Erin Foster, coauthor of The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line, shares with us 10 things to do on your Disney Cruise Line day at sea.
Novice Disney cruisers are often intimidated by the term “Day at Sea.” They can’t imagine how they’ll fill an entire day floating around in the ocean. But the opposite situation is more likely to occur. There are so many things to do on a day at sea that you’ll probably have a hard time choosing. Here are just a few examples of how you can spend your sea days:
- Exercise. The Disney ships have comprehensive gyms with equipment for cardio, strength, and flexibility. You’ll also find conditioning classes, private training, a half-court basketball area, and a golf simulator station. There’s an outdoor running track to get your heart rate up, or shuffleboard and Ping-Pong for some lower key activity.
- Pamper yourself. Try the full-service spas for a facial, massage, or mani-pedi. Relax in the “Rainforest Room” sauna and shower area, or sit poolside and work on your tan.
- Enjoy some entertainment. First-run films show every day. There’s nightly live entertainment, including Broadway-style shows, musicians, magicians, jugglers, or hypnotists. The in-room TVs offer much of the Disney back catalog, including old favorites you may not have seen in years, plus there are classic animation films shown by the pool deck. Or stock your own electronic device with a binge-worthy show and watch it on a comfy deck chair.
- Eat! If you’re in the mood for fine dining, the adults-only restaurants onboard offer special brunch menus on sea days. Or spend your day trying new foods. There’s no downside to ordering something you’re unfamiliar with on a Disney cruise. Want to try escargot, but not sure you’ll like it? Go ahead and order it, along with something else. There’s no extra charge—and no one will care if you don’t finish it.
- Indulge in the simple pleasures. Remember all those things that you never have time for at home—like sleeping late or reading a novel cover to cover? A day at sea is the perfect time to just chill or to reconnect with your family old-school style: Play cards or Monopoly, make a puzzle, do a crossword, drop in on a Bingo session, or work on a coloring book together.
- Learn something new. Depending on the length of your cruise, you’ll find a range of classes offered onboard. These might include cooking classes, wine or beer tasting seminars, crafts classes, dance lessons, lectures about the history or natural features of the ports you’ll visit, lessons on fancy napkin or towel folding, or how to draw your favorite characters.
- Shopping. The onboard shops are not open when the ships are in port. This makes at-sea day a prime opportunity for shopping. Look for Disney Cruise Line themed items, as well as items related to your voyage’s port of call.
- Showcase your talent.There is karaoke for children and adults almost every night. Longer cruises typically feature guest talent shows. Sing, dance, do magic tricks, tell jokes, or do your stupid human tricks. As long as it’s family-friendly, anything goes.
- Engage in some friendly competition. All sailings have trivia sessions, quizzing guests on Disney history, 80s music trivia, pirate trivia, or the like. Longer sailings have audience-participation versions of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Family Feud, Dating Game, and Wheel of Fortune.
- Meet characters. Disney Cruise line really steps up its character greeting game at sea. Sure, you can meet Cinderella at sea, just like on land. But the ships are also filled with classic characters in special voyage-themed or holiday-themed outfits (Minnie in a fur-lined parka for Alaska; Goofy in a Viking hat in Norway), as well as Disney-owned Marvel characters that can only be currently found at sea.
And don’t forget that most of these items are things for adults or families to do on sea days. There’s an entirely different list of activities for kids and teens to do on their days at sea. If you need more time to experience everything, another activity you can do onboard is book your next Disney cruise.
The Unofficial Guide to the Disney Cruise Line 2016 is a consumer-oriented guide to Disney’s cruise vacations. Order your copy NOW!
