One of many first decisions you may must make when reserving a cruise is the size of your crusing.
Royal Caribbean cruises vary from three days to over three weeks, leaving many questioning what the best cruise size is.
I sailed on Freedom of the Seas two instances, a 12 months aside, however every crusing was for a distinct size.
My first cruise, in October of 2023, was a weekend crusing, lasting solely three days.
My second, in October 2024, was a full seven-day crusing.
Though they had been on the identical ship only a 12 months aside, the 2 sailings had been solely completely different experiences.
I used to be stunned by how a lot the size of your cruise can change your complete cruise trip.
Learn extra: How completely different is a 3-night vs 4-night cruise?
From journey buddies to staterooms, this is how the size of my cruise affected my experiences on the identical ship.
I get homesick on longer cruises, however they are much extra memorable
After I first began taking week-long cruises, I’d really feel barely claustrophobic by days 5 and 6.
Regardless of the abundance of actions onboard, I are inclined to really feel homesick throughout seven-day cruises.
Nevertheless, evaluating my weekend and weeklong cruises on Freedom of the Seas helped me see the attraction of an extended crusing.
My weekend cruise glided by in a flash: three days onboard, together with one cease on Good Day at CocoCay, is barely sufficient time to see the whole lot.
As soon as the weekend cruise ended, the actions, leisure, and meals onboard felt like a blur. My weekend cruise on Freedom of the Seas was most likely my least memorable crusing, just because it glided by so quick.
In distinction, my 7-day crusing on Freedom gave me time to stretch out and take my time to see all of the sights onboard. I used to be in a position to attend a number of reveals and actions, even seeing some issues twice!
Plus, the crusing had visits to extra ports, calling upon Good Day at CocoCay, St Thomas, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Weekend cruises supply loads of leisure, however the shorter length means you should pack your schedule to expertise all of it. They seem to be a much less memorable sampling of a cruise ship.
My weekend cruise ready me to strive an extended one on Freedom of the Seas, but when I had to decide on only one expertise, I’d decide the 7-day crusing.
My week cruise was solo, whereas I used to be capable of finding a journey buddy for the weekend
One drawback of taking an extended, 7-day cruise, is setting apart the time to go on a weeklong trip. Taking day without work from work or college for a weeklong cruise could be difficult, particularly mid-year in October.
It was straightforward for me to take alongside a journey buddy on my weekend cruise—she did not even must request day without work from work.
Nevertheless, none of my associates had been in a position to get day without work to hitch me on my later 7-day crusing, so I needed to take the longer cruise solo.
Whereas there’s nothing mistaken with cruising alone, having a journey buddy could make a journey expertise extra wealthy and satisfying.
Plus, if I would needed to cruise with a number of associates or my household, it could have been much more tough to coordinate a weeklong crusing collectively.
I had time to type friendships on my 7-day cruise
Whereas I did not carry anybody alongside on my 7-day cruise, the longer crusing gave me time to type friendships with different cruisers onboard.
I observed—and was a bit disenchanted—that the majority cruisers on my weekend crusing stored to themselves.
They appeared centered on having fun with their time onboard with their journey teams, somewhat than making dialog with different cruisers.
On my weeklong cruise, nevertheless, I had loads of time to hitch Hyperlink occasions for younger adults, spend nights chatting within the sizzling tubs, and go on a number of shore excursions.
I ended up assembly many extra cruisers and crew members on my longer crusing, making the expertise an satisfying, social trip.
Additional-cost packages are costlier on an extended crusing
A shorter weekend cruise is commonly an important alternative to splurge on extra-cost gadgets. For those who’ve been eyeing drink packages, shore excursions, or specialty eating, a brief crusing gives a trip with a looser funds.
Day by day-priced packages like drink packages and WiFi are extra reasonably priced total throughout shorter cruises because you’re onboard for fewer days.
And shore excursions are value shopping for if you go to fewer ports.
On my 3-day crusing on Freedom of the Seas, I splurged and bought a dinner at Chops Grille. For the reason that crusing was solely three days, it was value it for me to strive a specialty restaurant whereas onboard.
I additionally spent extra on extras like drinks and Web.
For instance, WiFi runs from $25-30 a day. On my weekend cruise, I paid simply $75 for Web, whereas WiFi for my 7-day crusing would have value over $175.
I opted to not buy Web for the size of my week-long voyager. This saved me cash in the long term however stored me extra disconnected on the longer cruise.
Learn extra: Freedom of the Seas vs. Newer Ships: Does It Nonetheless Maintain Up?
Since I wanted to fastidiously funds on my weeklong crusing, I spent extra time on the ship however had a much less lavish expertise.
I attempted two completely different staterooms: a balcony and an oceanview
Just like spending cash on extra-cost packages, I used to be in a position to splurge on the stateroom class for my shorter crusing.
I booked a assure balcony cabin, receiving a spacious stateroom with a personal balcony. The cabin featured a spacious sofa, a king-sized mattress, and a big balcony furnished with patio seating. It was an opulent keep for the weekend; the proper spot to calm down or watch the ocean wave by.
In distinction, I booked a assure oceanview cabin on my longer cruise. The stateroom got here with a smaller sofa, and a King mattress positioned underneath the porthole window.
Learn extra: 10 issues it’s best to know earlier than cruising onboard Freedom of the Seas
Whereas I could not really feel the solar and breeze like on a balcony cabin, I nonetheless loved getting the identical ocean views.
Nevertheless, my oceanview cabin additionally got here with lots of loud noises, because it was positioned low on Deck 2.
Ultimately, each cabins had been satisfying locations to remain, with comparable facilities and bogs. Selecting the best stateroom all is determined by your preferences, funds, and the size of your crusing.
