Sea days versus port days.

[calliopecruiser]

A maximum number of sea days! I did an 18 day cruise with only 1 port day, and it was heaven!

[SmoothFlying]

Aren't most casinos and shops closed while in port?

 

I was speaking mostly about 'sea days'. :) While (for her) when we're in port she loves to enjoy the lack of crowds so she has the pool and hot tub all to her self. After I spend my day roaming a almost deserted ship we'll meet somewhere and have a quiet lunch and not spend twenty minutes trying to find somewhere to sit. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh ! Can't beat a cruise for relaxing.

 

Mac

[PoppyandNana]

A maximum number of sea days! I did an 18 day cruise with only 1 port day, and it was heaven!

 

That's amazing. I've never seen an itinerary like that. My DW is VERY unsure doing anything more than four days at sea.

 

Were you bored in any way towards the end of the sea day stretch? Sounds like too much of a good thing. No?

 

How did you feel at day 12 for example?

 

Personally I'm jealous

[Krazy Kruizers]

I chose "port" days.

We like to see what has changed in the various ports since the last time we were there.

[calliopecruiser]

That's amazing. I've never seen an itinerary like that. My DW is VERY unsure doing anything more than four days at sea.

 

Were you bored in any way towards the end of the sea day stretch? Sounds like too much of a good thing. No?

 

How did you feel at day 12 for example?

 

Personally I'm jealous

No, I wasn't bored at all.......it's not specifically that I had enough to do (though there was a lot to do), it's that I wasn't interested in finding anything to do. I kind of enter a very relaxed and calm state where I enjoy watching the waves go by, watching the people around me, and just enjoying a book or a nap. On my first cruise that was really heavy in sea days, I actually made plans for lectures and classes - but found I kept missing them because I was so relaxed I kept forgetting to think about the time.

 

Those long stretches of sea days are probably only available on transpacific cruises, like North America to/from Australia, New Zealand, or Japan. They're not offered often, but they're around - or maybe 21 days with 4 ports, etc. My next cruise next spring is 16 days with 2 port stops.

[Flatbush Flyer]

No, I wasn't bored at all.......it's not specifically that I had enough to do (though there was a lot to do), it's that I wasn't interested in finding anything to do. I kind of enter a very relaxed and calm state where I enjoy watching the waves go by, watching the people around me, and just enjoying a book or a nap. On my first cruise that was really heavy in sea days, I actually made plans for lectures and classes - but found I kept missing them because I was so relaxed I kept forgetting to think about the time.

 

Those long stretches of sea days are probably only available on transpacific cruises, like North America to/from Australia, New Zealand, or Japan. They're not offered often, but they're around - or maybe 21 days with 4 ports, etc. My next cruise next spring is 16 days with 2 port stops.

 

 

Doing 38 days Sydney to L.A. in 2018. Eighteen are sea days incl. one 4 day stretch.

[cporses]

Hmm. If you enjoy Sea days to relax, lay in the sun, have a few drinks and enjoy the odd show, you can do that for a fraction of the cost at a multitude of land resorts. Cruising means travelling - literally. Travelling means going places and seeing new sights, enjoying the local food and culture. Sea days are only for recuperating from the exploration.

 

 

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[calliopecruiser]

Hmm. If you enjoy Sea days to relax, lay in the sun, have a few drinks and enjoy the odd show, you can do that for a fraction of the cost at a multitude of land resorts.

No, I really can't. The relaxation I get on a sea day in the middle of nowhere is not at all like I get on a land resort. I'm not sure why, but it might be because I know I have no other options to go anywhere, or maybe because no one is trying to get me to do/buy anything when I'm in the middle of nowhere on a ship. I'm so calm, it's almost meditative. I do my "traveling" and "doing things" on a land vacation.

 

YMMV.

[PoppyandNana]

Hmm. If you enjoy Sea days to relax, lay in the sun, have a few drinks and enjoy the odd show, you can do that for a fraction of the cost at a multitude of land resorts. Cruising means travelling - literally. Travelling means going places and seeing new sights, enjoying the local food and culture. Sea days are only for recuperating from the exploration.

 

 

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There are always exceptions and there are high end and low end resorts and cruise ships. On balance however, dollar for dollar cruises are a more economical vacation experience. One big factor is airfare. Costs a lot more to fly to Barbados than to Ft. Lauderdale.

[navybankerteacher]

Hmm. If you enjoy Sea days to relax, lay in the sun, have a few drinks and enjoy the odd show, you can do that for a fraction of the cost at a multitude of land resorts. Cruising means travelling - literally. Travelling means going places and seeing new sights, enjoying the local food and culture. Sea days are only for recuperating from the exploration.

 

 

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I have not seen that many ATTRACTIVE land resorts with as low a per diem cost as many ATTRACTIVE cruise ships. Dollar for dollar, cruising allows doing nothing - and occasionally getting a change of scene at a port.

[Warm Breezes]

Do you generally prefer sea days or port days?

 

I chose port days, but not necessarily to go to the port. There are some ports that we prefer to stay on the ship or just get off briefly to do a little shopping at the port and get back on the ship to enjoy it without the crowds. I like that much more than the sea days were there seems to be crowds everywhere. Ports where we currently do that are Key West, Grand Cayman, Nassau, and Belize.

