One of the wonderful things about cruising is how easy it is for passengers to customize their cruise experience to their own vacation style.
Those who cruise to explore new destinations can choose from itineraries that take them all over the world. Some people balance relaxation and adventure on their cruises, while others don’t even care to leave the ship when it’s in a port of call.
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For those who cruise for the relaxing experience of being at sea, a transatlantic voyage can be very appealing. Most transatlantic cruises travel between North America and Europe as they cross the Atlantic Ocean. They usually last around two weeks and include at least five or six consecutive days at sea.
One cruise passenger posed a key question about these sea day-filled transatlantic cruises (referred to as TA) that got many cruisers talking in the Norwegian Cruise Line Reddit community recently.
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How many sea days are too many on a cruise?
“took my first cruise last October (TA on the Epic) and I left with mixed feelings. The more thought about it, it was the port days I didn’t like that much and the sea days were the real highlights for me,” shared Reddit user Doll287.
“I’m now considering the TA on the Dawn for this November,” Doll287 continued. “It seems like a good fit since there are less stops, but I’m wondering for those people who prefer time on the boat over the ports, is there a number of days where it just kind of gets to be too much?”
Some cruisers who commented on the thread didn’t think they could ever have too many sea days, but others shared their limits.
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“Currently on a 14-day with 10 sea days thanks to one port being canceled prior to the cruise and one being canceled on the cruise,” wrote Substantial-Bet-4775. “I’m finding this to be too many for me and I’m the kind of gal that loves sea days.”
“11 straight was a bit much. My max is 7-8 days in a row,” shared floooberry.
For those who aren’t big on sea days, even just two consecutive sea days can be too many.
“More than 2 in a row is too much for me. There’s only so much trivia and promotional events I can tolerate,” wrote Existing_Top_7677. “I’m not into gambling so casinos and bingo are not of interest. I should get into the exercise rather than the buffet … but I’m on holiday!”
Relaxation is a highlight of sea days
Some cruisers shared how they find sea days to be the most relaxing days of a cruise.
“We’ve done a few regular cruises (Caribbean and Alaska) and 2 long TA cruises. We really like the TAs. One was 10 days with no ports, and one was 13 days with 3 ports. They were our favorite ones,” shared kcwildguy. “Port days is all planning and rushing around. What time do I need to be off the boat? Where can I eat before I get off? What time do we need to be back? Will we have enough time? Too much for us. We like to enjoy some activities, and drink and read all day.”
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Others love the experience of enjoying relaxing activities while sailing in the open ocean.
“Sea days are the best!” wrote stritlem. “Out in the open ocean. Sunrises and sunsets. Massage days. Walks around the deck. Thermal spa.”
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Some sea-day-loving cruisers also noted that your experience can vary based on the ship you choose to sail. Passengers should carefully consider the ship and its amenities when booking a transatlantic voyage or another long cruise.
“You might want a newer ship that’s more comfortable and with more activities available on a transatlantic crossing,” SteveninDC suggested.
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