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5 Sea Days each way???!


mlbcruiser
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I've read good things about ocean crossings with a lot of sea but I've also heard many people say that is too many days at sea for them. Thinking of a round-trip California to Hawaii and back. No doubt there will be plenty of the usual ship activities and some good cultural programs re Hawaii, but I'd like to hear from others who did a cruise with many days at sea who normally start to get a bit crazy after two full days at sea. In the middle of the Pacific ocean, there are no sites like fjords or lovely mountain islands to view on the way. No matter if your experience was good or bad please post your thoughts and how you enjoyed it or if you thought it was a bit too long with no ports to stop at.

Thanks for any input.

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I've had so far only two sea days in a row and as I travel for the ports and not for the ship I would never choose such cruise (except it would be gift and I don't have to pay for it or it would be one of this big Oasis Class Ships, where you have so many venues with Musicals, Comedy and such things, that you don't even have to go off board). For the same reason I would never go on "just-a-beach-ressort"-Holiday. But that's me...I need to explore and not to relax on a Holiday...

 

 

But thousands of others are doing that and are enjoying themself. Maybe ask your question on a page, where they discussing transatlantic cruises....

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Have you been to Hawaii many times, seen all the islands? If so, then maybe I'd trade a potential 10 days with my feet on the ground in Hawaii, for 10 sea days on a ship with all the bells and whistles. That, after all, is the choice you have to make, seeing Hawaii, or seeing the inside of a ship with a constant sea view.

 

If you've never been to Hawaii, then wasting those 10 days on a ship seems almost criminal. I'd save that for another itinerary. Instead of the round trip, my first choice would be flying to Honolulu for 7 days on the POA, which spends 2 days on each island, overnighting in Maui and Kauai. 7 days IN port, not at sea. I'd add days pre or post cruise on one or two of my favorite islands to equal the maximum number of days you have available for this vaction, and then fly home again.

 

At the very least, switch to a one way mainland to Hawaii cruise or the reverse, fly one way, and at least spend those 5 extra days in Hawaii. And cultural programs offered on a ship as a trade off for actually seeing and experiencing the real thing?!? Just attend a lecture or a travelogue on a cold or rainy day at home instead.

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Welp, I'll know soon enough if 5 sea days are too much.

We're going on a 15 night r/t out of SF and anxiously looking forward to it.

That said, we have been to the Islands many times on land trips so we have fortunately seen much of them. This is all about the voyage and shipboard experience.

 

At any rate, I see people here who do this itinerary each year because they enjoy it so much.

I hope you enjoy the cruise if you go with it.(y)

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Our first transatlantic cruise had an added sea day because we had divert around a large storm. That extra day (3 days instead of 2) made a lot of difference to my DH because he was not prepared for it. He is an active guy, and it made him a bit stir crazy. Our next attempt was a transpacific cruise with 5 sea days to Hawaii. He was fine on that because he was prepared for the number of sea days. This time around we are taking the 15 night round trip cruise to Hawaii, and are looking forward to the 10 sea days! So for him, it depended on his expectations.

 

Some people love sea days, while others are bored. It all depends on what you prefer. I enjoy the entertainment and enrichment activities, but I like the down time of doing nothing in particular on sea days as well. It's an individual decision based on your interests, activity level, and what's offered on the specific ship you are considering. Isn't it great we have so many options? Something is available for everyone and every personality.

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punkincc, yes, we have explored most of what most tourists like to see & do on separate, week long trips to Oahu, Maui and Kauai in the past. Just not the Big Island. The destination of HI was not the sole reason for chosing a cruise there. It's just that it is tropical, we always enjoy California (front or back end), and it was the right length. While we've cruised NCL before, IMO, POA seems rather overpriced for that line & ship and the length of those cruises. Then there is the flight cost on top of that.

 

I'm probably a bit like you, Cruisin Elf. I like both port days as well as sea days. It all depends upon which ports and if the weather is nice enough to spend outside on an upper deck on sea days. (I do realize the first 2 days out and last 2 back will be a bit chilly.) If there is a realliy good group of CC roll callers on board, that often enhances days at sea, too Yet I'm also like your dh and love exploring - a lot. Yet believe it or not, to some extent, one factor in this actually IS the high number of sea days. I thought it might be easier for my dh. His ability to dive, swim, snow ski, hike, or even walk for long periods of time was suddenly affected & changed 2 years ago. So our usual sightseeing pace and options of activities have been affected. Still, HE sort of thinks it might be too many days at sea. Ideally, alternating port and sea days would be terrific, but that isn't all that common. There are some cruises much like that, but they are so often very lengthy ones and not within our budget or time frame.

 

A one way to/from HI would be fabulous. I had thought of that originally, but I only found one and it was 2 months later than when we want to go. Pricier, too, but not ridiculously so. There are also a few that go in one direction but those are very long and more than we could afford. The one way to HI also would involve Vancouver. And that's a whole other situation.We departed from there for AK last year. For whatever reason, they didn't have their act together at all at that port. Beautiful to look at in a photo (w/the "sails" architecture), but entry too small, lines horrible with just 2 or 3 ships waiting to depart (May). Sadly, pax who weren't from the USA or Canada had it the worst w/regard to super long waits and lines. So unless there's no other choice, we'll avoid cruising from there.

