Cruise Challenge

I have a confession to make -- I'm a boat narcoleptic. Any time I’ve been put on a boat -- be it speed or tug -- I've fallen into a deep sleep, the likes of which is usually reserved for coma patients. So when the opportunity came to do my first cruise, I decided it was time to challenge myself -- to break through the old programming that had overtaken my brain and encourage myself to find enough things to do to keep me occupied during my entire week-long Royal Caribbean cruise on the majestic Liberty of the Seas. Would I prevail, or would the sheep that I usually count before bed beat me into submission? Only time would tell.

Day Zero

The day began with a mid-afternoon check-in that was far less complex than I expected it to be. I didn’t believe that getting thousands of people on what was essentially a floating land mass would be an easy task, and yet, it was relatively quick and painless. My travel partner -- Sandra -- and I opted to make things even easier and carried our suitcases on board rather than wait for them to be delivered. We zipped through the loading area, walked up the ramp to the boat, deftly escaped the roving photographers waiting to take our pictures and located our state room.

Our room was perfect. While not the size of something hotel-like, it was just the right amount of square footage for resting and showering. Plus, having a balcony gave the opportunity for a nice view when we wanted something else to look at other than the flat-panel TV. I took some time to read up on the boat we were on. Measuring 1100 feet in length, the Liberty of the Seas’ maiden voyage was in early 2007 and featured 1817 state rooms, an indoor mall, spa and fitness center, six whirlpools, a jogging track, rock climbing wall, mini golf and a golf simulator, countless food options, an ice skating rink, a night club and karaoke room… from the looks of that list, it wasn’t going to be hard to find something to keep me busy.

With that in mind, I promptly fell asleep.

It wasn’t intentional, you see. It had been a busy morning and the bed was so comfortable… when I awoke I turned to Sandra and wailed, "I've already failed the objective and we haven’t even pulled out of port!"

"Exactly," she said. "The boat isn’t moving yet. It doesn’t count."

She was right -- it totally didn't count. Score! And I'd woken up just in time to sit out on the balcony and watch Miami melt away from us as we drifted off into the sunset. We had a weeks' worth of activities to keep us busy, and I was intent on experiencing as much as I could.

Day One

Having kept the previous night's activities relatively tame -- dinner at Italian restaurant Portofino, cocktails in the Viking Lounge -- meant Sandra and I were prepared to make the 10am Tai Chi class after we grabbed breakfast from the buffet at the Windjammer Café. Soon we were breathing deep and learning both about fluid movements and self defense. Thoroughly Tai Chi'd, we decided to do one of the most important things you can do on a cruise ship -- catch some sun. We nabbed two deck chairs toward the front of the boat (giving us some peace and quiet from the melee going on around the pools), and settled in with some books to keep us company. A few hours were just enough to get us a good base, so it was back to the state room, where I used the WiFi connection and did some surfing on my laptop while Sandra slept. She awoke in just enough time to get ready for our formal dinner at the captain’s table.

Dinner was a lovely affair, with a delicious selection of salads, steaks, fish and even a selection of lighter, healthier fare for those watching their waistline (and participating in the Vitality program, which encourages people to have a healthy cruise.) We burned off our calories by roaming the boat, locating all the important spots we wanted to check out: the ice rink, the night club, the shops. With a surprisingly full day under our belts, it was safe to retire to our state room and get some sleep.

Day Two

I woke up first and felt bad about shaking Sandra out of her dream state, but breakfast at the Windjammer was calling and I wanted to get in some quality gym and sun time before we docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She reluctantly shook the cobwebs free and joined me for some fresh fruit before we both hit the treadmill and followed it up with more reading at the front of the boat. Before we knew it we were pulling in to San Juan, so we rushed back to our stateroom to get dressed.

Sandra and I walked off the boat and -- not having booked a shore excursion -- decided to wander aimlessly. Even though we noticed everyone heading off to the left, we decided to take the road less traveled and went right… and quickly noticed that not only were we the only ones heading right, but we were meandering into uncharted territory. We turned tail and went back to the boat where one of the crew told us, "Everything is to the left." You mean where everyone is walking? Gotcha. We weaved in and out of shops up and down the street, some recognizable, others genuine Puerto Rican artifacts featuring souvenirs like hand-made jewelry and depictions of cockfights cast in resin (no joke.) The most entertaining moment came courtesy of an over zealous kiosk owner crowing, "It's a real Chanel Purse! Only eighty dollars!" Suuuuuuure it is.

Having combed every street until our feet were sore, Sandra and I went back to the Windjammer to grab some dinner before I partook in an in-port spa treatment special: the Aroma Spa Seaweed Massage. Said to remove impurities from the muscles and reduce water retention, I was painted with seaweed from the neck down and cocooned in blankets while my feet and scalp were rubbed. After a quick shower, the treatment continued with a back massage. Blissful… but I didn’t fall asleep, thank goodness! I saved that for after I tottered back to my state room.

Day Three

Sandra and I awoke the next morning to the sound of the boat docking, and -- having ordered room service for breakfast via out magic TV -- sat on our balcony to eat before setting out on a mountain biking excursion through St. Maarten. Our guide met us at our dock in the early afternoon and led our group to a van, which sped through the Dutch side of St. Maarten and stopped on the French side, where we hopped on bikes and started our ride. Weaving through countryside and paved roads, we were able to see a beautiful cross section of life in St. Maarten, from country homes in residential areas to the more bustling centers. The best part of the tour? Ditching the bikes and jumping into the crystal clear blue water to refresh ourselves after a sweaty ride. Followed up with another dinner in the main dining room, it was a perfect day… and one where I wasn’t able to find a moment to rest.