How do you stand mulitiple days at sea on your cruise?

[lamchops]

I pick my cruises based on value and itinerary and have never had more than 2 sea days in a row. I am doing the TA this fall so I had to factor in the ship and it's amenities into my decision. I've never done 4 days at sea but I know at worst I can watch MUTS movies all day.

I'm not retired so it's rare that I can get more than 2 days in a row of "doing nothing". I would suspect this would be similiar to an "all-inclusive" resort.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

We love sea days .....

[Friend100]

I can't stand. I need to go ashore. 4 ports in a 7-day cruise is fine by me.

[FawnRiver]

Count me in with the love sea days group. Many times I've forgotten the day of the week like Paul, and not care. Unfortunately I've never "forgotten" to get off the ship at the end of a cruise.:o

I've tried to forget to get off the ship at the end of the cruise, but that pesky cabin steward puts out the luggage mat on the bed.

[hazeleyez3]

I'm another who loves sea days. While we did enjoy our S. Caribbean cruise, we would have liked at least one more sea day.

 

Stay up late, and not worry about getting enough rest before you dock.

Sleep in.

Enjoy the ship.

Read.

 

 

We have two sea days on our next cruise (first and last). We'll use the first to rest and make sure our bodies are adjusted to the time. We'll use the last to rest up from all the ports.

[Skywench]

I look for cruises with the least amount of sea days. One of my favorite cruises has been a southern Caribbean one with no sea days at all. I loved it so much that I've done it a few times.

[YubaSutter]

We go on cruises to unwind from extremely stressful jobs. Can't think of anything better than a few sea days in a row.

[panoramaofthepast]

Generally I love to go on cruises but hate certain aspects of the experience. (Which I have discussed in some of my earlier posts)

 

One thing I hate is the days at sea. I don't understand the appeal, especially multiple days at sea if the weather is cold.

 

Cruise brochures are full of cruises that spend the majority of their time at sea with no shore excursions- or land to look at for days at a time, moving across cold places where it would be too chilly to enjoy the deck or the walking path on top of the ship.

 

Generally I feel disorientated and bored on the days at sea and pick cruises that have as few days at sea as possible.

 

How do you stand multiple days at sea on your cruise?

 

I much prefer port days as well, but my husband loves sea days, so we try to pick a cruise with a balance. Any more than four and I climb the walls! I like Princess because they have pottery painting, which I enjoy and can take several hours having fun! Sea days also means spa and casino - both expensive, but since I don't drink, it somewhat evens out a bit! Larger ships tend to have more to do; upscale lines will have lectures and classes.

 

My husband wants to do a trans-Atlantic. I am NOT enthusiastic, but have been researching the ones that have no more than four or five days in succession. I keep hoping he'll change his mind, but I doubt it! I see lots of pottery in my future.:)

[paul929207]

I much prefer port days as well, but my husband loves sea days, so we try to pick a cruise with a balance. Any more than four and I climb the walls! I like Princess because they have pottery painting, which I enjoy and can take several hours having fun! Sea days also means spa and casino - both expensive, but since I don't drink, it somewhat evens out a bit! Larger ships tend to have more to do; upscale lines will have lectures and classes.

 

My husband wants to do a trans-Atlantic. I am NOT enthusiastic, but have been researching the ones that have no more than four or five days in succession. I keep hoping he'll change his mind, but I doubt it! I see lots of pottery in my future.:)

Some to the TAs on Princess and HAL (and maybe others) take a northern route stopping in Greenland and Iceland along the way. They only have one or two sea days at a time. Then one or more ports then another sea day or two. You might look at that as a compromise.

[fleckle]

....Generally I feel disorientated and bored on the days at sea and pick cruises that have as few days at sea as possible.

 

How do you stand multiple days at sea on your cruise?

It makes good sense not to waste your precious vacation days and your money on something you don't enjoy when it is not necessary, just because someone else likes it.

 

Some enjoy the ballet and some enjoy football games, while some enjoy both, and some enjoy neither.

Asking people how they can stand sea days is rather like asking people how they can stand ballet or how they can stand football.

 

Some can become quite defensive about justifying their choice when anyone implies criticism of something that they enjoy.

 

But somehow I think you already anticipated what kind of reaction you would draw when you started this thread, since anyone who has been on a cruise already knows how people spend their time on sea days.

 

Maybe you were hoping for some novel ideas instead of the usual, predictable same-old-same-old.

A few oddball ideas of things to do on sea days come to mind, but they have already been posted on previous threads and posting them here again would only open up another can of worms. :D

[SuitCaseBears]

I not only can stand them, I don't get off the ship at some ports. I stand them the same way people stand going to a resort that's not near a tourist destination city.

 

On HAL we've rented one of the Lido deck cabanas and as I said, we don't leave the ship very often at all. This trip we're going on shore twice, but last time we only got off the ship once all week.

 

We sit around the pool, sit in the pool, swim in the pool, sit in the hot tub, read the 20 odd books we loaded on the kindle, take a nap, get an ice cream cone, have lunch served to us by the cabana steward, go to the spa, go for a swim, go for a walk, sit in the hot tub, read another book, go to the cabin and...well none of your business. We don't even do any of the ship activities.

 

And the time flies. We joke that there are so many decisions - hot tub or pool or hydro pool, ice cream or fruit, read or nap? The pace is just dizzying. :p

 

But the thing about cruising is that I fully know many people think we're nuts and can't stand sea days, and they can find cruises they love too. What a wonderfully flexible way to take a vacation.

[BlueRiband]

...How do you stand multiple days at sea on your cruise?

