TOP 15 activities on sea days on board the Queen Mary 2
11. September 2016
Explore Barcelona on your own
22. January 2018

Our voyage with the AIDAperla in the western Mediterranean started with a day at sea. Wonderful! Time to sleep in and then relax and discover the ship. So that you can organize your day at sea perfectly, we will reveal our TOP activities on board as always.

Highlights include workshops, entertainment and, of course, culinary delights. With these 10 activities, nothing stands in the way of a great day at sea on board the AIDAperla:

  1. Cozy breakfast at the French Kiss

The breakfast menu on the AIDAperla is particularly varied on the day at sea. In the buffet restaurants, breakfast is served between 07:00 and 11:00 in different time slots, but there is also breakfast in the French Kiss and a gourmet breakfast in the Buffalo Steak House. We loved the breakfast at French Kiss in an original French bistro atmosphere. It’s not too crowded here, even on sea days, and we were able to start the day like God in France. You then order à la carte and breakfast is brought to your table.

We were first given an etagere with various French and international cheeses and sausages as well as salmon. Hearty, freshly prepared egg dishes and delicious jams sweeten the start to the day. But we were particularly taken with the not-so-French pancakes with fruit. Délicieux! There really is something for every guest.

The breakfast itself costs nothing, only drinks have to be paid for, unlike in the buffet restaurant. However, the prices are affordable, for example a cappuccino costs 2.60 euros and a latte macchiato 2.80 euros. A glass of sparkling wine costs 3.90 euros. But even in the buffet restaurant, the cappuccino, latte or espresso costs extra. We can highly recommend this French start to the day, despite the cost of the drinks.

  1. Morning pint in the brewery

When we discovered the morning pint from 11:30 to 13:00 in the brewery, which only takes place on sea days, it was immediately clear that we had to go there. After all, this was the AIDAperla’s Oktoberfest cruise and the beer tapping was to take place that day. And what would an Oktoberfest trip be without the classic “O’zapft is!”? It started punctually at 11:30 am. We managed to get a table near the stage with a live band. Pack mas!

At the morning pint, a buffet with Bavarian specialties awaited us, the Bavarian would say: “A guade Brodzeid”, with veal sausage, pretzels and more. In keeping with the Oktoberfest, there was of course also a special beer, which was personally tapped by master brewer Fabrizio Brall. When it was time to say “O’zapft is!”, Oktoberfest fever broke out in the brewery. There was a round of free beer, Dodo, the AIDA mascot, came by in his lederhosen and the hall went wild. Off we went to celebrate on the beer benches! Even if it’s not Oktoberfest, you shouldn’t miss out on the Frühschoppen event, because who knows what awaits you.

  1. Nautical lesson with the captain

The nautical hour is one of the highlights of every trip for us. This is an opportunity to hear the captain talk from the inside. When else do you have the opportunity to do this? Of course, we also wanted to take a look into Captain Boris Becker’s sewing box full of experiences and were looking forward to hearing his stories in the Theatrium.

Captain Boris Becker, freshly returned from his vacation, invited all guests to ask him questions about seafaring for an hour. Not only did we learn that two captains virtually share a ship so that they can take turns, but also about the rapid set-up of the brand new AIDAperla. All crew members helped unload the containers and brought the furniture on board. And at lightning speed and much faster than planned. Would you have thought so? If you are interested in stories about the ship, you should not miss this highlight on your day at sea!

  1. Workshop in the cooking studio

No, we didn’t want to cook ourselves on vacation this time, but we’ve always wanted to know exactly how fruit carving works. We have often watched the skilled crew members carving fruit, but have never tried it ourselves. So the fruit-carving workshop on the day at sea in the kitchen studio came just at the right time. For 12 euros, you can learn the art of cutting melons here.

We tried our hand at a hare. After being shown twice how to turn the melon into a rabbit, we get started. Fortunately, the face was pre-drawn, but we still needed some cutting skills. Time flew by and with a little help here and there, we succeeded. We are quite proud of the good result and think that the self-carved rabbit is really something to be proud of.

Conclusion: We probably won’t always carve a melon bunny for our guests from now on, but we could and the next Easter buffet is sure to come. Maybe we’ll try a cooking course next time.

  1. Photography on the Skywalk

We love photography. There are always countless great photo spots on board and in good weather we simply have to take pictures of the blue water and the ship. On board the AIDAperla there is also a perfect photo location with a sea view for photos of the ship, yourselves or fellow travelers. The Skywalk. The glass viewing platform at a dizzying height is located on both sides of the ship on deck 15 at the stern. You should be free from giddiness when you enter the glass surface, but the view is worth it.

We took some great pictures here and also met the lovely photo team. On sea days, AIDA offers the opportunity to have portrait photos taken on the Skywalk. At over 20 euros, the pictures are not quite cheap, but not too expensive either. We did not buy the pictures. But if you would like to have professional photos of yourself in front of an extraordinary maritime backdrop, we recommend the appointments with the photo team.

  1. Create an ice cream in the Magnum Pleasure Store

Ice cream lovers must visit the Magnum Pleasure Store on deck 7, where you can find the famous Magnum ice cream in a new look. In a look you have created yourself! The vanilla ice cream body can be dipped in either crunchy dark, milk or white chocolate and then decorated with various toppings. Chocolate chips, Smarties, golden sugar pearls, almonds and much more are on offer. Unfortunately, the ice cream is so delicious that we had to take a quick photo before the work of art was eaten. If you want, you can put your own ice cream creation in a Magnum picture frame for a photo.

  1. The lookout

We love the lookout on board. On deck 17 at the bow, to the right and left of the signal mast, we found two fantastic viewing platforms, each with two binoculars. The captain can hardly get a better view of the distance from the bridge. These platforms, which can be reached via two steps, offer a great view across the bow to the sea.

  1. Eat soft ice cream at Fuego

In the Fuego restaurant on deck 14 you will find a soft ice cream machine during opening hours. As the restaurant is open for breakfast, in the afternoon and in the evening until midnight, you are guaranteed a little ice cream treat in between. Delicious toppings are of course also available.

  1. Show at Nightfly

The absolute highlight on board for us was the Nightfly. Spurned on the first evening because it looked so empty and cost admission, we were unfortunately drawn here too late. However, we would visit the shows in the Nightfly every evening next time and have therefore included it here in the TOP 10 on the sea day. The Nightfly is an exclusive nightclub on deck 6 in front of the Spraybar and offers great entertainment every evening from 22:00 in a pleasant nightclub atmosphere. Admission is permitted from the age of 18 and costs 10 euros per person including a glass of Moet & Chandon champagne. Considering that a glass of champagne in the Spray Bar costs 9.90 euros, that’s fair.

Sipping champagne in plush pink armchairs, we were able to enjoy the entertainment provided by presenter Henryk Reimann. We enjoyed the shows “Berlin, Berlin” with music from the musicals Cabaret and Lola, as well as “Paris, Mon Amour” with chansons that made the feeling of being in a French establishment very real and finally “Close to you”, an ode to Burt Bacharach.

  1. Currywurst in the spicy corner

On board the AIDAperla, the sharp corner is on deck 6. Here you can enjoy delicious currywurst from 2 pm until 2 am. A different kind of midnight snack. If you like, buy an Astra Pils with it. It really couldn’t be more German. There are also various curry powders to choose from. The perfect end to a day at sea to look forward to the next day with renewed energy.

These were our TOP 10 activities on board the AIDAperla. Of course, there is much more to experience and discover on board. You can find out more about this in our next articles.

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