Why is the first day of a cruise typically a sea day?

[The Other Tom]

Inquiring minds want to know..

Could it be that the embarkation port is normally a long distance from the first port of call?

Or the cruise line wants to give you an opportunity to visit the spa, go to art auctions, etc ($$$$) ?

Or...what?

To me, a cruise is about the ports, not the ship. Anything on the ship is just icing on the cake.

[roger001]

You got to get to a port first. Hence, a sea day usually. And...each of us see it different. For us now it's the journey, not the destinations. We like the sea days just fine and frequently don't get off at ports.

[karoo]

I must do different itineraries as the cruises I’ve done this isn’t typical. My upcoming cruise I have 6 sea days in a row. Pretty sure my last cruise first sea day was day 4.

 

 

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[ColinIllinois]

I love sea days. Relaxation at it's best, if that is what you want, or enough on board activities to keep you hopping. It seems strange to me to when people go on a cruise SHIP but don't want to be at sea. ;)

[kochleffel]

Surely the distance between the ports is a factor. My upcoming cruise has only one sea day, and it's almost at the end.

[The Other Tom]

You got to get to a port first. Hence, a sea day usually.

Yes, you have to get to the first port, but....then you have to get to the next port. And it doesn't take a sea day to get to the next port. So basically you sail all night and get to the next port the next morning. On the first day, you sail all night, then all day, then that night to arrive at the first port. So the distance between the first port and the embarkation port is longer than the distance between the other ports. Why do they do it this way ? Is it because the embarkation port is "always" a long way from the first port, or is there some other reason?

[ColinIllinois]

Tom, it's really pretty simple. They want to provide a cruise ship experience while making money with a captive audience. There was actually a pretty good documentary, I believe it was the NCL Pearl, where they showed how this works and how the profit margin line is pretty thin that they have to reach for each cruise.

[ray98]

Geography. Surprised this is an actual question.

[boscobeans]

Considering a ship's speed is about 20-25 miles and hour and it leaves at around 4:00 PM if your first port of call is within about 300 or so miles it is reasonable to have a port day the next morning. Depending on Itinerary and length of the cruise you can either stop at closest to embarkation ports and have sea days added to the end of the cruise or have sea days at the start getting to the ports farthest from your initial port.

 

You also have to take into account bunkering for fuel and other factors that a ship has to figure into the mix.

 

 

Our upcoming 14 days cruise stops at 6 ports leaving plenty of time at sea, which is fine with us, allowing plenty of time to relax before visiting ports and relax after visiting them on our way back home.. LOL

 

bosco

[BirdTravels]

Geographically, people are trying to “get away” to somewhere new and exotic. We’ve been on several cruises out of Port Canaveral and our first port call is key west. You feel like a rip off going from Florida to Florida for one of your three port calls.

 

Always though the same about locals boarding in Rome and sailing to Florence (which you could drive in 1/4 the time).

[shof515]

To me, a cruise is about the ports, not the ship. Anything on the ship is just icing on the cake.

after taking 10+ cruises and going to same ports multiple times, the ship is why i book the cruise. i do not care for the ports. Port days allow me to experience things on the ship that will be crowded on sea days

[Cruise or Lose!]

Tom, if you don’t like cruising, why do you go?

 

 

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[bob brown]

I like both sea days and port days...my ideal itinerary (and a pretty rare one), would be to have alternating sea and port days for the entire cruise....hence a ten day cruise would have 5 port days, a 14 day cruise would have 7....etc.

The only one I have done with that mix was a New England/Canada cruise out of New York that went to Quebec City, and called at different ports in each direction...:cool:

[kochleffel]

I was just looking at a Costa itinerary that has port days at the departure/return port. It's a Baltic cruise from Stockholm, and the ship overnights at Stockholm on both the first and next-to-last days. This seems really strange to me.

