5 day vs 7 day

[bananaanna838]

I am in the first stages of planning a cruise with my boyfriend (hopefully it actually works out), and what I need to do first is pick either a 5 day or 7 day cruise.

We want to go to the Carribean or Bahamas, and flying down to FL to leave from one of those ports. Seeing as how we are on a budget, I'm not sure if a 5 day cruise would be better for us, even though I'd rather go for 7. I'm not sure how much $$ gets added on for taxes etc at the end, so that's why I'm wary for the longer ones.

Any thoughts?? Is a 5 day just as good as a 7 day cruise?

 

 

 

Also, off that subject... I'm 20 now but will be 21 in October (we are looking at mid-December cruises). Will I be allowed to purchase my ticket before I'm 21, if I will be 21 before we sail?

 

Thanks in advance, this is my first post :)

[Rallytime1975]

We have done both, and if you can afford it go for the 7 day cruise.

 

It seems like the 5 day you are getting off before you realize it.

 

I don't know why you couldn't buy the tickets prior.

 

enjoy crusing!

[bike1964]

If this is your first cruise you may want to consider the 5 day in case you realize cruisings not your thing. We enjoy the 5 day cruises. They seem to be just enough by the time you fly down a day early and spend a night in a hotel. We often sail on a Monday, then come back on Sat. Then you have 1 day to rest before you go back to work too!!;)

[firefly333]

I like 5 days myself. The taxes they add are not that much. If you pretend to book on some sites it will show how much they are. However, other things add up faster on the 7 day. Fuel tax is now $9 per day per person, so thats $36 extra. You will be paying 2 days extra of tips, which are $10 per day per person, and parking is more, some ports charge anywhere from $12 a day to $20 at Miami.

 

We did a 5 day first to make sure we liked cruising.

[afcj1]

I like the idea of starting with a 5 day. That said, I had booked a 5 day on Destiny, from Miami but the airfare from CO was the deal breaker. I cancelled and booked a 7 day from LA (easier/cheaper to fly there from CO:)), got a good deal and booked it. I liked the itinerary on the Destiny and we've already been to the Mex Riv, but it turned out to be a lot less involved leaving from LA. I'm not sure if you're able to drive to the port or have to fly, but that was the deciding factor for us.

I'm sure you'll enjoy whichever cruise you choose!

[CruizinMom2c]

5 days is actually a lot...we have done 7 days...3 day and a 4 day cruise... and even the 4 day is a good amount.

 

 

We are doing a 5 day next month and I can't wait. The 7 day is nice if you are able to afford it and have the extra days...but if you have to do a 5 day..I am sure you will still feel like you have been on a good long vacation.

 

 

I might not do a 3 day again..unless we are really low on days off work.

 

 

either way..you will have a blast.

[Gayle V]

I encourage you to choose the seven day. Especially if you are going to fly.

If you look at the per day cost of your trip, you will see that the seven day is necessarily going to be a better value.

 

Add up the cost of the cruise itself, including all taxes, port charges, fuel supplements, and $10 per person per day tips. The add in the cost of the flights, and one day pre-cruise hotel stay, plus meals for that day. Now divide that by the number of days you'll be gone. You will of course, find the the per day price of a seven day cruise is less than the per day cost of a shorter cruise.

 

You can also think about it in terms of what those two extra days mean as a percentage of your cruise. Look at the total cost of the five day cruise versus the total cost of the seven day cruise. The actual amount that those two days costs, is very small when you consider that the seven day cruise is actually 33% longer than the 5 day cruise, and the cost is likely much less than 33 % more.

 

As for the idea of taking the five day, because you might not like cruising, well that just does not compute !

[caribbeanboy]

I agree with Gayle V, if you are going to fly you can better take a 7 day.

[BlasterDave]

We went with a 5 day on our first cruise and then a 7 day. GO WITH THE 7 DAY!!!! YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!!!!!!!! jmho:p :D

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

... The actual amount that those two days costs, is very small when you consider that the seven day cruise is actually 33% longer than the 5 day cruise, and the cost is likely much less than 33 % more.

