When you’re on a cruise ship, it’s not just like any another vacation. You eat, sleep, and play on the ship. It’s literally your home away from home. So there’s actually a day-to-day life onboard that most people don’t realize when they first start cruising.
So what do I wish I knew about daily life on the ship before I ever sailed? These things are definitely what you should be aware of…
The Schedule Is ON TIME
If you’re cruising the Caribbean, then you’re likely thinking of a Jimmy Buffett lifestyle. A cool drink in your hand, flip-flops, and no worry about the time. And for a good chunk of the cruise, that’s pretty accurate.
But given the relaxed atmosphere, what’s surprising is how the schedule dominates daily life. Sure, everyone knows not to be late for all aboard when in port, but there’s a list of opening times for restaurants, showtimes in the theater, and times for things like trivia contests and other onboard activities.
These aren’t suggestions. There is no “island time” on a cruise ship. If the daily planner says the show starts at 7:00, that means it starts at 7:00. If the casino opens at 6 p.m., then it’s not going to open at 5:45.
Now if you show up late, say to a show, that’s no issue. You’ll still be let in. But don’t think they are holding the show or dinner or anything else to account for the late-comers.
It’s Crowded… At Times
I’m not going to beat around the bush. I think that a lot of cruise line advertising is disingenuous. Go to any website or watch any commercial and you’ll see people having all sorts of fun. That’s the real part. What you’ll also notice is that in these ads, there’s rarely anyone else around.
That’s just not the reality.
It’s a ship with thousands of other people on it. There are going to be spots and times when there are crowds. Now, does this mean you’re going to be shoulder to shoulder with other people 24/7? Absolutely not. There are always plenty of spots to relax without tons of other people around.
But crowds are just a part of cruising and despite the impression that ads might give, you’re going to have to navigate them if you sail a mass-market line. Honestly, there’s such a thing as too many people, but having others around also helps to build up the energy.
Good Luck Swimming
In a similar vein to the crowds that are part of daily life, I do have to give a special focus to the ship’s pools.
On vacation at a resort in the Caribbean, you’d expect there to be a huge pool. Cruise ships — for as big as they are — give it a good try but they have two factors against them. First, there are a lot of people on a cruise ship and second, is physics. Water is heavy and pools are at the top of the ship. In other words, they can only be so big.
So if your daily life on the ship is picturing a dip in the pool, well, good luck. It’s going to be more of just sitting still in the pool with dozens of your closest friends. If it’s a day in port then you can often swim without it being packed. Otherwise, expect a crowd.
Most Day-to-Day Is Similar, No Matter the Line
Now I want to be clear. There are some cruise lines I like more than others, and depending on what someone is looking for in a vacation, I’d recommend different lines. A lot of that ties into the other passengers on the ship and how someone will fit.
But when it comes to daily life on the ship, I’d estimate that about 80% of it all is the exact same no matter which line you sail. So whether you sail Carnival or Royal Caribbean or MSC or Virgin, there’s so much that’s going to be similar, if not the exact same.
Want to hang out by the pool with a drink in your hand? That’s universal. There’s always a sailaway party. Shows — while certainly not the same — are fairly similar to one another. Ports of call are almost all the same and even the private islands are getting more similar.
To me the big differences in cruising are the age of the ship and the rest of the crowd… not what’s actually offered onboard.
The Surprising Amount of Time Spent Onboard
Speaking of onboard the ship, when it comes to daily life on the cruise… well, it’s primarily on the ship. I’ve taken dozens of cruises, and I swear I feel like I’ve got to see and do everything the first day. But truth is, there is a ton of time that you’re on the ship and you will have plenty of time for everything.
Take a 7-day cruise, for example. If you board at 2 p.m. on a Saturday and leave the ship at 8 a.m. the next Saturday, that’s a total of 162 hours on the ship. If the cruise has three ports of call during that trip that are 8 hours each, that means you have 138 hours on the ship if you spend every possible minute in port, which very few people do.
