Sea Day Activities

Blog #90

What to Do on a Trans-Atlantic, Trans-Pacific or Repositioning Cruise?

If you are questioning what to do on a sea day, or, you are wondering if there are enough activities on a ship to keep you entertained on a sailing with a number of days at sea, THIS BLOG is for you!

I am often asked about the value of cruises with lots of sea days so clearly, a number of people are curious about the same thing. People who have never been on a cruise where there was a plethora of seadays may question whether they would enjoy the experience or suffer boredom.

When I was writing my book on cruising “Sleeping in a Life Jacket”, I received a lot of input from experienced cruisers who had done everything from short three-day cruises to round the world trips. I found that most who had experienced sea days had an opinion on their value and how to enjoy them. I did hear from a number of people as to whether they preferred port intensive cruises or sailings that gave them plenty of down time on the ship. People definitely had opinions as to what they liked. My favourite quote on this subject was from one lady who said:

I would be perfectly happy on a ship that simply sailed around in a circle. I don’t want to see land or feel the need to get off the ship and do anything. The cruise is my vacation. Everything I want to see and do is on the ship.

Although I confess to enjoying sea days, I equally like getting off the ship to check out various ports. Consequently, a nice combination of both usually makes me a happy traveller. Sometimes you need a sea day to simply recover from busy port days that kept you hopping from the time you disembarked from the ship. I offer up Mediterranean cruises as an example. I have been on a number of Mediterranean cruises and those are often port intensive. The last one I was on was very busy and only had two sea days. By the time I got to the first sea day, I was ready for a rest and participating in shipboard activities was not high on my priority list. Lounging on my balcony with a cool drink and a good book seemed the preferable way to spend my day. The only reason I dined at a specialty restaurant that evening was because I had made arrangements to meet up with friends and prebooked the restaurant well in advance of the cruise.

On trans-Atlantic, trans-Pacific or any repositioning cruise, you are bound to have a number of sea days. This is your golden opportunity to benefit from what the ship has to offer. Whether you take advantage of activities organized by the ship employees, fellow passengers or by yourself, here is your chance to enjoy leisure and/or learning events. I look at these sea days as opportunities to find goings-on that are both enjoyable and relaxing. Whether you want to catch up on your reading, enjoy card games, hang out by the pool, exercise or try the free dance classes, there will always be an activity on offer. I have named a few here but there are so many more to cover.

That being said, I am going to touch on a few of them here in hopes of giving you a greater idea of what is on offer.

Pool, Whirlpool Tubs and Spas.

I will start with the obvious activity that is almost always featured in glossy brochures and advertisements for cruises: enjoying the pool, spa or whirlpools. Obviously, weather and temperature dependent, this is a standard activity for many. People lay claim to one of the many loungers around the pool and spend the day soaking in the sun interspersed with dips in the water and visits to the poolside bar or grill. Note, there is almost always a poolside bar and grill so you never have to travel far. There are also often poolside activities organized by the entertainment staff so whether you participate or observe, you can enjoy these goings-on.

For the purpose of full disclosure, I am not a fan of shipboard pools, and I dislike the many loungers all lined up in military fashion with people elbow to elbow. But like the weather, an onboard pool day can vary. Your experience will be ship dependent and I was recently on a cruise where the weather was superb, and the outside loungers spaced a decent distance from each other to avoid that packed sardine look. Even the pool was quiet and inviting. No children and no drunks. A veritable paradise. I suggest if the weather suits you, check out what is on offer and decide if you like the environment and determine if this is an activity for you. Many of the larger ships offer both indoor and outdoor pools while some also designate certain pools as “adult only”.

As for the "Spas", many cruise ships offer spa activities and upon boarding, you may be approached to take advantage of spa discounts on offer. I have some friends who always engage in massages on sea days and swear by them. I have tried various spa items such as seaweed leg wraps, massages and facials. I enjoyed them all and felt pampered. Be aware though, spa activities usually come at an additional cost. 

Participating in Learning Events

Free lectures are always on offer and the subjects can be of interest to you by subject or speaker. Although there are often presentations providing information on the upcoming port stops, there are often topical lectures on a myriad of subjects.

For example, I have a friend who recently completed a speaking engagement with her sister on a cruise ship. Her sister was in the first all-female Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), troop in 1975 when women were first hired into the RCMP and my friend was in another early female troop. They were the first two sisters who were regular members in the RCMP. They gave four presentations on what it was like to be a female in the RCMP in those early days when women were finally allowed to join the force as regular members.

I have attended lectures on physics, astronomy, crime and punishment, history and archeology. All were informative and, in my opinion, well-presented and entertaining. On cruises with a number of sea days, I can often be found attending these free lectures.

