attawaydh Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 We recently went on Liberty out of Galveston (May 15) and it was my first cruise. We had an amazing time and I'm SO hooked!! We booked our next on Allure for spring of 2018 because our big vacation for 2017 is already planned. I'm thinking I don't want to wait that long and was looking into 3 and 4 day cruises. We just had a travel agent discourage us from those. She said, "Those ships that run the short cruises are really old and tired" and that we wouldn't want to do that. BTW, she is my first experience with an agent. I've always booked our trips myself so I'm "green" in that area. I need real feedback from you guys who have been. What are your thoughts? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todd Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 First thing, fire your Travel Agent and post negative reviews anyplace you can. Any agent who says "Those ships that run the short cruises are really old and tired" does not understand the market. The normal life of a cruise ship is about 30 years Brilliance of the Seas was launched 2002 and a 30 million plus refurbishment 2013, Navigator of the Seas was launched in 2002 and refurbishment in 2014. Both these ships are great ships in excellence condition. I would not use a agent if I was booking simple cruises, it is very easy to handle on your own. And yes I am being very hard on your agent but it is earned by the actions. attawaydh 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 I think there is some truth in what your travel agent said; many cruise lines do in fact use their oldest and less well maintained ships on the short routes. However, that's not universally true and I agree with Todd that you should consider working with another TA if he/she sees this as a black and white issue. The Independence of the Seas often does shorter cruises that are reasonably priced. In addition, there are many fans of the Enchantment of the Seas on these boards as well. The Brilliance of the Seas also does some short cruises out of Tampa and she's a great ship, so don't give up. attawaydh 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 I will add my concurrence here. Enchantment, Independence and Navigator are doing shorter than 7 night cruises. All of these ships are very popular. I also agree that Majesty and DEFINITELY Empress are much smaller and older. Just be selective on your shorter cruises and you will be fine. I won't be so hard on the TA. I'm sure they were just trying to keep you from being disappointed. You did the right thing by asking here. You will get good and unbiased (well.....maybe biased towards RCI !) advice. Welcome to the blog and welcome to the cruise asylum ! attawaydh 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L454S Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 The problem with a 3 day cruise is bang for the buck. With airfare and all other travel expenses being equal, the cost of a 3 day cruise is expensive. If you live within driving distance, go get um! attawaydh 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arebee Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 Majesty just moved to Port Canaveral, been trying to talk my wife on a short one for months. I don't want to wait to December for my next cruise. attawaydh 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jticarruthers Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 The 3 nt/4 nt rotation generally does get run by the older/smaller ships .. 3 nt weekend cruise, 4 nt midweek cruise , rinse, repeat, etc. The 4nt/5 nt rotations sneak into some of the better ships like Naviagtor/Indy, etc. depending on port and time of year. attawaydh 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneyraven Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 I would go on a 3, 4 or 5 night cruise in a heartbeat ..... With what they did in the last upgrade for Majesty, that particular ship is on my radar. I've always had a soft spot for the Sovereign Class. attawaydh 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeK Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 I tend to agree with your TA but you know what they say about opinions. If you can get one of the bigger ships (Voyager class and above) for a short cruise I would do that. I live in Fl so I can drive to the ports so it makes it easier. I wouldnt go on anything shorter than a 5 day cruise because it seems like on the short cruises you are barely unpacked and the cruise is over. What ever you decide, have a good time and remember you can never have too much fun. attawaydh and coneyraven 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arebee Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 Harmony and Independence have some short (4nt) cruises out of Ft Lauderdale. attawaydh 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLA Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 I can certainly say that Enchantment of the Seas is a GREAT ship for a 3 night getaway. She has some really unique features, such as the Oasis bar on the pool deck that looks out over the ocean. A ship being "older" really wouldn't deter me from sailing on it, especially for a short cruise. Really, the small ships tend to be pretty perfect for a short sailing. 