What’s Life Like On A Sea Day On A World Cruise?

Can you imagine traveling the world on a world cruise? I never could and yet, here I am on board Fred. Olsen Cruise Line’s Black Watch on the most amazing world cruise ever. To get to each of these great world ports, we have to sail quite some distance and that means plenty of sea days. What is life like on a sea day on a world cruise? Follow along and let me share my experience with you.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Line’s Black Watch

Black Watch accommodates approximately 804 passengers and 350+ crew. She’s not a huge ship with only ten total decks, but that’s more than enough to make her feel like my home for the duration of this 4 1/2 month world cruise. She’s small enough to get to where you need to go without breaking a sweat, but big enough that there’s still lots do while you’re here.

Small Ship Cruising

Everyone’s cruise experience will be different and while some people like to lounge all day and do nothing, others want a more active experience on their cruise. I’ve mentioned my sea dat schedule before in my post titled, The 8 Best Things About Small Ship Cruising, but like anything else in life, my schedule is never static.

Mornings on Black Watch 

While, yes, I may find myself up on deck 10 at the Fitness Centre most mornings on a sea day, everything that comes after that may be different. Some mornings I venture down to Glentaner Restaurant on deck 6 for a big breakfast complete with Quorn veggie sausage, beans, mushrooms, and hash browns alongside pineapple juice, water, and coffee. Mr. Wilson always greets us with a great big welcome while the servers have already adapted to our requests. Danielle might want her Coco Pops and soya milk and they know she doesn’t drink coffee, while I do and don’t eat most everything else. Other mornings I just do a quick drive by at Glentaner and ask for two bananas to go. Either way, everyone is always so friendly and accommodating to my food requests as well as everyone else’s.

Some people grab a quick breakfast and head off to a morning lecture or port talk on an upcoming port. Others enjoy more active activities like crafting, art, pottery, dancing, acting class, or the ever popular ukulele classes. There really is something for everyone and you don’t need to look too hard or too far to find it.

Sunshine For Everyone

I was reminded that British people don't get a lot of sun and that's why they aren't happy when they should have sun and don't.Click To Tweet

After breakfast, if it’s sunny out, you can usually find Danielle and I out sunbathing and working on our world cruise tans. The past week has been a mixed bag of mostly grey skies and clouds and very little sun so we’ve only sat out a little. The rainy weather definitely affects the mood on the ship as everyone wants to sit in the sun. I was reminded that British people don’t get a lot of sun and that’s why they aren’t happy when they should have sun and don’t. I, in turn, noted that Americans living in New England see sun maybe for half the year, snow the other half. Basically, everyone wants a little sun.

Sunning either on decks 7, 8, 9, or 10 can take us right up to lunchtime. You know it’s getting close to lunch because we’ve already decided where we will eat, either the Poolside Cafe or Glentaner Restaurant, and what we will eat.

Lunchtime On A Sea Day

When it’s just about noon, we’ve decided where we will eat and we are already halfway to our destination. If we’ve been sunbathing, it’s just easier to eat at the Poolside Cafe on deck 6 poolside so we don’t have to go in and change. It’s here that guests can enjoy dishes like fish and chips or the chicken kebab. I usually get the chicken kebab without the chicken. Otherwise, we will head to deck 6 and Glentaner Restaurant. You can order off the menu or enjoy something off the buffet. If you’re really lucky, they might even have the special curry buffet, which is great Indian food offerings.

After Lunch – More Sun If Possible

With our bellies full, we might go back out and get a little more sun if possible. Then we usually return to our cabin, shower, and get some afternoon projects completed. This usually includes the not so fun, but ever so necessary tasks of doing laundry, ironing, and tidying up the cabin. In between all of these mundane tasks, we also try to get work done. The internet while at sea is nothing like what you have at home so it’s completely different, but doable. But it can be difficult when you want to socialize and know you have to sit in the cabin to get work done. Sometimes we take a break and grab a drink in the Lido Bar on deck 7 to break up the monotony of it all.

Get Ready For Dinner

Once 5 pm hits, this is when we start getting ready for dinner. Danielle has at this point checked out both menus from Glentaner Restaurant and Brigadoon, the buffet restaurant. My vegan meals are prepared especially for me and can be delivered to either restaurant. Unless it’s a formal night, we dress in our “smart casual” clothes of pants and tops or sundresses. With the weather being as hot as it has been, I usually opt for the easier choice of just throwing a sundress on. Then we sit and chat with friends up on deck 8 before heading down for our meal.

After Dinner

I love the night air, looking at the stars, and the sound of the water at night. Click To Tweet

There’s something to be said about being at sea and hearing the waves crash against the ship. I could sit inside and watch a show, but I love the night air, looking at the stars, and the sound of the water at night. Many times you’ll find us sitting and chatting until 11 pm at night or when “Supper Club” begins. That’s what we call the late night offerings in the Brigadoon Restaurant where Danielle enjoys fried chicken every chance she gets.

In Between Moments

No two cruisers will have the same experience, but each can and should make the most of their time on board their cruise. Click To Tweet

Not every sea day is as straightforward as what I’ve written here. Many times we are discussing and planning our port days, too. Or we might have lazy day conversations about nothing that can go on for hours. I might skip the gym if the ship is swaying more than I would like. But in the end, our sea days might not be the kind of sea days you’d expect. But that’s ok because regardless of the demographic of a cruise line, you can and should have fun regardless. All of the activities on a cruise ship are offerings. You can participate in any, all, or none of them. As a result, no two cruisers will have the same experience, but each can and should make the most of their time on board their cruise.

What do you like to do on sea days? Do you have any suggestions on how to make your time at sea more fun? Leave your comments below. Discover some other great destinations and travel ideas here on the Travel Shop Girl website .