Query re longer cruises

[ansui]

Hello fellow cruisers

We are seasoned cruisers but the longest cruise we have taken has been 14 days. Now that we have more leisure time we are looking at a 30 day cruise. What are your thoughts on these? Do you tire of the food, entertainment or just being that long on a ship?  The itinerary and ship are just what we have been looking for but the length is just a bit intimidating.  Any comments or advice much appreciated. Regards

[crystalspin]

Our first transAtlantic segue'ed into a northern Mediterranean leg for total sailing of 26  days. It was sort of a dare to me by my husband! The only trouble with that one: the relaxation was all in the first half and the Med half was exhausting!

 

Now we are booked for a 28-day Hawaii and South Pacific. Sea days at start and end and sprinkled through. Looking forward to it a lot (it's kind of a retirement recognition). We will take our Kindles well-stocked, and I will take some cotton (not too hot to hold) knitting. Since so many sea-days we will probably get the Beverage Package.

 

Also, the ship and the cabin are quite important (to us) -- we did a 14-day transAtlantic on a sister ship of this one, in the mirror-image cabin, so we know it is acceptable. Note: it is NOT a suite; it is the location that is the clincher!

[LHT28]

We have done a couple of 30 day cruises

I did find  near the end  we were eating less .probably a good thing 

I think you need to keep busy & not overeat

DH still gained 20 lbs & he walked a lot on the decks every day  so now he has cut back on the  desserts 😁

If the itinerary  is what you  like then give it a try  ..you may find 30 days is not enough 😉

 

 

[Canuker]

Everyone's different, it's hard to judge. But we found our limit. For our ruby wedding anniversary we coupled 2 b2bs for a total of 40 days away. We were very glad to get home and decided we would not do that again. Don't get me wrong, the first cruise went very well and we had a great time. On the second, port-intensive cruise we had a marvelous time visiting places in the Baltic, so we weren't cooped up on board, which was good because we didn't care much for the its onboard life.
But it was just too long away for us. Hard to explain.

As for your question, ansui, well you've cruised before and clearly enjoy it. I suppose you could ask yourselves how you might feel on the sail date if you don't book the 30-day cruise.
How about two 15-day cruises instead?

[mom says]

Everyone is different. Our longest was 29 days on a B2B, plus extra days before and after the cruise, for a total of 35 days. And we loved it. A great mix of sea days and port days. Yes, some of the entertainment repeated, as did the menus, but there was still enough variety that we weren't bored. However I think we hit our limit. Whether land trip or cruise, I think a month is our sweet spot.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, ansui said:

Hello fellow cruisers

We are seasoned cruisers but the longest cruise we have taken has been 14 days. Now that we have more leisure time we are looking at a 30 day cruise. What are your thoughts on these? Do you tire of the food, entertainment or just being that long on a ship?  The itinerary and ship are just what we have been looking for but the length is just a bit intimidating.  Any comments or advice much appreciated. Regards

With rare exceptions, we choose cruises that run 3-6 weeks including a stock of sea days and truly interesting ports worldwide (i.e., NO Caribbean unless enroute to someplace like the Amazon).

 Because cruises lasting that long demand better food quality/variety, exceptional service with a favorable crew ratio, first class accommodations, excellent lecturers and accomplished/well-traveled fellow passengers, you will need to do your homework and find that cruise line that works best for your needs, expectations and means.

For us, that cruise line is Oceania.

[GUT2407]

1 hour ago, ansui said:

Hello fellow cruisers

We are seasoned cruisers but the longest cruise we have taken has been 14 days. Now that we have more leisure time we are looking at a 30 day cruise. What are your thoughts on these? Do you tire of the food, entertainment or just being that long on a ship?  The itinerary and ship are just what we have been looking for but the length is just a bit intimidating.  Any comments or advice much appreciated. Regards

Our longest was 35 days, booked two more of similar length since. Menu repeated just once, a couple of items came back but whole menu just once. Plenty of variation in activities, though I guess it may depend on sea days v port days, longest without a Port was five days and that was enough, our next ones only have three in a row.

[Shmoo here]

54 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

cruises lasting that long demand better food quality/variety, exceptional service with a favorable crew ratio, first class accommodations, excellent lecturers and accomplished/well-traveled fellow passengers,

We did a 28 night Hawaii/Tahiti cruise in March.