 

Hoping someone who feared they would not like so many sea days but did, or those thinking they would love them and ended up finding out they would rather have had more or different things to do during that time, please chime in!

 

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. I appreciate it.

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Just a comment about cruising out of Vancouver. We've only done it once, and it was a piece of cake. Maybe we were lucky, or maybe the fact that we stayed at the Pan Pacific which sits atop the cruise terminal made the difference. The hotel has a wonderful harbor, bay and mountain view. The best part is the option to have your luggage picked up in your room and they walk it directly to the ship. We took an elevator down to the terminal level and walked straight to check in. It's a wonderful walkable area to stay in with miles of sea wall paths.

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My first cruise will be RT from Vancouver to Hawaii next April, and my wife and I are anxiously looking forward to it. We both work a lot during the year and vacations are work trips, so this will be a great chance to get away and do nothing. We want to just sit and relax and do nothing. Or maybe fill our day with onboard activities. Either way, it'll be fun.

 

A lot of people have told us that this is too long for a first cruise, but they underestimate our ability to enjoy relaxing.

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I just got back from a one way on Solstice. Good cruise but 5 sea days going was enough even though the conditions were very calm. I'd have gone stir crazy if I had to do another 5 days back. One ways are either late April early May or September.

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punkincc, yes, we have explored most of what most tourists like to see & do on separate, week long trips to Oahu, Maui and Kauai in the past. Just not the Big Island. The destination of HI was not the sole reason for chosing a cruise there. It's just that it is tropical, we always enjoy California (front or back end), and it was the right length. While we've cruised NCL before, IMO, POA seems rather overpriced for that line & ship and the length of those cruises. Then there is the flight cost on top of that.

 

I'm probably a bit like you, Cruisin Elf. I like both port days as well as sea days. It all depends upon which ports and if the weather is nice enough to spend outside on an upper deck on sea days. (I do realize the first 2 days out and last 2 back will be a bit chilly.) If there is a realliy good group of CC roll callers on board, that often enhances days at sea, too Yet I'm also like your dh and love exploring - a lot. Yet believe it or not, to some extent, one factor in this actually IS the high number of sea days. I thought it might be easier for my dh. His ability to dive, swim, snow ski, hike, or even walk for long periods of time was suddenly affected & changed 2 years ago. So our usual sightseeing pace and options of activities have been affected. Still, HE sort of thinks it might be too many days at sea. Ideally, alternating port and sea days would be terrific, but that isn't all that common. There are some cruises much like that, but they are so often very lengthy ones and not within our budget or time frame.

 

A one way to/from HI would be fabulous. I had thought of that originally, but I only found one and it was 2 months later than when we want to go. Pricier, too, but not ridiculously so. There are also a few that go in one direction but those are very long and more than we could afford. The one way to HI also would involve Vancouver. And that's a whole other situation.We departed from there for AK last year. For whatever reason, they didn't have their act together at all at that port. Beautiful to look at in a photo (w/the "sails" architecture), but entry too small, lines horrible with just 2 or 3 ships waiting to depart (May). Sadly, pax who weren't from the USA or Canada had it the worst w/regard to super long waits and lines. So unless there's no other choice, we'll avoid cruising from there.

 

Hoping someone who feared they would not like so many sea days but did, or those thinking they would love them and ended up finding out they would rather have had more or different things to do during that time, please chime in!

 

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. I appreciate it.

 

My DH is planning to amuse himself taking the ukulele lessons offered on board Princess ships. Maybe your husband would enjoy them, too.

 

Agree that the Vancouver port experience can be hit or miss depending on the number of ships. It is a lovely city with lots of beautiful places to see. If you do decide to sail one way out of Vancouver, you could get any unpleasantness over with and enjoy the rest of your vacation!

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My first cruise will be RT from Vancouver to Hawaii next April, and my wife and I are anxiously looking forward to it. We both work a lot during the year and vacations are work trips, so this will be a great chance to get away and do nothing. We want to just sit and relax and do nothing. Or maybe fill our day with onboard activities. Either way, it'll be fun.

 

A lot of people have told us that this is too long for a first cruise, but they underestimate our ability to enjoy relaxing.

 

Where's the "like" button? Love your line "...but they underestimate our ability to enjoy relaxing." I'll have to borrow that one! We're looking forward to lots of R & R on our upcoming RT Hawaii cruise.

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We did the 15 day round trip out of SF 3 years ago and are going again this year. It's 4 sea days each way and we can't wait. Princess has a nice selection of activities and we enjoy the lectures. As a teacher, I like a vacation where I can just kick back and read and enjoy the ship and hang out listening to music, etc.

 

I did notice that on the earlier trip we made the kids got pretty antsy the last few days at sea. :)

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We did the 15 day round trip out of SF 3 years ago and are going again this year. It's 4 sea days each way and we can't wait. Princess has a nice selection of activities and we enjoy the lectures. As a teacher, I like a vacation where I can just kick back and read and enjoy the ship and hang out listening to music, etc.

