21+ day cruises

[vent1020]

So, I started cruising late in life. My first cruise was in 2012 aboard the Epic when I was 44. Have since done 2 more and have another planned for March of 2018. We've done 2 seven day cruises and a 4 day. The one in March is a 9 day Mexican Riveria.

 

Personally I love cruising and would love to do a 21+ day eventually, but my wife says "NO WAY!!" We'll see.

 

But, I've wondered what a 21+ day cruise is like? Are you sick of being on the boat by the end? Is it 21(or more) days of pure bliss? Does the excitement wear out? Did you have to work up to that?(take a 7 day, then 14 then a 21+ one)

 

I'd love to hear people's experiences when it comes to being on a ship for that long. What you thought, planning, etc...Thanks.

[MaineYachtClub]

I'm with you, Vent1020, and would love to hear the advice and experiences. We have our 1st over-7-day cruise scheduled for next year. It is 15 days through the Panama Canal. It took a fair amount of cajolery to get DW to agree to be on a ship for that long. I'd like to try even longer if the time and pocketbook can handle it.

[Lacaena]

The longest cruise I've been on is 14 days. Obviously not quite 21, but I'll chime in. We LOVED it. My husband and I have no kids, so I can't comment on anything about cruising that long with kids. For us it was great, we would definitely go for 21 days if we had the opportunity. Unfortunately, my career doesn't allow me to be away quite that long, but someday!

 

As for the 14 days, it was great! We always feel that by the time we actually de-stress enough to feel like we're on vacation it's halfway over. With the 14 days we felt were in total vacation mode and weren't even half way done! On the 7 day mark we kept saying how great it was that we still had another whole week ahead of us. We didn't get sick of anything and it brought us to some islands that we hadn't been to. We are now spoiled and 7 days doesn't seem worth it anymore :(

 

So for what it's worth from a 14 day perspective I would HIGHLY recommend!

[Budget Queen]

The itinerary is my only priority not the ship. I've sailed as long as 5 weeks on a single sailing. Many 14 days and several in between. I have a 20 day sailing next month. Just got off a 14 day trip on Friday. :) So, do this often.

 

If the ship wasn't taking me to where I wanted to go, then would be pretty dull for me. I don't find my travel highlights the cruise ship. Just like I am not impressed with a hotel like some people are.

Depends what your interested in and your travel style, so determine that perhaps?

[ready2cruzagain]

Have done several 21 day cruises and have one booked on Celebrity in 2019. We love them.

 

So much easier when you have to travel so far to a port. We love the Caribbean and have been to most of the islands that cruise ships go to.

 

Never, ever get tired of the ship. The ports, yeah sometimes we don't even get off of the ship such as when we go to Grand Cayman, Ochos Rios, etc. been there way too many times and enjoy staying on the ship.

 

Did get tired of the same old band on Carnival on a 21 day cruise but that is because they did the same songs every night. That is pretty rare.

 

Just be forewarned, watch the waistline LOL. Very easy to gain weight on a 21 day cruise with all of that awesome food.

 

I love 21 days without cooking, cleaning, tv, etc.

[vent1020]

The longest cruise I've been on is 14 days. Obviously not quite 21, but I'll chime in. We LOVED it. My husband and I have no kids, so I can't comment on anything about cruising that long with kids. For us it was great, we would definitely go for 21 days if we had the opportunity. Unfortunately, my career doesn't allow me to be away quite that long, but someday!

 

As for the 14 days, it was great! We always feel that by the time we actually de-stress enough to feel like we're on vacation it's halfway over. With the 14 days we felt were in total vacation mode and weren't even half way done! On the 7 day mark we kept saying how great it was that we still had another whole week ahead of us. We didn't get sick of anything and it brought us to some islands that we hadn't been to. We are now spoiled and 7 days doesn't seem worth it anymore :(

 

So for what it's worth from a 14 day perspective I would HIGHLY recommend!

 

This is how I was with BOTH of my 7 day cruises. After 3-4 days it was cool to say "Dang, we still have 3-4 days left. Can't imagine saying "Dang, we still have a week left" :D

[garycarla]

We have done a few longer cruises and prefer them. Not sure if we hit 21 days, but many over 14. Combo med with a TA. Miami to Seattle are ones I remember in particular. Also from Tampa to ABC Islands then eventually Boston.

 

As soon as you go over 7 days, the mix of people change. Less kids. Less "gotta eat the buffet dry...." folks. LOL.

