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| These are what cruise ships do best. Sea Days are the quintessential lazy day. Bask in the sun, watch the antics of “Mr. Legs” or “Miss Mermaid” or “Belly Flop” contests by the pool, go to the Art Auction (a very cool thing to do, even if you don’t buy anything. But you may be surprised at what you can get if you like art.). Chill, chill, chill. |
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| Sea Days can be scheduled at any part of your cruise. If you are traveling to the Western Caribbean (Cozumel, Calica, the Caymans), your first and last cruise days will probably be Sea Days, because it takes a whole day to cross the gulf. On other cruises, Sea Days can coincide with the ships travel schedule or they can just be included because they’re fun. The short 3-day cruises from Florida’s eastern ports often include a Sea Day even though the ship is relatively close to the US. In those cases, your Sea Day occurs while the ship leisurely cruises around in a big circle out in the ocean. |
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| A great way to start your Sea Day is with breakfast at poolside while checking out the Newsletter. When you’re finished, get your swim gear on and stake out a nice spot to soak up some rays. If you want quiet, don’t stick around the pools on the Pool Deck. It will get hopping, including lots of kids. If you like to be near the center of activity, you’re in the right spot. As the day goes on, there will be games, contests, music, and other high energy activities all around the pool. We find that it’s a bit less congested up on the higher decks overlooking the pool area. Just about every piece of the sun decking will be covered with sunbathers by 11:00, so get there early if you want to choose a spot. |
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| Count On A Steady Breeze |
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| Because the ship is underway at about 20 knots, there will be at least some breeze anywhere you go on the ship. If the ship is sailing into a headwind, you can encounter a steady blow of 25 – 30 knots in the open areas. The main pool area is usually quite calm since it is enclosed. If you’re up on the higher decks, you’ll probably find the calmest areas up close to the walls or structures. The steady breeze will claim all manner of hats, clothes, towels and even small bags. If you’re parked close enough to the rails, once the wind gets a shirt, towel or hat, it’s gone. If you took our advice and brought some bungee cords, you can bundle your stuff and actually lash it to your chair. Also, a back pack or beach bag is a handy thing when the wind is at a steady blow. |
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| A Word About Sunburn Potential |
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| If you’re not already sun-burned from your days in port, this will be the day it happens unless you’re careful. Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen! We have a favorite treatment salve that we use for sunburn (and just about any other skin boo-boo you get.) It’s called “Traumeel” and you’ll need to get it at a health-food store or some place similar. You won’t find it at your local drugstore. It’s a bit pricey compared to other first-aid salves, but worth every penny. Apply it liberally at the first discomfort of sunburn, and keep reapplying it for the first several hours after you’re out of the sun and you’ll never know you got burned. Way better than aloe or the lidocaine based treatments. |
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| If you’re cruising in the winter months (Nov – Feb), you don’t have as big a problem because, even though you are in the sub-tropics, and even though your skin probably hasn’t seen sun for several months, the sun is hitting you at an angle and that makes all the difference. You still need to be careful, but you have more leeway. In the spring and summer months, when the sun is overhead, you can get burned in as little as an hour, especially in the afternoon hours. |
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| Some silly people forgo the sunscreen because they want to make sure that the folks back at work can tell they’ve been basking in the sun. Not a good idea. Start your sunbathing session with at least 15 SPF (30 if you haven’t been in the sun, with extra protection on your lips). As you get closer to your end time, you can use less SPF. Even with a good sun blocker, your friends and co-workers will still know that you’ve been out in the sun. DON’T FORGET THE TOPS OF YOUR FEET. It blows the whole rest of the night if you can’t dance because your shoes hurt. |
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Enjoy The Day At Sea |
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There will be ample wait staff circulating throughout the sun decks all day. If you plan to stick around for a while, and if you plan to run up a bar tab, hook up with one of the waiters and give then an extra $5. They’ll make sure you’re well taken care of. |
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It’s absolutely wonderful to find a nice spot by the pool, or in the shade, take a good book and do the “Read-a-while/Nap-a-while” routine. Take it easy and let the good times unfold around you. The whole cruise is designed for that. |
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Shop |
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If you haven’t already done so, this is a good day to cruise the onboard shops. They’re likely to be crowded because many others are doing the same thing, but if you get there early the crowds are much lighter. If this is the last day of the cruise there are always some good deals on jewelry, especially gold and silver chains. If you get your sunbathing in early, you can take a break from the sun and heat and spend some time in the cooler areas of the shops. |
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Art
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There are always art auctions on Sea Days. If you’ve never been to an art auction, you really ought to check it out (hey, usually you get free champagne!). You will learn about a variety of art styles and artists and you will see some very interesting works. There’s a good chance you will surprise your self and get interested enough to buy.
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It may surprise you at how reasonable the prices are. That’s not to say that this stuff is cheap, in fact, it would be remarkable if you could buy anything at all in one of these auctions for less than $200 unless it’s a promotional copy. But when you consider how much it costs to spend 15 minutes with a dolphin, the prices certainly aren’t ridiculous. |
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Your auctioneer is a contractor who works for the ship. He/she gets a commission on anything sold. That might explain why they sometimes get a bit hysterical when they’re selling a piece, but it can work in your favor if you’re really serious about a piece of art but don’t want to spend the asking price. Don’t expect to haggle during the auction, but feel free to make a counter offer once the auction is over or during a visit to the ship’s art gallery. Speaking of the gallery, most of the pieces that are presented for sale will be on display in the gallery so you can get a close up look. |
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Video and still camera photography is not allowed at any point in the art viewing or buying process, either in the gallery or the auction itself. |
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How About A Spa Day? |
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If the spa isn’t booked up, they will be offering specials (some of which are quite significant) especially if your Sea Day is the last day of your cruise. Even a limited spa service, like a pedicure or a shoulder massage, can add layers of delight to the leisurely pace of Sea Days. |
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Fun And Games |
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Yes, it may seem corny to some, but everyone on board crowds the pool deck to cheer and applaud the antics of passengers and crew alike as the Cruise Director stages belly-flop competitions, “Mr. Sexy Legs” or “Miss Mermaid” contests. There is never a shortage of people willing to jump in for a “Staff vs. Guests” volleyball game (the guests always win) that you’d think was the Super Bowl based on how enthusiastic people get. Or maybe your tastes lean more toward game show take-offs like the “Not-So-Newlywed” game, or the Battle of the Sexes. There will also be bingo, bingo, bingo in the main lounge. |
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For some reason, the ship seems livelier after a Day At Sea. Maybe it’s because people get more acquainted with each other, or maybe they’re just revved up from a day-long pool party. Whatever, the clubs and entertainment are wide open, the food is non-stop and the fun goes late, late, late. Perfect. |
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| Prescription Sun Glasses |
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Articles we've written about
Cruising In The Caribbean |
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Ten Mistakes When Taking A Cruise - It’s a shame to lay out
$250 - $2,500 on a dreamy
cruise vacation only to encounter unnecessary mishaps and
inconveniences. So, in an effort
to minimize the likelihood of a
bump in the road to your perfect
vacation, here are some common
potholes that can tarnish your
experience.
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Eleven Expert Cruising Tips - Some useful,relevant tips and
ideas, and other neat stuff you
can use to make their cruising
experience better.
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Hooked On Cruising (And I Like It!) - It's official! I have a
condition, a disorder by some
people's assessment. It's called
"Caribbean Obsession Disorder",
and there really is such a thing.
Imagine that!
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