6 Things We Love About Sea Days.

A full day at sea, known among cruisers as a sea day, is the perfect time to enjoy the ship’s onboard amenities. And believe me, on modern cruise ships, there are a lot of amenities. Sea days are one of our favorite things about cruising. I’ll take a day at sea over an all-inclusive land resort anytime. We had two sea days on our recent western Caribbean cruise with Carnival—one at the beginning and one at the end of the cruise. While there are countless ways to spend your time at sea, this is how we like to do it.

Serenity Adult Only Retreat
This is where to go when you crave a peaceful sea breeze afternoon. Serenity has the best lounge chairs on the ship—wicker with thick mattresses that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. It’s not uncommon to see people curled up, book in hand, passed out from an overdose of relaxation. Along with its comfortable loungers, the deck also features hot tubs as well as a full-service bar, which rarely gets busy, and table service.

Sea Day Brunch
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the sea day brunch is my jam. I love the eggs benedict, the steak and eggs, the fruit and cottage cheese plate, the bottomless coffee and juice; the spicy Bloody Maria (think: a tequila Bloody Mary); I love the whole freaking thing. I could go on and on about the brunch, but really, I think this picture sums up my joy (and the experience) far better.

Hairy Chest Contest
The concept is simple: hairy shirtless men of all shapes and ages peacock and perform challenges to pop songs to gain the judges’ adoration. Had we not accidentally stumbled into the contest, we probably would have stayed clear. Luckily, that didn’t happen, because it was a blast. Beth darted around capturing video of the event, and I stood off to the side with the other day drinkers, hooting for my favorite contestants. As ridiculous as it may sound, we found the hairy chest contest to be a great ice breaker for the cruise. It was an hour of stupid fun and exactly what we needed to get into the spirt of the cruise

Spa
Beth and I did a couple’s pedicure, complete with a bottle of champagne. Yeah, that’s right. I got a pedicure on our last cruise. It was fantastic and super relaxing, and I want another one. We also did a couple of other treatments. Beth had a facial and I got a hot stone message, which was excellent and, I must say, better than a bamboo massage. We hadn’t planned on doing that many treatments, but we got a good discount on the massage and facial, as they were part of a port day sale. Often cruise lines will offer discounted spa treatments on days the ship is at a port, so look for these on your next cruise and save big.

Bingo
It’s been a long time since I played Bingo. But on our recent cruise, I found myself once again with a dabber in hand. Thousands of dollars were up for grabs. We entered the ship’s theater with our paper bingo cards and hopes. We drank gin and tonics; we dabbed frantically; we laughed a lot; and we even got close to yelling B-I-N-G-O a few times. But, in the end, a win eluded us. It didn’t matter, though, because we had fun trying.

Dive-in Movies
Whoever came up with the idea to show blockbuster movies on the massive outdoor screen of a Carnival cruise ship deserves a significant raise. For those of you who don’t know, Dive-in Movies happen every evening and feature two movies played on the jumbotron around the main outdoor pool area. Fresh popcorn is made for the occasion and the best seat in the house is the lounge chair or hot tub closest to you. There’s nothing quite like floating in a dark sea under a diamond sky while the action and sounds of a movie unfold in front of you. It’s a surreal and thoroughly relaxing experience.

Really, we’ve only scratched the surface with our list. From mini-golf to specialty cooking classes and musical productions to black jack, there is a lot to do at sea. So, what do you like to do on sea days? Let us know in the comments below.