Mini cruises & short cruise holidays & breaks

Looking for a short break at sea? Mini cruise holidays, 'taster' cruises, short cruise breaks (or long weekends), of anything from two to five days, are becoming ever more popular for those with limited time. 'Taster' short cruises are now offered by many of the established cruise line companies, while passenger ferry operators are also increasingly offering minicruises as an option.

What is a mini cruise?
The term 'mini-cruise' most often refers to short breaks and holidays in Europe now offered by many of the passenger ferry operators. These usually combine a scheduled crossing on an overnight passenger ferry from the UK to mainland Europe, with city accommodation and transfers for a land-based section of the stay.

Mini cruses may be offered as themed trips with on-board entertainment, may include excursions from the destination port and may be extended into cruise/hotel or cruise/drive holidays – also check out our dedicated themed cruises section for additional themed sailings.

'Taster' cruises and other short cruises (of around 2–5 days duration) are also now offered by some of the large cruise lines (on ships more commonly used for longer ocean going trips). These either operate out of local ports and offer nearby destinations (e.g. departing from Southampton and sailing to ports like Amsterdam, Guernsey, Hamburg, Le Havre, Rotterdam or Zebrugge); or combine a flight with a short cruise in a more exotic or far-way destination such as the Mediterranean.