First thing in the morning on the ocean waves, there’s nothing I enjoy more than taking my cup of coffee for a leisurely stroll around the ship, picking the best spot to sit and enjoy the peaceful start to the day.
Mostly the decks are all mine just after 7am, except for a couple of joggers pounding the wooden floors on the top deck - six laps to cover one kilometre.
My morning walkabout varies, depending on which way the ship is sailing, where the wind is coming from and the angle of the sun. I rarely find myself in the same place as I sip my coffee, read a book and watch the ship come to life.
And what a lot of life there is aboard cruise ships today. My home for a week, P & O’s Pacific Sun, sailing from Brisbane to Noumea, Lifou, Vanuatu and back to Brisbane, is shared by 1900 passengers and 670 crew - that’s slightly larger than the population of Muriwai on Auckland’s west coast.
The days can be as busy or as relaxed as you like, with organised activities from first thing in the morning until late at night.
Always wanted to learn the cha cha? No problem - professional dancers Ruth and Will teach the basics at 11am in the Terraces Lounge. No partner is necessary - they’ll match you with another beginner. If you’re a chap, you’ll be in demand, as women in the classes outnumber the men three to one.
Ballroom dancing not your thing? Never mind, there’s always line dancing, tap dancing, disco dancing, trivia quizzes, bingo, art auctions, shuffleboard, quilling and other craft lessons … it would be impossible to do it all in a week.
How about aerobics, yoga, flower arranging or chipping a plastic golf ball into a swimming pool full of kids (maximum points for hitting a child, jokes the crew member in charge, no points if the child catches the ball).

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