Going on a Cruise-what's that like?
It was a big 0 birthday. It meant the opportunity to do something grand and memorable. I chose to go on a cruise. Two people were responsible for my decision to take a cruise for my birthday. A friend of mine said that going on a cruise gives you the opportunity to see a sky full of stars in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by water on all sides. The idea of such a scene really left an impression on my mind and a wish to experience it someday. That someday had arrived!
The second person who influenced me to go on a cruise was my former boss. She lives in Florida, and cruising is her way of vacationing. The way she described them made them seem very relaxed and worth trying.
Well, the final verdict is- drum rolls, please…I didn’t get to see a sky full of stars, and cruises are not relaxing, at least not your first one. There are way too many activities offered on board, and as a newbie, you want to try them all, which is anything but relaxing: running from point A on deck 3 to point B all the way at the end of deck 6. And secondly, the time onshore is pretty short.
Take our full-day excursion to Capri. It started bright and early at 7:00 AM, involved a 40-minute wait for a missing family, an hour-plus ferry transfer, and left us with just sixty minutes of unguided exploration—all in the middle of a European heatwave! At one point, my friend’s face turned a shade of tomato red that rivaled the local pasta sauce."
Having said that, we all had a good time on the cruise, and there were so many fun and special moments. First of all, it’s one giant hotel. You never truly feel you are on a moving ship, which is amazing (especially if you are prone to seasickness). Secondly, you get to eat surprisingly delicious food as part of the cruise prepaid cost. To help you understand a bit more: There are three dining options offered on most cruises. Every guest has a reservation at one of the few restaurants they have, with a set menu, a set dining time, and a designated seating area. The predictability of where you are sitting, when you are eating, and what you are eating reduces FOMO and chaos. If you don’t like predictability, there are other fine-dining options you have to pay extra for, but it’s a good option and pretty popular, too. We skipped dinner one night to try the sushi restaurant, and it was equally good, but I felt like I ate a lot more food. Then there is dining option 3, which is the buffet for those who like variety, eating whenever they want, and serving themselves (I suppose). An additional advantage of the buffet was that it was available from 6.30 am through 2 am. We did try the buffet a few times, and the food was never disappointing, but sometimes the long lines were (especially for drinks/hot drinks).
What else did we like? There were lots of activities on board. Painting, dance lessons, origami, chocolate making, etc. There was a spa, gym, a quiet zone for getting away from the noise, and beautiful views of sunrise and sunset. Lots of really good entertainment, mostly for adults, but I am sure kids had their own, which I didn’t need to learn about (because I left my girls with their dad for a family-free vacation). Yoga for yoga enthusiasts, sports classes for exercise aficionados, dancing all hours of the day (and night) for dance lovers; basically an attempt to provide a little bit of heaven for everyone. We went for a spa treatment, and it was worth the few extra dollars you pay for getting a service onboard a cruise ship. It also offered an opportunity to meet and learn a bit about the staff ladies who serviced us. A cruise ship has a large number of staff on board, whose primary role is to cater to guests and do all they can to ensure new and returning guests feel appreciated and are pleased with their cruise experience. Most of them work for 5-6 months straight with very limited time off during that stretch, then return to their home country for 5-6 weeks before starting all over again, unable to tell where they are, day or night, week or weekend. But they must like their jobs and the pay to do what they do, so kudos to them. Many of them wanted to share their life story and were happy to see guests from their home country; sort of a slice of home in their minds. My friends and I tried to reciprocate their friendliness and even ended up taking pictures with a few of them towards the end of our cruise.
Overall, I would say we had a lot of fun choosing our cruise, planning it, and then going on it, but I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that I was with close friends and, being seasoned travelers, we wanted to experience something new, which we definitely did.
A few tips I would like to share that really helped us make it even better were:
Book a balcony room (if budget allows): Sitting quietly by the water at any time of day or night is pure magic.
Prepare for your daily step count: Main elevators are centrally located and water fountains aren't on every floor, so bring a refillable water bottle!
Choose mid-ship, lower decks for stability: If motion sickness is a concern, staying low and central minimizes roll.
Stick to cruise-sponsored excursions on early departure days: If a tour runs late, a cruise-sponsored excursion guarantees the ship won't leave without you.
Lean into the theme nights: Pack for the onboard parties! Joining in on events like the White Party added some of our absolute favorite memories to the trip.
Would I do it again? I am not sure. But as a first-time cruiser, it was a whirlwind of discovery: a mix of high-energy schedules, endless food, and unforgettable moments with my close friends. It may not have been the relaxing stargazing escape I originally pictured, but celebrating a milestone birthday on the open water was grand, memorable, and adventurous in all the right ways. Here’s to stepping out of our comfort zones, making memories across the seas, and embracing the unexpected!
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