[Skywench]

Port days for me. I travel/cruise for the destinations. On cruises I love to wake up somewhere new each day. The least amount of sea days the better for me. One of my favorite cruises was a seven day with no sea days. Loved it so much that I did it a few times. Having said that, I am doing a 15 day Hawaii next year with lots of sea days, but don't think that it's going to change my opinion of preferring port days.

[marco]

Depends where the cruise is to. We've taken a Caribbean winter cruise every year for over the past 25 yrs and have "done" the islands many times over. For that cruise we prefer port days because everyone else is off the ship and we stay aboard and enjoy the ship with no crowds. For us, the ship is the destination and a 10-12 day Caribbean winter cruise is less $$$ than flying to any one island and staying there. Last year we didn't get off at any of the ports.

Edited November 2, 2016 by marco

[shipgeeks]

A maximum number of sea days! I did an 18 day cruise with only 1 port day, and it was heaven!

 

I would love that! Sea days are my favorite. Staying on the ship while at a port is fine, but IMO there is nothing better than being on a moving ship at sea with no land in sight. Bliss.

[angeleyes27]

I feel that if I want to just sit on a ship and relax, I can stay home and sit and relax and save money. I like seeing different places! To each his own

 

 

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[LADYBROOKS]

It's a balance for me, depending on the itinerary.

[Sequim88]

Sea Days - Transatlantics rock (probably TPs too!). Only problem is we've always done EB and thy end with port-port-port-port.... and we are exhausted when we cruise ends. WB risks fall weather issues but would be more relaxing ending with sea days. Our So. Caribbean was nice because after several ports the last whole day was a sea day.

[Sandy Sails]

I hated sea days - found them so boring. Love exploring new places. We now see a ton of new places in the RV - all in the good ol' USA. In 2018 we'll be full-timing it so can see even more!

[Sandy Sails]

Sea Days - Transatlantics rock (probably TPs too!). Only problem is we've always done EB and thy end with port-port-port-port.... and we are exhausted when we cruise ends. WB risks fall weather issues but would be more relaxing ending with sea days. Our So. Caribbean was nice because after several ports the last whole day was a sea day.

 

Hey, we'll be moving to Sequim in 2018!

[jocap]

We both love sea days, although OH enjoys snorkelling, so we take 28 day cruises to the Caribbean and back, from the UK. 10 days out, with a day probably in Madeira; 8 islands when I stay on board apart from a short stroll, and he goes off to reefs; 10 days back, calling at the Azores. We join in many activities on board, and frequently miss lunch so we can include lectures, classes, choir, films.. The missed lunches happen more on the return journey when the clocks go back at midday, so it's easier just to have afternoon tea instead.

[CanobieFan]

Being in port for sure! While being on the ship is cool and walking around and exploring every little area I can is fun.... so is eating nonstop! I'm adventurous, so while sea days are fine and I can handle a few at a time, I'd much rather be in port.... far from the dock sightseeing, exploring, going on an adventure. That's also the reason I was so against cruises in the first place. The idea of being "stuck on a boat" was so unpleasing to me but I learned it wasn't so bad. Now I just see it as using the ship as a way to get me to my next adventure and booking based off where the ship will go. :P

[Cruiserbillyboo]

With all due respect to the OP, this isn’t a topic that lends itself to a poll. On a cruise, you don’t have to pick port vs. sea days, either one to the exclusion of the other. That’s why virtually all cruises have some sea and some port days.

Nonetheless, it’s a great topic for discussion! (Just, IMO, no need for a “vote”).

What people like, or don’t like, about sea and port days is a terrific topic, with lots if interesting nuances, so keep discussing! I am enjoying reading!

 

PS – golf lends itself to a relevant analogy. All golf courses have some par 3’s, some par 4’s, and some par 5’s. Each hole requires different club selection, different strategies, different mental attitudes, and different skill sets. A great round of golf includes a nice mixture of each. Just like port and sea days on a cruise!:)

[cporses]

No, I really can't. The relaxation I get on a sea day in the middle of nowhere is not at all like I get on a land resort. I'm not sure why, but it might be because I know I have no other options to go anywhere, or maybe because no one is trying to get me to do/buy anything when I'm in the middle of nowhere on a ship. I'm so calm, it's almost meditative. I do my "traveling" and "doing things" on a land vacation.

 

YMMV.

 

 

 

Ahh. The call of the sea. I was in the Royal Australian Navy for 22 years. Once the salt is in your blood, you are doomed to sail forever.

 

 

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[cporses]

There are always exceptions and there are high end and low end resorts and cruise ships. On balance however, dollar for dollar cruises are a more economical vacation experience. One big factor is airfare. Costs a lot more to fly to Barbados than to Ft. Lauderdale.

 

 

 

In our case it costs more to fly from Australia to exotic cruising locations. Have jetted over to the Mediterranean the past 2 years, and heading to Singapore in a January.

 

 

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[cporses]

I have not seen that many ATTRACTIVE land resorts with as low a per diem cost as many ATTRACTIVE cruise ships. Dollar for dollar, cruising allows doing nothing - and occasionally getting a change of scene at a port.

 

 

 

I guess ATTRACTIVE means something different to all people.

Although I prefer port days, I much prefer cruising to shore based holidays. Given that, I will spend a week in country prior to or after the cruise depending on the location. Australia is so far from everywhere, we have to make the most out of each journey.

 

 

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