 

Food - mediocre at best.  Lots of tough meat, uninspired items, repeated items.

Service - fair to good.  Dining room servers would forget from night to night what everyone liked to drink.  We were always the last table served.  

Accommodations - OK.  We had an oceanview room close to the bakery, so lots of bread baking aromas (night and day).

Lecturers - We had 2 lecturers.  One pretty good, the other a droning monotone, unorganized talks.

 

BUT, we still enjoyed the cruise.  We'd probably do it again, even knowing all that could happen again.

[John Bull]

We've done a few at around 30 days, all on the same ship. 

She used to wander the oceans like a tramp, never repeating a port for months. Booking was in segments of about 2 weeks, some folk booked for 6 months and more. On one trip we met folk who'd been on the ship since our previous trip.

Brilliant.

The itineraries were what we wanted - some off-the-beaten-track ports. some overnights in port, and (important for us) very few sea-days. Ship was a rusty little old bucket lacking the facilities and toys of newer ships, but that didn't matter - the atmosphere aboard was very convivial and laid-back and it meant the cruises were inexpensive. 

And the food & entertainment weren't repetitious, which is a potential downer for B2B's

Sad that the ship is now history and we can't find those itineraries elsewhere.

Our next cruise of that length will probably be with HAL or C&M, who both offer vaguely the same sort of cruise tho we're not sure that folk will gel in the same way.

 

We reckoned (and still do) that 30 days is about our limit, but that's gonna be different for different folk.

Great cruises, but glad to be home each time.

Same with road trips.

 

Always mindful that any cruise can be spoilt by the wrong sort of fellow-cruisers, technical issues,  etc.

And always the risk that a cruise or any other sort of vacation can be cut short by illness or problems back home.

All of which is magnified by a long cruise, and a reason that we've never considered a world cruise.

Add to that arrangement to be away from home for a long period, such as frost protection, someone to keep an eye on your home, and home insurance (check your home policy, cover for some eventualities can be restricted if the home is unoccupied for a long period).

 

Both ship and itinerary appeal to you.

So I say go for it 

 

JB     

[LHT28]

8 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

We did a 28 night Hawaii/Tahiti cruise in March.

 

Food - mediocre at best.  Lots of tough meat, uninspired items, repeated items.

Service - fair to good.  Dining room servers would forget from night to night what everyone liked to drink.  We were always the last table served.  

Accommodations - OK.  We had an oceanview room close to the bakery, so lots of bread baking aromas (night and day).

Lecturers - We had 2 lecturers.  One pretty good, the other a droning monotone, unorganized talks.

 

BUT, we still enjoyed the cruise.  We'd probably do it again, even knowing all that could happen again.

 

sounds like it was the ship you chose  was the problem

 

 

[bonsai3s]

18 hours ago, ansui said:

Hello fellow cruisers

We are seasoned cruisers but the longest cruise we have taken has been 14 days. Now that we have more leisure time we are looking at a 30 day cruise. What are your thoughts on these? Do you tire of the food, entertainment or just being that long on a ship?  The itinerary and ship are just what we have been looking for but the length is just a bit intimidating.  Any comments or advice much appreciated. Regards

 

We usually sail on the average, about 40 consecutive days a year.  Primarily for one reason...we have to fly to just about every embarkation port...so we try to save on airfare by doing longer or consecutive cruises. 

 

Yes, the food menu repeats, but if you speak to the head waiter, they will usually accommodate you by making "special" meals.  With shows and entertainment, we can relax and choose a later date when it's not so crowded.  On port intensive sailings, we often stay onboard and enjoy the empty ship.  (We are currently on a 42-day cruise and on days we stay onboard, we can enjoy the solarium and wonderful jacuzzi by ourselves.)

 

We make arrangements for friends and neighbors to watch our house.  We put our mail "on hold" and pay all our bills online. (Disclosure: It is sometimes quite difficult to use the internet when cruising...we use every safety precaution to ensure our accounts are not compromised.)  On longer or consecutive cruises, it helps to book your cruises way in advance so that you can stay in the same cabin.....it's not that difficult to move cabins, but it's sooooo much better staying in the same cabin.

 

Other random thoughts:

* The crew gets to know you better...and service, at least for us, is outstanding.

