp for customers who are new to cruising. It's a way to secure new customers if they end up loving the product."
Maximizing the ports of call
One thing that will change soon is what you can do at these ports on short cruises.
Royal Caribbean is actively working to open its first beach club experience in Nassau, which directly addresses customer complaints about not liking that port.
Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will open in December 2025 to offer an exclusive retreat to Royal Caribbean passengers.
The club is located near where the cruise ships dock in Nassau, and will have beaches and pools, three swim-up bars, seven beach bars, and more than 40 cabanas.
It's the coup de gras for weekend Bahamas cruises, given the tremendous success of Perfect Day at CocoCay.
The hope is while the sailings are short, they offer highly rated ports to compliment award winning ships.