...

 

If doing an actual apples to apples comparison, a 7 day cruise is 40% longer than a 5 day (Cheryl hates it when I do this... LOL)

 

btw.... VERY nice AVATAR!!!

 

"...just an old grey donkey" :)

 

(ps... our first cruise together was a 7 day.... LOVED it)

 

Tom

[cuyahoga11]

Since I have to fly, I dont even consider less than 7 days. In my next life I am going to live by the port so I can take those short mini getaways.

[misguidedangel]

Your budget will tell you how many days you can go for. I do prefer seven days, but my budget for April wasn't as nice, so I opted for a shorter six day vs a seven day. I do encourage a balcony cabin, do not beleive everyone when they say you don't spend much time in the cabin, when you have a balcony it encourages you to relax on your balcony away from everything (especially in the morning when you want to know how warm it is out or at night when you just want to watch the stars and water before bed!

 

Five, six, or seven, whatever you want to do it is your money!!!!!

[Manic Nirvana]

If doing an actual apples to apples comparison, a 7 day cruise is 40% longer than a 5 day (Cheryl hates it when I do this... LOL)

 

btw.... VERY nice AVATAR!!!

 

"...just an old grey donkey" :)

 

(ps... our first cruise together was a 7 day.... LOVED it)

 

Tom

 

Willgo on my first 7 day in Dec. on Glory. 7 days / 5 days = 1.4 or 40 % longer. two days / 5 days = .4 or 40% longer for an aprximate increase in price of $200. nice yield on the two day investment!

 

Go seven!

[bonnys]

Dh and I did a 5 day for our first cruise. We left feeling like we "missed something", but fell in love with cruising. After doing a 7 day we found out that what we "missed" the first time was the additional two days.:p

[Alegeeter]

I'd choose the 7 day too. I did a 5 day in February and it wasn't the same. There was not enough time to do everything I wanted, and I felt snubbed of 2 days of my vacation!

 

I'd also choose 7 days since the ships that do 7 day runs are the newer, nicer ships. As 21 year olds, I think you will enjoy the bigger ships with bigger and more bars and more activities.

[salty dingo]

It takes a while to get into the "cruise mode" and let it all go. So, those extra two days are going to be mighty nice, as you will have already shaken off all the "real world" and can totally relax and enjoy.

 

If 5 days is all your schedule allows, then it is better than no cruise. But the difference in cost between 5 and 7 days is minimal and the benefits are great. Go for the full week if you can.

[NCTribeFan]

It all depends on how and what you're comparing.

 

I've done 5 days, 7 days, 4 days, 5 days, 5 days, 7 days & 7 days with another 5 coming up in December.

 

I booked Fascination out of Jax because I love Half Moon Cay AND you get the rare 2 sea days. Now that I've apparently cured myself of motion sickness (thank you ginger capsules), I like sea days more and more.

 

But I normally sail for the ports, not the sea days. If there are more port days, I'd want a balcony. A balcony on a 7-day is much more expensive.

 

I paid $299 per person (base charge for the cabin only) for a 4A with a past-guest upgrade to a 4C. The 7-day I'm looking at for next year, with 3 sea days, are around $900 pp for a balcony cabin.

 

That's a HUGE difference!

 

Of course, the balcony snobs will tell you that you MUST do a 7-day cruise and you MUST have a balcony. Don't believe them! :p

 

Some of us love our dark, inside cabins where you sleep like a log. After all, getting some rest on vacation can be a good thing!

 

I'm even thinking of repeating the Fascination cruise in the spring and doing a B2B. I could sail for 10 days for less than the cost of a 7-day.

 

No, the ship doesn't have a supper club. It's smaller. It's older. But by then, maybe she'll have the Serenity area.

 

Anyway, when I'm doing my cruise research, I look at dates first (I can only sail during small windows at specific times of the year), then itineraries available during those time periods, then cost, then ships

 

It all depends on what is most important to you. If you've never cruised, that may be difficult to determine until you've done so.