3 days really wouldn't let you take advantage of everything on a larger ship anyway. However, as others have pointed out, Indy does a few 4 day weekend sailings, and Brilliance of the Seas does as well. The Brilliance 4 day to Cozumel would probably be a lot of fun, and the Radiance class is a good size ship with some of the amenities you'd be looking for on the larger ships. attawaydh 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monctonguy Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 The majority of my cruises have been 4 days out of Florida. You can get some great deals, and while they are usually the older and smaller ships its still a great time. I haven't done a 3 day as just not long enough for me with the flights involved and hotels etc. But if I was closer and airfare cheaper(if I didn't live in Canada) I would have no problem hopping on a 3 day cruise to tie me over between longer cruises! bcarney 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
attawaydh Posted June 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 Thanks for the feedback!!! Ok, so looks like we'll be finding a new travel agent should we decide to use one again in the future. We would def prefer a 7 day cruise but was just looking to get a quick fix :). We also have to watch how we use our vacation days and the shorter cruises I could sneak in for a long weekend. We're in Texas, and driving to FL isn't really an option. I do agree with the not really being the best bang for your buck once we add airfare. We have airline miles but we'd really have to weigh if that's how we want to burn them. I wish there were short cruises out of Galveston on RC. In looking ahead, I don't see any on the calendar. So, Liberty 7 day is all that RC ever offers out of Galveston? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyfsu21 Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 I highly recommend Indy of the seas 4 night out of Fort Lauderdale. This is NOT an "old and tired" ship by any means. The Indy is a very large ship with so many options (especially for a 4 day sail). Don't waste your time & energy looking at other short cruises, this one is AWESOME! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firegal2539 Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 I agree with most of the above, I would look for another TA. No TA should tell you to not take a cruise, even if she is looking out for you, she should have said here is my opinion on a 3 or 4 day cruise and given you her opinion, that you could take or not take. Most of the 3 and 4 day cruises are older ships, but for the most part are beautiful and great ships. Majesty and Empress are much smaller ships and there is no way to tell if you will like it or not. I don't do the slides, water park, climbing wall, etc, so it doesn't bother me that these two ships don't have these things. It really is a personal decision and like you I live in Texas and I have three four days cruises booked. I booked them as soon as they opened up online and spend time looking for the cheapest air. For all of those cruises, going out of Fort Lauderdale, I got round trip flights from DFW for no more than $200, which to me is so cheap. Welcome to the blog and glad that you asked, we are always willing to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 As a Royal Caribbean fan, I know what the TA was alluding to. Going from Liberty to Majesty would have been a pretty big change in many different areas. Heck, going from Voyager/Freedom/Quantum/Oasis class to Radiance, Vision or Sovereign class is a big difference. I think we all agree that size and/or age does not correlate directly to a positive or negative experience. Enchantment and Brilliance are both great ships. I do think it is important to know the difference and manage expectations. I remember on my 4-night Brilliance cruise, a guy next to me at the pool was complaining about how there wasn't as much to do on Brilliance compared to his recent Oasis cruise. Well.....yea! :lol: I agree with others I would have no problem with shorter cruises on Navigator or Independence, which are certainly not small or old ships. And Enchantment and Brilliance are great choices too. I love taking cruises in general, but 3-4 night cruises are a tease. L454S brought up a great point about the costs and value from a shorter cruise. If you are just looking for a getaway cruise, that's fine but it's important to understand what ship you pick and the differences compared to Liberty. Also, be sure to keep in mind most 4-5 night cruises sail over the week, so if you are going to take 4 days off of work for a cruise, just go for a 7-night cruise and tack on one more vacation day. :) arebee, coneyraven and Galveston Steve 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arebee Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 As a Royal Caribbean fan, I know what the TA was alluding to. Going from Liberty to Majesty would have been a pretty big change in many different areas. Heck, going from Voyager/Freedom/Quantum/Oasis class to Radiance, Vision or Sovereign class is a big difference. I think we all agree that size and/or age does not correlate directly to a positive or negative experience. Enchantment and Brilliance are both great ships. I do think it is important to know the difference and manage expectations. I remember on my 4-night Brilliance cruise, a guy next to me at the pool was complaining about how there wasn't as