Cruise Canceled? Bring the Resort to You with Island Furniture, Décor, and More

A change of scenery, warm weather, good food, and a few days to relax — that’s the reason you booked a cruise. But this year, cruises have been canceled until… who knows when.

If you can’t take a cruise this season, I’ve got you. Enjoy a relaxing vacation at home that will seem like you are on a cruise — almost, by transforming your home into a vacation spot.

I can’t promise you’ll be magically transported to a floating abode with gourmet meals and a luxury spa, but you will get a detailed guide to recreating cruise vibes in your own home.

These tips will make you feel like you are on vacation, but one that you can enjoy long after your “cruise” is over.

Create a Relaxing Atmosphere

To turn your home into the perfect cruise destination, you need to create an atmosphere. One of the best ways you can do this is to make it smell like “vacation.” Get some scented candles or an essential oil diffuser. Look for candles with a mix of frangipani and coconut. Or make an essential oil blend with four drops copaiba, three drops tangerine, and four drops lime. This will make your home smell like an island in the tropics. Create a playlist of calypso, reggae, and Latin music from the Caribbean.

Think about the most luxurious, sumptuous cruise cabin you’ve ever stayed in. What did you enjoy the most about the experience? Was it the sheets, the seating area, the accessories, the attention to detail? You can incorporate all this into your master bedroom with a few tweaks.

Begin with bedding that goes from basic to luxurious in a matter of minutes. This means high-end thread-count sheets, a crisp white bedspread, and plenty of decorative pillows. Next, set up a small sitting area or reading nook with island furniture — you know, the kind of place you’d relax in when on a cruise. Make sure you have a soft, plush area rug under your feet for added comfort.

Eat Like You Are on a Cruise

This isn’t the time for sensible, health-conscious salads, you can do that any day. It’s not a cruise without delicious, gourmet meals, so go crazy and splurge on your favorites. Order surf and turf delivered to your home, and pop open a bottle of champagne with dinner. Don’t forget the tiramisu for dessert!

Plan an afternoon tea, usually served around 4 pm. Make it fancy and set your dining room table with tea sandwiches, savories, scones with clotted cheese and jam, and finish with sweet pastries. It’s meant to be a light meal, to tide you over until dinner, which would be served at 8 pm.

Give Yourself a Spa Day

Cruise ship spas are designed to be calming, soothing, and relaxing. Keep this in mind when you plan your spa day.

Create a calm atmosphere by turning the lights down low. Put on some relaxing, gentle music such as nature sounds, chimes, or instrumentals. Light some candles, put on your slippers and comfy robe. Make some infused water to sip on during your spa treatment by adding mint, cucumber, and lemons to a pitcher.

Give yourself a facial, mani-pedi, or hair treatment. Finish it off with a leisurely and relaxing bath or shower. You’ll probably be ready for a nap when it is over, so go ahead, snooze. Sink into a luxurious bed with tons of pillows.

Be a Tourist

How well do you know your city? Why not become a tourist for a day?

Visit a local museum, go to the beach if there is one nearby, or do a little shopping. Go on a sightseeing tour, see any sights you might not normally get to see. Or do nothing, it’s your cruise.

Buy a souvenir. If you were on a cruise, you’d probably bring home a souvenir to remind you of your trip. Choose a souvenir that will remind you of your “cruise.” Buy a book about the places you would have gone, or a special robe for your spa treatments.

A great vacation doesn’t have to take you far from home. Your home has the potential to be the perfect destination for a relaxing vacation. Think about these tips for a staycation cruise, and it’s bound to be one to remember. And you’ll feel a little of that vacation vibe linger long after your staycation is over.

Read Baer’s Furniture reviews. Find out more about Baer’s Furniture.