[vent1020]

I'm with you, Vent1020, and would love to hear the advice and experiences. We have our 1st over-7-day cruise scheduled for next year. It is 15 days through the Panama Canal. It took a fair amount of cajolery to get DW to agree to be on a ship for that long. I'd like to try even longer if the time and pocketbook can handle it.

 

We've talked about doing a Panama Canal cruise, but it will have to be when the kids are older and gone. Have fun.(I'm sure you will)

[www3traveler]

I have done a couple of 21 day cruises and have one planned for next Spring. If it were possible I would seriously consider living on board a cruise ship.

 

When I cruise now (37 cruises and counting), I rarely go off ship when we are in port. I met a gentleman a couple of years ago who spends most of the winter on one ship and a lady who did it for many years until her death last year.

[All-ready2cruise]

I have done a couple of 21 day cruises and have one planned for next Spring. If it were possible I would seriously consider living on board a cruise ship.

 

When I cruise now (37 cruises and counting), I rarely go off ship when we are in port. I met a gentleman a couple of years ago who spends most of the winter on one ship and a lady who did it for many years until her death last year.

 

My dream would be having the ability to stay on a cruise ship ... don't care which ship... for the winter. My longest cruise was the last cruise DH was still with me... 25 - 1 (B2B) and would happily do it again. That's 1/3 of the winter, almost ... dreams do come true.. so I've heard.

 

I cruise to cruise, love the ship, love the crew, love meeting other pax and I do love seeing new places. Winner, winner, winner. Just have to figure out the doe rae mee...

 

Lots to choose from, just got to keep looking, have fun. :)

[NMLady]

So, I started cruising late in life. My first cruise was in 2012 aboard the Epic when I was 44. Have since done 2 more and have another planned for March of 2018. We've done 2 seven day cruises and a 4 day. The one in March is a 9 day Mexican Riveria.

 

Personally I love cruising and would love to do a 21+ day eventually, but my wife says "NO WAY!!" We'll see.

 

But, I've wondered what a 21+ day cruise is like? Are you sick of being on the boat by the end? Is it 21(or more) days of pure bliss? Does the excitement wear out? Did you have to work up to that?(take a 7 day, then 14 then a 21+ one)

 

I'd love to hear people's experiences when it comes to being on a ship for that long. What you thought, planning, etc...Thanks.

 

When we did 33 day b2b2b cruises on the Sun at the 33rd day I was sorry we had not also attached the next 7 day cruise.

 

I felt the same way after 28 days on Star.

 

We prefer long cruises.

[Aldeya]

We always feel that by the time we actually de-stress enough to feel like we're on vacation it's halfway over. With the 14 days we felt were in total vacation mode and weren't even half way done! On the 7 day mark we kept saying how great it was that we still had another whole week ahead of us. We didn't get sick of anything and it brought us to some islands that we hadn't been to. We are now spoiled and 7 days doesn't seem worth it anymore :(

 

This is exactly how we feel! We just got from 7-day Breakaway cruise. The stress and the tension (life happened) started wearing off only on day 4. And in 3 days we had to disembark to get back to reality again. We did one 14-days cruise and absolutely loved it!

[The Other Tom]

I would suggest you build up to it. Most longer cruises have a lot of sea days. Our longest cruise to date was 10 days, of which 5 were sea days (some missed ports due to weather). My wife hated it. I loved it. So....we won't be doing any long cruises anymore :)

[gilladj]

We have been cruising for decades. During the working days we gradually increased cruise length to 10 days bit doing longer cruises was difficult with children and work. Towards the end of our work life we began to expand our horizons doing a a 24 day Trans-pacific on Celebrity. From that moment on we were hooked on longer cruises. Since that we have done a 31 day from San Diego to Buenas Areas with NCL. Then a 35 day circumnavigation of New Zealand and Australia. On October 29th we board the NCL Star for a 22 day from Venice to Miami. I have a hard time getting excited about any cruise unless it is at least 14 days.

 

We have never been bored. We always have enough time to actually try every aspect of a ship that interests us. Longer cruises are often more than one cruise cobbled together so your shipmates sometimes change during your time on board. With /celebeirty and NCL did a good job of keeping the entertainment varied.

 

It's not different from renting a condo some place for 2, 3 or 4 weeks. Always plenty to do with different towns to do it in. Even with the longer cruise we are always sad to see them end.

 

Repositioning cruise are often priced very competitively so they can be a bargain as well.

 

Give it a try.

[geffric]

I love longer cruises. I love sea days or port days that turn into sea days..so many times on shorter cruises, I would think oh I didn't do this or ..that..on a longer cruise, one has time to do things..

