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Shortest possible cruise


lenquixote66
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We have done a cruise which Princess books regularly and is repeating this year as well.  We did it in 2013 on the Golden.  Depart Seattle at 4:00PM and arrive in Vancouver at 7:30AM the next morning.  That is 15 1/2 hours.  That is the whole cruise.  It is done so that Princess can then move the ship back to LA for the winter. The Seattle to LA route would be a PVSA violation.  

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Ferry.  Some in Europe even have swimming pools and you're on it for a lot less than 22 hrs.  Bar Harbor to Yarmouth IIRC.  I've overnighted between Toulon-Ajaccio, and Savona-Bastia on Corsica Ferries (room sparse but bathroom was bigger than your average cruise ship bathroom) and Arbatax-Civitavecchia on an Italian ferry.  Yes, took a vehicle with me.

 

Shortest cruises must be the repos between Vancouver and Seattle.  Just overnight and more hassle getting on and off than it's worth.

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1 minute ago, cruising cockroach said:

Shortest cruises must be the repos between Vancouver and Seattle.  Just overnight and more hassle getting on and off than it's worth.

Actually it was a fun 3 day weekend.  Simple flight from Oak to Seattle, overnight cruise on the Golden, got off the Golden in Vancouver and then boarded the Island for a 2 night cruise back to S.F. .  Had some free time in Vancouver for a little shopping and to meet family members for lunch.  If memory serves the 1 night cruise was $59pp.  Even then where could I get 3 meals, a hotel room and some entertainment for $118.  

As an add on we were 3 cruises away from Elite so this took care of 2 of them.

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38 minutes ago, wheezedr said:

As an add on we were 3 cruises away from Elite so this took care of 2 of them.

 

Status makes it worthwhile as it reduces the hassle of waits to get on and off.  Not a mileage run or mattress run. I forgot Princess counts cruises rather than days (e.g, HAL).

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2 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

In 1976 my wife and I boarded a ship in Maine at approximately 2 PM arriving in Canada 22 hours later. This was not a ferry.There were sleeping accomodations and a dining area. Would this have been considered a cruise ? 

If you could drive a car onto it, then it was a ferry - even when it has sleeping accommodations. Took a ferry from England to Denmark with sleeping accommodations and dining - road a train onto it, but it also carried vehicles.

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1 hour ago, cruising cockroach said:

 

Status makes it worthwhile as it reduces the hassle of waits to get on and off.  Not a mileage run or mattress run. I forgot Princess counts cruises rather than days (e.g, HAL).

Princess counts cruises OR days (whichever gives you the highest level).

 

 

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10 hours ago, mom says said:

I wonder if you were on the old  MV Bluenose,  that used to do the Bar Harbour to Yarmouth run.

Yes, either the Bluenose out of Bar Harbor, or the Scotia Prince Cruises out of Portland.  Scotia Prince used the Prince of Fundy or the Bolero during 1976.  Both the Bar Harbor and Portland services are known as "cruise ferries", as are many such services in Europe, Hurtigruten in Norway being one of the largest.

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We did the Scotia Prince several years after you, OP, and I have it in my signature.  To me, yes it was a mini-cruise, and a wonderful unexpected surprise as we were on a road trip when my mom stumbled on this option and I think we made the decision same day to go for it.  None of us had any ID other than our driver's licenses but apparently that was plenty.

 

We boarded in the afternoon, had a little overnight cabin, and we were in Yarmouth NS when we woke in the morning.  We disembarked, and she turned around and went back to Portland without us, while we spent a day in the little town and purchased an excursion, a ride around in a van where they told us their local yarns about their local sites and characters, spent one night in a local hotel.  Third day, the ship was back and we got a day cabin and returned by mid afternoon.  The actual sailing time in each direction was only about 6 hours.

 

I don't remember any food but my mom still has the old brochure and it shows a picture of a cafeteria type a la carte restaurant.  I also don't remember any entertainment or public rooms at all so I guess we spent most of our short time aboard in our cabins.

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I think you're mistaken about the sailing time.  It's 185 nm from Portland to Yarmouth, and the Scotia Prince only did about 16 knots, so that is 12 hours sailing.  Even the recent high speed catamaran ferry from Portland, which does over 30 knots takes 5.5 hours.

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I think Norwegian had a 1 night cruise when releasing one of it's new ships in Southampton a few years back...it was 2015 possibly.

 

It left at 5pm and floated around for a bit then came back at midday the next morning.

 

I have a feeling it was the Escape.

Edited by Velvetwater
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We've been on many ferries with overnight accommodation- lived on board for 3 days on a Scottish one, once.

The shortest time on a cruise ship that I know of is a Cruise and Maritime one which is on the Thames in London, and sometimes offers dinner, entertainment and breakfast for a very reasonable rate (compared to London hotels)- but you go nowhere.