 

I did notice that on the earlier trip we made the kids got pretty antsy the last few days at sea. :)

Princess 15 day seems to be 4 going and 5 coming back plus Ensenada from LA

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Love the sea days. Activities on the different ships / cruise lines gives you the ability to do as little or as much as you want. We also just enjoy reading a book on the promenade deck & watching the sea go by. Go to a thread from the cruise line you'll cruise with & find out what other people are saying about their cruise for that itinerary.

Allan

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Seems there are a few people who sometimes find so much down time a bit dull. One of our problems is that we have cruised a whole lot and so many of the activites resemble one another from ship to ship, which can lead to been there done that too many times. I don't mean to sound so jaded, but also there are some lines whose activities aren't as numerous or their entertainment is rarely of the cutting edge or newer styles. We often take a couple of days to wind down, but on a cruise it's usually a day or 2 to wind down and then we are rarin' to be off doing something, then another break is o.k., and so on.

Hoping for the best and I appreciate the input and hearing everyone's experience.

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For us, the ship is the destination and the ports are icing on the cake. We love sea days and when we book our Caribbean cruises, we look for just a few ports and mostly sea days. We love to be able to relax and do various ship activities or nothing at all. Love the choices! We are going on the Grand to Hawaii in January and are looking forward to the many days at sea. In fact, we think that having the sea days after 4 straight days in port will be great for relaxing before getting back to San Francisco. And I understand there are many cultural activities on the way to the islands that we will definitely partake in.

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My husband and I are booked on a RT cruise from Vancouver to HI and back next April, 2018. We’ve been on several cruises and always have loved sea days, the days seem to fly by! Holland America doesn’t have as many “activities” as some of the other lines, but we love to spend afternoons on the promenade deck, where we grab a lounger and read the afternoon away (well, there may be a little snooze, too)! We usually exercise, enjoy the food (of course), people watch and go to a movie and the shows at night. As some have said, everyone is different, but we are equally looking forward to sea days as well as days in port in HI!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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I agree with all the comments. It really is very personal. I would say if Hawaii is all you want, then that 5+5 days seemed to be a lot of waste. But most people chose this itinerary is because they enjoy or don't mind the cruising experience.

We have been to Hawaii often both land based and cruising, toured almost every corner of the four major islands and developed our favorite things to do on each of them. Then we like to spend the relaxing days on the ocean, reading, wandering, eating, watching shows, and enjoy musics, while our kids playing in the pool or Kid Club. When the ship docks, we go do one or two of our favorite things on shore. So cruising to us is more like what you don't have to do while vacationing. And sailing out of San Francisco under the Golden Gate Bridge when the city is starting to lit up is an amazing experience by itself.

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This is a great topic! When my husband and I first started cruising, we thought a sea day is a waste of time! We focused on port-intensive itineraries. Well, after 20+ cruises, we now welcome sea days! :D

Our first transatlantic cruise included 5 consecutive sea days. We were on Oceania Marina. There were so much to do! In addition to educational & destination-related lectures, picture taking classes, and crafts projects, the crew organized "country fair" on pool deck, everyone had a blast! That sailing changed our perception of Sea Days.

 

We just came back from 10 days Vancouver to Honolulu on Solstice. 5 consecutive sea days before getting to the first port Kona.

This was a different cruise for my husband and me. This was the first time we sailed with 9 family members, age ranges 12-73, 3 generations.

To my mom, the 5 sea days were way too long.

To my siblings and us, our days were filled. We attended Hawaii-related lectures/ presentations; we learned to make Hawaii bracelets, learned to move our hips and call it Hula dance. My nieces and nephew never missed any ukulele lesson! In fact, they love ukulele so much, they bought one home to continue their practice!

This is not to say we were not happy to see land!

It would be irresponsible of me if i did not mention: Sea days in cold, rainy, windy, weather, or on choppy, rolling seas are not fun. I speak from personal experience. (Remember Super storm Sandy?)

Bottom line? if you choose itinerary with many sea days, choose sunny and warm destinations, far away from hurricanes and storms! Enjoy!

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We flew almost non-stop, coach, to Hawaii (Kauai) from the Southeast...

Now, THAT wasn't fun either.

To break up the flights... it would be two days for us.

 

While I can see myself and my husband just relish in relaxing onboard... I can also see myself becoming stir-crazy on the trip back!

We always try to pack too much into shorter trips... and wish we had more time to just relax, sit back, and soak it all in...

I wonder how much it would cost to abandon ship and fly back!!!! (Maybe try to get enough points....) Best of both worlds.

 

I haven't looked at the Celebrity one-way type options. But, for us, it is only kind-of one way for us, as we would have to fly a good distance the day before we embark....

 

The NCL POA does not get great reviews. And, they do charge a premium for that round-trip itninerary!!! Especially after one flies (unless you are on the West Coast).

 

Decisions, Decisions!!!

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