It’s a question I hear from a lot of people, and one that I even asked myself before I took my first solo cruise. My answer – long enough to give you a good feel for solo cruising, but short enough that you don’t feel too trapped.
For me, that perfect length was a 4-night cruise, with one additional night beforehand.
Now, there isn’t going to be a one-size-fits-all answer. BUT there are definitely things you can consider to narrow down the perfect length cruise for you. So, let’s get into it.
The Case for A Short Solo Cruise
Whether you’ve taken dozens of cruises or are going on your first one, cruising solo isn’t the same as going with your friends and family. And that’s what makes a short cruise (3 to 4 nights) appealing.
I live in a landlocked state, so I have to fly anywhere for a cruise. That means I tack on an extra night before my 4-night cruises to end up with 5 nights away. I can leave Sunday morning and be home by Saturday night — long enough to feel like I really got a break, but short enough that I’m not too homesick by the end.
Short cruises let you figure out how to cruise solo, including how to eat by yourself and how to navigate your way around the ship and ports. It also gives you time to get to know people, but not so much time that you are sick of your new friends by the end of the trip (can you tell I am an introvert?)
>>Related: Where to meet people as a solo cruiser
Because I work remotely while I cruise, I personally prefer to take my 4-night solo cruises out of California so that I am two hours ahead of my normal time (CST). That allows me to get up and work a full day by lunchtime, leaving me most of the day and all night to enjoy everything the cruise has to offer.
The Case for A Mid-Length Cruise
If you have traveled solo before, and you know how you’ll handle the random situations you’ll find yourself in on a solo cruise, then a mid-length cruise might be a good starting point. Think 7-10 nights – definitely long enough to feel like you got away, with a weekend in there (maybe 2) so you can actually get a good break if you are working remote while you’re on a cruise.
These longer cruises also have more ports, so these cruises are great if you want to have more adventures on your excursions and are less interested in chilling on the cruise.
The Case for A Long Cruise
It has taken me nearly 3 years of solo cruising to be brave enough for a long cruise. Next year I will be taking a 14-night TransPacific cruise from Seattle to Tokyo on my absolute favorite ship, Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas.
Personally, I was not brave enough to start here. But I also was not experienced at traveling solo at all. If you are extremely comfortable traveling solo and have already solo traveled to different countries, then this length of cruise might be right for you. Keep in mind that you’ll end up being gone longer than the length of the cruise, since you’ll have longer travel times and will likely end up staying at least a few nights in your final destination (I know I will be staying in Tokyo for at least 3 nights!)
Generally, these cruises are either TransAtlantic or TransPacific. You could also take this length cruise as a Back-to-Back cruise, where you stay on one cruise for multiple itineraries.
Bottom Line
If you are brand new to traveling solo, then I recommend a short 3-5 night cruise to start with. This will give you time to figure out how you travel when you are by yourself without feeling too overwhelming. If you love it, you can always book another one!
What’s your perfect length of a solo cruise? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram @the.seasuite.
And if you are ready to book, let me help you! Send an email to theseasuitelife@gmail.com to get started.
The Sea Suite 
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