What is there to do on the ship?

[kiford]

If you are find yourself doing "nothing", it's' your own fault.

I recall on our Baltic cruise, on one of our sea days, we slept in late, had breakfast, and then DH and I decided to sit out on deck for about 30 minutes or so and then intended to go look for something else to do. We were sailing with friends and other acquaintances but not necessarily spending all day with them. But one couple passed by where we were sitting so they came and sat with us, had a drink, chatted for a while, then another of the couples wandered by and we dragged some more chairs over, then the third couple came by so we dragged a few more chairs over. A couple of hours later, more chatting, some ice cream, a movie, something, something, time for the early show, then get ready for dinner....... I don't know if we'd actually planned to do anything that day but we ended up doing pretty much nothing but that nothing took all day.

And on other at sea days on other cruises, we may be doing movies (in room, funnel vision, theatre), cooking demos, trivia contests, lectures (history, once with an imagineer, on animation techniques, etc.), reading in a cafe or lounge or on deck, listening to live music, alcohol tastings, spa, mid-ship detective, mini golf, gym, tree lighting ceremony at Christmas, various activities happening in the atrium, live theatre or other acts, dancing, surprise character interactions, pool lounging time, chatting to other guests, ........ We can have a lazy day, a busy day, a balanced lazy/busy day or whatever we choose.

 

[VTNuke]

I recall on our Baltic cruise, on one of our sea days, we slept in late, had breakfast, and then DH and I decided to sit out on deck for about 30 minutes or so and then intended to go look for something else to do. We were sailing with friends and other acquaintances but not necessarily spending all day with them. But one couple passed by where we were sitting so they came and sat with us, had a drink, chatted for a while, then another of the couples wandered by and we dragged some more chairs over, then the third couple came by so we dragged a few more chairs over. A couple of hours later, more chatting, some ice cream, a movie, something, something, time for the early show, then get ready for dinner....... I don't know if we'd actually planned to do anything that day but we ended up doing pretty much nothing but that nothing took all day.

And on other at sea days on other cruises, we may be doing movies (in room, funnel vision, theatre), cooking demos, trivia contests, lectures (history, once with an imagineer, on animation techniques, etc.), reading in a cafe or lounge or on deck, listening to live music, alcohol tastings, spa, mid-ship detective, mini golf, gym, tree lighting ceremony at Christmas, various activities happening in the atrium, live theatre or other acts, dancing, surprise character interactions, pool lounging time, chatting to other guests, ........ We can have a lazy day, a busy day, a balanced lazy/busy day or whatever we choose.

None of that sounds like "Nothing" to me. Relaxing is something everyone should do on a cruise. Not relaxing would be a cruise fail. I'd also say if you get bored, there's plenty to do.

 

[lilsonicfan]

One of my cousins took a disney cruise to Alaska with her husband and two girls when they were maybe around 7 and 9 years old. They told me they felt generally bored on the cruise. Bingo and Trivia were roundly criticized. I think cruising requires a certain personality. My cousin and her family are extremely active, and to her it felt silly to pay to play bingo, or to do trivia with strangers, or to learn how to fold towel animals, or watch a fruit carving demonstration etc. They enjoyed aspects of it but wouldn't go again and I think that is fine. I think some of us would enjoy certain vacations more than others. They would likely love backpacking through Europe - but I'd much rather cruise to Europe

 

[kiford]

None of that sounds like "Nothing" to me. Relaxing is something everyone should do on a cruise. Not relaxing would be a cruise fail. I'd also say if you get bored, there's plenty to do.

I guess it depends on how you define "nothing". We did no planned ship activities. Some people consider that to be nothing so would find that boring on a cruise. I typically assume when someone asks what there is to do on a cruise, they're looking for planned activities. Our vacations used to be totally filled with activities with little downtime or just sitting and doing nothing. The relaxation was less physical and more mental - no thinking about work or what needs to be done at home can be relaxing for the brain. DH in particular has always had a hard time disconnecting from work unless he is actively occupied with something else. We'd come home mentally refreshed but physically exhausted. However, as we've gotten older, we find that we are better able to shut our work/home brains off when we're away so we are able to enjoy just sitting around for a while doing nothing while interspersing more active planned things. Now we come home both mentally and physically refreshed. It's one of the reasons we enjoy cruises because we can be as active or lazy as we like at least on at sea days. On port days we're usually out seeing things unless it's a Caribbean port which we've seen plenty of so don't feel so much need to tour unless it's new to us. I find that balance harder when I'm on a land vacation because I feel like I should be out seeing things so I don't miss anything. When I'm at sea, I feel more like it's totally at my option to do or not to do.

