LET’S SAY YOU’RE CRUISING the Caribbean. You can start your morning with an early-bird breakfast or a walk or jog around deck, or you can have breakfast from the menu in the dining room. Late sleepers can order breakfast from room service or catch the breakfast buffet, which stays open later than the dining room. It may be served on the “lido” deck—a casual indoor/outdoor dining facility on the same deck as the swimming pool or sports facilities. The lido buffet has longer and more flexible hours, enabling you to come and go at will.
Days at sea are the most relaxing of the cruise itinerary. The casino, shopping arcade, spa, exercise room, and shore-excursion desk are open. Programs and activities are virtually nonstop on large ships; many folks, however, hang out by the pool or on deck to enjoy the beauty of the sea and the relaxing movement of being underway. The captain may update passengers over the public-address system on the ship’s progress toward the next port. The captain or cruise director may also point out interesting sights.
Lunch works much like breakfast: you can eat in the dining room and order from the menu, or you can stay in your swimsuit and eat burgers or pizza by the pool, where there is likely to be a music combo playing upbeat rhythms. You can join the pool games—always a good way to meet people—or just watch or ignore them. You then might work out, read, nap, play bridge, learn the latest dance steps, or attend orientation lectures about the next port. Recently released movies are shown in the ship’s movie theater or on cabin television in the afternoon. On some ships, afternoon tea is a big deal—white gloves and all.
At cocktail hour, there is usually live music by the pool, often with special drinks or appetizers, or happy hour in one of the bars.
As dinner approaches, it’s time to dress for the evening. The dress code generally is specified on the daily agenda slipped under your door every evening. It is also spelled out in the cruise line’s brochure, so you can pack accordingly. (More information on dress codes is available under “Preparing for Your Cruise.”)
Some passengers stroll the deck before dinner, particularly at sunset, a beautiful time at sea. Others have a drink in one of the lounges. Dinner in the dining room is a social culmination of the day’s activity. Spirits are always high.
After lingering over several well-prepared courses, it’s off to the showroom, where live entertainment, ranging from Las Vegas–style variety shows to Broadway musicals, is offered nightly. After the show, early risers and those who had a long day of touring retire to their cabins. The more active or party-minded guests head for the casino, disco, or a lounge with entertainment. Midnight buffets are about gone these days. On select nights there may be a special latenight buffet or light snack fare. Now, too, on many ships, you have another option—a 24- (or almost 24-) hour alternative restaurant, often dressed up for the evening with table service and music. Before turning in, stretch out in a chaise lounge on deck with a glass of wine. Breathe in the balmy salt-sea air and be caressed by the warm breeze. Lose yourself among the million stars of the Caribbean night. Usually, cruise ships sail through the night and arrive at the next port early in the morning. If you have risen in time to enjoy the early morning—another gorgeous time at sea—you can watch your ship dock. It’s interesting and fun. After breakfast, the captain announces that the ship has been cleared by local officials and that passengers may disembark. Those signed up for shore excursions are given lastminute instructions about when and where to meet and are normally first to go ashore.
Although port calls range from two hours to two days (with an overnight at dock), most are four to ten hours—enough time to get a taste of an island or city. As you disembark, crew members remind you of the sailing time and make sure you are carrying your cruise identification, which you must present to reboard. Once ashore, some people explore on foot on their own, take walking tours, shop, and perhaps try a shoreside restaurant. Others hire a cab for a driving tour, and most take shore excursions purchased aboard ship. Shore excursions take many forms. Some are passive (bus tour), but others are active (snorkeling, sailing, hiking, biking, or fishing). Surprisingly, many folks, particularly repeat cruisers, stay aboard ship. It’s quiet—almost empty of passengers—but it’s in full operation, except for casinos and shops. Lunch is served on schedule in the dining room. About an hour before sailing, you reboard the ship. Don’t be late. The ship will not wait for you! Just before castoff, go topside to watch the crew prepare for departure. Leaving port is always interesting, and a ship’s higher decks offer a great viewing platform. Once at sea, the ship settles into its normal nighttime routine, and so do you.
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