Is three nights enough for a first time cruise?? About This Page:

[sparks74]

We are looking at going on a cruise in Sept. on the Dream and are wondering if 3 nights would be enough to enjoy what the ship has to offer??

Thanks!!

[feonag]

Our first cruise was a 3 night and it went very fast. It really only feels like 2 days, the first day is half gone by the time you board the ship and cast off and then you get up so early to disembark so you only wake up 2 days and have fun on the ship. I would go for at least 4.

[Disneydiana]

If you decide to stay onboard during your Nassau day you’ll be able to see and do more on a 3 day cruise. Our 1st cruise was a 3 day. I wasn’t sure if we’d get sea sick or even enjoy the cruise. The 3 day was a nice introduction. Now because we love the DCL so much, I wouldn’t take anything less than a 7 day. Unless you're going to WDW before/after the cruse. Then I'd take the 4 day for sure.

[sparks74]

I am afraid that we will not have enough time to enjoy the ship with only 3 nights. I am going to work on the hubby for 4 nights if possible.

Has anyone done the 4 night bahamas cruise?? I would like to know if getting off at Nassau is that important or if it is better to just enjoy the ship that day.

[tinkerbell1012]

Originally Posted by sparks74

I am afraid that we will not have enough time to enjoy the ship with only 3 nights. I am going to work on the hubby for 4 nights if possible.

Has anyone done the 4 night bahamas cruise?? I would like to know if getting off at Nassau is that important or if it is better to just enjoy the ship that day.

We did the 4 night last year and went to Atlantis to swim with the dolphins. We enjoyed it but it was pricy. You can always get off the ship and walk to the shopping area and then go back to the ship.

[Disneydiana]

Originally Posted by sparks74

Has anyone done the 4 night bahamas cruise?? I would like to know if getting off at Nassau is that important or if it is better to just enjoy the ship that day.

The first trip we walked around the market for a bit but returned to the boat after a couple of hours. Now we use the day at Nassau as a "day at sea." You can use this time to play the detective agency game, visit the pools and explore the ship. You're paying for the cruise so you may as well use the time to your advantage and have fun on the ship. Nassau is not that great of a port so I don't mind skipping it. It's Castaway Cay we look forward to.

[sparks74]

Originally Posted by Disneydiana

The first trip we walked around the market for a bit but returned to the boat after a couple of hours. Now we use the day at Nassau as a "day at sea." You can use this time to play the detective agency game, visit the pools and explore the ship. You're paying for the cruise so you may as well use the time to your advantage and have fun on the ship. Nassau is not that great of a port so I don't mind skipping it. It's Castaway Cay we look forward to.

That is what I figured!! I am just in the planning stages but I am definitely getting excited

[lauriep]

My first cruise was a 3-night and I loved it, but really felt it was too short. You just have time to get acquainted with the ship and to relax and it's time to pack up again. If you can swing the 4-day, it's much better. I agree with staying on the ship for Nassau.

[chezp]

Our first cruise was three days and it did go by too fast, but I was glad we just did the three nights, as I wanted to ensure that we loved cruising with Disney (we did) and whether we'd be Ok with motion sickness (we were, although the first night was a bit rough - and often is). If I had to do it again, I'd do three nights just to get my "feet wet".

[Cheyenne]

Our first cruise was 4 nights and it was just enough, but there's so much to do that we didn't get to take advantage of it all. I don't think 3 nights is enough.

[cfaletra]

I don't think three nights is enough for your first cruise. You don't get enough time to get familiar with the ship and with the staff. One of the great experiences of our cruise is getting to know our servers at dinner. It always takes a few days. Also there is no sea day to explore and enjoy some of the ship activites that are offered. I would make it at least a 4 day.

[Carousel96]

I can't speak for Disney cruises, but... we did a cruise for our honeymoon. DH had never cruised before and wasn't sure if he'd like it so we did a 4 night. What we missed was a sea day. There really wasn't a day to just hang out and enjoy the ship; we were always exploring a port.
So in my experience -- no, three nights isn't long enough.

[MelissaL]

My first two Disney cruises were 3-nights. We didn't get off the ship in Nassau, which gave us time to explore the ship. We enjoyed them, but they were short, especially compared with the two 4-night cruises we did later. The main thing we were able add on the 4-nights was brunch at Palo. Of course, there were a lot more activities onboard on the sea day than on port days.

If a 3-night fits your schedule or budget better, it would be fine, and you wouldn't miss much if you stayed onboard in Nassau. A 4-night would of course give you more time on the ship, so spending time in Nassau wouldn't mean missing as much.

Either way, you should have a great time!

Melissa

[Tiki4]

We did the 4 night cruise on the Dream for our 1st cruise and we didn't have a chance to do many things! The days and nights go so fast and there are many many options for activities. No way to do it all!!

I am sure the 3 day cruise is fine but I would preplan a lot of your priority activities as you will run out of time!

Enjoy!

[HakunaMatata]

Our first DCL was a three night and, while it did go fast, I think it was an excellent intro to DCL. I got somewhat sea sick though we had a great time anyway. Our next cruise was 4 nights and, last year, we took a 7 night cruise. Now, after having done 7 nights, not sure I'd want to go back to less