When in the initial stages of the cruise planning process, you may feel overwhelmed with all the options available. You can find itineraries ranging from short weekend getaways to two-week long transatlantic voyages!
Of course, not everyone is in the market for those longer cruises, whether it is because of budget restraints, schedules, or available time off.
Many cruise lines offer short weekend cruises, and while they have their pros and cons, a cruise is a cruise! You will embark knowing that you have a few nights to escape your day-to-day life and enjoy decadent three-course meals, handcrafted cocktails, fun shore excursions, and all the activities onboard the ship.
Here is what you need to know when considering booking a 3-night cruise.
Where do weekend cruises sail to?
Most 3-night cruises sail to The Bahamas from various ports in Florida, including Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami. And for the most part, they depart on Friday afternoon, returning to the same port on Monday morning. Sometimes, though, you can find 3-night sailings that leave on a Thursday and return on Sunday.
The most common ports for these sailings are Nassau and the respective cruise line's private island, such as Perfect Day at CocoCay, Half Moon Cay, MSC's Ocean Cay Marine Ocean Reserve, and Castaway Cay. Some may visit Key West, Florida; Freeport, Bahamas; and Bimini, Bahamas, too.
Read more: What to do in Nassau, Bahamas cruise port
A few cruise lines also offer weekend cruises out of Los Angeles to Mexico, including Carnival and Royal Caribbean. Due to the Passenger Vessel Services Act, all foreign-flagged ships that depart from ports in the United States must include an itinerary stop in a country other than the United States, which limits options for these short cruises.
If you take a weekend cruise from Los Angeles, it is pretty much guaranteed that you will visit Ensenada, Mexico as your only port of call.
Moreover, that is why you are unlikely to find 3-night cruises to Canada. Even if you depart from New York or Boston, you often need a minimum of four days for these itineraries to satisfy the Passenger Vessel Services Act and dock in a foreign country.
Finally, MSC Cruises offers some 3-night cruises throughout Europe. More often than not, your embarkation and disembarkation ports of call will not be the same. This is something to consider when factoring in pre- and post-cruise plans. Plus, they are not going to be offered consistently, meaning that if you have a specific date in mind, you may not find exactly what you are looking for.
Do 3-night cruises include sea days?
While it is possible to find a short cruise to The Bahamas that include a sea day, these itineraries tend to be port-intensive. You will likely depart from Florida and wake up both mornings in a new port of call, leaving less time to enjoy the ship's amenities like you would on a sea day.
If, however, this is important to you, it does not hurt to browse multiple cruise lines and ships to see what options are available. Just be aware that you may have fewer choices when it comes to the dates.
Since those to Mexico from Los Angeles, however, typically only visit one port, they often include a sea day.
Something I learned on my recent cruise to the Mexican Riviera in June, though, was that the temperatures off of the coast of California may not always be ideal for sunbathing. I cannot think about what the weather would have been like if I took the same cruise in the spring or fall!
How much does a weekend cruise cost?
The cost of a cruise is dependent on many factors, including when you choose to sail, what stateroom you book, and the age of the ship. Plus, you also have to consider travel-related expenses, such as airfare and pre- and post-cruise hotel stays. If driving, you should know that parking at the port will not be free.
It is no surprise that cruising during the shoulder season is more affordable than during the peak season or holidays, such as spring break, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. In January 2024, for instance, you can find a 3-night cruise onboard MSC Seashore from Miami for as little as $179 per person for an interior cabin. This same cruise costs a little over $200 per person in March 2024.
When comparing prices for weekend cruises on Carnival ships, a 3-night cruise from Miami to Nassau onboard Carnival Conquest starts at $176 per person for an interior cabin in September 2024. Earlier that year in July, you can expect to see prices that are over $360 per person for the same cruise!
One tip from veteran cruisers is to book your vacation as far in advance as possible. As cabins start to fill up and there is less availability, you will see an increase in pricing.
Read more: The 13 best cruise tips the pros use all the time
How much are cruise add-ons?
Like with any cruise vacation, how much you spend on cruise add-ons is completely dependent on your travel style. You can pay for your base fare and enjoy all the complimentary drink and dining options without feeling the need to spend more. On the other hand, there are people who prefer to splurge on the specialty experiences like onboard steakhouses, drink packages, and shore excursions.
And like the initial fare of the cruise, the price of add-ons varies from cruise line to cruise line. Carnival's drink package, for instance, is less than Royal Caribbean's. Even if you purchase the package in advance, you are probably going to spend at least $15 more per day on Royal Caribbean than Carnival.
