During a trip on Disney Cruise Line (DCL), there could be days in the ocean when you do not visit a port, these days are called SEA DAYs. This is exactly what it sounds like, to spend a day at sea (travel day). If it’s your first cruise, you may wonder what you would do on such days.
We had a Sea Day on Day 2 and here is how we spent a day at Sea.
Our First Breakfast on the DCL Dream
For breakfast, you can choose between a buffet-style breakfast at Cabanas or a dining restaurant that is open that day (DCL rotates each day).
Since I had been enjoying the ship exploring until late on the first day, I couldn’t wake up early in the morning on day 2. And since I ate too much the day before, I wasn’t really hungry for breakfast.
A buffet is a convenient option for times like this. The buffet (Cabanas) can be found on the 11th floor. It’s a great opportunity for everyone in the family where everyone can eat what they like and as much as they want. Eating breakfast while overlooking the open sea is the most luxurious experience. Cabanas has seating where you can dine either inside or outside.
The selection is mostly American breakfast items. Bread, omelets, fruits, etc. I was excited to eat Mickey’s waffles in the morning!
We had planned to go to the pool after breakfast, so we went to the restaurant with the kids in their swimsuits and I was wearing a dress over my swimsuit. You can wear your swimsuit at this restaurant as long as you wear something on top.
Experience the Royal Gathering on DCL Dream Sea Day
After breakfast, I went to the lobby and saw people lined up for a character greeting with the princesses. It was crowded with people taking photos. Character greetings are very popular in DCL. People are lined up before the event even begins. The character greetings are scheduled at certain times of the day. You can find these times listed in Disney’s Navigator App that can be installed on your phone and accessed on the ship’s wifi (no extra cost, included with your cruise)
I eagerly wanted to line up, but the men in my family weren’t interested in princesses and didn’t want to stand in line to take pictures, so we moved on. I was thinking about taking pictures with the princesses at another time while the kids went to the kids club, but of course the princesses never showed up, so I couldn’t do it during this cruise. If you have the opportunity, take the picture, don’t miss the chance.
Later, I found out that this is a reservation-only greeting with the princesses called the Royal Gathering. You can book it 30 days before sailing. This event quickly gets full. Please pay attention to the first day of booking if you are interested.
Join the Midship Detective Agency on DCL Dream
This interactive mystery game transforms the entire ship into a thrilling adventure, perfect for engaging kids’ imaginations. Participants embark on a quest to discover digital clues scattered throughout the ship. These clues are key to unraveling the mystery at hand. As the plot thickens, players will find themselves sifting through a list of Disney villains, using their detective skills to eliminate suspects one by one until the true culprit is revealed. It’s an exciting way for the whole family to explore the ship while enjoying a captivating narrative experience.
First, grab a card from the machine and register it. Next, pick a pamphlet from various story options to link with your card for a mystery-solving adventure. Follow the pamphlet’s clues across the ship, and wave your card near designated picture frames to animate them, unveiling further clues to crack the mystery.
Dive into Adventure on DCL Dream’s Aquaduck
We had been looking forward to going on Aquaduck even before we boarded the ship, the first water coaster at sea. At the pool, the main attraction is the water slide Aqua Duck! The second day of this cruise was a Sea Day, so the Aquaduck was crowded. Although the sign showed the waiting time was 45 minutes, the actual wait was about 20 minutes. It wasn’t so bad of a wait, but you should wear a lot of sunscreen since there will be a line, you will get more sun burn during this time.
I brought my phone with me to record the inside of the Aquaduck, but I was told that Phones and GoPros were not allowed unless they were securely attached to my body, so I couldn’t bring it on the slide. Please be prepared if you would like to take photos or record while going on the ride.
I had planned to go to the pool on the deck, but it was more of a soaking pool than a swimming pool. Since my kids aren’t very young and wouldn’t enjoy the shallow pool, the kids decided to go to the kids club instead of the pool.
Savoring Lunch at Cabanas
Even though we had a late breakfast, we didn’t want to miss the good food for lunch.
For lunch, we headed to the Cabanas where a bounty of meat and seafood awaited us. Besides the buffet, there were quick-service counters by the pool and a table-service restaurant open for lunch, all included in your cruise fare at no extra cost! (*Except for alcohol.)
When you see this, it’s Pirate Night!
When I returned to my room after dinner, I found that that the room had already been cleaned and bandanas were placed on the bed. The day there is a bandana means it is Pirate Night 🏴☠️
In addition to finding the bandanas, you can also check the day’s events on the app. Before boarding, you can’t check the events schedule or what kind of events will be held on the app. There are some things that can be reserved in advance, and in our case, we made reservations for our children’s Pirates makeup before boarding. I was able to confirm which day of the week is Pirate Night by booking the makeup time for Pirate Night.
Cove Cafe: DCL Dream’s Adults-Only Cafe
Cove Cafe
The kids went to the kids club, and my husband and I went to Cove Cafe on the 11th floor, which we had been curious about and wanted to explore. The coffee and alcohol are not included in the cruise price, however, the pastries are no extra charge. The cafe is also open to adults only.
Stamp Card of Cove Cafe
I got a stamp card where you can earn rewards with plans to go many times. Buy 5 specialty drinks, get one free. You can also order alcohol here.
