I went on my first cruise. 15 things surprised me about this type of vacation

Business Insider's reporter's first cruise was a seven-day voyage on board Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider I didn't expect my first night on a cruise ship to feel like an emergency.

The window in my cabin was much bigger than the ones I'd seen in movies.

I definitely didn't think taking the stairs would be quicker than the elevator.

I had traveled by car, bus, train, and plane, but the only boat I'd ever been on was a ferry.

In fact, I had never seen a cruise ship in real life before April 2022, when I boarded Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas , one of the world's largest cruise ships .

During my seven-night Caribbean voyage , the ship sailed round-trip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Roatan, Honduras; Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico; and Royal Caribbean's private Bahamian island , CocoCay.

Since this was a new form of transportation and a new type of vacation, my time at sea was full of surprises.

I found that cruising is a lifestyle in itself, and while it's not necessarily for me, I can see why people love it.

While I'd seen cruise ships on TV and in movies, I couldn't fathom the sheer size of these vessels until I saw one myself.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider I thought Wonder of the Seas looked like a skyscraper on its side, floating in the water.

The 18-deck ship is 1,200 feet long and 210 feet wide, On board, I felt like I was in a small town in the middle of the ocean.

For $2,000, I spent seven nights in an ocean-view stateroom on deck 8.

The cruise was on sale, as it was originally priced at $3,000.