Cruise Travel....

SHORT & EVER SO SWEET:
THE ALLURE OF SHORT CRUISES

When it comes to cruising this year and in 2004, short cruises can be very sweet. The rapid expansion of North American cruising has also led to the phenomenal growth of short cruises. When you want it short and sweet--and often close to home--it’s hard to beat the long list of short cruise options.

More than 2.5 million vacationers are expected to enjoy a cruise of less than seven days on some 1,500 sailings this year. “This reflects an ongoing shift in North American vacation patterns,” says Bob Sharak of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). “With all the time constraints people are under in today’s society, it’s very important to get away and a short cruise is a convenient way to do just that.”

The growth of short cruises is due to a variety of reasons, including: they’re typically closer to home; it’s a chance to relax, rejuvenate, and return refreshed after only a few days of pampering; they provide an opportunity for a quick romantic getaway for two; they’re a quick vacation for time-starved families; and it’s a good way to ‘test the waters’ for first-timers.

By their very nature, short cruises often mean cruising from North American ports, in that less travel time to the port makes a shorter cruise more viable. With the addition and growth of North American ports of embarkation and debarkation, it’s easier than ever to find a short and sweet cruise. Along with traditional options like Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral, New York, and Vancouver, ports becoming more popular include Houston, New Orleans, Tampa, Port Manatee, Mobile, Charleston, Norfolk, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and many more.

Carnival Cruise Lines has to be considered the king of the short cruise phenomenon. Year-round, Carnival offers three-day Bahamas cruises and four- or five-day western Caribbean itineraries out of Miami, four- and five-day Bahamas cruises from Port Canaveral, four- and five-day western Caribbean itineraries out of New Orleans and Galveston, and three- and four-day Baja cruises from Los Angeles. Additional seasonal options include four- and five-day Canada cruises from New York, five-day Bahamas cruises from Charleston, three-day options from San Diego, and more.

“Consumers prefer the flexibility and convenience of taking several shorter vacations over the course of the year,” says Bob Dickinson, Carnival president. “Carnival’s ‘Fun Ship’ cruise getaways--offering a diversity of cruise lengths, departure days, and embarkation points--fit in perfectly with today’s lifestyles. Additionally, short cruises not only represent a terrific value, but serve to prime first-time cruisers for longer length voyages by allowing them to test the waters within a modest budget and timeframe.”

Regal Cruises is another king of short cruises, with a wide range of seasonal offerings out of Port Manatee and New York. Along with longer options, he Regal Empress features one- and two-night ‘Sunspree’ cruises to nowhere and three- to six-night cruise itineraries that might include Canada and New England in the summer and fall (from New York) or Key West, Mexico, and more from fall to spring (from Port Manatee).

Royal Caribbean International has embraced short cruises close to home in a big way, with year-round options out of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral, and Los Angeles. Their three- and four-night sailings out of Miami and Port Canaveral call on The Bahamas, while the four- and five-night cruises out of Fort Lauderdale head for the western Caribbean. Out on the west coast, Royal Caribbean is offering four-night cruises out of Los Angeles to Ensenada, San Diego, and Catalina, as well as a three-night option that just calls on Ensenada. In March, they also started sailing out of Galveston on four- and five-night Yucatan itineraries.

For the ultimate in flexibility, Silversea Cruises has come up with a completely unique way of presenting shorter cruises. Their ‘Personal Voyages’ program allows guests to book any voyage as short as five days on the line’s four ultra-luxury vessels. This means a passenger can custom-design their cruise by deciding when and where they want to embark and disembark (more than 200 ports are approved).

“Personalized Voyages is truly an innovative concept that recognizes the need for more flexibility within the cruise experience,” says CEO Albert Peter. “In some instances, guests can only travel for a short period or a set number of days--we’re enabling guests to customize their vacation experiences no matter how long or short.”