Entertainment

Shows onboard ships can be exceptional, great, mediocre, or just not your cup of tea. On long cruises, with many sea days, you will have lots of time to take in the onboard entertainment put on by the ship's personnel. But there are other types of performances. Some of the best shows I have seen while cruising were presentations by fellow passengers who signed up for group events orchestrated by a member of the ship's staff. The following is a list of just a few of those group type events:

Choir

Several cruise lines offer passenger choir opportunities. Choirs are a passenger volunteer activity that are usually put together for longer cruises. You will find them listed in the daily activity sheet shortly after the start of a cruise. If a passenger is interested in participating in a shipboard choir, they have the opportunity to do so on a voluntary basis and rehearsals take place on sea days. The choir gives a concert towards the end of the cruise with the passengers essentially becoming the entertainment. Quite often these events are beautifully presented and I have attended a few that were of exceptional quality.

Karaoke

I have a saying that there is not enough wine in this world to get me to sing karaoke. But I have heard some outstanding singers in onboard karaoke competitions which regularly make an appearance on ships. Whether you are a want to be rock star or a person who merely want to give karaoke a go, this can be a fun and entertaining activity. A word to the wise, if you cannot sing well when you are sober, you will not sing well when you are impaired.

Singing Competitions

Some cruise lines will offer singing competitions wherein individuals, or groups, can participate in judged events. These can be in different forms with some mirroring television show type competitions and others straight forward competitive singing events. What they have in common is the participants are cruisers who become the entertainment and are able to showcase their talents. This is different from karaoke which is normally a non judged event.

Dancing

Much like the choir, joining a group to learn dancing, is also a possibility on a ship. Ballroom, line, belly and other forms of dancing are usually offered free of charge and can be a learning activity. In some cases, you simply show up to learn to dance, while in other instances, people sign up to learn a dance or two, practice those dances on sea days and then showcase their group dance(s) at an end of cruise show.

On Cunard, I noted that ballroom dancing classes were on offer and guests were able to display their learned skills on the dancefloor in the ballroom. It was a delight to observe the Cotillion dancing.

Game Shows

Usually an evening entertainment activity, these type of performances mirror television game shows and involve audience members as the participants. They can be a lot of fun, interactive and usually only involve one event instead of a multi day participation commitment. Normally, this type of event takes place over an hour which means there is not a large time commitment.

Battle of the Sexes

Quite a few cruise lines will host a battle of the sexes event. Whether it is a pool side activity, in the theatre, or one of the other public area venues, a battle of the sexes challenge will take place. There are too many types of competitions to list them but you will find them listed in the daily activity calendar and normally they are under an hour in length.

Egg Drop

Now THIS is my event! Not terribly time consuming, nor physically challenging, but entertaining. I saw this on a cruise one time and was determined to give it a go if I ever saw it listed on the daily activity sheet. Each participating team is given a raw egg that they will drop from several decks up onto a target, at the designated time. You can design your own container made from items you found around the ship. I have seen napkin parachutes, toilet paper filled drink glasses and various assorted improvised containers. If you drop your handmade container, and hit the designated bullseye without breaking your egg, you can be a winner. No, there will not be any free cruises on offer but a medal or small gift usually are enough to satisfy the winning participants. My winning design was scrunched up scrap paper that surrounded a paper cup which encased our egg. I would say that a patent is pending but apparently there is little call for egg drop designs and I have been assured that I need not fret about copycat designers.

Card and Board Games

Various cruising social media sites have people setting up card and board games in advance so that when they are onboard, they can meet up to play. Some cruise lines have a designated card or puzzle area. If you are interested in such activities check on social media sites to see if any games are being set up for your cruise. You can also check on the cruise ship’s daily activity listings/board to see what is on offer. Here is an example of games and activities I have seen set up by people on social media sites for their cruises:

Eucher                                   Bridge                        Contract Bridge

Hearts                                    Canasta                     Cribbage

Hand & Foot                          Spades                      Pass the Ace

This is not a comprehensive listing, but a sampling of card games I have seen advertised as looking for participants.

Slot Pulls

Cruise line casinos will host slot pulls in an effort to draw people into the casinos. I have seen social media groups associated with specific cruise lines advertise slot pulls put on, and run, by other cruisers. The concept is simple, a group is formed and all contribute a certain amount of money to a pot. On a slot pull I organized, I had everyone pay $5 into the pot but I have seen other amounts advertised (such as $10 or $20). Every person contributes the same amount and that amount is put into one slot machine that the slot pulls organizer pre-selects. Everyone gets a certain number of pulls on that machine and the group splits the final amount. Usually, the three people who pull the highest amount will get a little more money as the amount seldom divides equally. Additionally, the casino manager will often donate some items for the slot pull (such as t-shirts or some item with the cruise ship logo).