[bob brown]

I was just looking at a Costa itinerary that has port days at the departure/return port. It's a Baltic cruise from Stockholm, and the ship overnights at Stockholm on both the first and next-to-last days. This seems really strange to me.

Actually, that is more common than you might think...especially for cruises that begin or end in Quebec City...one of the selling points is a pre or post cruise overnight there, with your ship as your 'hotel', for exploring the port...

[rbschultz]

Inquiring minds want to know..

Could it be that the embarkation port is normally a long distance from the first port of call?

Or the cruise line wants to give you an opportunity to visit the spa, go to art auctions, etc ($$$$) ?

Or...what?

To me, a cruise is about the ports, not the ship. Anything on the ship is just icing on the cake.

 

To me, a cruise is about the ship as opposed to the ports. I've been to most of the ports enough that the normal excursions, while fun, are a distraction from the ship.

 

Sea days are generally first due to distance. If you do a reverse itinerary and do Nassau first you don't have a sea day on day 1 due to it being so close to port.

[kochleffel]

Actually, that is more common than you might think...especially for cruises that begin or end in Quebec City...one of the selling points is a pre or post cruise overnight there, with your ship as your 'hotel', for exploring the port...

 

I can see the point of that -- for a cruise departing from Rome, I'm going two days early instead of one. One day early is just in case of a flight delay; the second day early is to have time in Rome. But I don't think I would really like spending the first night after boarding in port.

[PTC DAWG]

after taking 10+ cruises and going to same ports multiple times, the ship is why i book the cruise. i do not care for the ports. Port days allow me to experience things on the ship that will be crowded on sea days

 

Well said...

[candigirl41]

I also like sea days. I have done the Mexican Riviera so many times I don't usually get off the ship for more than an hour. I enjoy the empty ship while everyone else is off on excursions and shopping. Great time to enjoy the pool and hot tub.

 

Candi

[Moby0215]

Geographically, people are trying to “get away” to somewhere new and exotic. We’ve been on several cruises out of Port Canaveral and our first port call is key west. You feel like a rip off going from Florida to Florida for one of your three port calls.

 

 

 

Always though the same about locals boarding in Rome and sailing to Florence (which you could drive in 1/4 the time).

 

 

 

Except that Key West is a very popular port that many people want to go to but you aren’t going to Embark from there.

 

 

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[lcpagejr]

7 Day Southern Carribean cruises departing from San Juan and/or other islands have usually just 1 Sea day

[xriva]

Inquiring minds want to know..

Could it be that the embarkation port is normally a long distance from the first port of call?

Or the cruise line wants to give you an opportunity to visit the spa, go to art auctions, etc ($$$$) ?

Or...what?

To me, a cruise is about the ports, not the ship. Anything on the ship is just icing on the cake.

 

 

 

I think if you consider Miami or New York, distances to the first port dictate the sea day. Ships are not fast! If you leave Miami at 4pm and take two hours to clear the port, get out to open ocean and get up to speed, it’s 6pm.

 

Twelve hours later, you would be arriving early at a port. So, twelve hours at 18 knots is 216 nautical miles. Except for Great Stirrup Cay (where we have called first day), I don’t think there are any Norwegian ports of call within that range.

 

So, another day of traveling, and now you’re in the Virgin Islands or Jamaica or San Juan, and the ports begin.

 

 

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[Oldgoat61]

A lot depends on your port of embarkation, and the first port you visit, and how port intensive the cruise is. We typically choose longer cruises (10+) days. The first port of call is generally a good distance from embarkation (Tampa to Roatan, or Miami to St Thomas). But as one poster mentioned, they want you on the ship as well...$$.

 

[mugtech]

Especially on a new to me ship I like having that first day at sea to go to Meet and Greet, check out the ship, get oriented for the rest of the cruise. Out of Venice we did not leave on the Spirit until after midnight, had that entire day at sea, then hit 9 ports in 10 days.

[The Other Tom]

Tom, if you don’t like cruising, why do you go?

 

 

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Who said I don't like cruising?????