Seattle-based Holland America Line is especially strong on the west coast. Out of Vancouver, the Amsterdam sometimes sails on three- and four-day cruises that can include Seattle, Astoria (Oregon), and Victoria (British Columbia, Canada). There are also several repositioning possibilities typically available in the spring and fall, with Holland America ships moving between ports like Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego--offering two- or three- day cruises without ports of calls.

Radisson Seven Seas Cruises features many shorter Caribbean cruises, including three- and five-night sailings out of Fort Lauderdale aboard the Seven Seas Voyager, Seven Seas Mariner, and Seven Seas Navigator. In addition, the Radisson Diamond sails out of San Juan on several four- and five-night itineraries.

For families short on time, Disney Cruise Line offers three different itineraries on three- and four-night voyages to The Bahamas. The three-night sailings call at Nassau and the line’s private Castaway Cay, while the four night sailings also add alternate weekly calls at Grand Bahama or a day at sea. The- and four-night cruises are often combined with three- or four-night stays at Walt Disney World Resort to create a seamless seven-night land and sea package for less time-challenged families.

Even Seabourn is offering a shorter cruise this fall. The ultra-luxury Seabourn Pride sails a three-day ‘New York Waterways’ cruise from New York on October 22. The itinerary features scenic cruising along Long Island Sound and the Hudson River during peak fall foliage season.

Clipper Cruise Line trademarked ‘Close to Home Cruising’ with lots of North American ports and itineraries. However, the line tends to offer longer cruises, with only one currently less than seven nights: ‘The Inland Waterways of Northern California’ sails round-trip from Redwood City and cruises San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay, and the Sacramento River, with ports of call including Sausalito, Sacramento, Vallejo, and San Francisco.

For sailors at heart, Windjammer Barefoot Cruises offers three- and four-day cruises aboard their 122-passenger schooner, the S/V Legacy. The vessel is dual-based out of Miami and Nassau, with cruise stops including Bimini, Gun Cay, Great Abaco, the Berry Islands, Freeport, and a selection of other Bahamian islands, depending on the voyage.

Cruisers with a bit of LaSalle or DeSoto in their blood and little time on their hands might want to consider some of the shorter options from RiverBarge Excursion Lines. The R/B River Explorer is the only hotel barge traveling America’s inland waterways, with some of the shorter choices including the four- and five-day ‘Delta South’ (Mississippi River) and five-day ‘America’s Junction’ (Ohio River).

For those wishing to travel further afield, some smaller lines offer interesting short cruise options that serve as ideal add-ons to a longer vacation. For instance, Bora Bora Cruises features three- and four-day itineraries that include visits to the islands of Bora Bora, Tahaa, Raiatea, and Huahine, with possible highlights including the archaeological sites of Raiatea, crystal-clear lagoons, snorkeling, shark feeding, and much more.

Over in Europe, Costa Cruises offers a wide range of shorter ‘Unique Voyages’ this fall. Incredibly, five-night cruises are available out of Venice on November 8, 9, and 10, aboard the CostaTropicale, CostaAtlantica, and CostaClassica, respectively. Ports of call include Naples, Malta, Corfu, and more, depending on the cruise chosen. Of course, if any line can create great short Italian cruises, it’s Costa--with other great options this fall and more coming in the winter and next spring.

Royal Olympia also offers several short European options in the Mediterranean, with three- or four-night Aegean cruises out of Athens calling on a selection of Mykonos, Rhodes, Patmos, Crete, Santorini, and Kusadasi (Turkey). These are a great way to combine a sailing with one of the line’s popular pre- or post-cruise stays in Athens.

Finally, Swan Hellenic offers ‘Taster’ cruises for those looking to cruise as part of a European trip. Though the company typically offers 15-day and longer cruises, there’s a four-day cruise round-trip from Dover August 3-6 that calls on Guernsey, St. Male, and Mont St. Michel, as well as a five-day option out of Dover that stops in Amsterdam and Antwerp August 30-September 3.

Thus, whether you choose to cruise around the corner or around the world, there’s a short cruise available. It’s sure to be sweet!

For further short cruise specifics, please refer to the Cruise Calendar.