Read more: How much is the drink package on Carnival
Likewise, excursions vary in pricing, too. You can enjoy all the complimentary amenities on a cruise line's private island, or pay a premium for a private cabana experience. Even tours on Nassau range in pricing. If you visit Atlantis, this will cost you at least $150 per person, while taking a cab to a nearby beach will be significantly less.
Pros of weekend cruises
Great short getaways that require minimal planning
If you think about taking a weekend trip to New York City, you will be flooded with things that you have to check off your list. Did you get tickets to the Broadway show that you want to see? What about setting a reminder to book that coveted reservation thirty days prior? How are you going to navigate the city while there? Where is the best place to stay that meets your needs?
While there are still things you have to do before you embark on your cruise, many of the logistics are already taken care of, meaning that you are set up for a relaxing quick getaway. Even if you do not book any specialty reservations, all of your dining arrangements are already taken care of.
Less vacation time is needed
Since these cruises primarily take place over the weekend, you will not have to request as many days off of work. With 7-night cruises, you can almost guarantee that you will need at least five days off. With 3-night cruises, though, you could take an evening flight on Thursday after you off, meaning that you will only need two days off.
If you happen to live close to a departure port, you can hop in your car and make the short drive on the morning of embarkation, rather than having to worry about flights.
Read more: Why you should plan a cruise within driving distance
Ability to splurge on cruise add-ons
Sometimes, the thought of spending $60+ per day for 7-nights for a drink package can be overwhelming. In fact, there are times the drink package can cost more than the cruise fare, depending on what stateroom you booked and when.
Spending the same amount for 3-nights is less of a burden on your wallet, especially since your cruise fare was less than a weeklong sailing, too.
Moreover, since you will be visiting fewer ports of call, you may be able to spend more on the one or two excursions that you really want to do, rather than budgeting for three or four ports of call.
Cons of weekend cruises
Fewer ship and itinerary options
To comply with the Passenger Vessel Services Act, there are only so many destinations that can be reached during a short cruise, so you will find that there are limited itinerary options. In comparison, with a 7-night cruise, you can sail to the Eastern or Western Caribbean, Bermuda, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, etc. If you are someone who has visited Nassau before, you may want to experience something new, rather return to the same port time and time again.
Likewise, there are fewer ship options, especially if you are loyal to one cruise line. And often, they are not the newest ship in the cruise line's fleet. Thankfully, many cruise lines have invested into revitalizing their older ships to update them with newer amenities.
Norwegian Cruise Line, for instance, implemented the Norwegian Edge program in 2015, with Norwegian Epic being the first ship being refreshed. Over the course of the next two years, the cruise line spent about $400 million on updating their older vessels to ensure a greater guest experience.
Higher cost per day
The cost per night on a 3-night cruise is often much higher than the cost per night on longer sailings.
A 3-night cruise to The Bahamas onboard Celebrity Summit in October 2023, for instance, costs $1,222.42 for two adults in an ocean view stateroom. A 5-night cruise to The Bahamas and Mexico during the same month on the exact same ship costs $1,392.58 for two in the same category of cabin. Note that both prices include taxes, fees, and gratuities for both passengers.
This makes the price per night per passenger on the 3-night cruise about $203, while the cost decreases to $139 for the latter 5-night voyage.
Read more: 20 tricks for cruising cheap on less than $100 per day
You do not have time to fully experience everything onboard the ship
Spending only three nights in any place is not enough to get the full experience, whether it is a cruise or land-based vacation. With a cruise, though, you also have to keep in mind that you will not be onboard the ship the entire time. The majority of your days will be spent ashore. Unless, that is, you opt to stay onboard.
Depending on what you do during the day, you may not have the energy to stay up late for the ship's entertainment. If you have been in the sun all day on the beach, perhaps the last thing that sounds appealing is getting dressed up to attend a show.
And less time to venture around the ship means that you will not be able to get the lay of the land until the vacation has almost ended. This is especially true if you are taking a cruise on one of the larger ships operating shorter voyages, such as Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas, or (in 2024) Utopia of the Seas.
Shorter cruises often have more of a party atmosphere
Do not be surprised if you find large groups on your weekend cruise, as they are appealing to those looking for a short getaway to celebrate, whether that is a birthday, bachelorette party, graduation, etc. Depending on your reason for cruising, this may or may not appeal to you.
Expect to find a lively atmosphere onboard, whether that is at the pool deck during the day or late-night at the bars.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
