More Ways to Cruise from Home

Another installation from our Couch Cruising series…

It’s no secret to anyone that we miss everything about cruising! This week we’ve rounded up some fun ways that you and your family can cruise at (literally) your own home port. If you are looking for something fun to do, what better way to spend the time than taking part in your favorite cruise activities. 

1.  Relax with a Spa Day

At-home beauty and spa treatments will not only make you feel refreshed, it’s a great activity to see what kinds of skills you and your family members have. A couple of easy spa treatments you can try at home include: 

• Facial or Mud Mask - check your bathroom cabinets and drawers for any samples you might have laying around, but if you can’t find any, don’t worry, we found a quick and easy way to do this at home using ingredients you likely have in your pantry:
  • Step one: start with a light exfoliation using a combination of oatmeal and water
  • Step two: a soothing, moisturizing or cleanings mask which can be made from various household ingredients. An easy hydrating mask can be made from  ½ ripe avocado, 1 teaspoon plain (organic) yogurt and 1 teaspoon of honey. Mash all three into a paste and apply it to your face for 10-15 minutes. For more intense hydration you can add one or two teaspoons of virgin olive oil.
  • Final step: massage using natural oils such as jojoba, grapeseed, or almond oil. If you don’t have any of those, a generous amount of your normal facial moisturizer will work as well. Be sure to massage in a gentle upward circular motion as this will help boost circulation.
• Aromatherapy Shower - not everyone enjoys a bath or has access to a bathtub, but you can still enjoy a spa-like experience in the shower. Select your favorite essential oil such as relaxing lavender or invigorating spearmint and add a few drops to a sponge and place it in front of you on the shower floor. As you shower, the scent will be released.
• Deep Conditioning Hair Mask - Mash up an avocado and apply directly to your hair for instant moisture and nourishment. If you don’t have an avocado (or used them all for the facial) don’t worry, another option is to beat an egg and leave it in your hair for 10 minutes. Be sure to rinse your hair completely when the 10 minutes are up.
• Eye Treatment - Are your eyes dry, puffy or irritated? Try these simple at-home remedies and you will be feeling like you just stepped out of the spa. Dampen two chamomile tea bags with cold water, remove excess water and place over eyes. You can substitute the tea bags with cucumber slices, both of which are soothing to the eyes. Cool potato slices are another good alternative for puffy eyes. Lay back, relax, and enjoy for about 10 minutes for the best results.
• Hand (and Body) Scrub - This at-home remedy for dry skin is good for any part of your body and is super easy to make. The following recipe is enough for your hands, but if you want to cover more areas just double, triple, or quadruple the amounts. In a bowl, mix in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and a teaspoon of almond or grapeseed oil. To add a scent, include a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Use the blended mixture to cover your hands (or other body parts) and massage in a circular motion. After a few minutes, rinse off with warm water until most of the oil has been washed off. Pat dry and finish with your favorite moisturizing cream or lotion.

2. Have a Dance Party

What are your go-to tunes while onboard a cruise? Are you feeling Hot Hot Hot as you long for a time in the sun by the pool? Do you miss the soft stylings of your favorite lounge band? From sail-away to late-night parties, we’ve rounded up some top hits to make your own dance party at home. Check out our recommendations to get your groove on with 6 Catchy Cruise Playlists. 

3. Theme Night

It’s time to recreate your favorite onboard specialty restaurant with a theme night. Some of our favorites theme nights that are easy to do at home:

• Italian - break out the red and white checkered tablecloth and a bottle of Chianti to go with your spaghetti and meatballs or fettuccine alfredo or try your hand at a homemade pizza.
• French - There’s nothing like a wheel of warm brie with your favorite jam on top, served with a sliced (and toasted) baguette to have you saying “oh l’amour.”
• Mexican - Tacos aren’t just for Tuesday! Serve up some salsa and chips, guacamole, or a do-it-yourself taco bar that will have the whole family doing the cha-cha. (P.S. We are going to need to see photos and/or videos of your family doing the cha-cha.)
• Chinese - If your local take-out place isn’t available, you can improvise at home with chicken or steak and broccoli, honey chicken, lo mein, and fried rice. While you probably don’t stock fortune cookies at home, you can always make a few fun ones for your family to pull out of a bowl!

4. Cruise Activities

Now’s the time to get creative and break out the old Cruise Compass to find your favorite cruise activities or things you missed onboard because there were too many things to choose from. To help narrow it down, here are some cruise favorites adapted for home use:

• Hairy Chest/Legs Contest - Even if you have to break out the sharpies and draw it on (hopefully it will wear off by the time your shelter at home order is lifted)
• Trivia - Lots of websites offer  downloadable trivia questions or if you have a Trivial Pursuit game in the back of the closet, dust it off and create your own trivia challenge
• Pool Games - For those in warmer climates, it’s time to get creative with a family pool Olympics or belly flop contest (if you only have a kiddie pool we don’t recommend the belly flop contest). Other favorite cruise pool games include Marco Polo, sharks and minnows, and ping pong madness. You could also use the opportunity to clean out an old coin jar, throw the loose change in the bottom of the pool and let the kids take turns to see how much they can collect in one breath. (Safety note: If you have multiple kids diving, consider having them go one or two at a time so they don’t get hurt.) 
• Scavenger hunt - Sort of like an Easter egg hunt, but without the worry of not finding all the eggs and waiting for the smell to lead you to their location. Be sure to make a list of all the items hidden and even take it a step further and give items points by how easy/hard they are to find. The most points or items wins!
• Art Auction - Time to get the kids and adults to draw some pictures and auction them off at an at-home bidding war (use of Monopoly money encouraged)
• Puzzles - Set up a table or puzzle board where everyone can work on a puzzle together or whenever the mood strikes them. 
• Card games - You might as well make the kids earn their keep at a high stakes game of Go-Fish or War; for those looking for a quieter game, there’s always the classic Solitaire.
• Bingo - Print off bingo cards for free and start an at-home game of bingo. You can also Facetime, Skype, Zoom, or Google Hangout with family and friends and do this online as a group.
• Casino games - nothing like a rousing game of Texas Hold’em or Blackjack to kill some time. If you don’t have enough players at your house, you can always play these games online as well.

5. ​Make a Cruise-Inspired Blanket Fort 

A blanket fort is a great way to create a special area for movies, reading, or playing games. Complete your cruise-inspired fort by including past cruise photos, a few towel animals, nautical pillows or whatever makes you feel like you’re out at sea! Don’t forget your favorite cruise and travel movies! Our suggestions can be found here. There are lots of videos on how to make a blanket fort but one of our favorites can be found here in case you need some inspiration or basic construction ideas.

No matter how you pass the time, capture the moments and share them with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or share them on our forums.