TOP 10 THINGS TO DO ON A SEA DAY

Whilst one of the advantages of cruising is that you get to visit various ports of call during your cruise, there will almost inevitably be at least one sea day as you cruise between destinations – particularly if you are doing a transatlantic, or sailing out of Britain and your first port of call isn’t French, or if you are doing a world cruise. So what are our  Top 10 Things to do on a Sea Day?

Some of the more modern mega liners have so many gizmos and facilities onboard from rock climbing walls and bowling alleys to whole boulevards of shops and more, a sea-day is an ideal opportunity to try these out!

Other cruise lines offer more traditional, but nonetheless fun or engaging, activities to enjoy on a sea day. Read below to see our suggestions for our  Top Ten things to do on a sea day.

Dance Classes are often held on sea days; after all, nobody wants to be a loner on the dance floor whilst everybody is ashore! Various cruise lines may offer dance classes from  Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines  to Celebrity, and  P & O Cruises , particularly if it’s one of their Strictly themed dance cruises! Try your hand at learning to tap dance, jazz or even ballroom dancing. Some cruise lines even teach line-dancing on a sea day.

Try a dance class on your next sea day

Sea days are ideal for booking spa appointments, as you don’t need to worry about cutting your time at port short. Also, if your cruise line features formal nights, these are traditionally held on sea days, so it is advisable to consider reserving in advance, as these are the most popular days for spa appointments as other passengers will be wanting to take advantage of the time. And it’s not just a new hair-do you can get onboard the ship, don’t forget spa treatments like facials, massages and beauty treatments too all available at the ships onboard spa or beauty salon.

Cruise lines that feature some of the best spas at sea include  Celebrity Cruises ,  Holland America Lines  and  Silversea.

Treat yourself to a spa treatment whilst at sea

Guest expert lectures – Increasingly cruise lines are featuring special guest experts onboard, usually tailored to the itinerary, and a sea day is the ideal time to catch an engaging and informative lecture on a wide range of topics! You can learn about genealogy, astronomy or even gardening. Sometimes a distinguished guest speaker or celebrity will give a talk on board the ship, such as a royal butler or retired Hollywood actor.

Smaller luxury style cruise ships will feature guest lectures such as  Seabourn , as well as  Cunard s Queen Mary 2 on transatlantic crossings

Check out a lecture on board

Onboard waterparks – with  Norwegian Cruise Line ,  Royal Caribbean  and  Carnival  featuring waterparks onboard, these are sure to make a splash on sea-days! Let the kids enjoy the fun (or join in too) at these family-friendly and very safe water parks – perfect for sea-day relaxing, thrills and spills. Or just relax around the pool whilst the children enjoy the water slides and splash zones.

Whilst at sea enjoy the waterparks onboard the cruise ship

Read – whether you choose to relax and read by the pool, on your balcony (if you have a stateroom or suite with a balcony), or inside the ship’s own library or a lounge, a sea day is a marvellous opportunity to get to grips with that page-turner you brought with you! Personally, I like to enjoy a few cocktails or beers whilst I’m reading on the balcony. Many cruise ships will have an onboard library so if you forgot to pack the latest best-seller, visit the onboard library to see what they have and find a cosy nook to curl up and read, or head to the pool deck to read out in the sunshine.

Catch up on the leatest novel on your sea day

Royal Caribbean’s Zipline – thrill seekers will love this, as they are suspended 9 decks high above the Boardwalk for a fabulous view of the ship! Or if you’re too nervous to try the zipline, its great fun just to watch the other guests and passengers onboard have a go!

Would brave the zipline on your nexxt sea day?

Onboard shopping – you’re not at port, so the shops are open onboard! Nowadays, cruise ships are increasingly upping the ante with their onboard shops, offering a range of boutique shops. You will always find a logo shop for those cruise line and cruise ship souvenirs, but increasingly you will also find shops for those designer handbags, watches and jewellery items. Take advantage of duty-free prices on board the ship and get yourself a bargain!

Take advantage of duty-free prices in the cruise ships shops

Watch a cooking demonstration – as if you weren’t surrounded by enough food on cruise ships (let’s face it, cruise food is one of the biggest draws for cruising!), some cruise lines (such as Fred. Olsen and Carnival) may offer cooking demonstrations on sea days, so why not try to pick up some tips from the fabulous chefs onboard? And who knows, there may be a chance for a bit of tasting!

Learn some new culinary skills at cooking demos

Bingo – although this may well be offered as part of the daily activities anyway, you certainly won’t have to worry about rushing back from port to get your full house!

You could win the jackpot on your next cruise playing Bingo

Swim in the pool – when the weather is warm, the pool is the go-to place for people onboard a ship. Whether they are simply sunning themselves, enjoying some of the drinks from the pool bar, playing a game of deck quoits, relaxing in the Jacuzzi or swimming in the pool, the pool deck is a major hub during a sea-day (weather permitting!). Some cruise lines, such as Princess, also feature movies on deck, so you can enjoy the latest blockbuster whilst swimming!

Make use of the ship spools on your next sea day

What are you’re favourite things to do on a sea day when you are on a cruise? Let us know!