Sea days have a way of creating their own rhythm—and before long, it becomes a routine we look forward to each day. We had 9 sea days on this cruise.  Tomorrow we step back onto land for 3 port days. 

One of the most frequent questions I get asked by people that have never been on a cruise ship is aren’t you bored on your sea days…. The answer is below and a resounding No. 

Each morning waking up is a little harder as we go through the time changes. We lose an hour a day and it is spaced out every day. We have to do this 6 times. I almost prefer doing it all at once and getting over with it. 

Our mornings begin with daily Mass for Nana, Papa on Sunday. It’s a peaceful and meaningful way to start the day, setting the tone before everything else unfolds. Afterward, Papa meets Nana  at breakfast. Coffee for me, hot water for Nana—simple, breakfast for both of us, familiar, and just the way we like it. It’s a quiet moment together before the ship fully comes alive. Breakfast is my favorite meal. 

From there, our paths sometimes split a bit.

You’ll usually find me working on trains—checking in on things, tinkering, working on my blog, staying connected to my projects even while crossing the ocean. Nana, on the other hand, dives right into the activities she enjoys most. Cooking classes, art lessons—each day brings something new for her to learn and experience. Nana’s latest project is making a thank you sign for all the crew members… in their own language. Nana and Papa are also helping to sponsor a special dinner for the crew. 

We also attended a mariner event where you receive a medal for varying amounts of ship days.  A couple there were honored who had 3,400 ship days, almost 10 years living on a ship. Wow!

By afternoon, we have dance class together . We are learning the Waltz. Cha Cha, Swing and Salsa.  While we loved dancing throughout our relationship we have never had time to learn anything formal.  I love learning and this is a fun way to learn. There’s something about learning together, laughing through the missteps, and slowly getting better that makes it one of the highlights of the day.

Next we reconnect over duplicate bridge. Nana is so good and I am still learning.  On , Sunday we took 4th, Friday we took 3rd place, Monday and Tuesday we took first. There are very good bridge players on this cruise and we have to fight for every point. It’s become part of the routine now, a mix of focus, fun, and just enough challenge to keep things interesting.

Evenings bring one of the most unexpected joys of the cruise.

Dinner is shared with six other people—strangers when the cruise began, but not for long. Each night brings new stories, new conversations, and the kind of connections that seem to happen more easily at sea.  We are also having special dinners at speciality restaurants with friends who we have met on past cruises. 

After dinner, the night unfolds however it wants to. Sometimes it’s a show, sometimes a bit of entertainment, and sometimes just sitting and talking with people we’ve met—whether earlier in life or just days ago on this ship. Sometimes Nana heads back to sleep while Papa stays out and sometimes we head back together. 

And then, just like that, the day winds down.

Back to the room. Lights out. The gentle motion of the ship.

Ready to wake up and do it all over again.