Short sailings are hot in the contemporary cruise market, with lines deploying more -- and newer -- ships on the long-weekend-style itineraries.
But short cruises are also associated with higher direct booking rates and, due to their lower price point, less advisor commission. As lines offer more of them, agencies are navigating whether or not to focus on selling them.
Cruise Planners is among those encouraging their agents to sell more short sailings, in order to capture new-to-cruise customers who gravitate toward them.
That focus is reflected in Cruise Planners' sales: Short sailings made up 20% of its 2023 bookings with contemporary lines. This year, that number was 27%.
"We teach our advisors that the three-night sailing may only be a few hundred dollars in commission right now, but if you provide great service, this could be a brand-new client for you," said COO Theresa Scalzitti.
Signature Travel Network believes in an individualized approach to short sailings, said CEO Alex Sharpe.
They can be a great tool for newer advisors to reel in customers, he said, but established advisors with more affluent clients tend to see less value in them.
"We're selling more short cruises, obviously. The world is selling more short cruises," said Sharpe, who said he believes that a disproportionate number of those sailings are sold direct. "Not because the cruise lines are necessarily targeting heavier direct … but I think some of that has to do with just where advisors are focused."
In 2027, Carnival's Mardi Gras will do short cruises, a first for an Excel-class ship. Photo Credit: Carnival Cruise Line
Whether it is intentional or not, Truist Securities analyst Patrick Scholes said deploying more short cruises saves cruise lines money on commissions.
"Certainly, the trade is very important, but it shows up in the numbers," he said. "There's no denying that ticket sales have grown at a faster rate than commissions paid out, and a big part of that is shifting to the shorter cruises. And the websites themselves are really user-friendly, which wasn't always the case."
Young adults value quick trips
Once a market for older ships, short sailings from Florida have grown over the past decade, largely due to cruise lines' private island destinations becoming marquee ports.
"That's a big part of it," Scholes said. "It's like a long weekend to get away at a beach."
Sharpe credited Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty for turning the short-cruise market "on its head" when it decided to put a new ship on short cruises. Royal Caribbean began offering short sailings from Port Canaveral on its brand-new Oasis-class ship, Utopia of the Seas, in 2024 and now offers them on three Oasis-class ships.
Carnival Cruise Line is placing the Mardi Gras -- its first ship in its newest and largest Excel ship class -- on short itineraries in 2027.
The expansion of short sailings is a reflection of traveler preferences, said Royal Caribbean International chief marketing officer Kara Wallace.
"We've learned that a priority for our guests across the board, especially our millennial and Gen Z guests, is to maximize their [paid time off]," she said. "This is one of the reasons why we've expanded beyond our traditional seven-night vacation model."
Itineraries of five days or fewer represent 16% of Norwegian Cruise Line's 2026 sailings. John Chernesky, senior vice president of North America sales, said NCL has grown those sailings "in direct response to guest and travel partner feedback, who had been asking for more short getaways."
678 Ocean Place, the atrium on the Norwegian Getaway. The ship sails three-day Bahamas cruises from Miami. Photo Credit: Norwegian Cruise Line
While not as lucrative as longer sailings, Sharpe said that short-cruise rates "are better today than they have been maybe ever." And, Chernesky said, a benefit for advisors in booking shorter sailings is securing new-to-cruise clients who can be booked on longer itineraries down the line.
"We offer a wide variety of short sailings departing from multiple homeports in Florida that are convenient to fly or drive into, providing guests with more accessibility and travel flexibility, which makes it easier for travel advisors to encourage those reluctant to cruise," he said, adding that advisors are "pivotal in educating travelers on the many benefits of a short cruise with NCL."