Cruising 101: Beginner’s Guide to Sea Days
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Sea Days… long, lazy days onboard ship. What’s a cruiser to do? With so many options, it can be overwhelming — especially for the first time cruiser.
Before we jump in, remember that cruise ships are “cashless societies.” Everything you do on board costs money. Shopping, drinking fancy umbrella beverages, and spa treatments cost money! You flash your card and pay without thinking about it.
- Budget travelers be sure to set a budget before you sail and stick to it. On a recent cruise, I set a $25 per day budget, which allowed me a couple drinks per day…. though I opted to use it for a spa treatment one day and drinks the first night. When I left the ship, I was in budget and not stressed!
- Parents traveling with kids decide in advance if you’ll give your teens charging privileges.
Some money-saving tips:
- If you’re a big soda drinker (and not traveling on Disney Cruise Lines), consider the soda package. Ditto for beer and wine packages.
- Book spa treatments for port days. When people leave the ship for tours, there’s no one to fill the spa. Empty spa treatment rooms mean no money for the cruise line. So, they offer great specials those days!
- Look for sales in the cruise ship stores. They vary by day.
- If you’re headed to the casino, decide BEFORE TRAVEL how much you will spend.
Table of Contents
Beginner’s Guide to Sea Days
The Daily Guide
Most cruise lines now rely on a phone app to provide the daily guide of activities onboard the ship. You should download the app BEFORE you board the ship. And then, once onboard, activate the app. Just make sure your phone is in airplane mode so you don’t end up with massive roaming charges!
But what do you do if you don’t have a smart phone or you don’t want to use your phone?
You can request a paper copy of the daily guide.
If you request a paper copy, your cabin steward will provide a “daily guide” of the next day’s cruise activities. On sea days, the guide is packed full of activities from pool games, sports deck activities, art auctions, information on shopping in upcoming ports, and so much more. More than once, I’ve looked through the cruise guide and wondered how to possibly pack it all in.
You can’t!
I am giving you permission NOT to do it all!
I am also giving you permission to do things independently of your travel companions. When we cruise, my husband and second son hang out on the sports deck. I love sports and all, but I’d rather play charades (yes, I said charades) or watch the goofy games on the pool deck. We split up during those times, knowing we’ll reconnect for dinner. That’s perfectly acceptable!
Some tips to get the most from the daily guide:
- Pack a highlighter to mark the activities you want to do. If you forget the highlighter, just put a star or your initials by the activities you like.
- If you find your travel party splits up daily, ask the cabin steward to provide more than one guide each night. They do it. For free!!!
- Some activities, like wine tastings, involve a fee. That will be marked on your guide, usually with a $.
- Some activities are not suitable for children. Minimum ages and/or parent supervision are clearly marked as well.
- If you lose your daily guide, you can always get another one at Guest Services.
Spend sea days at the pool
One of the most popular places on Sea Days is the pool deck. If you plan to spend the day poolside, get there early. But please, do not save seats a couple hours beforehand. And, if you don’t want to get wet, don’t pick poolside seats! The combination of kids splashing and the ship moving makes the water fly. Remember your sunscreen! And your camera. 🙂
Enjoy other activities on Sea Days
Throughout the day, activities like sports tournaments and dance classes are available to active cruisers. Indoor offerings range from movies to card games, towel animal folding classes to cooking demonstrations and art auctions to trivia contests. Whatever you enjoy, somewhere you’ll find it onboard.
First-time cruisers, if you plan to attend onboard art auctions, learn about them before you sail. The auctioneers offer some paintings matted and framed. Other pieces are displayed at the auction matted and framed, but will not be shipped to you that way. Art auctioneers talk fast and switch things up all the time. I recommend you watch first and purchase after you understand the ins and outs!
Visit the spa and the gym on sea days
The pool spa and gym are most popular on sea days. After all, cruisers at sea are a captive audience.
BUDGET TIP: Yoou’ll save money on spa treatments if you go when the ship is in port. Since most people leave the ship for shore activities, the spa is less crowded. Like everything supply and demand, lower demand means lower prices! Sometimes, we do something quick at port and I head back to the ship for a nice, discounted, massage!
Gym equipment is free to use, though classes involve a fee. The gym is most crowded on sea days in the morning.
Kids’ Programming on Sea Days
Kids’ programming varies by cruise line and by ship, but the major four family cruise lines (Carnival, Disney, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean) all offer children’s programming of one type or another.
If you plan to use the kids’ programming be sure to attend the informational session the day you embark. Get kids registered early and if at all possible, make sure they attend the first planned kids’ activity for their age group. If you wait until later in the cruise to introduce kids to the children’s programming, they’ll miss out on that “first day” when everyone is new. Other kids will have already made friends and they’ll know the cruise staff.
Just like moving to a new school district mid school year, being the “new kid” mid-cruise can be tough on kids.
Evening Programming
Cruise ships take on a major party atmosphere after dark! Enjoy a Broadway-style show (seating is limited, so arrive early for the best views) in the main theater, dance in the clubs, party on the promenade or on the pool deck. Read your daily guide to decide which activities are for you. Whatever you enjoy, you’ll find it somewhere on board.
Many cruise lines now have theme nights: Glow Night (bring white clothes), Decades nights (70s and 80s are popular), pirate nights, and the like. Check your cruise line to see what your ship will offer during your cruise and pack accordingly.
The bottom line when it comes to Sea Days is enjoy the things you want to do. But, skip the things you don’t. Cuz, you can’t do it all!
Experienced cruisers, what’s your favorite activity for sea days? Any tips for first time cruisers?