If we were to ask the 34.6 million people who according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) sailed in 2024, what were their favorite days of the cruise, most would probably say the times in port. While I love exploring ashore –I mean, snorkeling among rainbows of fish in the Great Barrier Reef, riding a camel at the Pyramids in Egypt and admiring Michelangelo’s works in the Vatican are some of the big reasons why we cruise—I also really, really enjoy sea days.
On sea days it is as if we are able to return to our infancy for a precious time again: we are cared for, fed well, pampered, entertained. “The most sophisticated people I know–inside, they are all children,” Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppets, once observed. On a cruise’s sea days, everyone–us included–can let our inner child come out and play.
Suddenly, we have no pressing schedules and no obligations. Life is slower: we can wake up whenever we want to, we can order room service whenever we desire, we can opt for a spa treatment, soak in a hydrotherapy pool, play deck games, listen to music, take in a show and turn in whenever we wish, among other things. What a life!
During back-to-back Caribbean cruises on the 55,500-ton, 744-guest Regent Seven Seas Grandeur this fall, my husband Humberto and I enjoyed some of our all-time favorite sea days. We started them either with room service breakfast or a proper meal in the ship's Compass Rose dining room, with a decor that gives an impression of an icy forest, often at a table with sea views. We typically order orange juice, oatmeal with mixed berries, egg-white omelet with cheese, tomatoes and spinach, toast and green tea. If we order from room service we enjoy the meal alfresco on our veranda. On the Seven Seas Grandeur, all accommodations are suites with verandas.
When we could tear ourselves away from the terrace we went for a stroll to enjoy more sea views with endless horizons and punctuated by sightings of birds and flying fish. Depending on the itinerary on sea days, with binoculars in hand on various cruises we have sighted a wide variety of marine life and birds: dolphins in the Caribbean; whales in New England, Alaska, Hawaii, the Galapagos, and Antarctica; penguins and seals in Antarctica, polar bears in the Arctic, and turtles in the Caribbean, among many, many others.
The ship has a wide variety of organized activities including games like Tic Tac Throw, contests and opportunities for sports such as golf driving and putting, shuffleboard, pickleball, ping pong and more as well as talks about the history and cultures of the ports. We prefer the morning stroll on deck and follow that with time at the Grandeur’s pool and Jacuzzis–on some sea days we also like to book a spa treatment and/or salon service such as a mani/pedi or, like we did this time, a haircut.
We love to have a relaxing sit-down lunch at Prime 7, one of the alternative restaurants open for lunch. One day we were assigned to a table with views of the wake and lingered over barbecue baby back ribs. For a snack we indulge in an ice cream or shake in the pool grill’s ice cream counter.
After an afternoon nap (chances are you have not taken one of those in a while, but your inner child will love that this is one of the luxuries of sea days!), we head to the Grandeur’s well-appointed library for a book and one of the daily Mensa puzzles. Those who prefer other diversions have the casino, boutiques, culinary arts center, art classes and crafts sessions. Sea days are perfect for trying something new that has the potential of becoming a new hobby: on cruises on several lines I have participated in crafts sessions; on the Grandeur I took up needlepoint and on a previous cruise Humberto and I participated in a cooking class on French culinary classics aboard Regent’s sister line Oceania which we thoroughly enjoyed.
At 4 p.m. we never miss the afternoon musical tea with selections from a pianist or other musician and with a bountiful spread of sweets and sandwiches plus scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream and a variety of teas.
We also never miss the daily afternoon team trivia sessions. We find this activity and others like needlepoint and crafts are another bonus of sea days in that we get to meet, spend time and make friends with some of our fellow cruisers. Before trivia on the Grandeur is the reveal of the Mensa puzzle answers, another activity we love.
For dinner on sea days, we like to go to one of the Grandeur’s alternative restaurants: Chartreuse (French cuisine), Prime 7 (steakhouse), La Veranda Sette Mari (Italian) and Pacific Rim. At Pacific Rim, in a Zen ambiance we love the sushi, dim sum, lobster tempura and other specialties. For dessert we indulge in one of a variety of ice creams, exotic fruits, rum cakes, coconut Tres Leches and other delights from the cuisines of countries that border the Pacific.
Our favorite evening pastimes include sunsets and piano selections in the ship’s beautiful Observation Lounge with its panoramic views from floor-to-ceiling windows, enjoying a set of music for dancing by a duo in the Grandeur Lounge, and the featured entertainment–maybe a virtuoso pianist, comedian, magician, or Broadway-style revue–in the Constellation Theater.
And when the day is done, we head to our suite, and we dream of the next day at sea when we will be letting our inner child come out and play again.
By Cruise Specialists client, Georgina Cruz
Georgina Cruz is a freelance travel writer specializing in cruises. Her work has appeared in national magazines and regional publications as well as on travel websites. She has been on more than 200 voyages including seven circumnavigations, all booked through Cruise Specialists.
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