Testing the Waters

Never cruised before? Try one of these short itineraries
from 17 U.S. cities

By Katie Solan

Cruise ships depart every day from all three U.S. coasts for beautiful destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean, Bermuda and the Bahamas. But if you've never cruised before, perhaps it's because you're a little hesitant with the vacation-on-water format.

That's why a four- to five-day cruise is the best option for a first-timer, says Cheryl Cunningham, director of group sales and special projects for national cruise discounter Vacations To Go.

"A shorter cruise is a nice way to make sure it's something you like. If you enjoy it, you're really going to be sad when the last day approaches, because you're going to wish you had more time. But," she points out, "it's a whole other experience to stay on a ship for longer than you'd like if you discover cruising isn't for you."

Short cruises are primarily offered by mainstream companies such as Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International. They operate some of the largest ships at sea, with passenger capacities of around 2,500 to 3,500 guests. But a big ship and a short itinerary is the perfect formula for first-time cruisers, says Cunningham.

"For someone who's not sure what they want to do while on board, a larger ship is better," she says. "It will have so much more to offer as far as entertainment venues, you'll really have a chance to enjoy yourself."

In order to make a round-trip sailing in five days or less, a ship is limited to nearby waters. Cruises from California sail south to Mexico's Pacific coast, while short cruises from Florida visit the Bahamas and Western Caribbean. Ships stationed along the Gulf Coast also head to the Caribbean. Depending on the itinerary, you'll hit one to three ports and also have a day or more at sea. These sunny destinations can promise the most fulfilling experience for the novice, says Cunningham.

"A tropical destination offers more of what you'd expect in a cruise," she says. "And it's easy to pack for -- the cruises are laid-back and the weather's typically good. And you can have a lot of fun."

Below are 17 U.S. ports from which ships sail four- and five-day itineraries. Prices for these trips vary, but all are deeply discounted at www.VacationsToGo.com -- with many cruises reduced by at least half. For example, we checked the site and found remarkably low starting rates for these four-day itineraries:

* Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas departs from Miami for the Bahamas for just $199 per person on Nov. 26. Click here for details.

* From San Diego, the Carnival Elation cruises to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for $299 per person on Dec. 6. Click here for more information.

* And from Galveston, TX, the Carnival Ecstasy sails to Cozumel, Mexico, on Dec. 6 for $389 per person. For more details, click here.

Here are dozens of short cruises leaving from the United States. They are organized geographically, by departure port.



Bermuda is a popular destination for short cruises from the East Coast. It offers a Caribbean island feel yet is much farther north, 650 miles east of Cape Hatteras, NC.

From the historic capital city of Boston, travelers were able to hop aboard the Norwegian Majesty of Norwegian Cruise Line for a five-day cruise to Bermuda on Oct. 7, 2007. The ship spent two days at sea and overnighted in St. George, giving passengers ample time to wander the pink-sand beaches and cobblestone streets.

Royal Caribbean has five-day Bermuda itineraries from Baltimore; Bayonne, NJ; and Norfolk, VA. Cruises spend two days at sea and dock overnight in King's Wharf, Bermuda. The itinerary is available through Oct. 21 of this year and April-October 2008 from Bayonne, through Nov. 11 from Baltimore, and June-August 2008 from Norfolk.

The Bahamas offers another viable option for short cruises from the East Coast. In February and March 2008, Cunard offers two sailings to the Bahamas from Brooklyn, NY. The four-day itinerary on the Queen Mary 2 spends two days at sea and one in Princess Cays, a private beach.

Short Bahamas cruises also depart from the Old South city of Charleston, SC. The Carnival Victory sails five-day cruises on Oct. 16 of this year and May 26, 2008, spending a day in Freeport and two days in Nassau. An Oct. 24 four-day cruise on the Norwegian Majesty spends one day in Nassau and two days at sea.



It's only natural that Florida, surrounded by water on three sides, would serve as the U.S. hub for cruises to the Caribbean and Bahamas. Ports include Jacksonville in the northern part of the state, home to the Carnival Celebration most of the year. It departs on four- and five-day trips to the Bahamas through April 2008. Ports of call include Nassau, Freeport and Key West, FL.

Farther south on Florida's mid-Atlantic coast lies Port Canaveral, known for space shuttle landings at Kennedy Space Center. Here, short-cruise seekers can choose from a bevy of year-round, four-day itineraries to the Bahamas on Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Disney Cruise Line ships.

Fort Lauderdale is the jumping-off point for Caribbean cruises aboard two Royal Caribbean ships, Enchantment of the Seas (year-round) and Navigator of the Seas (November 2007-April 2008). Their four- and five-day sailings can include Ocho Rios in Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Cozumel and Belize City, depending on the itinerary. Enchantment also squeezes in some four-day Bahamas sailings this winter and next spring.

An armada of ships homeport in Miami, the world's busiest cruise port. Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian all have ships here for short cruises, departing year-round and seasonally. But Miami is the only U.S. port where you can embark on a four- or five-day Caribbean voyage with Celebrity Cruises: The Century, fresh from a $55 million refurbishment, sails December 2007 through April 2008. And, the Azamara Quest, one of two 700-passenger ships under Celebrity's new deluxe brand, Azamara Cruises, will set off on its first full itinerary on Oct. 26. The five-day trip visits Key West and Mexico.

On Florida's west coast, Tampa serves as home port for the Carnival Inspiration year-round. The vessel sails four-day cruises to Cozumel and five-day cruises to the Cayman Islands and either Cozumel or Calica, Mexico. December 2007 through March 2008, Royal Caribbean offers four-day trips to Key West and Cozumel and five-day cruises to ports in Mexico and Belize.