[mugtech]

We took a b2b of 29 days from Tampa through the canal to Vancouver for 19 days and then 10 days rt Alaska on the Sun. My wife got bored with the food by the end, but we enjoyed the other aspects of having as many sea days as port days. The itinerary can wear you out on a longer cruise if it is like our Spirit in the Mediterranean, 10 ports in 12 days, great ports, but we needed a rest after that cruise. On the Sun we got to know the staff and they knew us, especially on the last 10 days. It was amazing to go through the canal and to do Glacier Bay on the same cruise. Also a quick way to become Platinum, back then we got double points for booking more than 9 months out, so that inside cabin cruise netted us 58 Latitudes points.

[casofilia]

We regularly take cruises of that length (and longer) and love it. We like it when there are plenty of both port days and sea days well spread out so we are not too pooped by lots of excursions and not too bored by long stretches at sea. There are always lots of our age people and few children; there are always lots to do on sea days. The other thing is that you build a rapport with the staff.

Saying all that I don't know that I would want to go above 50 days in one go; no "Round the World for us!!

[ready2cruzagain]

I would suggest you build up to it. Most longer cruises have a lot of sea days. Our longest cruise to date was 10 days, of which 5 were sea days (some missed ports due to weather). My wife hated it. I loved it. So....we won't be doing any long cruises anymore :)

We had a 21 day cruise once and it had 18 port days. First time I ever came back from a cruise tired lol.

[vent1020]

I would suggest you build up to it. Most longer cruises have a lot of sea days. Our longest cruise to date was 10 days, of which 5 were sea days (some missed ports due to weather). My wife hated it. I loved it. So....we won't be doing any long cruises anymore :)

 

 

I think *I* could do a world cruise no problem(100+ days of awesomeness) but yeah, I think I will have to build my wife up to a 21+ day cruise. ;p

[garycarla]

We had a 21 day cruise once and it had 18 port days. First time I ever came back from a cruise tired lol.

 

Yes, that can get to you. Some folks have been able to talk themselves into just staying aboard for a port or two. After all, how much stuff can you actually remember?

 

We have done that on a few cruises and really appreciated the quiet day onboard.

[MaineYachtClub]

We had a 21 day cruise once and it had 18 port days. First time I ever came back from a cruise tired lol.

 

That sounds very frantic. I've looked at river cruises and they seem to be the same way. I'm afraid that I would be dragging after a trip like that.

[YangtzeCruiser]

But, I've wondered what a 21+ day cruise is like? Are you sick of being on the boat by the end? Is it 21(or more) days of pure bliss? Does the excitement wear out? Did you have to work up to that?(take a 7 day, then 14 then a 21+ one)

We've done a couple of long cruises as back-to-back; Houston->Seattle->Alaska and Venice->Barcelona->Venice. Houston-> Seattle got a little long, but Alaska more than made up for it. The Mediterranean itinerary made so many port calls the only "problem" was the DW having to get up early (for her) almost every day.

[ninefortythree]

Have done several 21 day cruises and have one booked on Celebrity in 2019. We love them.

 

So much easier when you have to travel so far to a port. We love the Caribbean and have been to most of the islands that cruise ships go to.

 

Never, ever get tired of the ship. The ports, yeah sometimes we don't even get off of the ship such as when we go to Grand Cayman, Ochos Rios, etc. been there way too many times and enjoy staying on the ship.

 

Did get tired of the same old band on Carnival on a 21 day cruise but that is because they did the same songs every night. That is pretty rare.

 

Just be forewarned, watch the waistline LOL. Very easy to gain weight on a 21 day cruise with all of that awesome food.

 

I love 21 days without cooking, cleaning, tv, etc.

 

 

 

The 21-day cruise sounds Great. I'll have to try it.

[GUEST080219]

I have done 31 and 42 days on NCL and the only reason to do it is to make the flight pre/post cruise costs when broken down to cost per day more affordable.

It might be more of a specific NCL problem but especially when it is for example a back to back with both legs being a repositioning cruise they just don't care to make it special. I asked one of the senior officers why there was no visible effort to make the days more diverse and interesting instead of the same schedule with similar events everyday and the honest answer was because they know the guest structure. Most of the guests don't expect more than free food, a trivia schedule and they will be in bed at 9 latest 10pm anyway. So the staff and officers just don't care as well and the popularity with the guests make it a correct decision.

 

So for me worth when the ports are special and the fare is super low but the onboard life pretty much s**** and you need to be able to cope with that.