I had traveled from the fjords of Norway to the shore of the Dead Sea by car, air, and rapid train, but 2017 was my very first cruise. As a one-time rail pass holder, my vision of traveling was to hop on and off of trains every few days or so. So when friends asked me to join them on their cruise to New Zealand, I wasn't sure what to expect. I wondered if the pace would be too slow or if the food would be good. My fears about my decision to cruise left me after the first hour on board. From the time that I stepped foot on board until the morning I departed the ship, the crew and staff aboard the Radiance of the Seas did everything possible to make me feel that they were there to make my vacation perfect. Instead of fearing hours on a ship with nothing to do, I was so busy on board that I looked for spare time so that I could read a chapter or two of the half dozen books I brought along with me. At dinner, my waiter and his assistant waiter looked after me as though I were a favorite cousin, while my cabin attendant greeted me every evening and brightened my day with towel animals and a copy of the next day's activities (The Compass) left on my bed. The entertainment score (my score) runs from "just okay" to "very good." Had I not had many experiences to enjoy first-rate broadway quality shows in the U.S. and all over the world, my entertainment score may have been higher. In any event, from the excellent meals to the art auctions, trivia games, and exciting shore excursions, cruising with Royal Caribbean opened my eyes to a new way of vacationing.