 

[hubbard53]

..my cousin and her family are extremely active, and to her it felt silly to pay to play bingo, or to do trivia with strangers, or to learn how to fold towel animals, or watch a fruit carving demonstration etc. They enjoyed aspects of it but wouldn't go again and I think that is fine. I think some of us would enjoy certain vacations more than others. They would likely love backpacking through Europe - but I'd much rather cruise to Europe

ugh, we have one of 'those' in my neighborhood. Whenever anyone mentions a cruise he's first to proclaim he's much too active to go on a 'floating buffet'. He rides 20 miles on his bike everyday, there's no way he could just SIT and do NOTHING. Plus, he cooks all his own food and there's NO WAY he could get the same quality of food and nutrition that his active body demands...

 

[lilsonicfan]

ugh, we have one of 'those' in my neighborhood. Whenever anyone mentions a cruise he's first to proclaim he's much too active to go on a 'floating buffet'. He rides 20 miles on his bike everyday, there's no way he could just SIT and do NOTHING. Plus, he cooks all his own food and there's NO WAY he could get the same quality of food and nutrition that his active body demands...

Oh man that would be so annoying. My cousin isn't that extreme, thankfully. She just said maybe cruising isn't for her. If she had started to talk about kale smoothies I would have rolled my eyes for sure lol.

 

[ScooterScott44]

If you are find yourself doing "nothing", it's' your own fault.

It may be your fault or your choice. There are so many things to do you really will find something you can do but it is vacation and it can be just as nice to relax and do nothing.

 

[southerngirl528]

I guess it depends on how you define "nothing". We did no planned ship activities. Some people consider that to be nothing so would find that boring on a cruise. I typically assume when someone asks what there is to do on a cruise, they're looking for planned activities. Our vacations used to be totally filled with activities with little downtime or just sitting and doing nothing. The relaxation was less physical and more mental - no thinking about work or what needs to be done at home can be relaxing for the brain. DH in particular has always had a hard time disconnecting from work unless he is actively occupied with something else. We'd come home mentally refreshed but physically exhausted. However, as we've gotten older, we find that we are better able to shut our work/home brains off when we're away so we are able to enjoy just sitting around for a while doing nothing while interspersing more active planned things. Now we come home both mentally and physically refreshed. It's one of the reasons we enjoy cruises because we can be as active or lazy as we like at least on at sea days. On port days we're usually out seeing things unless it's a Caribbean port which we've seen plenty of so don't feel so much need to tour unless it's new to us. I find that balance harder when I'm on a land vacation because I feel like I should be out seeing things so I don't miss anything. When I'm at sea, I feel more like it's totally at my option to do or not to do.

Well said. I feel so much the same way about cruises.

 

[Dug720]

It may be your fault or your choice. There are so many things to do you really will find something you can do but it is vacation and it can be just as nice to relax and do nothing.

Maybe I read it differently, but I thought that they meant that statement towards people complaining about "nothing to do". Yes, you can certainly choose to do nothing - but then don't come and complain on a message board that there was "nothing to do".

 

[cruiser21]

One of my cousins took a disney cruise to Alaska with her husband and two girls when they were maybe around 7 and 9 years old. They told me they felt generally bored on the cruise. Bingo and Trivia were roundly criticized. I think cruising requires a certain personality. My cousin and her family are extremely active, and to her it felt silly to pay to play bingo, or to do trivia with strangers, or to learn how to fold towel animals, or watch a fruit carving demonstration etc. They enjoyed aspects of it but wouldn't go again and I think that is fine. I think some of us would enjoy certain vacations more than others. They would likely love backpacking through Europe - but I'd much rather cruise to Europe

I'm a lot like this. I really don't enjoy the activities. In my 20's and early 30's I would have gone stir crazy on a ship. I've always been a very active person. As I'm getting older and my kids have worn me out. I don't mind the down time. I like cruising mostly to see new destinations and it's easier then a land trip. My dream trip would be a vacations by Disney trip to Russia or China. I need to win the lottery first.