Why cruise lengths vary.

Cruise lengths vary a great deal because cruise operators must appeal to a broad range of people's travel motivation, goals, energy, & budget.

Anecdote: My Videos: For 30 years I shot my domestic & foreign travel videos        ➩➩➩➩➤➤
including my voice-over commentary of my observations & reflections  … so that I could revisit those unique life moments and earlier observations again when too infirm to travel. (now—cancer).

Only recently did I realize that YouTube provided the free technology allowing me to publish my 1400+ edited videos for others [atscottsolotravels.com]

Most Cruise length is generally between 4 & 21 days. NOTE: In August 2023, travelers could book a Cruise of 12,000 km over 56 days: starting in Istanbul & ending in London (22 European countries.       Wow! & Yikes!   �.

a.  Your travel motivation & intensity?
Most cruisers just want a magnificent mix of luxurious surroundings & amenities with a sprinkling of Shore Excursions to foreign tourist sites, but some seem driven to max the ‘bang-for-the-buck’, the ‘bragging rights’ of having visited as many countries, cities, sites & experiences as possible at lowest cost …. with selfies to prove it.
                                                            The longer the list the happier they are!

Anecdote: My friend's reactions to all my 1½ to 3-month trips on my return: each time I returned from a 2-3-month foreign trip my BEST friend would, without my prompt, ask, “How was your trip?” I would respond simply, “Great trip", and that was IT. No further discussion; no curiosity. 

I suppose I expected to be welcomed back as the great adventurer. At first, I was annoyed & mystified until I accepted the reality that others have no duty to be enthused with my travels.

My expectation was a misplaced fantasy because cruising is mainly about a ship’s on-board lifestyle & activities punctuated by occasional Shore Excursions. X's (formerly Twitter) Grok (‘Xs AI) suggests a cruiser spends less than 25% of a trip’s total time actually traveling to & visiting on-shore sites compared to average big bus tour’s 60-70% time traveling to & visiting. 

In contrast, true independent travelers seek the constant search for a site’s Charisma of Place … hoping to be awed & thrilled by its historical & cultural significance ... day after day.

NOTE: Cruisers might achieve their ambition with expensive long duration cruises, but not the norm. 

True independent self-guided traveler’s seek the quality of experience, NOT the braggadocio of mere visitation.

Anecdote: Places I NEVER visited: as years drifted by after my trips, frequently the media surprises me with places I never knew existed & I wish I had known of. 

True travelers seek a site’s Charisma of Place expecting to be awed & thrilled by its historical & cultural significance. They relish their guide’s deeper insights. They thrill at their new knowledge & intriguing on-site questions imagining even deeper insights when they return home to scour the internet’s documentaries etc.

“Charisma of Place” is an old National Geographic Magazine’s geography term that describes the eerie emotional admiration inherent in a thing, person or place. Your tourist site visit should give you that feeling.

Anecdote: When a Cadet at the US Air Force Academy: President Eisenhower, former 5 star General, —- the man who shepherded the WWII Allies to the Nazi defeat’  — ‘passed in review ‘ right before me.   A humbling awe.               Charisma of person.

Anecdote: Rummaging amongst the German cannon bunkers: (aka pill boxes) at Normandy's Pointe du Hoc’s cliff-edge I tried to visualize heroic WWII U.S. 2nd Ranger Battalion climbing & dying to take those steep cliffs. I was emotionally reverent & humbled at the memory of those courageous moments.                          
                                       Charisma of Place & Persons!      

 True travelers seek the quality of experience.        
 NOT the braggadocio of quantity

b. What you want to see & do,       Where??? need to think thru .............
    FIRST, Please review:  
        1) How to choose.    
        2) My simple 7 step process. 

True travelers seek a deeper connection to Tier 1 or 2 sites that they have always dreamed of (Rome’s coliseum etc) or sites their current research exposes that excites their curiosity (Rome’s catacombs.)

Anecdote: 1st to arrive at Michelangelo’s “David” statue: in Florence’s Accademia Museum, I stood alone for 1/2 hour contemplating the work itself, but even more so, his effort. I tried to imagine myself 5 centuries earlier, sitting quietly watching Michelangelo’s intense concentration as he ‘chipped here & there, sanding roughness into smoothness, trying to imagine what his thoughts were then. Charisma of statute & artist. 