My shortest time on board was for the naming of P&O's Azura in 2010- on board for tea time, and out of your cabin by 8am.

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14 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Yes, either the Bluenose out of Bar Harbor, or the Scotia Prince Cruises out of Portland.  Scotia Prince used the Prince of Fundy or the Bolero during 1976.  Both the Bar Harbor and Portland services are known as "cruise ferries", as are many such services in Europe, Hurtigruten in Norway being one of the largest.

Do I add this to the number of cruises I have been on ?

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21 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

I think you're mistaken about the sailing time.  It's 185 nm from Portland to Yarmouth, and the Scotia Prince only did about 16 knots, so that is 12 hours sailing.  Even the recent high speed catamaran ferry from Portland, which does over 30 knots takes 5.5 hours.

 

Thanks Cheng. I don't really remember so I'm sure you're correct.  I thought that it managed the round trip daily but perhaps the turnaround was quicker than I realized at each port.  Bit bummed now that I don't remember any public space or being on deck looking at the sea, but I would have been only 20 or 21, just a baby in the distant past.  Would think we would have walked around and enjoyed whatever they had on offer, but perhaps I was tired from the road trip and might have been happy reading quietly in the room.  On our overnight we picked the cheapest cabin which was rather dark, old-fashioned and did not include private toilet or shower, but shared facilities were just a few steps down the hall.  I think they just gave us clean sheets and we made up the bunks ourselves. Our day cabin on the way back was updated, larger, and brighter.

 

8 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

Do I add this to the number of cruises I have been on ?

 

I certainly would and did, but you can argue that's setting an awfully low bar for what qualifies!  If it has private cabins, it's a cruise.  I want to go on the SS Badger across Lake Michigan too.   You can get an optional private day cabin on that, even though it's only 4 hours.  A National Historic Landmark from 1953, still in service, with staterooms? Yes please!

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Yes, the old Scotia Prince didn't have the most exotic accommodations.  She started life as the Stena Olympica, delivered in 1972 with an Olympic theme to its furnishings.  She sailed for Stena on the Germany to Scandinavia routes for 10 years before being sold to Prince of Fundy Cruises.

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On 2/10/2019 at 7:56 PM, lenquixote66 said:

In 1976 my wife and I boarded a ship in Maine at approximately 2 PM arriving in Canada 22 hours later. This was not a ferry.There were sleeping accomodations and a dining area. Would this have been considered a cruise ? 

 

Still might be a ferry.

 

There is overnight ferry service between Helsinki and Stockholm.  Two ships.  One leave Helsinki in the late afternoon, arrives Stockholm the next morning.  Other ship does it the other direction.  

 

From all looks, you would say cruise ship.  But they do have a vehicle deck, and do carry cars.  Many people just do the overnight one way, spend the day, and come back.  A nice getaway, and due to crossing borders, duty free shopping.  The shop had a HUGE liquor store. 😄

 

 

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7 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Yes, the old Scotia Prince didn't have the most exotic accommodations.  She started life as the Stena Olympica, delivered in 1972 with an Olympic theme to its furnishings.  She sailed for Stena on the Germany to Scandinavia routes for 10 years before being sold to Prince of Fundy Cruises.

 

IIRC the both the Scotia Prince and the newer Bluenose did have "deluxe" cabins with toilet and sink as well "superlux" with a shower added to the accommodations.

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7 hours ago, SRF said:

 

Still might be a ferry.

 

There is overnight ferry service between Helsinki and Stockholm.  Two ships.  One leave Helsinki in the late afternoon, arrives Stockholm the next morning.  Other ship does it the other direction.  

 

From all looks, you would say cruise ship.  But they do have a vehicle deck, and do carry cars.  Many people just do the overnight one way, spend the day, and come back.  A nice getaway, and due to crossing borders, duty free shopping.  The shop had a HUGE liquor store. 😄

 

 

Stockholm - Helsinki - Stockholm takes 40hrs, both Silja Line (Tallink) and Viking Line have this route. Tallink has similar 40hrs cruises to Tallinn and Riga.

Viking Line also have these routes
Stockholm • Mariehamn • Stockholm

   14/2 Cinderella kl. 18.00
  15/2 Cinderella kl. 15.15

Stockholm • Åbo • Stockholm

  14/2 Viking Grace kl. 07.45
   15/2 Viking Grace kl. 06.30

 

Stockholm • Åbo • Stockholm
 

   14/2 Amorella kl. 20.00
   16/2 Viking Grace kl. 06.30

Kapellskär • Mariehamn • Kapellskär
   14/2 Rosella kl. 12.00
   14/2 Rosella kl. 17.30
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