Is this doable in Switzerland?
 

I originally posted about my pre-cruise-but had another thought-

We arrive in Zurich late a.m.-have one afternoon
Next full day
3rd day-need to be in Basel around 3:00 p .m.

Should we skip Zurich-for Lucerne/Bern
Skip Lucerne for Bern/Basel
Just do Zurich/Lucerne-back to Basel or Zurich for our transfer to the ship?

so confused

Everything is possibole. It's just up to you!
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/home.html

Without defined objectives, you will not have guiding criteria to help you evaluate which course is more preferable than the others. You will be forever spinning your head looking for something undefined.
Go back to the options you listed. How well do they accomplish yet-to-be-defined objectives? If you don't have anything in mind, by definition, any combination that gets you to Basel cruise on time would do in this respect.

Lucerne IMO is the nicest city of the three and its lovely lake sets it apart from Basel and Bern- two really neat cities.

Relax in a smaller city -maybe do a lake boat cruise.

If you want to get a taste of the awesome snow-girdled high Alps - from Lucerne take the train about an hour to Engelberg,a picture postcard Alpine village and then from there hop the unique rotating gondola up to near its summit and a land of perpetual snow -

https://www.google.com/search?q=enge...w=1745&bih=864

the rotating gondola:

https://www.google.com/search?q=rota...w=1745&bih=864

So if into dreamy Switzerland of high Alps spend an easy day from Lucerne at Engelberg and Mt Titlis!

What greg said.