* We are fortunate that one of our "loyalty" perks is getting free laundry....we don't have to pack as many clothes...fresh clothes every few days.

* When we were much younger, not much money, and not much time...thus only 7-day cruises....we didn't mind "Inside cabins".  Fast forward to today........older, a bit more money, and more time....it's important for us to book at least a balcony cabin or usually a junior suite.

* Our biggest fear is getting sick or injured while on a cruise.  And making sure we bring enough medication/prescription. (Don't laugh, we actually had to go to Walmart last week because our 3 tubes of toothpaste was about to run out...yes, we took the free shuttle with the crew to Walmart...lol.)

* We find ourselves eating less and less...being quite picky, after only a couple of weeks.  We often visit the gym and walk often around the ports/towns for exercise.

* Most of our clothes are "sized up"...ok, bigger....so they will still fit when we gain a few pounds.

* Lastly, when our itinerary repeats.....we find the sailing to still be unique because passengers change...new week, new friends.

[Hlitner]

We love longer cruises and think that 60 days is ideal (although we have cruised longer).  There is a segment of the cruising public that loves long cruises (we belong to that group) and do not get bored, tired, etc.  Good cruise lines try to vary the entertainment (although you may get repeats of Production shows).  Depending on the line the menus might constantly change (items may be repeated but they alter the daily groupings).  And consider even if you do get the same menu there are multiple choices.

 

I will be honest and say that we have seen some folks who hated being on a long cruise.   It just did not fit their personality.  I think those that need to be constantly busy are the most likely to suffer.  For DW and I, a long cruise means we have lots of time to read, socialize, and relax.  Sure, we do sometimes go to a lecture or activity, but like many long cruisers we are very capable of entertaining ourselves.  

 

My suggestion  to the OP is to gradually work up to really long cruises.  If you have already tried something around 14 days and were happy, then go ahead and see about a 30 day.  Keep increasing the days and you will quickly discover whether it is for you.  The first time we took a 62 day cruise (on a 800 passenger ship) we had our doubts.  But the last night of our cruise DW looked at me and said, "I could do another 62."  I share that feeling.  In fact, we could probably do a 100 day cruise that was all sea days :).

 

Hank

[navybankerteacher]

I suppose on some ships the good food can run out when nearing the end of a long cruise with few ports (think of Magellan’s crew as they crossed the Pacific - wasn’t it largely shoes and belts?) - but if people really think:  do they actually take advantage of more variety of food choice at home than they could on a decent cruise ship?

 

But limited menu is hardly in the forefront. The entertainment is sure to wear thin - and CNN and BBC plus few other channels do not match the 100-plus TV options at home.

 

My main concern would be just the lack of options after a few weeks —I wonder how much thought has been put into the reality by people who think it would be great to retire and live on a cruise ship.  I suppose, if one’s life were dreary enough, living in a Walmart might be better than what he has at home.

[Heidi13]

Our preference is longer cruises of 100+ days, which are generally World Cruises. With segments, the menus may repeat, but you always have multiple selections and dining options. Longer cruises of at least a couple of months also have a different ambiance than shorter cruises.

[OzKiwiJJ]

After 35 nights we still didn't want to get off!!!

 

The Sydney return 35 night Hawaii/Tahiti on Sea Princess was one of the best cruises we've ever done. We soon got into a shipboard routine and felt very relaxed at the end of the cruise. 

 

Sea Princess is the perfect size for a long cruise, big enough to have all the usual Princess facilities but small enough so that it did't feel like there a re too many people onboard. Of course, the layout of that class of ship, with it's wide wraparound promenade deck, full atrium sized Crooners, the large Wheelhouse Bar, and a theatre that wasn't too small for the number of passengers, really makes it feel like the next best thing to a luxury line.

 

The food was excellent and the menus only started repeating after 28-30 days, which is quite acceptable. 

 

The only very slight negative was that the Sea Princess inside cabins are just a tad too cramped for that length of cruise, even with the beds in twin configuration.

