If you have never cruised with Crystal Cruises, you might be forgiven for thinking that a sea day is boring. What, no port to investigate? No shopping to be done? How do you spend your day— or in our case- five straight days of sea days?
Sea days have become my busiest days. No time to waste- let’s go.
Sunrise in these parts can be early- so if you’ve pulled back your veranda curtains to look out the night before, you might roll over and open an eye at 5am. You are warm and toasty under your down duvet, so if you feel like coffee in your room ( Anna-Grace, I’m looking at you!), you stretch out one hand to the phone and dial room service.
A cheery voice greets you “Good morning, Ms. Horne. What may I do for you?” That is, unless your remembered to hang a little sign out ordering what you want in the morning and what time you want it. Then there’s just a gentle tap on the door at the appointed hour.
But, I know I have to get up and get going. So I throw on workout clothes, and head up to deck 13 and the gym- passing by early riser’s continental breakfast for a shot of juice. On alternate days, I wait until after 8am yoga class. I could wait and do the 9am pilates class, but I have plans.
After workout, it’s either the breakfast buffet on deck 12 or the dining room on deck 5. Lots of coffee.
Get cleaned up because it’s nearly 10 am and time for the first lecture. It could be “The Wreck of the Maud”, or "The Best Options to Stop North Korea”, or “The Landscape of Social Networking”.
No worries if you miss a lecture doing something else, like sleeping, or wine tasting, knitting class or needlepointing. They are replayed in your stateroom.
10:45am- want a cappuccino in the Bistro before the next round of lectures?
11:00am- any talk sound interesting? Hmmm-How about a chat on the House of Faberge? How about one on polar bears? How about a seminar on acupuncture or a ladies’ pamper party up in the spa?
Oops, gotta run- it’s nearly 12 noon, and time for team trivia up in Palm Court. It’s a family tradition to participate. Stacy gives your brain a workout- some days are more successful than others. On this cruise, I’ve learned that Mexico and Luxembourg are the only countries with the letter “x” in them, that the Montreal Expos became the Washington Nationals, and that the color red appears the most in flags of the world.
12:45pm- strap on the feed bag, it’s time to eat again. Waayyy too many options. Dining Room- three formal courses. Lido Buffet- sometimes with an Asian, Indian or Latin theme. Trident Grill for a burger, or Tastes for a Margherita pizza or pot stickers.
Afternoon is a rinse-and-repeat of the morning- lecture at 1:30pm- or knitting class, art class, computer class, movie, bridge class, paddle tennis match, golf lesson….
Or just sitting in Palm Court watching the waves roll by.
Or a nap by the pool (well, not this cruise, although the pool is always 82f and the hot tubs 102f).
3:30pm- anyone up for full English tea? Cucumber sandwiches, scones, tarts- the works. Live piano and violin music softly playing in the background.
Back in the room about 4:30, and you are asking yourself “ Where has the day gone?” as you try to figure out what to wear to dinner…….
Yep- a day at sea.
Nope, it never gets old.
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