I have just returned from a cruise to New Zealand.

I was apprehensive about the cruise, especially when my 94-year-old father-in-law and 79-year-old aunt were traveling with us. With the fourth wave of COVID getting stronger in Australia and being in a confined environment with thousands of people, I was dreading the worst.

Instead, it turned out to be the best trip of my life.

It was not a ship.

My first apprehension was broken even before I set foot on the ship.

It was not a ship, but a massive building floating in the water.

The check-in process was smooth, but finding our bearing on the ship was not. With 16 decks to explore, each one hosting different facilities — theaters, pubs, casinos, bionic bar, dance halls, dining rooms, and sporting venues — we got tired even before the ship sailed.

Built in Turku, Finland, and launched in waters in November 2008, Ovation Of The Seas, is one of the largest ships in the world.

At 6:00 pm we congregated on the top deck with 4,400 passengers to watch the massive vessel sail from picturesque Sydney harbor (with Opera House and Harbour Bridge in the background) to the open seas. We walked around a kilometer-long perimeter of the ship to find a good spot to watch the spectacle of our first-ever sea voyage.

But the ship didn’t sail.

One hour passed.

Then another.

It started getting windy. And we were hungry and eager to explore the ship’s famous food, so we headed for the dining rooms. It was a fine dining experience, in exquisite decor, for free. We were seated at round tables, and the wait staff unfolded our napkins and placed them on our laps to serve us a three-course meal.

While eating, we watched the ship move. We hardly notice any movement. It was already dark, and we missed out on seeing the Sydney shoreline. We were told a massive storm was heading for Aukland, (North Island, New Zealand), and the captain was waiting for the wind to settle down before heading for the open seas.

I am glad he did.

I was sure I will not get seasick.

By the time we finished our dinner and headed for our cabin, my stomach started churning more than the waters outside. It was hard to steady ourselves. I was told; you don’t even feel the ship moving, especially when it is such a big one. Here I was on the biggest ship in the world, and my bed was shaking.

The next morning was even worse. I woke up weak and miserable. As soon as I got up, vomit overcame my resolve to keep the sour juices inside my stomach. After several vomits, I rang my sister-in-law, who brought the motion sickness tablet to me.

I spent the afternoon sleeping on deck chairs by the pool while the rest of the party enjoyed the food and played table tennis.

By evening, I was fine. And I remained fine for the next eight days. I later found out from the cruise staff that the Tasman Sea is the most violent sea.

Imagine what would have happened if the Captain had not waited for the winds to settle down for sailing from Sydney.

The highlight of the trip was not what I thought.

Based on what I had heard from previous cruisers, I thought the highlight of the trip will be the food. The food was great. But there was something else that surpassed the enormous amount of food that was served each day.

That was the staff’s hospitality.

A crew of 1,200 people whose sole role was to make our trip a memorable one. They did their job so well that we had not a single complaint or even suggestion for improvement. Our room attendant greeted us every time we passed him. At times, he even opened the door of our cabin with his key and held it till we were inside, like royalty. Each day, he created a different animal shape with a towel and left it on our bed.

At the entry of the buffet restaurant, the sole job of an attendant was to greet every diner. She had catchy music on a portable speaker and will do a dance as soon as a new passenger made their way. Inside, an official-looking person greeted everyone saying, “Good Morning (or evening)! Welcome to the restaurant.” For ten days, he greeted each and every passenger.

Hygiene was superb.

Each crew member wore a mask at all times. There were sanitization stations at every deck and outside every public place. But most impressive was the handwashing station at each entry to the Buffet Restaurant. You couldn’t go inside without washing your hands.

The entertainment was of the highest quality.

Multiple nightclubs, several bars and lounges, a karaoke club, a comedy club, trivia venues, there was more to do than there was time.

I didn’t think the evening shows will be that impressive. We listened to the world-class pianist Craig Dunn, who has performed with Liberace. Attended two comedy shows by a Queensland comedian, a gala production called Live Love Legs and a broadway kind of show titled The Beautiful Dream. Also on the show were two recent movies, Cate Blanchett’s Tar, and the cartoon character movie One And Only Ivan.

Sports were challenging to cater to young and old alike.

A surf simulator, a skating ring, a Rock-Climbing wall, five swimming pools, table tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts. If that was not enough, there was Go Karting, Sky Flying, and Flow Rider.

Of course, I have more stories to tell from the cruise, and I think I haven’t done justice with what I have shared so far. So I am going to write more stories in the coming days.

In conclusion, the cruise exceeded all my expectations. I now can understand why some people are perpetual cruisers. It’s not a bad option if you don’t have anything to tie you to the land.

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