You might not be too happy if you just looked at your cruise itinerary and saw a cruise sea day! STOP! Turn that frown upside down because we will share what to do on cruise sea days because ships are loaded with fun around the clock.
A cruise should be a fun and worry-free experience, including any cruise sea day, and you’ll find a lot to do that you might not have expected!
Most cruise ships have at least one day at sea during the cruise, and sometimes multiple days because, remember, you have to travel to get to your destinations, and you have to travel back.
And part of the allure of sea days during a cruise is the opportunity to experience the ship itself, a thriving floating city often left unexplored by passengers.
There are plenty of activities to do on cruising sea days, and we are sharing 20 of them to help you plan a bit of fun while you travel from destination to destination or even home!
Get ready to enjoy the facilities and amenities of the ship, with a side of relaxation and scenery.
Here are 20 activities to make the most of your cruise experience and begin a new adventure with these cruise sea day activities.
Table of Contents
(1) Spa Day OnBoard Your Cruise Ship
Consider a spa day which is a great way to relax and rejuvenate after busy ports of call.
You could schedule this on any cruise day at sea or use a day at sea on the way home to rejuvenate from so much fun!
- massages
- facials
- manicures
- pedicures
(2) The Fitness Center Is Great For Cruise Sea Day Activity
The cruise ship’s fitness centers are perfect for any day, especially as onboard activities for cruise sea days (days at sea).
You can work off calories you are consuming from eating that delicious cruise food and drinks, or you can get your steps in since you won’t be visiting a port of call.
Most cruise ships have state-of-the-art fitness centers with weight-training and cardio equipment, personal trainers, and group fitness classes.
Whether you want to tone up for beach days or release some energy, the fitness center is the perfect place to do it.
(3) Shop In The Floating City On A Sea Day
How better to pass the time than to shop till you drop? Some of the best items are often on a cruise ship, and there are also great sales, plus your duty-free purchase options ♥!
Browse the cruise ship floating malls and choose from designer brands to essential souvenirs.
Take a stroll through the shops, or do some severe damage, go on a shopping spree, and charge to your room.
(4) Mini Golf and Shuffleboard: Fun Activities For A Cruise Sea Day
Play mini golf becuase so many cruise ships have mini golf courses, or play shuffleboard.
Often pickleball and basketball are also available, so much fun and a great way to exercise.
(5) Hang Out Poolside
Catch some rays and soak up the sun poolside on the Lido deck or any ship deck with chairs.
Pro Tip: Make sure to reapply sunscreen often and stay hydrated to avoid sunburn.
(6) Cooking Classes Are Great for Cruise Sea Day Activities
Attend a cooking class generally hosted by the ship’s Chef.
Cooking classes will help you to perfect a new skill or learn a new cultural dish.
(7) Culture Classes
Most cruise ships offer a variety of cultural activities, such as an art history class or a background about where you are sailing to.
One of the best things about the enrichment classes is that experts often lead them in the field, so you get a spectacular course.
(8) A Cruise Sea Day Is Perfect For Behind-The-Scenes Ship Tours
If you are curious about behind-the-scenes on a cruise, you’ll seek out the behind-the-scenes tours offered.
Most cruise ships charge for this, from minimalist charges to steep $150+ amounts, and not all tours go to the engine rooms.
(9) Take A Wine Tasting Class On A Cruise Sea Day
One great idea is to take a wine-tasting class as an onboard cruise ship activity.
Sip. Learn. Repeat. Then buy a bottle and sip some more. You are driving nowhere and have the whole day to enjoy day drinking!
Learn wine etiquette, how to properly taste, and what you are trying to experience in wine, from tasting notes to the finish.
(10) The Slides
If you’ve seen commercials on television for cruise ships, you know that many of them have unique slides for their pools.
Sometimes there is a line, so if you want to experience it and don’t care how long you must wait, a cruise sea day is the perfect time to enjoy those cruise ship pool slides.
(11) Explore The Ship on A Day At Sea + Visit the Casino
Explore the ship: Most cruise ships are enormous; check out every nook and cranny you can; there is plenty to see and explore.
Take some time to walk around the decks, check out the different restaurants and bars, and find the casino or spa.
Remember the golden rule of casinos and sailing: You’ll win on the way to your destinations and lose like crazy on the way home!
(12) Attend A Show Of Some Sort
Cruise ship shows are like Broadway shows, available each night.
From Broadway-style shows to comedy, there’s something for everyone.
(13) Enjoy Your Balcony
Do you have a room with a balcony? Use it.
You paid extra for that room, so sit out there, sip a glass of wine, and watch the water pass by.
By night, the elegance of the moon dancing atop the water is intriguing and mysterious.
Stop. Enjoy. Relax.
(14) Go Rock Climbing
There are indoor rock walls on so many cruise ships, so you’ll want to see if your ship has one and climb away!
This is a great chance to experience something new.
(15) Watch A Movie On The Ship
Some cruise ships offer movies on one of the decks, whereas others have actual indoor theaters.
Find out what your ship has and take advantage of popcorn and a movie or two during a cruise sea day. Catch up on the cinema.
Of course, your room television service will also have some exciting shows so you can binge-watch them in your room!
(16) BINGO IS A Blast
Seek out a game of BINGO and mingle. Half the fun of playing is being with the other cruise passengers. Enjoy a great game, and you might win!
(17) Dance Lessons
You might even find dance lessons for the destinations you travel to or from.
What fun to learn how to salsa, hip-hop, ballroom, or swing dance. You might find a new hobby if you take a class, and you will have great instructors!
(18) Bar Crawls On Cruise Ships
Some floating cities offer bar crawls; after all, the worst-case scenario is that you will CRAWL to your room.
You are not driving and passing the cruise sea day by sipping and enjoying the different bars.
This is a great way to experience all the bars you don’t want to miss or might have missed previously.
(19) Dueling Pianos Is Like An Extreme Sport On Ivory Keys!
Dueling pianos will leave you speechless because to see and hear is to feel the amazing talent floating with you on that ship.
You will love the music, and you might forget you are not on Broadway!
(20) What To Do On Cruise Sea Days? Scavenger Hunts On Cruise Ships
A great way to get to know your ship is to tackle the challenging scavenger hunts. Of course, you can go to be competitive, or you can go to learn the ship.
Scavenger hunts will get you well-acquainted with your ship or even lost until you figure out how you got to where you are!
Now You Are Ready For Your Cruise Sea Day!
Something about a day at sea on a cruise ship is just magical.
There is something special about gazing at the endless blue of the ocean and where the sky and sea meet at the horizon.
It may be how the ship glides effortlessly across the water.
Or it could be the feeling of being surrounded by nothing but water for as far as the eye can see.
Whatever the reason, a day at sea is an extraordinary experience.~ Dana XO
Dana Vento is an accomplished travel writer who has written award-winning articles for Niagara Falls, USA, and Cabarrus, NC, and won IG photography for Southern Delaware beaches. Her best stories are on the pages of her passport. Dana offers tips for travel to help you have the best adventures!
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