Cruise ships generally sail to sunny places. All those palm trees would not grow if they didn’t get rain. What do you do when you are sailing between ports and the weather gets rainy?
- Start with breakfast in bed. There is no rush for the tender to shore. You do not need to get to the pier before your tour bus leaves. You might be used to rolls, juice and coffee in your cabin or a hot breakfast in the buffet restaurant. Change your routine. Pull out the room service menu or the breakfast order form and read it thoroughly. What sounds rich, exciting and decadent? Start your day with a spectacular meal you can talk about back home.
- The covered pool. Unless your ship is really small, one of the pools should have a retractable glass roof. You can stretch out, hopefully catch a little sun and step in the water from time to time. If the weather is chilly, this spot should be warm. When we cruise, we have a tradition of visiting the covered pool and ordering a Long Island Iced Tea.
- The wine and food pairing lunch. Your ship is your floating resort. They plan many more activities for sea days. The daily program should list them all. Ask a waiter or bartender if the ship will be offering a wine and food pairing lunch. We try to book this every time we sail with Cunard. On our most recent experience, it had a flat cost of $80, included four courses and nine wines. I left after 2.5 hours and it was still going strong! If food or wine is your passion, this is a sea day activity not to be missed.
- Find your secret space. You might assume a ship carrying, 2,000 passengers or more might be crowded. The engineers who design ships today are insightful. There are often hidden lounges or spaces few people notice. The impressive cocktail lounge overlooking the bow of the ship might have private function rooms or a cigar bar. We knew a couple who would bring their reading material every morning to one of the large indoor lounges and setup their own “living room” alongside a large window. Once you discover your secret space, you can choose who to share it with during the rest of the cruise.
- Book lunch in a specialty restaurant. You will discover many ship activities close down on port days. The shops and the casino are closed. This is probably so they do not compete directly with shops and casinos on shore. Onboard dining venues might also be closed because most people have gone ashore. When you are at sea, everything changes! Lunch at the specialty restaurants often has a lower supplement charge than dinner. You get the same experience, but at a lower cost.
- How about a spa treatment? When was the last time you had a massage? Do you need a haircut? The spa should be open on sea days. Wander over early in the day. Look over their price list. Book a spa treatment. You are on vacation! A little pampering is expected.
- Visit the gym. Have you been discovering you have been eating more than usual? Have the waistbands in your clothing shrunk in the past few days? Have you been saying: “I must get to the gym” but been too busy with shore excursions? Now is your opportunity! Check the daily program. When is spin class? Try their session so you can tell your friends back home.
- Check out the library. This might sound boring, but it is not. If you have several port visits before your cruise ends, use this opportunity to do background research on the next port of call. The ship should have plenty of guidebooks. What are the must see sights? Are there Michelin starred restaurants in town? Do they have public transportation? How does it work? This might be the only time you will visit tomorrow’s port. Make the most of your visit.
- Plan your next tour. You might not be a “walk ashore and explore” kind of person. There can be good reasons. Have you ever noticed ships tend to dock in seedy parts of town? OK, let’s call them industrial parts of town. How far do you need to go to find the attractive parts? Let the cruise line do the work for you! Review the list of shore excursions available for the next ports. Buy tickets. Be aware the best trips sell out quickly.
- Plan your next vacation. I am always amazed that one of the busiest spots onboard is the future booking office! People are having a great time and are in the mood to book their next cruise! The cruise line often offers discounts or other incentives if you book during your current cruise. They usually require only a small deposit. Give yourself something to look forward to over the next several months.
A rainy day at sea does not mean you are stuck in your cabin or focused on social media. There is plenty you can do to enjoy yourself.
Editor’s Notes:
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cover photo Oceania Vista library, credit Monte Mathews
