One of my favourite
places to hang out during a sea day - the ship's aft overlooking
the wake.
A balcony afternoon tea at
sea is so civilized!
Another favourite pastime -
hot tubbing with the hubby.
A brisk walk around the
promenade while breathing in the salt air is invigorating.
Watching the spectacular
sunset is always the perfect way to end my sea day.
Here is
an interesting test to perform with your friends or clients. Show a
transatlantic cruise itinerary to newbie and veteran cruisers, the newbies will
all cry "too many sea days!" while the veterans will not bat an eye.
Show the
same group a 2 wk. Hawaii cruise with 10 sea days; newbies will wonder if they
could survive being "stuck" at sea all that time, while the veterans
will say "bring it on!".
Isn't it
funny how sea days are perceived depending on one's cruise history?
In a
previous article I wrote about how people's habits and preferences change as
they become more experienced cruisers. This is one of those examples.
New
cruisers tend to favour port days. They want to discover destinations and see
as many places as possible.
To
newbies, sea days may also suggest boredom as many think that when the ship is
cruising, there is nothing going on except to wait for the next port of call.
Then there is the fear of feeling captive onboard during sea days, being
subjected to a rigid schedule and forced participation in activities.
But in
time, as they become frequent cruisers, they will learn from their experience,
rid of the misconceptions, and embrace sea days. Just ask the veteran cruisers
what they enjoy most from their itinerary every time they cruise. I'm willing
to bet that sea days will make it high on their list.
Sea days
offer a reprieve from busy port days. There is no need to wake up early to go
on tour. There is no schedule to follow, and there is a opportunity to do all
the things you don't have time to do when you are at home. Ordering room
service, relaxing on your balcony, working out at the gym, taking a nap -
insert your own favourite pastime or guilty pleasure! Mine are soaking in the
hot tub and watching the sunsets.
When I
choose my own cruise vacation, I always pay attention to the number of sea days
in the itinerary. My favourites are ones that have sea days in between port
days, or multiple sea days in a row.
Some
people even wish for a week-long (or longer) cruise to nowhere, with just sea
days and no ports. If a cruise line comes up with such a sailing, I think they
will get a lot of veteran cruisers in line, myself included!
So let's
look forward to converting more newbies to veterans, and you will be selling
more extended voyages and even aim for that world cruise. Imagine 30+ sea days
out of 100!
And the
next time your newbie clients return from their cruise saying they were so
exhausted they need a vacation to recuperate, just smile and suggest next time,
perhaps they should try a cruise with more sea days.
Ming Tappin is a cruise veteran with 20 years' experience in the
industry and has sailed on 36 cruises and counting. Based in Vancouver, Ming is
passionate about cruising and has just launched her new business - Your Cruise
Coach Consulting. Ming can be reached at
ming@yourcruisecoach.com. Visit www.yourcruisecoach.com.