 

I'd happily do that cruise again and would book a full world cruise like a shot if I could afford it. 😊

[babs135]

29 nights Southampton to San Francisco with 3 days tacked on at the end is the longest cruise we've done.  Enjoyed every minute of it, the ship, the food, the service, etc etc.  Only 'complaint' we had was that it was the roughest crossing we've ever experienced plus a day of rough(ish) seas after we'd transited the Panama Canal.  🤣

 

[calliopecruiser]

I have found my "sweet spot" for vacations is around 26-27 days, after which I start to miss being at home.  I haven't yet done a cruise that long, but I have done 30 day land trips and combinations of cruise/land trips, and I find in the last 3 or 4 days, I'm ready to go home, even if I'm still enjoying what I'm doing/where I am.   I've happily done 3 week cruises and never bored of the food or my activities, and in about 6 weeks I'm doing my longest: a 30 day cruise (including arrival and departure days) - I'm guessing that will be my limit.  The cruise ends in New Zealand and I'd love to spend an extra week in Wellington, but I know myself and I know I'll be ready to be home again.

 

So:  My issue is missing home, not being bored with the ship's options.  There are always ways to mix up dining room options (I don't always have an offered entree with dinner, for instance), and I generally don't go to the evening shows (so they don't get boring). 

[Texas Tillie]

My comfort zone is about one month. I did 29 days on the ship and a total of 32 days away from home and was getting "antsy" the last few days. I can't imagine a full world cruise, but I know many who are comfortable with them year after year. Whatever floats your boat! 🤓

[mtwingcpa]

I'm not sure I can add much to what has already been said... 

 

I believe my longest cruise was 19 nights (a one way repositioning). And I remember a number of people saying at the end that maybe about 2 weeks would have been enough for them. I kind of felt likewise, not that there was anything wrong with the extended cruise itself. 

 

This was on NCL and at the time they had a 2 week menu rotation. So in the third week things repeated, plus they started running out of stuff. But it was all kinda of humorous and I never felt deprived. 😉

 

Two things I would insist on for any longer cruise:  a full perimeter promenade deck and a forward observation lounge. (Both of these things seem to be increasing difficult to find on newer ships.)

 

So I'd say my "limit" is probably around 2 weeks, and indeed the next cruise I have booked is 15 nights. 🙂

 

 

  

Edited November 30, 2019 by mtwingcpa

[Joebucks]

In my opinion, seeking opinions is just looking to find things that you are going to stress out over. I feel the best start to figuring this out is what you have already done. A 2 week cruise is a great way to test the waters if you like being out to sea for longer periods. If you liked it, try a longer one!

 

There is absolutely a market for 30 day cruises. Heck, there are much longer cruises than that. It's up to you.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

I can't imagine sailing on these long cruises, just don't want to be away from our cats that long.😹 

7 days is too short given that we have to fly to the port and after our last 7 day cruise we said never again.  Our optum is 10 to 12 days with 2 days pre cruise.

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

I can't imagine sailing on these long cruises, just don't want to be away from our cats that long.😹 

7 days is too short given that we have to fly to the port and after our last 7 day cruise we said never again.  Our optum is 10 to 12 days with 2 days pre cruise.

Have you tried a "longer" cruise on a premium/luxury ship? If not, do so and you might find yourself saying "cats? what cats?"

[CHEZMARYLOU]

 

3 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Have you tried a "longer" cruise on a premium/luxury ship? If not, do so and you might find yourself saying "cats? what cats?"

No, we sail with Celebrity in either a Penthouse or Royal Suite so we receive plenty of pampering.  It's not the surroundings, it is just being away for so long. Our longest cruise or combo cruise and land trip has been 16 days with pre hotel stay. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

16 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

 

No, we sail with Celebrity in either a Penthouse or Royal Suite so we receive plenty of pampering.  It's not the surroundings, it is just being away for so long. Our longest cruise or combo cruise and land trip has been 16 days with pre hotel stay. 

Nonetheless, you may want to move up to a line like Azamara or Oceania with 700 passenger ships, overnights in port and generally cosmopolitan passengers - all contributing to an interesting experience.

But, I do understand the draw of "home." For us, it's a 6 year old grandkid that easily puts the kabosh on any thoughts of a world cruise.

[clo]

20 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

it is just being away for so long.

Ditto. Our upcoming cruise with pre and post is right at three weeks. I already know I'll be more than ready to come home.  We love to travel but we equally love our home. Plus we both love to cook and can't do that on a ship. We do have five days in Buenos Aires in an airbnb so that will help.