Cabin Crawls/Tours

These are often organized pre-cruise through various social media sites and are a great way to get to see different cabins on ships. Be warned, if you have mobility problems, this activity is not for you as it normally involves several decks and a lot of walking along corridors to specific cabins. How this activity works is fairly simple, people, who I will call hosts, volunteer to show their cabins to a number of “crawlers.” These crawlers are people who are interested in seeing the various cabins, layout, view etc. There is usually a coordinator who is the organizer of the event and sets up the meeting point for everyone to meet and also sets out the route that the crawlers will take to reach the various cabins.

I have seen crawls organized wherein the first group out consists of the hosts who go to the first cabin and the host of that cabin stays in their cabin to greet the following groups (whatever the number). The rest of the hosts continue to the next cabin where that host drops out and stays at their cabin and so on. The last group of crawlers is always a small one as each host will join that group of crawlers as the last group passes through each cabin.

This is an excellent way to meet people and as mentioned, see various cabins and their layouts. Often hosts will put out drinks, canapés, items from their home country (flag pins etc.).

Poker Runs

Often held in conjunction with other events such as cabin crawls or bar crawls, poker runs consist of people going to a designated spot and choosing a card. That card is then recorded onto a list by the poker run coordinator (or cabin crawl host). If the poker run is held over several days, then a card is drawn at each meeting spot and recorded and after five cards are drawn, the best poker hand wins. If this event is held during a cabin crawl, then five cabins will have the decks of cards and the host will record the card drawn and give the listing to the poker run coordinator at the end of the crawl.

Bar Crawls

I did not participate in this type of event for a number of years as I envisioned that it was just people sitting in a bar and drinking. In 2019, my husband signed us up for a poker run which was being held in conjunction with a bar crawl. I figured we would just go to the bar, draw our cards and then leave. I found a rather interesting group of people from various walks of life and we stayed for a quick drink. The next bar meet up was two days later in a different venue and once again we stayed and chatted for awhile. Although some were drinking alcohol, others were not. It was more of a social event as opposed to a drinking event. As with the other happenings, bar crawls are coordinated by one person who sets up the meet-up itinerary in advance. Usually, these proceedings are coordinated in advance of a cruise through social media sites but can also be coordinated onboard as well.

Flash Mob

I am not sure how these gatherings will transition into a post covid cruising world but these type of events were often organized by the cruise line and listed as a social activity. Coordinated by the cruise line, cruisers become active participants and practice for the event which will take place towards the latter part of the cruise. I have also heard of them organized by groups who practice before the cruise and set the flash mob to occur early on in the sailing.

Bingo

There is no need for me to explain Bingo as it is universally known throughout the world. It is an activity advertised in the daily activity listing and will cost you additional money to participate. Sometimes the prizes are cash although I have been on some cruises where an instant upgraded cabin is on offer. The prizes are usually fairly decent but the price to play can run you anywhere from $20 to $75 depending on the cruise line and number of games played etc.

Trivia

I don't think I have ever been on a long cruise that did not have trivia. There is usually daily trivia, progressive trivia and themed trivia (such as music or world knowledge). This is almost always a ship organized event held daily at specified times. You can usually find me there as I enjoy trivia and I devote a chapter of my book Sleeping in a Life Jacket to the subject of shipboard trivia. You can play as an individual or in teams of up to six players.

Specific Activity/Specialty Gatherings

Much like the card gatherings, these types of events are usually organized on social media sites before a cruise and center on specific activities to take place on the ship. I have seen knitting groups, book clubs, board game aficionados etc. The concept behind these groups is for like-minded people, who are booked on the same cruise, to meet and pursue their interests.

Examine other Cruises that might be on offer

You are on your cruise and having a great time. You decide that you want to take another cruise. All cruise ships provide their current cruisers with the opportunity to book another cruise while onboard their current sailing. The benefits are usually, reduced price and the attachment of other benefits (such as onboard credit or a reduced deposit). It is well worth your time to pay a visit to the designated sales area of the ship where you can examine future cruises and what is on offer as a special incentive for booking onboard.

Not ready to book a specific cruise? You can usually buy future cruise credits or certificates, which can be applied towards a cruise in the future.

If you are worried about follow-up questions once you get off the cruise, you can speak directly to an agent of the cruise line, or even your own travel agent. Most ships will notify your travel agent (if you booked the cruise you are currently on through a travel agent), of your future booking. That agent will usually get the commission for your future booking. You can then talk to them about any cruising questions you may have and changes or cancelations you may want to make.