much to do on Brilliance compared to his recent Oasis cruise. Well.....yea! :lol: I agree with others I would have no problem with shorter cruises on Navigator or Independence, which are certainly not small or old ships. And Enchantment and Brilliance are great choices too. I love taking cruises in general, but 3-4 night cruises are a tease. L454S brought up a great point about the costs and value from a shorter cruise. If you are just looking for a getaway cruise, that's fine but it's important to understand what ship you pick and the differences compared to Liberty. Also, be sure to keep in mind most 4-5 night cruises sail over the week, so if you are going to take 4 days off of work for a cruise, just go for a 7-night cruise and tack on one more vacation day. :) Yup, just long enough to make you mad...... Matt and DocLC 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karl_nj Posted June 9, 2016 Report Share Posted June 9, 2016 I love taking cruises in general, but 3-4 night cruises are a tease. L454S brought up a great point about the costs and value from a shorter cruise. If you are just looking for a getaway cruise, that's fine but it's important to understand what ship you pick and the differences compared to Liberty. Also, be sure to keep in mind most 4-5 night cruises sail over the week, so if you are going to take 4 days off of work for a cruise, just go for a 7-night cruise and tack on one more vacation day. :) Out of NJ I really like the 5 night to Bermuda. It leaves on a Saturday, and comes back on a Thursday. If I do self carry disembarkation, I can get back home in time to work from home on Thursday, so I only need to use 3 vacation days. Plus it's 5 nights, which isn't a bad length. Not as good as 10 nights, but not bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todd Posted June 10, 2016 Report Share Posted June 10, 2016 Short cruises are great if you understand what you are getting, it is not a full one or two week vacation that you can pack everything in. I look at short cruises like long weekends. Do you not look forward to 3 day weekends? Not many would say only three days off so I want to work instead. I can also slide in short cruises and less impact on my other interest. If I want to leave the Philippines for a longer cruise I need to plan and take time, so I create no issues for my business interest. But a 3 to 5 day cruise is very little planning of impact. I have a 5 day cruise booked in this month. I can conduct business here Monday, drop off at airport Tuesday morning, noon on ship Hong Kong, Sunday morning of ship returns Hong Kong, airport, home Sunday for lunch. And while not 12 or 14 days I'm sure it will be a great trip. Give me a short cruise every few months and a longer cruise or two over the year I'm happy. KLA 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted June 10, 2016 Report Share Posted June 10, 2016 Out of NJ I really like the 5 night to Bermuda. It leaves on a Saturday, and comes back on a Thursday. If I do self carry disembarkation, I can get back home in time to work from home on Thursday, so I only need to use 3 vacation days. Plus it's 5 nights, which isn't a bad length. Not as good as 10 nights, but not bad. Good point. In that case, it's not as bad as the 4-5 day cruises from Florida that leave on Mondays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klc317 Posted June 20, 2016 Report Share Posted June 20, 2016 We went on a 4 night on Majesty last year and were booked on a 5 night on Empress last month but we got cancelled due to the delays. Ended up on Carnival Sensation since changing our days off was not an option. We have always taken 7 night cruises previous to these two but we took our daughter this year and last (she was 3 and 4 years old) so we decided that a shorter cruise "break in period" or "trial and error" was in order with a young child. Fortunately, she did great on both and we had had a wonderful time although I was not at all impressed with Carnival and the Sensation but thats a whole different discussion.....lets just say the statements your TA made would be correct in that case! However, we made the best of it and still had a great time...it is a vacation after all. Majesty was pretty nice last year and its back from a recent major refurbishment so I would imagine its now much nicer. Enchantment and Empress are also doing the shorter florida 3-5 night runs also as of now that I know of. Smaller ships but all in great shape and fresh. I would personally prefer a 7 night since as mentioned before you're getting more days for your buck especially if you were flying to Florida but we tried the 4-5 night ones and weren't disappointed. I don't think I'd go any shorter than 4 though but thats my opinion. There is obviously a slightly different crowd on a 3-5 night as opposed to a 7 night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisingKat(Kathy) Posted June 20, 2016 Report Share Posted June 20, 2016 Majesty just moved to Port Canaveral, been trying to talk my wife on a short one for months. I don't want to wait to December for my next cruise.I am going on a 4 Day on Majesty of the Seas, on 9-26-16 taking my Friend for her Very First Cruise Ever.Leaving hubby's, and Kids at home. I have never been on Majesty, so very Excited!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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