That 138 hours adds up to nearly six full days onboard out of a weeklong trip. Of course, you’ll sleep during a chunk of that, but even if you sleep in, we’re talking about literally days of time on the ship. And despite lots going on, there’s also going to be plenty of downtime, especially as you move to longer cruises.
I don’t think that’s something most first-time cruisers quite realize.
You Can Make it What You Want
So let’s talk about the schedule of daily life on the ship. Specifically, from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed — and likely well after you go to bed — there’s always something to do. I think it’s pretty well-known that there’s a schedule full of things happening.
But I don’t think it’s as well-known just how much you can make the daily life onboard completely yours. Sure, if there is an activity or a show that you want to enjoy, then you’ll need to check the schedule and plan around it.
Outside of that if you want to sleep in, sleep in. If you want to just sit on the balcony all day, then by all means. If you want to ride waterslides or gamble in the casino all day, that’s your prerogative.
Yes, there is a lot that’s structured on a cruise, but it’s completely your vacation.
Be Ready For the Selling
If there was one daily life part of my first cruise that actually was actually a negative to me, then it has to be the amount of selling pushed by the cruise line.
If you don’t already know, what you pay to get on the ship is just the start of what you’ll spend on the trip. For every dollar taken in for cruise fare, there’s about 40-50 cents that comes from onboard spending, according to cruise line financial filings. So for a $2,000 cruise, the average spend on other items on the ship is $800 to $1,000.
And on the ship, the cruise lines make it a part of daily life to push that spending. Whether it’s emails before your cruise, flyers on your cabin door, or announcements around the ship, you’re going to get ads on your cruise.
The Ship… Doesn’t Feel Like a Ship
I think the biggest change in cruising over the past generation is without a doubt the advancement of the cruise ships themselves. In the 1990s, a new ship might be 70,000 gross tons. Today, the biggest cruise ships get up to 250,000 gross tons.
With that increase there comes a lot more offered in day-to-day cruise life, with more restaurants, more entertainment options, shops, and everything else.
But what’s strange is that the biggest vessels don’t even feel like a ship. These days the size and scale of the ships are so massive that the nautical feel is highly diminished. On many cruises you aren’t likely to feel the ocean because of that size. And there’s so much interior space that you can largely spend the entire day without even seeing the water if you wanted to. Heck, Royal Caribbean ships even have full-blown parks in the middle of them.
Those older and smaller ships feel a bit more like a ship, but new ones are simply resorts that happen to float.
Get Ready to Use Your Phone Each Day
On land, a phone is definitely part of daily life. (For most of us, it’s too much of our lives.)
You’d think that at sea where you can’t even get a cell signal, it would be a chance to disconnect. Well, what’s surprising is that these days you may be on your phone more on the ship than you are at home… and I’m only slightly joking.
First, wi-fi is on any cruise ship and tons of us connect. So you can use your phone just like on land. But beyond that, even if you don’t sign up for wi-fi, you’re going to use your phone.
Cruise lines all have apps and frankly, they are pretty helpful. They link up to a free portion of the wi-fi, so everyone can access them. You’ll have the daily schedule, maps, reservations, your onboard account and more all in the palm of your hand.
Then there is the rise of QR codes around ships — especially for menus — that has increased since the pandemic.
So, yes, the phone being part of daily life has spread to cruising as well.
Cruise Life Is Amazingly Diverse
I want you to take a second and picture the average cruiser in your head. The stereotype a lot of people go to is maybe of an older couple from the Midwest wearing fanny packs that thinks visiting a Senor Frogs counts as exotic. And there’s also the old adage is that cruises are for “the newlywed and nearly dead.”
I can tell you that the daily life on the cruise ship is wildly diverse. I can’t say it clearer: everyone likes cruising.
White folks. Black folks. Hispanic. Asian. Old, young, kids, newlyweds, gay, straight. Look around the cruise ship and you’ll see everyone represented.
I will say that the port and the cruise do have an impact. So a shorter cruise out of Miami will be a lot younger and diverse than a 7-day Alaskan cruise from Seattle.
Still, at a time when it doesn’t seem we can agree on much, it seems we all agree on taking a cruise.
