Sea Days - Lisa Burke Simon

Initially, what inspired me most about this cruise was the itinerary. As a “sampler tour,” I knew I’d be seeing some new and intriguing places, locations it would be difficult to visit if not cruising.

I was less excited, however, about the sea days. I thought they might be boring.

WRONG!

I loved my time at sea! We had six full sea days and nine port days – and all were amazing.

A “typical” day, whether at sea or in port, would begin at about 5:30 am or so. I’d walk the few steps to O’Sheehan’s, located on the same deck as our stateroom. Bharat, the early morning server, would see me and bring me a cup of coffee, a small pitcher of milk, a glass of orange juice, and a pastry or two. (Seeing Nanine, he’d substitute the coffee for tea.)

Following coffee/tea, Nanine and I would walk the Deck 7 Promenade for about two miles, greeting our fellow morning walkers. Nanine and I walked clockwise for the sunrise view, allowing us to get to know those promenaders walking counterclockwise. (There were, of course, only a handful of early morning walkers.) For example, we enjoyed chatting with the “Greyhounds,” a tall lean couple from Seattle who were cruising with their two teenagers and Mama Greyhound’s mom. An Aussie woman, nicknamed Mrs. Yorkie, walked fast and focused. I would wave, smile, and say “hi” – and get no reaction. Challenge accepted! 😀 We soon noticed that she was walking quickly, keeping pace with Mr. Yorkie a few yards ahead of her. By the third morning, she looked up and smiled. The next day, she started chatting with us. I told Nanine, “I bet by tomorrow, we’ll be having drinks with her!” And we did! That night, the Yorkies joined us during happy hour in Gatsby’s, our favorite bar on board.

After our promenade, we’d head to breakfast at one of three restaurants open in the morning on the ship.

During port days, we would then debark for our excursion.

On sea days, though, we’d climb the stairs to the gym. (I very seldom rode the elevator during the entire cruise.) I did another hour of cardio, split between the treadmill and elliptical, and weight machines for my arms, legs, and core.

Next, we went to the Thermal Spa, where I splurged on the pass for the full voyage. Spa time included the steam room, sauna, hot tub, and, my favorite, thermal chair. Ah, so nice relaxing in the thermal chair with a view out the stern of the ship!

Following the spa and a shower, it was time to grab a drink and lunch. Often during a sea day afternoon, I would take my laptop to O’Sheehan’s, plug into power, review photos, and update my blog – my way of relaxing.

By 4:00 pm or so, we would meander to Gatsby’s with a deck of cards, be greeted by Rzki with our happy hour beverages, and play a few games before dinner. Most often, we would go to the 7:00 pm show at the Stardust Theater, watching singers, dancers, a magician, and a hypnotist.

Although there were some variations, perhaps an afternoon workshop or paint-by-numbers session, I found this general flow of sea day activities relaxing, fun, and active.