Entering Miami is always exciting for me. As you crest the last rise on the highway, before you is the sparkling water with the huge cruise liners floating on it docked and waiting. I was just as excited this morning, only this time the cruise liners were waiting for me!

The Norwegian Sky was to be my home for the next four days and I had all my cruise clothing packed and ready to go (havingwatched "The Love Boat," naturally I knew exactly what I should put in my suitcase!) I was dressed in a sun dress, perfect for a cruise or a day at the beach, with my newly purchased straw cowboy hat and of course, my sunglasses. Underneath this I was wearing my swimsuit (not a swimming costume mind you, if you say that you are greeted by giggles and blank stares) because I was eager to get to the pool and didn't want to be delayed by anything. We unloaded our bags and gave them to the porter who would ensure that they were delivered to our cabin. It was then on to customs and the passport check (if you have a blue passport then you get through in two second but if your passport is green like mine it takes a little longer, maybe because they have to check whether or not you are a terrorist first.) we were then issued with a cabin key. This looks much like a credit card, and functions like one too. Your cabin key is your passport, key and credit card all in one. You use it to pay for drinks on board or any shopping you might do (of course this encourages spending because it's not really money after all!!) you also use this to get into your room and to get on and off ship. With that we were free to embark upon our adventure.

Once we had "walked the plank," a very fancy plank, to get on board, we were greeted with a glass of champagne and many smiling faces. It was at this point that I started to feel like one of the rich and famous! Our ship had 12 decks and our cabin (or state room as they say) was on deck 10. Prime position as far as I was concerned -we were only a short walk away from free food and the pool!! On our ship we had four hot tubs and two pools, huge tanning deck complete with umbrella drinks (at a price) waiters and those tanning chairs that you see at all the fancy hotels. I was definitely starting to feel like I was in a different world (the one were the fancy people are!) The great thing about a ship is that you don't have to pay for anything (or rather you've already payed for everything so it feels free!)

Our first priority was food (having not eaten anything all day so that I would have room I was definitely ready for my lunch!) We set off in search of a restaurant and found a buffet restaurant where we could sit outside on deck and watch the ocean (or in this case the harbor - we hadn't actually left port yet!) the food was divine and there was so much to choose from! After food, it was on to the pool and tanning, which in my case also included thick layers of sunscreen!

However, no sooner had I stripped to my swimsuit, applied sunscreen and got wet (in other words I was just ready to lie in the sun and tan) than the alarm sounded and we all had to muster on deck six with our life jackets for an emergency drill. The life jackets weren't very comfortable - not only physically but emotionally too. They were reminded me of the Titanic (a movie I could only watch once, bawling most of the time) and this made me scared because I was forced to think about what may happen if we were faced with drowning (and I'm kinda scared of sharks too!) But all went well and we didn't look like we were about to drown yet.

After this requirement was dealt with we were free to depart! "Bahamas here we come! And now all I have to do is find my sea legs!"