Sat or Sun departure on a 7-night voyage. Which do you prefer?

[FLgemini]

Asking out of curiosity and to see if any other cruise fanatics put strategic thought into this and actively seek departure and return on one day over the other. I did a quick search and didn't see a conversation about this recently.

 

For standard seven-night RCL cruises out of U.S. ports - Caribbean itineraries really - it's mostly Saturday (returning the next Saturday) or Sunday (returning the next Sunday) departures. Of course this schedule is appealing to those who work and allows passengers to take a traditional week off with weekends on both ends of the trip.

 

I personally prefer Sundays as it allows me time to travel the first Saturday and get in to the departure city a day early, while still allowing me most of the second Sunday to travel home (I don't live close to a port). Downside of this is going right into the week the next day on Monday.

 

 

 

 

[PhoenixCruiser]

We prefer Saturday so we have all day Sunday to do laundry and rest before work on Monday.  Of course this way we have to take the Friday before off.

[bouhunter]

After 20+ cruises I have to say it's never occurred to us.  We book the ship/itin that looks right and work the travel out after that.  We often add 2-3 days post cruise at the departure port anyway so squeezing it into one week isn't a priority.

Edited November 6, 2018 by bouhunter

[ATLgirl15]

Definitely prefer Saturday to Saturday so we have the day to acclimate on the tail end before heading back to work.  Even with flying in the day before it’s easy to add a few hours earlier in the week to leave the office early on Friday.  I’d rather be rushed on the front end knowing I have a full week of relaxation ahead of me.  

[Spunky946]

We prefer Sunday because we could fly down late Friday night or Saturday and have extra time.  With dhs work schedule and kids school, it’s easier.  Of course our next cruise is a 9 night on navigator for Christmas 

[Ourusualbeach]

It varies.  We drive so it’s about finding the itinerary that fits with work and school schedules.

 

Wben we travel at Christmas I look for the Sunday departure as we can’t leave until Friday Evening.

 

For March break, I look for the Saturday sailings as the kids have the Friday before March break off as well and we can make it back home by the Sunday.

 

If we were flying it would mostly be Sunday sailings.  Fly down a day ahead.

 

Since  Royal will have 3 of the 4 Oasis class ships doing Sunday departures and only one doing the Saturday departures I would say that Royal believes that Sunday departures are more requested.  Also the ship that they have doing the Saturday departures is the Symphony and before that was Harmony.  The newest ships where they know that despite the sail date people will pay the higher prices as it is the newest ship.

[time4u2go]

Saturday, to have a day to readjust back to reality afterwards.

[davekathy]

Doesn't matter to us. We are DINKS and retired. 

[cindivan]

Also vote for Saturday to give us a day to get back to reality before back to work. 

[3monkeys4me]

Saturday for us. I only work part time and am off on Fridays anyway. My husband doesn't have a traditional work week so we don't take his schedule into account. We usually travel during the school year so having Sunday to get kids ready for school and get myself ready for work is really nice. If the kids don't have any important classes on the Friday afternoon we try for an early afternoon flight. Otherwise we do a late Friday flight.

 

[Kruzer Zuker]

We live close to ports and prefer Saturday.   We drive to the port on Saturday morning on embarking day and board the ship by noon and on disembarking day we get off on Saturday morning and have a full weekend ahead of us to do normal weekend shopping and cleaning. 

[LuCruise]

If school time (e.g. March break), then prefer Sunday departure as then our kids don't need to miss school.  i.e. fly in day before on Saturday , fly home Sunday.  For upcoming March break, it is a Saturday cruise so we are flying in on the Friday so our kids will miss that day. And even then, we are flying home on the Sunday as fights were a lot cheaper....so still coming home and then work next day.

Edited November 6, 2018 by LuCruise

[cruisinfromtampa]

Another vote for Saturday.  We drive within Florida, so driving down the morning of is no big deal.  Having the Sunday after to get back to normal is a much needed day.

[George C]

Rather do a Sunday since we always fly to port the day before and if ship left on Saturday we would need to use another vacation day. 

[Ourusualbeach]

46 minutes ago, LuCruise said:

If school time (e.g. March break), then prefer Sunday departure as then our kids don't need to miss school.  i.e. fly in day before on Saturday , fly home Sunday.  For upcoming March break, it is a Saturday cruise so we are flying in on the Friday so our kids will miss that day. And even then, we are flying home on the Sunday as fights were a lot cheaper....so still coming home and then work next day.

 

Love our school board. (DDSB)  We get the Friday before off as part of the Narch break.  Makes travel plans much easier.

[Desert Cruizers]

For the first time since I started cruising, our Emerald 15 day Hawaii embarks from San Pedo on Monday March 11 and returns on Tuesday the 26th. All our other cruises have gone out on Sunday

[John&LaLa]

When we worked and lived in Atlanta, Sunday was the preferred day.  Much easier to schedule travel and work. 

[CanadaRob]

Prefer Saturday but lately have liked 12 day leaving on Sunday and finishing on Friday so get 2 days pre cruise and get home on a Saturday.

[gatour]

I prefer Sunday departures esp. if we are departing from Ft Lauderdale.  I like to drive down the day before and enjoy Ft Lauderdale.  My wife prefers Saturday, as she can ease back into the real world.

 

I work from home, so can do the laundry etc on the Monday post cruise

[The Fun Researcher]

Sunday I suppose.  We always fly down the day before to insure that we'll make the ship's departure, and then we typically fly back the same day the cruise returns.  Leaving on Sunday allows for us to have more flexible Saturday flight times and maybe even have a decent amount of time that Saturday to kick off our vacation with a nice day at a resort and pool before getting on the ship the next day.

 

If the ship departed on Saturday that pretty much forces us to use another vacation day to fly down on Friday.  Not a HUGE deal, but Sunday is more optimal for us.

Dan