Best Cruise Lines for a short winter escape

Did I say the best cruise lines for a short escape? Determining the “best” may be by default because the choices are so few. I decided earlier this week that 3 or 4 days in warmth and sunshine sounded really appealing to break up the frigid temperatures and mounds of snow that will soon be upon us.

In my quest for the best short cruise, I found, with only a few exceptions, short 2-night escapeaways are almost non-existent and the choices for 3-night cruising getaways from Florida are limited to the Bahamas.

Royal Caribbean and Carnival sail two ships each from Florida to the Bahamas. Both Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas and Carnival’s Fascination sail from Miami; in northern Florida, Royal Caribbean’s Sovereign of the Seas and Carnival’s Sensation sail from Port Canaveral.

All the ships have 3 and 4-night itineraries every week; some include stops in Freeport, a private cay (island) for a day in the sun or Key West in addition to a full day shopping or beaching or snorkeling in Nassau.

What is the difference? Really not all that much. These are not the “best” ships in either fleet. Royal Caribbean has upgraded both the Majesty and Sovereign (photos are of Royal Caribbean's Majesty and Sovereign) with new features, flat screened TVs, comfy bedding and enticements where you can spend your money, but the ships are the older ones.

While there may not be any entries for Best Cruise Lines among these ships, they can provide a good time for relaxing, getting away from life's hecticity and short chance to escape.

In terms of pricing, they’re all about the same, depending on the date and which cabins are available. The least amount I would spend for my 3-night cold-weather escapeaway, for an interior cabin in the bowels of a ship is about $260 per person including taxes and port fees. Check it out -- with the recent refurbishment of the Majesty, the lowest-cost interior cabin really looks pretty good! --

The most luxurious of the short cruises is with Disney’s Wonder – Disney Cruise Lines is a frequent member on all the elite Best Cruise Lines lists. In the 2007 Travel + Leisure “World’s Best” awards, Disney was rated as number 4 in the Best Large Ship category; earlier this year, it received honors with the Conde Nast Traveler Gold Awards and ranked in the 10 in the “Top 80 Ships in the World” award.

A 3-night cruise to Castaway Island and Nassau in February is about $120 per person more than the fare with Royal Caribbean or Carnival, but the difference in total quality is…. priceless.

The Wonder departs every Thursday afternoon from Port Canaveral (a simple flight to Orlando and quick transfer and I can be onboard the ship!) and returning early Sunday morning. The schedule works well for a long weekend, and this is sounding really good -- but…. a weekend with families, kids and Mickey isn’t quite how I envisioned relaxing in the sun and warmth.

Having said that, however, one of my life goals’ checkboxes is to have a family reunion – with kids and grandkids and great-grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins, too – surrounded by Goofy and Mickey and Friends. I imagine the ecstasy of small children with the wonders and delights of Disney afloat will be contagious…. but I’ll save that adventure for a time when I can gather our family together so we can all enjoy the experience.

The bulk of the 2008 “short” cruises are 4 or 5-nights; choices are plentiful between Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity’s Century and NCL’s Jewel. While Royal Caribbean’s Empress of the Seas has a few (very, very few) 3-night sailings, they depart from San Juan… and that’s a bit too far to fly for a quick getaway to warmth.

All I want is to sneak a few days into a long weekend and be able to feel the ocean breeze blowing through my hair, to smell the salt in the ocean, and to look up and see the twinkling stars in a wide-open sky, with a few lights from buildings far, far away in the background. I don’t have the time to cruise down to the Panama Canal or even to take a short 5-night cruise over to Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

I haven’t quite exhausted my quest for the best cruise lines for my brief winter escapeaway. A different experience awaits me in Fort Lauderdale…..