A week on a floating city

You have climbed rickety planes, taken cold swims, and used a few rowing muscles with me in the last couple of weeks.

This week - let's not do any of it.

Let's not row. Let's not jump into cold water. Let's not doubt perfectly nice taxi drivers.

Instead - let's indulge. Devil style.

Eat all we want, sleep all we want, and pamper ourselves in a unique city.

A floating city crowded with people, fancy restaurants, and all the trappings of a modern world.

If the picture didn't give it away already, this post is about a cruise experience.

To where it does not matter, because that is not the destination today.

The cruise is the destination. And the people and things on it, our story.

But first, an introduction

The Norwegian Getaway with an itinerary out of New York City was our pick for an idyllic week of nothingness.

• With its 18 decks, this massive ship can accommodate over 5500 people. These include both crew members and passengers.
• The living quarters are staterooms and suites with balconies, oceanviews, and interior cabins.

• The ship has restaurants, bars, a casino, a spa, a fitness center, a water park, and several entertainment venues.
• Once docked, guests can choose to avail a number of shore excursions offered or explore the land destination on their own.

The activities

The initial few days had us exploring the ship, searching for activities that fit the varied personalities in our group.

The kids favored the aqua park and basketball court on the slightly warmer days. While the arcade and game room kept them busy on colder nights.

A few adults gambled the night away, a favorite drink in hand.

While the others watched game shows and explored art classes.

For more information on the activities on board, click here.

The food

The food options were plentiful, with three main dining rooms and multiple specialty restaurants on board. However, getting a spot in these places was challenging.

We ate primarily at the buffet-style dining facility, the Garden Cafe, as it was the easiest to get in.

For more information on the restaurants, click here.

The Crew members

I have alluded to the sheer number of people that a cruise ship can accommodate. Apart from the guests, the ship houses over 1500 crew members. And it was these people I found genuinely fascinating.

The servers, the cooks, the cleaning crew and the bartenders.

One of the days, I found myself roaming the boardwalk at 4 am, unable to sleep. And there they were - washing the decks, cleaning the tables, prepping the food. The worker bees hard at work.

They were from everywhere - Philippines, Vietnam, Jamaica, India. We spoke to many of them. And we listened to their stories. Of the hardships of being on board for long periods and the loneliness of being away from their families. Of the friendships formed and the experience gained.

The Guests

And then there were the guests. Just as varied. Spanish, Italian, American and Indian.

Though our interaction with the guests was limited, some were hard to miss.

Allow me to elaborate.

On one of the cruise days, I found myself watching  ' The newlywed, not so newlywed ' gameshow live in the theater.

Four couples volunteered to answer personal questions about each other and their marriages.

"So," the game show host asked dramatically to one particularly disgruntled wife.

"What does your husband have that is tiny?" bringing her index and middle fingers close together for a visual cue.

A short pause, and the participant in question replied, "A brain." (Ouch)

"What does your husband have that is big?" continued the host. This time spreading her arms wide.

And in the same breath, the participant replied, "A heart." (Aww)

Definitely hard to miss, don't you think?

The trappings of a modern world

While I made the most of my time on the ship, I wasn't too upset when the experience ended.

The trappings of this enclosed floating city were many. But I craved simpler things.

Home-cooked food. Land beneath my feet. And my own bed, among others.

We loaded our bags in the car and bid goodbye to our dear friends. Promising to share yet more adventures.

Adventures that didn't need beautifully wrapped boxes or sparkly bows.

Experience had taught us that plain brown boxes with a smiley and the word 'Amazon' do just fine.