Short Cruises Are Long On Pleasure

There's nothing quite like sailing out of your home port to begin a new cruise adventure.

Even if you live near the port, it all looks different from the sea, ten stories high.

By the pool, a great band rocks out a mix of songs you perhaps never quite realized were among your favorites, while waiters carry trays full of the drink of the day circulate around the deck, happy to deliver what they have or take orders for a Coke, beer or whatever might be your pleasure.

Whether you're stretched out on a lounge chair, standing by the rail to watch the shoreline pass, out on the dance floor or taking a dip in the pool, you feel the thrill of a new adventure unfolding.

You don't have to be cruising through Asia, Europe or Australia to experience this thrill.

A short cruise close to home can give you that great sense of release and deliver most of what you love about cruising.

Yes, short cruises tend to not have the newest and finest ships, but for the most part they include all the features most of us are likely to actually use, and more.

You'll enjoy wonderful dinners in a sophisticated dining room, where delectable dishes are served in perfectly timed courses, interspersed with interesting conversation with table mates who may become your new best friends on this voyage, resulting in far greater satisfaction than wolfing down a fast food dinner listening to the evening news back home.

Steak on Carnival Cruise

After finishing your crème brûlée and coffee, you place your white cloth table cloth back where your plate setting had been and cheerfully stroll out, nodding to the smiling maitre d' who does a courteous half bow as you pass.

Perhaps you browse the duty free shops or place a bet on the roulette wheel, but your destination is likely the theater for a production show or perhaps a world class solo entertainer.

No, it's not Woodstock or Coachella Music Festival in terms of name acts, but cruise ships support the arts by featuring seasoned performers as guest stars as well as auditioning and training the finest young talent in the world to build their entertainment staffs.

Some folks opt to skip straight to a jazz lounge, piano bar or dance club, places you might not normally go in the evening back home simply because it requires too much effort.  You won't need to battle traffic, find a parking space and pay admission.

With few exceptions, it's all covered, and "home" for the next few days is just a few steps and an elevator ride away.  And for the price of a weekend at Coachella, you instead enjoy all the meals and amenities of a cruise in addition to just music, which frequently becomes a much more personal experience.

Stay up as late as you like, because the Captain and his crew will be doing the driving to your next destination, whether that is a port or a day at sea enjoying your floating resort.

In fact, this resort is so wonderful, you might not want to get off even when the port does appear.


I've known some people whose favorite part of the cruise is watching the crew prepare for coming into port and then remove the lines to sail off again, all viewed from the perfect perch in a lounge or at a railing high above.

When was the last time you took a short cruise?

Perhaps you've forgotten how totally relaxing it can be.

And if you've never cruised before, what are you waiting for?

There are great short cruises throughout the summer season.

Better service leads to better trips!