If you are new to cruise and notice the sea days on your itinerary, you might wonder what you might do during your day when you are not stopping on board the boat in the open port, but instead staying in the middle of the ocean with no land to see.
Don’t worry, the sea may just be boring. In fact, experienced cruisers often seek to have several ocean days itineraries. On these special days, there is a chance to discover the boat itself as a destination.
At sea, you have nowhere to go, and it’s part of the fun. Sleep at night, make brunch, spend the day in the spa, learn new skills, read, compete or compete along the water slide. This is your choice.
Just don’t make these mistakes.
Not using activities
When at the port, the cruise route keeps planned daylight activities to a minimum, as most people explore on the shore. But at sea, they spend a lot of time creating exciting options to attract every flavor. Your lineup may offer up to 50 events including poolside games, trivia games, special entertainment, sports games and movie screenings, and other options.
Related: Cruise Activities You Don’t Want to Miss at Sea
You may decide to sit on the deck and read a book on your sea, and you are welcome to do so. But you don’t want to hear later that you missed some great events that have kept the entire ship talking about, which leads to our next point. …
Don’t read cruise planners
Whether you are carefully reading the printed paper printed to the cabin every night, highlighting the next day’s activities or checking out the Cruise Line app to see what’s planned and what’s appealing to you.
Remove the pen and circle activities, or highlight the activity on the app on your smartphone. You may be able to set an alert when you need to perform an activity of interest.
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Forgot to book an event
Some popular activities, such as wine tasting and beer crawling, will be ridiculed at sea and require reservations. If you plan to enjoy a kart racing on board, skaters, escape rooms, laser tags, surfing machines or other activities that require a timed slot to participate, you will also need to book. Many others will also keep these activities for a day.
Related: What cruise activities should you book in advance?
Missing jogging/walking tracks
Ocean Day is perfect for burning calories and is surrounded by sea views and sea breezes. If you are an early person, you can bring yourself all the tracks. Many other passengers, knowing they don’t have to wake up early at sea, will attend happily the night before. Breathe deeply and enjoy loneliness.
Not registering for courses
Sometimes, you don’t know you want to learn a skill. Find Ocean Day classes to keep your toes moist in new activities such as napkin folding, towel animals, watercolors, jewelry making and cooking.
Skip the lecture
See who is giving a lecture, especially if you are on a small or luxurious boat. You might be cruising among former ambassadors, learning about marine life from naturalists or marine biologists, or collecting tips on local cuisine from culinary experts. If a famous writer, actor or other celebrity is on board, they will most likely show up at sea.
Forgot to book a fitness class
You might imagine spending some special additions at a fitness center, such as spinning, cardio or TRX training, such as taking a professional course at a fitness center. However, if you don’t book these maritime courses earlier on the cruise, you may be forgotten. (We recommend that you make a reservation immediately after boarding.)
Related: Is there a gym on cruise ships? This is how to keep cruising
Make an appointment on vacation
Ocean Day is the most popular day for spas, beauty shops and hot suites, equipped with a sauna, steam room and other soothing treatments. Many people will seek massages, manicures or faces because they have time to do it at sea. Please book treatment when you first board the boat.
Expert tips: Instead, to save money, book a spa at a quieter port day at a discounted price.
Ignore shopping opportunities
At sea, you have time to browse. Knowing this, the boat’s store offers sales to attract customers. Favorite of all time is the $10 pop-up sale, which includes watches and clothing jewelry. You may also find pop-up sales and get a purchase on T-shirts and other items near the pool to get a deal.
Lack of cooking snacks
When you board the boat all day, you have time to linger on the meal. Consider having breakfast and lunch in the main restaurant instead of grabbing food in the buffet quickly.
Sometimes based on charges, specialty restaurants are open for breakfast and lunch, offering an opportunity to taste elevated cuisine, such as Asian, French, Italian or steakhouse, for a price lower than what is charged for dinner. Your boat may also offer special sea-day food activities such as brunch buffet or outdoor barbecue. Chefs love to show off their talents in these occasions that should not be missed.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Cruise Food and Dining
Forgot afternoon tea
If your boat does this, then having live music, scones, small sandwiches and pastries on the sea is another event that hasn’t been missed. Order a bubbled cup to further enhance your elegant experience.
Didn’t you hit the swimming pool early
Many people are entertaining your entertainment in the sun, making the pool deck and other sun areas popular at sea. Unless you reserve a private cabin for the day, get ready for your lounge chair early – whether you want to sit near the main pool, its live music, movie shows and fun games led by cruise staff or are looking for a secluded spot away from Hubbub.
Trying to stack the lounge chairs by using towels and other things is considered a bad etiquette on the cruise ship. If you have lunch or other activities, you should give up the chair.
Related: 1 thing you should never do on the pool deck of a cruise ship
Don’t plan family time
On the first day of the cruise, you should register your kids at age-appropriate kids and teen clubs where they will be shocked by the activities and be entertained by the youth staff, giving you time to rest by the pool and perform adult activities.
At sea, consider a family game. Challenge kids with stormphase boards, mini golf or table tennis matches; see who can slide to the fastest on the racing track; or indulge in some family contact time.
Avoid casinos and bingo games
Your boat’s casino will be closed for a few days when the boat enters the harbor, but when you’re at sea it will become central. Looking for special sea day games; poker and Texas holders are popular. Bingo is another popular sea day event. Get there early to make sure you have seats.
Forgot to take seasickness medicine
At your sea, the captain will seek to spend at least a few hours in a calm place in the ocean where sunshine is calm, but the reality is that your boat is heading to the next destination, too. It may be impossible to avoid some rough patches. If you suffer from seasickness, it is best to take medication.
Related: How to Avoid Ship Sick on Next Cruise
Overlooking the marine life sightings
At sea, prepare your binoculars as you may find whales and other marine life as you are on their territory. This is especially true on coasts such as Alaska, Iceland, Hawaii, New England and California. Listen to announcements on the bridge that will alert you to witnesses.
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