 

I still think a 5-day is best for a 1st-timer. Then, once you're hooked, you can start looking for that "perfect" 7-day.

[kimmimom]

that i would start with a 5-day just b/c cruising does not agree wtih everyone (i can't imagine, but I guess it takes all types-lol). We have done 5 night and 7 nights (3 times). due to cost, we are doing a 5-night (hopefully) in Jan for the 5 of us. We always tack an extra day on ahead of time to arrive the day before, so the vacation is extended that way. Personally I would never do a 3 or 4 day (we have to drive at least 6 hours to the closest port). Then if you love cruising, do your next as a 7-night one. Also, inside cabns are fine-we always book them, got an upgrade once to oceanview, whcih was nice, but not worth the extra $$ IMO. Whenever we get to Alaska, we will get a balcony though!

[day-day]

It doesn't matter that a 7-day cruise may cost less per day than a 5-day if you are on a time and money budget. A 5-day cruise is very nice and with travel between home and port, it often fits very well with time off from work.

 

You'll need to shop prices and itineraries since the prices vary all over the map depending on ports, dates, ships, etc. Also, you may find airfare to be cheaper on certain days than others which could influence your decision.

[Gayle V]

I figure, if the OP didn't have the time for the seven day cruise, they wouldn't have asked the question. Seemed like they only wanted to know if it was worth the extra. If they can't get seven days off work , or if they can't afford the total on a seven day, then there's nothing to discuss. They would then HAVE to do the five day. Othewise, 7 days beats 5 anytime.

 

As for how much more vacation you get on the seven day cruise: 33% is what you get when you figure in the one day pre-cruise stay, that I mentioned when calculating the price. I consider that IS part of the vacation.

If the OP choses to fly on the day OF the cruise, well then you get 40%. (BTW I strongly advise against doing that. But then, that's a whole other conversation.)

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

...

 

As for how much more vacation you get on the seven day cruise: 33% is what you get when you figure in the one day pre-cruise stay, that I mentioned when calculating the price. I consider that IS part of the vacation.

If the OP choses to fly on the day OF the cruise, well then you get 40%. (BTW I strongly advise against doing that. But then, that's a whole other conversation.)

 

I still like your AVATAR... :D

 

Tom

[Gayle V]

Hi Tom-n-Cheryl, About the avator, Thanks. I just love Eeyore. He's a bit of a pessimist (like me) but he's still loveable.

 

He's also the stuffed character that my grandbaby drags around with him. That Eeyore is currently missing its' tail, just like Eeyore in the storybook.

[2TNCruisers]

When we were booking our first cruise, many folks advised us to take a 5 day just to make sure we liked crusing. We took a 7 day and LOVED every minute of it. Our next cruise is also a 7 day. One day I hope to get to do an even longer one.

[dogandcatlover]

When trying to decide on our first cruise, we were advised to try 5 days to see if we liked cruising. After figuring in airfare & hotel expense, we settled on a 7 day . . . at the end of 7 days we wished we had booked a 10 day!!!:)

[DqALEX]

I am in the first stages of planning a cruise with my boyfriend (hopefully it actually works out), and what I need to do first is pick either a 5 day or 7 day cruise.

We want to go to the Carribean or Bahamas, and flying down to FL to leave from one of those ports. Seeing as how we are on a budget, I'm not sure if a 5 day cruise would be better for us, even though I'd rather go for 7. I'm not sure how much $$ gets added on for taxes etc at the end, so that's why I'm wary for the longer ones.

Any thoughts?? Is a 5 day just as good as a 7 day cruise?

 

 

 

Also, off that subject... I'm 20 now but will be 21 in October (we are looking at mid-December cruises). Will I be allowed to purchase my ticket before I'm 21, if I will be 21 before we sail?

 

Thanks in advance, this is my first post :)

If I were going to take one cruise a year it would be a 7 or 8 night. But I have to agree if its your first cruise a 5 night is not a bad idea