Charisma of Place makes a travel site special, not just to the tourist, but to the culture it sprung from. Your Shore Excursion choice should add to your knowledge and intellectual appreciation enhancing your Quality of Life a smidgeon and building lifelong memories. 

ADVICE:  Don’t try to pack in too many sites etc. ------- go deeper into fewer.

Anecdote: Caesar's Cremation site & Appian Way: One rainy morning in Rome’s Forum I stood alone under the canopy that protected the spot where Caesar’s body had been cremated. I fantasized that my spirit was somehow connecting with his across time’s invisible barrier. [ytlk: Eng & France - time stamp].  Moments later I walked the nearby Appian Way imagining that I was walking on the very stones that once felt the weight of Julius Caesar. 

Anecdote: The Balkans: In grade school, I remembered
creating a map of the Balkans which I apparently took pride in. Six decades later I remembered ‘that’ map, researched the Balkans & spent 2½ months SIT traveling thru Southern Balkans & 2 years later, another 2 ½ months thru Northern Balkan countries discovering sites & experiences I’d never imagined before.                                                                       ➩➩➩➩➩ 

NOW finally, choose one Shore Excursions for each port-of-call.
   Please review, if not already done so: 
       1) How to choose.
       2 ) my simple 7 step process

FYI: Site & Experience Classification: The travel industry often classifies travel sites & experiences as:
          Tier 1: …. usually globally recognized & revered sites:
                     Paris’ Eiffel Tower,
                     Peru’s Machu Picchu &
                     Beijing China’s Forbidden City….  

          Tier 2: …. lack the global prestige, but are nevertheless significant sites in their regions or country:  
                     Italy’s Herculaneum buried at same time as Pompei
                     Esoteric Rekjavik, Iceland’s Penis Museum (really?
                                                                            Really!!! �)

          Tier 3: IMO, are either uninteresting, very minor or very niche & not worth the average cruiser's time & money. 

Wise travelers seek the history, the humanity, the emotional & sensory Charisma of Places the world has long revered or that they learned about somewhere.  

True travelers seek a deeper connection to Tier 1 or 2 sites they have always dreamed of (Rome’s coliseum, etc) or sites their current research exposes that excite their curiosity (Rome’s catacombs.)

We only live once! Don’t squander your only opportunity. 

c. How much energy do you have? Most tours are designed for the reasonably mobile. Maybe even options for the more infirm.

Unlike the great energy drain of a high-speed ‘jumping jack’ big bus tour with its luggage-humping in & out of hotels each night, cruisers have a luxurious, quality on-board lifestyle that leaves you well rested & prepared for a Shore Excursion UNESS you have some infirmity in which case choose your Shore Excursion appropriately. 

d. How much time & money do you want to spend?   Whatever is comfortable for you.

??? Today’s Cruise Marketplace Update: (1/1/2024)
Shorter Cruises: affordable premium luxury for 3 to 4 nights are trending.

Most cruisers determine cruise length based on how long they feel comfortable being away from family, work etc. 

Anecdote: My 3 +/- months MAX:  just because 3 seemed sufficient FOR ME. OTOH, some cruisers do back-to-back cruises or live permanently on board.

Wise travelers calculate their entire cruise budget including:
    a) the base package cost and 
    b) an estimate for the extra-cost Shore Excursions they have planned for. 
    c) a wise traveler always carries a little bit more. � 
                  Quote: “Take half the stuff and twice the money”, Susan Heller. 

Today’s Cruise Marketplace Update: (1/1/2024)
Recently shorter Cruises have been trending; premium luxury surge for 3 to 4-night affordable escapes.
     Affordability: budget-friendly, especially with promo deals.
     Convenience: fits limited vacation time.
     Accessibility: more manageable & less daunting: 1st-timers or families

Examples:
      Royal Caribbean: Allure of the Seas’ short cruises from Florida,
                  LA to Ensenada & Cabo San Lucas.
      Norwegian Cruise Line: Florida to sun-soaked Bahamas
                  getaways.
      Celebrity Cruises: luxury 3>4 nites, Port Everglades to
                  Caribbean
      Trend: jam-packed ‘experiential economy’s broader
                  cultural shift to time flexibility & experiences. yyyy

True independent self-guided traveler’s seek the quality of experience, NOT the braggadocio of mere visitation.