When it comes to extolling the benefits of booking a short cruise, the list is long. Whether you’re short on time or vacation budget or looking to extend your trip abroad, an abbreviated sailing offers a neatly bundled getaway that can help you relax and recharge in a few days.
Three-night cruises offer a taste of life at sea for those new to cruising who don’t want to commit to a week or more. They’re also a convenient length to pair with a longer land journey. If you’re already in Europe, why not sail to your next destination in comfort on a ship complete with colorful entertainment and great cuisine, rather than take the bus or train?
Just because these sailings are short doesn’t mean they lack in quality experiences on and off the ship. Culinary excellence, jungle exploration, cultural immersion, and festive celebrations are only a few of the themes you’ll find among the following short cruises worth considering.
The best three-day cruises
Sail in style on Cunard’s classy Queen Elizabeth, which offers a scenic itinerary along the western coast of Canada and the United States.
Courtesy of Cunard
A coastal cruise from Vancouver to San Francisco on Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth
To book: Cunard’s “Pacific Coastal” cruise to San Francisco from Vancouver is priced from $379 per person
Cunard’s classic British ocean liners exude elegance and sophistication. Board the 2,081-passenger Queen Elizabeth in Vancouver, British Columbia, for a jaunt along North America’s West Coast to the San Francisco Bay. Admire the views of the Pacific from the relaxing spa, or while sipping afternoon tea with scones.
Cunard is known for its onboard enrichment as well as its over-the-top gala evenings. With two sea days, guests will be able to enjoy the ship’s hospitality, from pints at the Golden Lion Pub to the comforts of a cozy nook in the library. To round out the trip, plan to spend a few additional days in Vancouver or San Francisco—or both.
If you need to travel from Italy to Spain, why not do so in comfort on a floating hotel, complete with a scenic stop in Naples?
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A Mediterranean sailing from Rome to Barcelona with MSC Cruises
To book: MSC’s three-night sailing from Rome to Barcelona is priced from $224 per person
For $75 per person, per night, it’s hard to beat MSC Cruises’ four-day sailing from Italy to Spain (let’s face it, that’s a lot more affordable than most hotels in Europe). A distance of approximately 900 miles—or 15 hours in a car—is crossed instead aboard a floating resort complete with a pool, Turkish-style baths, and an Italian wine bar.
Make your way to Civitavecchia, the port of Rome, via a 12-hour call in Naples. While in Naples, why not take a day trip to the ruins of Pompeii or the Amalfi Coast? These outings are packaged as shore excursions available to purchase from the cruise line.
Take in the views of Sydney and Eden in Australia from the rooftop garden and terrace atop the Celebrity Edge.
Steve Dunlop/Celebrity Cruises
A round-trip weekend itinerary from Sydney to Eden and back on Celebrity Edge
To book: Celebrity’s Taste of Luxury cruise sets sail on April 17, 2025, from $368 per person
If you find yourself traveling in Australia, consider Celebrity Cruises’ three-night taster sailing from Sydney; this short cruise offers a scenic escape from the city for a long weekend (Thursday to Sunday).
On shore, explore Eden, a coastal town in New South Wales known for unspoiled scenery and oysters. Back aboard the 2,918-passenger Celebrity Edge, you can head to a different version of Eden, which is the name of a lush, captivating bar, restaurant, and lounge space with floor-to-ceiling windows and evening entertainment that’s constantly evolving, from acrobatics to burlesque. Don’t miss a seriously inventive drink here, accompanied by views as you sail from Sydney’s iconic harbor.
When in Peru, tack on some time sailing the Upper Amazon on the intimate and luxurious Delfin II.
David Vargas
The Amazon River from Iquitos, Peru, on Delfin II
To book: Delfin II offers numerous departures of its Amazon sailings, from $3,500 per person
Iquitos, in Peru, is considered the gateway to the northern jungles of the Amazon. A stunning destination in its own right, Iquitos is the world’s largest city not accessible by road, requiring either a plane or boat ride. This is part of what makes it an excellent departure point for a cruise along the Amazon River.
The Delfin II is an intimate and elegant 28-passenger vessel and part of the luxury Relais & Chateaux portfolio. Its three-night itineraries don’t come at a discount, but inclusions span naturalist-guided nature walks to see monkeys, along with fresh fruit juice or a Pisco sour on board.
A Rhine River cruise from Strasbourg to the Black Forest with a focus on food and wine? Yes, please.
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A food- and wine-focused river cruise to Germany’s Black Forest with CroisiEurope
To book: CroisiEurope’s gastronomy-focused Rhine itineraries are priced from $1,439 per person
Not only can you sail the rivers of Europe in half a week, but also you can be sure to pile on lots of delicious local food and wine to your proverbial vacation plate. This “Grand Gastronomic” sailing from France-based company CroisiEurope pairs a breezy, three-night cruise on the Rhine River with a Michelin-starred French chef and world-famous sommelier as your companions.
Cruise round-trip on the 107-passenger Symphonie from Strasbourg, France with chef Marc Haeberlin and Serge Dubs, formerly rated as one of the world’s top sommeliers. With this dream team, explore the wine region of Breisach, Germany, which lies adjacent to the famed Black Forest.
Sometimes, the whole family could just use some good ol’ fashioned fun.
Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line
A Halloween-themed Bahamas getaway on Disney Wish
To book: This “Halloween on the High Seas” cruise departs on September 27, 2024, from $1,795 per person
It’s September and the kids are back in school, but you want to surprise the family with an early treat for Halloween. This Friday-to-Monday sailing on the 4,000-passenger Disney Wish—which, when it launched in 2022, was the first new Disney Cruise Line ship in a decade—is a long weekend of not-too-scary fun. Departing from Port Canaveral, the port of Orlando, guests will visit Nassau along with Disney’s private island Castaway Cay.
“Halloween on the High Seas” programming includes costume parties, crafts, elaborate decor, and festive entertainment. In addition, Disney Wish boasts Frozen- and Marvel-themed dinner theater and a bar straight out of Star Wars called the Hyperspace Lounge. Disney cruises aren’t cheap—even the short ones—but the quality of its shows and immaculate attention to detail are what bring families back for more.