Top 10 Cruise Lines That Offer a Mini Cruise
No matter the reason why you are looking for a mini cruise, the chances are that their will be a line for you that are offering it.
This is a growing type of cruise as lines use these shorter cruises to attract those who wouldn’t usually cruise and a draw a younger demographic to the industry in the hope that they will turn into cruisers on longer itineraries.
Even if you have been cruising for years, they make for a great option if you want to add a second cruise, use up some days of work you must use or if you just want a few days at sea- any day at sea is better than any day in the office as they say.
With this been a growing part of the industry and popular with those new to cruising, it can be confusing for many to choose the right line to sail with.
To make things a bit clearer, just what is a mini cruise? Well for most lines it is simply a cruise that is less than 7 days, when things turn to a full cruise but in the main it is a cruise between 2-5 nights.
In this list I take you through what I believe to be the 10 best lines to book a mini cruise with and the reasons for that, so just which are the top 10 cruise lines for mini cruises? Let’s take a look.
Our Top 10 Cruise Lines That Offer a Mini Cruise
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean’s ships are almost perfectly designed for a mini cruise where it doesn’t tend to matter as much about where you are visiting, you just want to enjoy a holiday.
Their resort style ships offer everything you could ever need for a few days away, so if you have access to a port they sail from, they are a great option.
The lines large ships and all-action style make them perfect for younger cliental of mini cruises and with so much on offer, they make for the ideal choice for those travelling as large groups, something that is also prevalent on mini cruises as people celebrate big birthdays or choose a cruise for their stag or hen do.
Norwegian Cruise Line
NCL also offer resort style ships, especially their newer ones, that make for a great option for those wanting to keep busy on a ship or who are travelling as a group, and they are a line that have really put an effort into targeting the merging mini cruise market.
They have a focus on short trips from Florida to either the Caribbean or the Bahamas, but they do offer one of the widest ranges of ships that offer mini cruises.
If you want a resort style ship, sailing warm waters and a relaxed cruising style with no dress codes, Norwegian are the option for you especially if you have easy access to Florida.
Virgin Voyages
Virgin Voyages whole shtick is to attract people who usually wouldn’t cruise, so it is no surprise that as part of that objective, they utilise mini cruises across their whole fleet of ships.
Virgin Voyages do offer a different style of cruising, and it has to be said that it isn’t for everyone, but if you do want to try what they offer you can do throughout the year in both North America and Europe.
P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises may not be the first choice for many, including myself, but you cannot deny that they offer a good range of mini cruises, across the number of ships and throughout the year.
As a British cruise line, most are offered from the port of Southampton and with that means that most of their mini cruises visit Northern European cruise ports, great for those wanting a city cruise break any time of the year, the reason for their placing here on this list, is that they offer a good choice of Christmas Markets mini cruises throughout the winter.
They make for a great second cruise of the year option or are ideal for those wanting a family getaway.
Carnival Cruises
Carnival promotes their brand of cruising as the fun way to cruise and with many on a mini cruise wanting to keep busy and have lots to do all day and all night, they make for a great option.
Unfortunately, they are a bit limited in where they sail, with most mini cruises only visiting the Bahamas or Caribbean from the southeast of America, but if you are looking for fun in the sun onboard a resort style cruise ship, they are the experts and that is just what you can get.
MSC Cruises
This is the line that I took my first every mini cruise with, well at least on a cruise ship as I had taken a lot of mini cruises onboard ferries before, and whilst I was a bit skeptical that I would like a mini cruise, as the more time on a cruise holiday is best for me, I did really enjoy it.
I sailed onboard the MSC Virtuosa and visited Cherbourg and Zeebrugge on a short break from Southampton and that was a great mix of exploring somewhere new and having fun on a cruise ship.
That same sort of experience can be enjoyed by you across large parts of Europe, North America but even in far flung places as such as South America, Asia and South America as the line offers one of the widest ranges of mini cruise itineraries of any line.
Cunard
The majority on this list are the big resort style cruise lines that are great for families, younger cruisers and groups but if you are wanting a more luxurious getaway and perhaps a more romantic getaway for couples, you can still enjoy a mini cruise.
Cunard lead the way in the luxury mini cruise market, especially for those wanting to cruise in Europe as they offer mini cruises from Southampton and other Northern European cities for a range of city breaks and Christmas Market breaks in the winter.
Princess Cruises
Princess cruise ships may not be the best line for those wanting to travel as a big group, such as on a stag or hen do, or with younger kids as they offer a more traditional style of cruising but for the purposes of this list, what they do offer is a wide range of mini cruises in regions others just don’t touch.
One such area is Australia and New Zealand, where they offer a huge range of mini cruises which are ideal for both locals wanting a short getaway or those flying down under who want to mix a cruise with a land-based holiday.
They also offer plenty of options for those wanting to sail in North America, including Caribbean short breaks and Pacific coastal cruises.
From a British point of view, they also offer mini cruises from these shores as well as in the Med, and from time to time, you may be able to enjoy an Asian mini cruise with them from a port such as Singapore.
Ambassador Cruise Line
The Ambassador Cruse Line maybe the least known line on this list for many, but they are well known to many across the UK.
They are a British based cruise line who offer a traditional style of cruising, onboard smaller ships that are usually adults only, so if you want a more relaxed mini cruise, sailing from ports around the UK, there are one to look at.
The line offers mini cruises around the year including many Christmas Market getaways, so if you want to a Christmas break without kids- maybe try Ambassador.
Disney Cruise Line
If you are sailing with young children, you will likely want a shorter cruise to match their attention span, so that makes a mini cruise perfect.
If you mix that with a line that is built around the child friendly fantasy world of Disney and you think that you would have everything you need for the perfect holiday, so just why do I place it so low on this list.
Well, as is usually the case with the company, it is down the astronomical costs involved in even taking a mini cruise with the line where it will often cost you as much for a mini cruise as it would for a two-week cruise with another line.
You should get happy kids and memories to last a lifetime, and you can take a mini cruise in Northern Europe, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, all great areas for a shorter cruise.