West of Florida, states that line the Gulf of Mexico also offer quick Caribbean getaways. Exuding Southern charm, Mobile, AL, is home to Carnival's Holiday, which departs on four- and five-day excursions to Mexico year-round. All sailings call at Cozumel, while the five-day cruises add another Mexican port to the itinerary.

Two years after devastating Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans still has plenty of Cajun and Creole culture to spare. Year-round, the Carnival Fantasy sails from the Big Easy to Mexico: four days to Cozumel and five-day trips that add a stop in Progreso. This Yucatan port town is the gateway to Merida, a city graced with lovely Old World architecture.

Galveston, TX, a beach town just one hour south of Houston, is the home port for the Carnival Ecstasy, which sails to Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula year-round. Four-day sailings visit Cozumel, while five-day trips call at Cozumel and Progreso.



The Golden State offers many options for short cruises to the sandy beaches of Mexico's Pacific coast. Four-day cruises leave year-round from star-studded Los Angeles and its just-south neighbor, Long Beach. Stops on Royal Caribbean and Carnival ships include romantic Catalina Island, CA, and the fishing town of Ensenada, Mexico. Cruises from Los Angeles typically add San Diego as a port of call.

From San Diego, just above the Mexican border, Carnival offers four- and five-day itineraries year-round to ports such as Ensenada and the Baja hot spot of Cabo San Lucas.

Information: To search for short cruises from any of these U.S. cities, click the links above or use Vacations To Go's "Find a Bargain" feature. This feature allows users to search for cruise deals by date, departure port, cruising region, length of trip, cruise line and cruise ship. Or, call Vacations To Go at (800) 338-4962 to speak with a travel counselor.

8 Things You Should Know About Cruising

By Katie Solan

Cheryl Cunningham, Vacations To Go's director of group sales and special projects, has 18 years of cruise sales experience. We asked her some of the most common questions posed by first-time cruisers.

Vacations Magazine: What's typically included in the up-front price of a cruise?
Cheryl Cunningham: Accommodations, all meals, plus room service. Standard beverages such as iced tea, coffee, juice and milk are also included. But if you purchase a bottled water, soda or alcoholic beverage, that's going to be an additional charge, and gratuities are extra, as well.

VM: About how much should passengers budget for incidentals?
CC: You have to budget in tips for the ship's staff. Typically, most cruise lines will add to your shipboard account a suggested gratuity, which can be altered if you desire, of about $10 per day, per person in the stateroom.

If you're going to consume cocktails or sodas, budget that in. Alcoholic beverages cost anywhere from $2 to $8 each. Consider additional purchases in the gift shop, spa and whatever excursions you want to do on land. But remember that on board the ship, they do have some lectures and fun classes that are free. Of course, if you enjoy gambling, that's additional.

VM: How's the food on a cruise ship?
CC: There are different venues for meals. At dinner, it's restaurant-style dining, usually with two set dining times. There's a menu that changes daily, and meals are made to order -- much like going to a nice restaurant in the city where you live. You can also eat in the main dining room and order off the menu at breakfast and lunch, but those are both open seating.

If you want a more casual experience, the buffet is always an option. It's available for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but the food is constantly replenished. And the type of cuisine varies day to day and even hourly. It's constantly changing.

And then there are different places you can go to any time of day, like the grill by the pool serving hamburgers and hot dogs, or there might be a 24-hour pizzeria or a sushi bar.

VM: Does the ship feel crowded?
CC: Actually, it's amazing how you can be on a large ship -- and some of these ships hold anywhere from 2,500 to 3,500 passengers -- and yet feel that you have ample space. They have lounges that are hopping at night, but during the day, these are great, quiet places to sit down and visit with friends and family. Love seats by the windows offer a spot where you can have a little privacy, maybe read a book.

Areas around the pools get crowded, but that's really the fun of being out there. But, there are also sundecks, away from the pools, where you can sit in peace and catch some rays.

VM: Will there be enough activities to stave off boredom?
CC: It's very difficult to be bored on a cruise ship because they have so much going on. The key is to pay attention to the bulletin you receive every day that has the agenda of what's happening aboard the ship. This includes wine tastings, exercise classes, bands out by the pool, art auctions, movie screenings -- everything that you can imagine. Actually, you're probably going to find that you don't have enough time to do everything you want to do.

VM: What type of cabin should a first-timer choose?
CC: Consider how much time you typically spend in your hotel room when you travel. If you like to get up early and be on the go all day, and you just want a good bed to sleep in, go with an inside stateroom -- save your money and spend it on board and in the ports. Your cabin steward is going to treat you like royalty regardless of what accommodations you have.

If you're prone to claustrophobia, or if you like having natural daylight streaming into your room, then consider an ocean-view cabin, something with a porthole or window.

If you're the type of person who does enjoy spending a lot of time in your room, I'd suggest a cabin that has a veranda. That way you can sit on your deck chair and enjoy the sea views from the privacy of your balcony. If you're accustomed to luxurious, spacious accommodations, then look into a suite. Staterooms are very nicely appointed, but remember that they are scaled-down versions of a hotel room when it comes to space.

VM: Do I need any special documents?
CC: Yes. As of Jan. 1, 2008, passports are required for travel outside the United States -- this includes cruises to the Caribbean, Mexico, the Bahamas and Bermuda. But for the remainder of this year, you can travel with a birth certificate and a government-issued photo ID.

VM: How far ahead should travelers book a cruise?
CC: You'll find the best deals within 90 days of the departure date. But, if you're booking a large group and you'd like rooms near each other or simply prefer a particular type of accommodation, you should begin looking farther in advance of your desired travel date.

Information: To find the best last-minute cruise markdowns, go to Vacations To Go's " 90-Day Ticker." Options include many itineraries of five days or less.

Bookmark this Content

Digg it! Reddit Furl del.icio.us Spurl Yahoo!