What to do on a Sea Day ?

Most cruise itineraries will include Sea Days – days where you do not visit a port of call and where the ship is sailing between ports all day. Make the most of the time available to relax and enjoy all of the ships facilities in between the sightseeing rush in the ports of call.

There will always be something going on aboard your ship. The lounges and bars will be open and there will be daytime entertainment on offer – from party bands and pool games for the more raucous to art auctions and enrichment lectures and deck games, depending on the cruise line – see our guide to cruise lines.

Of course food will be plentiful with restaurants / buffets open for breahfast, lunch and dinner and many cruise lines also have snack options throughout the day.

If there is a spa on board the ship Sea Days will be the busiest days for the team so book early and be prepared to pay top prices.

For sun worshippers the outside decks will be your destination of choice. We have a few tips to help you get the most out of a nice sunny Sea Day.

Firstly remember that not only is the sun moving across the sky but the ship is also moving and may change direction so if you want ‘sun all day’ avoid any of the ships infrastucture that may obscure the rays. Or if you prefer shade try to find a spot that is well protected from the sun. Almost certainly if the sun is on one side of the ship in the morning it will be on the opposite side in the afternoon.

If you really must have the best position on the ship for your day in the sun be prepared to get up early – yes the fight for sunbeds still happens on cruise ships – particularly if you want fromt line around the main pool area. We often observe the 11.30 am crowd looking for a sunbed – they may have enjoyed a good night the previous evening and so a lazy morning in bed and last miunte breakfast but struggle to find a sunbed !. Most cruise lines now adopt a rule which dicates that if a sunbed is left empty for 30 minutes or so any belongings that are left ‘holding’ the bed will be removed so that other guests can make use of the empty sunbed. However this rule is not often strictly enforced.

Of course being at sea and with the ship moving on most Sea Days there will be a breeze. On some days this can be a very welcome break from the heat of the sun. But equally on some days it can be so strong that it makes staying outdoors more challenging. To avoid your towel flapping around, or worse, in the breeze we recommend the use of beach towel pegs or towel bands – Amazon have a great selection of both – just click on the links above. One thing to note – most cruise lines supply towels for use on sun loungers / around the pool so you do not need to take up valuable packing space with beach towels.

Despite any breeze the sun whilst at sea can be very strong so we would alsways recommend using  high quality sun protection creams.