By the way, you can charge Cove Cafe, alcohol, and all purchases made during the cruise to your room key.
Unwind and Rejuvenate: Sauna Time at the Rainforest Club
Afterward, my husband and I went to the Rainforest sauna at Senses Spa (see “Discovering the Ultimate Indulgence with Rainforest Pass on DCL” for details). At the Senses Spa, you receive a wristband in exchange for your room card. It will be the key to the entrance to the rainforest.
The view from the dry sauna is very beautiful.
On this day, I had booked a massage at the spa at 3pm. Realizing that I didn’t have much time to relax in the sauna, I took a quick shower and went for a massage.
Experience a Swedish massage at DCL Senses Spa
At Senses Spa, you can make reservations for nail, hair, and beauty treatments online or in the app before embarkation day. If there is space after boarding the ship, you can of course make a reservation. I rushed from the sauna in the Rainforest room for my appointment and arrived at the spa early, but the massage therapist was 10 minutes late.
At the appointment, first, you will be given a questionnaire, which you must fill out. I thought it had something to do with the massage, so I marked the questionnaire that I was honestly concerned about my stomach area. This will be troublesome later.
The massage therapist looked at the questionnaire and asked me to speak to a doctor. I was wondering why? I didn’t think too much about it and I regretted that I said okay, and you will know why later in this post.
The massage was a Swedish-style massage. I didn’t know what the Sweden style was, but it felt so good that I fell asleep. The massage started 10 minutes late because someone before me took longer. Since they couldn’t spare me with extra 10 minutes, a 10% discount was given.
After the massage was complete, I was asked to consult with the doctor, and I said I wanted to decline. I was told that I could not cancel as I had already made an appointment, so I had no choice but to go to the doctor’s room. I didn’t really know what kind of doctor this was and went to a separate room as I was told. This room was at the front of the ship and had a great view.
The doctor told me about CoolSculpting and I asked how much does it cost? When I asked her, she suddenly asked me to show her my stomach. This sudden request made me react with “Huh? What did you just say?” came out of my mouth. Well, I haven’t decided to do it yet and you haven’t told me the price, so why should I show you my belly? I asked again to tell me the price. Then I hear one shot is 25-30 minutes for $800
When I said that I couldn’t afford that price, I was told that I would get a discount again this time. I told her that I have to ask my husband too and started to work my way to the door to leave. Of course, I’m not going to show my belly, and there’s no need to do that on a boat. lol
This conversation here took up a lot of time. Don’t say more than you really want during the conversations or you will also get stuck in pushy sales. If you are not interested in anything beyond your reservation, don’t mark anything else on the questionnaire or during conversations with them.
Ahoy! Dive into the Festive Spirit at Pirate Night Dinner
I ran out of time due to the sales conversation with that CoolSculpting doctor, and I couldn’t even prepare for Pirate Night, so I hurried off to dinner. Dinner is held at two different times (from 5:45 PM and 8:00 PM) on a rotating restaurant schedule, and my family was in the 5:45 pm group.
For dinner, we went to Animator’s Palete. Since it was Pirate Night, both the staff and cruise passengers were dressed up as pirates, and the restaurant had a completely pirate-like atmosphere.
The servers sell things that match the theme of the day. I bought the cup exactly as shown in the photo.
Transform into a Pirate with DCL on the High Seas
On Pirate Night, there is a place in DCL where you can get make-up and costumes to dress up as a pirate!
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, is a beauty salon where you can usually feel like a princess, but on pirate night, this is the place to get dressed like a pirate. My boys turned into pirates. I had booked the 8:15PM Pirates package in the app before embarkation day. $100 per person (as of 2022)
The staff used Pirate terminology while chatting here so that children can enjoy it. I was happy because the kids were happy, but it cost $100 even though they just drew a beard with a water-based pen and sold a flimsy costume. The good thing is you can take the costumes home with you, so you can use them on your next cruise or Halloween.
Post-Makeup Photo Shoot
We recommend booking your Pirate Package as early in the day as possible. The reason is that around 8 o’clock, photo shoots with characters and individual photos start. If I were to transform into a pirate, I would want to take lots of pictures and could wear it to dinner. Even if you get your make-up done, you have to take it off at night, so the earlier you go, the more you can enjoy the whole day!
Pirate Night Fun: A Sea of Adventure Awaits!
The biggest event of the day is the Pirate Party! There’s a party on the pool deck with shows, fireworks, dancing and lots of excitement!
The children were also very happy and had fun. However, it starts late at 10:15PM and since this is the second day of the cruise, I’m exhausted already having so much fun late into the night.
After the party, the quick service Flo’s Café was still open so we went to have some snacks and drinks before heading back to our room.
Final Thoughts
When you think about a sea day, you might think what should I do? The day went by in the blink of an eye and forgot what I had done all day. I think Sea Day is a less busy day where you can make spa reservations and do activities such as visiting the Bibide Bobbide Boutique, where you can feel like a princess. However, even though it’s called sea day, if you include too many activities, your schedule will become too busy and you’ll get tired on a day you may want to relax before the port adventure days, so be careful about that.
