Port Days

In addition to enjoying the activities and facilities on board a cruise ship, the fun of cruising also include exploring new & exciting destinations each day. The cruise ships sail mostly over night and every day guests wake up in new destinations with a different view.

Mostly the ship will be at each port for around 8 to 9 hours and the guests will be excited to see so much in so little time. Hence, for the guests to get the most out of their days at port, they need to plan their shore excursions in advance.

There are plenty of options at different port ranging from sightseeing city tours, exploring the ancient historical cities, hiking on glaciers, snorkeling through coral reefs to shopping at local markets.  The cruise lines offer varieties of organized shore excursions for each port of call for an additional charge - some are activity based trips & some are sightseeing bus tours; some are full day tours & some are just for few hours; some are guided tours while some bring the guests to the destination and give them free time to explore until it’s time to go back to the ship; some focus on the highlights of many activities while some focus on one activity in depth.

The guests can either book their shore excursions through the cruise line or arrange the tours through private operators. Alternatively the guests can also choose to explore the port city on their own. The ship sponsored tours can be either booked on board at the Shore Excursions desk or can be booked on line before cruising. By booking the ship-sponsored tours, you can avoid the hassle of arranging your own tours at each port and can also avoid worrying about reaching the ship in time as the ship will not depart until all of its tour buses have returned.   

If guests are exploring the destination on their own, they need to make sure that they return before the time the ship is scheduled to leave the port. The ship will not wait for any one as there will be plenty of other guests waiting to proceed to their next destination.

It’s fun to explore the various exciting ports around the world – so plan well & enjoy!

 

Days at Sea!

Some new cruisers tend to book port intensive cruises as they may think that Sea days are nothing more than travel days and so could be boring. On the other hand, the experienced cruisers often look for itineraries having more sea days as they have learned that the sea days are their day to unwind and do as little or as much as they want.

The cruise ships offer plenty of onboard activities that the guests get to experience and enjoy during their days at sea. The activity addicts can climb a rock wall, skate in the ice rink, surf on a FlowRider, zip over the Zip line, play sports like basket ball, table tennis, mini golf etc. and indulge in many more activities on board newer and bigger ships.

There are also lots of games and group fun activities conducted by the Cruise Director and staffs on board. Depending on the cruise line, there may be different contests and assorted pool games including Bingo. Some times, there is even “Win a Cruise” Bingo where the top winner gets a free cruise! The guests can also participate in trivia contests throughout the cruise, there will surely be one or two during the days at sea.

The music lovers will find entertainment of different kinds all over the ship, usually found in the discos, pool side and themed club venues. There are lots of music from light classical to pop to country to Caribbean steel drums and more…. there's definitely something for everyone! 

There are workshops, seminars, classes and demonstrations happening on board most of the major cruise ships during the sea days. The topics vary from ship to ship and certain things that are generally offered by most of the cruise lines include dance classes, wine tasting seminars, gourmet cooking classes, ice carving demonstrations etc. Some special cruises even have famous guest speakers on board.

The Spas & salons at seas, which are not included in the cruise fare, are extremely popular. Pampering spa services at sea are available for individuals and couples. In addition to the normal massages, there are also exotic services like seaweed wraps, detox offerings, hot stone therapy treatments, facials with exotic ingredients, special aromatherapy manicure and many more delightful offerings! There are also fitness areas in or near the spa with a sea view.

You can simply hang out, relax and just do what you want on a Sea Day!

o   Sleep in, get comfortable in your stateroom and read a good book or watch a movie on TV.

o   Get up early and watch a sunrise at sea from the balcony or from the very top deck of the ship.

o   Take a swim in the pool or enjoy a little sun with a book on the pool chairs.

o   Enjoy a leisurely lunch in one of the many dining venues on board the ship.

o   Sit at a table by a window in any of the lounges and enjoy the company of shipmates.

o   Explore the ship, stroll through the shops on board and view the artwork hung all around.

o   Peruse the selections in the ship's library.

o   Or simply take a luxurious nap!

It is important to check out the daily bulletin to know what is available at which venue on board. What ever you desire, the days at sea can be exactly as you want!