 

On a 7-day QM2 transatlantic it's all sea days and there are so many activities available that it's impossible to do them all. There was also a well appointed library. For those who want to just relax and "chill out" a domed indoor pool works nicely when weather is bad. Some balcony rooms actually are cut into the hull of this ship and they are quite popular as they are sheltered and one can relax with fresh sea air even in bad weather.

 

Sea days mean that one doesn't have to be up to get ashore. Oversleep and miss breakfast? No problem - just use room service or go into Sir Samuels for breakfast pastry and specialty coffee. Afternoon Tea is a tradition even an American can come to anticipate.

 

Fresh ocean air, jogging around the promenade deck, leisurely dining and in the most delightful of surroundings - that's how I stand sea days.

[Shorex]

It makes good sense not to waste your precious vacation days and your money on something you don't enjoy when it is not necessary, just because someone else likes it.

 

Some enjoy the ballet and some enjoy football games, while some enjoy both, and some enjoy neither.

 

Asking people how they can stand sea days is rather like asking people how they can stand ballet or how they can stand football.

 

Some can become quite defensive about justifying their choice when anyone implies criticism of something that they enjoy.

 

But somehow I think you already anticipated what kind of reaction you would draw when you started this thread, since anyone who has been on a cruise already knows how people spend their time on sea days.

 

This.

[BeagleOne]

I love both! I've done several TAs and loved them, and I recently went on a very port-intensive cruise and loved that!

 

On sea days I love having leisurely meals, walking the deck, reading (especially about the places I've been or am going...when my family and I did a Panama Canal transit years ago, my dad and I stood on the front of the ship all day with a copy of "The Path Between The Seas" so we could look stuff up, while my mom and brother were back by the pool drinking chi-chis--to each his/her own), shopping, looking at the ocean, etc.

 

On port days I love getting off the beaten track a bit and doing some exploring and talking to local people. Haven't gotten to the point where I would stay on the ship in port, but maybe someday!

 

Different strokes for different folks, and I really don't understand why some people have taken a critical attitude toward others' choices. There are cruise lines and particular ships that I have no great desire to experience, but I wouldn't criticize those who differ.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I am so lucky that my hubby shares my love of sea days. Just being surrounded by the ocean is so relaxing, whether it's during the day, listening to a band playing on deck or at night staring at the stars while wrapped in each other's arms.

 

Our last two cruises were the two week RTs from LA to Hawaii. The last cruise was one of my favorites -- I was never bored on sea days, and most of the days were sea days. We didn't even have great weather as we were leaving during a week-long rainstorm here, and we got a few more days of rain during the cruise as well as a lot of wind.

 

On Princess, there are plenty of activities if you are into them. And on the Golden Princess, there were plenty of Hawaiian ones (lei-making lessons, hula lessons, uke lessons, cultural seminars, movies set in Hawaii). I joined up with some others from the CC roll call to form a trivia team and played almost every day. My hubby brought his guitar and found a place near a lounge and would play a bit almost every sea day. It was fun to watch ship officers walk by and give him a thumbs up. We would also hit the gym.

 

To us, being able to relax was the vacation. Having time in Hawaii was a bonus.

[lady_cruiser]

We love to read so sea days are the perfect time to find a quiet place, grab a mug of hot coffee and a plate of fresh pastries and catch up on our reading.

[Zubsin]

I don't have a ton of cruises behind me but 2 days in a row at sea just about kills me. I'm too active to sit and read all day & walking the decks gets boring, I have a personal limit in the casino and how many miles can a person run on the treadmill (especially since I try to follow the "30 minute and off" recommendation). I love to watch the ocean sail by but after a couple hours of that.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Anyway...some day maybe I'll mature into one of those "seasoned" cruisers who like the days at sea...zzzzzzzzzzzzz

[mabones]

I have always loved Sea days. Whenever we book a cruise I make sure that the 1st & last day are Sea days. Then look for another in the middle. I would go crazy stopping at a port every day. That would be way too much stimulation for a Vacation which should be totally relaxing. I love laying out on deck & reading a good book!

[LoveThisCruisingThing]

[quote name='FawnRiver']I've tried to forget to get off the ship at the end of the cruise, but that pesky cabin steward puts out the luggage mat on the bed.[/quote]

They also don't seem to want to have volunteer labor either. I usually ask if I can stay aboard if I do free work. The answer is always the same........no.

[loubetti]

I love sea days. I recall a six-night voyage on Regal Empress from New York to Nassau. Only a day in Nassau, and then you head back- it was great!

I loved my six-night trans-Atlantics on QE2 and QM2, and all were in very rough weather!

I once took a Celebrity Galaxy southern Caribe cruise, my second one on the ship, and never got off the ship the second time.

To me it is about the ship and being at sea. The ports I have seen already. Let's really cruise!!!

I wish I had been on QE2 when she hit that 100' rogue wave back in 1995 on the Atlantic. Of course, I was on her when she hit the rock in 1992, so I cannot complain. :D

[navybankerteacher]

Sea days may lack the constant outside stimulation that some people seem to need --but it is hard to imagine being so needy that, even on some of those giant floating amusement-park-shopping-mall behemoths, a person could let him/herself get bored to the point of unhappines the way some recent posters seem to get.

[marco]

Different strokes for different folks...... One could ask "How can you stand a port every day in a row with out sea days to break them up?" My favorite sailings are transAtlantic with NO ports in between!

[paul929207]

If we have too many port days, we just treat one like a sea day and stay onboard.

[wwcruisers]

We recently had our most consecutive number of sea days -- crossing the Pacific, on our way to and from Hawaii. Five days at sea, without seeing a speck of land -- or even another ship -- gives you a true sense of the vastness of the ocean! DH and I both loved it! We would have liked a few more warm and sunny days than we had, but there were plenty of indoor activities on Celebrity's Century. I can hardly wait until we finally have the time to do a TransAtlantic! :D

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

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