If you have booked through a travel agent that you feel is not deserving of any benefits from a future booking, you can tell the cruise line representative you are dealing with on the ship, that your booking is not to be associated with your travel agent.

Reserving Private Rooms and Parties Onboard

I have reserved private rooms for a number of small events. The cruise lines have always been extremely accommodating at making space available at no charge if they have unoccupied space available. Whether it be for a talk, reception, small gathering or even a larger party. You will usually find the cruise ship staff to be fairly accommodating. I once hosted a scavenger hunt on a cruise and the cruise line allowed us to use a room to anchor the event. On another cruise, the staff allowed us to host a gathering of about 40 people for a university reunion and coordination was seamless both before I boarded, and when on the ship.

I have had people talk to me about the cruise lines offering up rooms for cocktail parties or wine and cheese gatherings at no additional cost, not realizing that this is quite common if you are travelling in a group. If you have put together a group, ask about obtaining a room for a gathering. Chances are you will be able to secure a room at no additional cost. However, in these post covid days, some cruise lines are not encouraging non ship sanctioned activities, so it is best to check in advance.

Touring the Working Part of a Ship

Most ships will offer tours, such as a tour of the bridge or the galleys (kitchens). Some cruise lines will offer a general tour of the ship which will include the engine rooms, bridge and galley. For those who want to see how everything works, these are great excursions. There usually are fees for these type of tours and they must be booked through the ship. Note, if you have a group, it may be possible to have a tour set up and conducted at no charge so if you are a travel agent or group organizer, cheque to see if this can be done for your party.

Attending Cooking Demonstrations

Most ships will have free instructional presentations related to a number of topics. Dancing, fencing, wine appreciation are a few that immediately come to mind. But the one that often draws my attendance is the cooking or food display demonstrations. I am not a cook but these types of instructional sessions are interesting and filled with little tidbits on food preparation and presentation.

From these free instructional sessions, I have learned how to prepare delightful creations that make a table appear inspired and impressive. I can now carve a pumpkin or watermelon with the best of them and I learned that the art of making a tasty meal is not the labour-intensive task I had envisioned. Most importantly, I learned that presentation goes a long way to making an impression on your guests.

Attending Ice Sculpting Demonstrations

Growing up in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec (in Canada), I have marveled at the annual ice sculpting that takes place at various winter festivals. No matter how often I see them made, ice sculpting events can grab and hold my attention. Generally, on a ship, you will see a free demonstration of ice sculpting. Fun to watch, you can see and enjoy some talented creations that are made quickly and efficiently.

Ship Libraries

Some ships, such as those associated with the Cunard line, have outstanding libraries that are impressive. The Norwegian line also offers up ships that have a dedicated library with tables and chairs available for reading. Other cruise lines seem to leave a few shelves bare in a common area and called it a library. On one cruise, I went in search of the “library” only to find a single shelf with two well thumbed books obviously left by other cruisers. The lack of effort on the part of the cruise line was underwhelming.

Libraries are great places to pick up a book if you have run out of reading material or do not want to bring a book or electronic reader with you on the cruise. Prior to sailing, look up the offering of the cruise line you are sailing with to see what kind of library can be found onboard. If the ship has a dedicated library room (Cunard and Norwegian immediately come to mind), you will most likely be able to find a suitable book to read if you choose.

However, if the ship you are on does not have a dedicated library room, and the books on offer are those left by previous travellers, the chances are that the book selection will be slim, or the shelves may be bare when you go in search of reading material. If you have decided to obtain a book on the ship, go the first day of the cruise as the chances are you will have a better selection.

A pro tip with respect to reading material is to load your tablet or e-reader with a few books to occupy you. That will save you the luggage space and weight that a printed copy of a book will take up and you can read at night without having the light on.

Although some people suggest loading books on their phone, my personal preference is for a larger device for ease in reading.

In summary, I have covered a wide range of activities but confess that I cannot cover everything on offer without turning this blog into a mini book. Consequently, I recommend you do some advance preparation pre cruise, such as checking out social media sites where you can connect with other cruisers who may be planning activities. I also suggest that you check out your ship’s daily activities sheet to see if there is anything on offer that is of interest to you. Movies, lectures, wine tastings, food pairings etc. are other options that are designed to keep you entertained and enjoying your time at sea.

If you have any comments or questions please feel free to make them in the comment section below or email me. Please note, that as a Canadian Travel writer, I use the British spelling of many words such as traveller and labour. Happy cruising everyone.