When I first got invited to this 10-day trip, I thought twice.
I even asked myself, Would I really enjoy this kind of trip?
Six weeks before sailing, I was asked again if I’d be interested in cruising from Singapore with three stops in Vietnam.
At first, I wasn’t sure.
This would be my first time cruising. The ship would carry around 1,400 passengers, considered small compared to ships that hold 3,500 to 5,000 people.
So I thought, this could either be fun and completely new to me... or I could get bored.
But I like adventure.
So I said yes.
I still remember arriving at the port in Singapore and looking up at the ship.
So this is really happening.
I had traveled many times before. Airports, hotels, trains, private transfers, long walks through unfamiliar cities, figuring things out as I go.
But a cruise felt different.
This wasn’t just getting from one destination to another.
This was the destination too.
And for someone taking their first cruise, I honestly didn’t know what to expect.
Stepping Into a Different Pace
The moment I boarded, I noticed something immediately.
Everything felt slower. Quieter. And honestly, I felt a little culture shock.
Not boring slow.
Not dull, slow.
Just calmer.
No rushing through terminals. No dragging luggage from place to place. No wondering how far the next hotel was.
You unpack once. Settle in.
Then let the trip move around you.
That alone felt new to me.
I was used to traveling that required movement.
This kind of travel asked me to pause.
The Ship Became Part of the Experience
I was on MS Volendam of Holland America Line, a smaller ship compared to the giant cruise ships people usually imagine.
And I’m glad it was.
It felt intimate, easier to navigate, and never overwhelming.
No endless walking just to get somewhere. No feeling lost in a floating city.
Instead, it felt welcoming.
Everyone felt warm, from the crew to the passengers.
The crew remembered faces. The spaces became familiar quickly.
By the second day, I already knew where I liked to sit, where I wanted my coffee, which corners felt quiet, and where I’d set up my laptop when I got bored in the cabin.
That surprised me.
I thought I was boarding transportation.
Instead, it started to feel like a temporary home.
My cabin was on Deck 1, and I ended up loving it. My bed sat right beside the window, with the vast ocean just beyond it.
Waking up that close to the sea felt surreal.
And honestly, the view was second to none.
What I Didn’t Expect
I didn’t expect how much there would be to do.
Afternoon tea. Trivia games. Music nights. The casino. Ocean Bar. Piano Bar. Seaview pool. Lido Deck where you could eat as much as you wanted. Different restaurants. Lounges.
A library tucked beside the coffee shop.
A gym with a view of the ocean.
My favorite spot was the coffee shop next to the library.
You’d probably find me there more than five times a day, haha.
I also loved Deck 9 and 10, where you could watch the ship cut through the ocean.
Especially during sunset.
There was always something happening.
And yet, there was still space to do nothing.
That balance impressed me the most.
You could join in, or disappear into your own quiet rhythm.
Some days I wanted the activity.
Some days I just wanted to sit and stare at the sea.
Both felt right.
My Favorite Unexpected Moment
One of my favorite moments happened in the gym.
I went in before sunset without thinking much of it.
Then I started my first set and looked up.
Right in front of me was the front of the ship cutting through the ocean, with the sunset stretching across the South China Sea.
I was so caught up in the moment that I didn’t even take a proper photo, only a few short video clips. I chose to let it sink in instead.
I stopped mid-workout and just stared.
It was one of those moments that catches you off guard.
The kind you don’t plan.
The kind you remember.
Call me dramatic, but I genuinely didn’t want it to end, haha.
Halong Bay Slowed Everything Down
I stayed on the ship through most stops because I still had work to do, and the window of time to explore before sailing again felt too tight.
But Halong Bay was where I finally stepped off and slowed down in a different way.
I stayed overnight at the InterContinental Halong Bay Resort and had club access, which made the whole stay feel calm, exclusive, and effortless.
I worked from the club floor, ate there, and watched the sunset over Halong Bay from my balcony.
After days of movement, that kind of quiet felt earned.
The next day, I headed to Hanoi on a two-hour drive.
And everything changed again.
Busy streets. Constant motorcycles. Noise. Energy. Controlled chaos.
Let me just say this now.
I am not crossing roads in Vietnam again anytime soon, lol.
Even with a crossing lane, the traffic doesn’t really stop. You just have to figure it out and hope for the best.
It reminded me how quickly travel can shift from calm to intensity.
And somehow, that contrast made the whole trip even better.
What My First Cruise Taught Me
I thought a cruise would be about the destinations.
But for me, it became about rhythm.
The feeling of being surrounded by nothing but the ocean, and somehow feeling more present because of it.
The ease of familiar spaces.
The freedom to be social or disappear for a while.
The reminder that travel doesn’t always need to feel rushed to feel exciting.
That was new to me.
I’m used to movement. Airports. Transfers. Checking in and checking out.
This was different.
This asked me to stay still long enough to notice things.
The changing color of the sky.
How calming the sea can be.
How nice it feels when nowhere needs you urgently for a moment.
And maybe that’s why I enjoyed it more than I expected.
Will I cruise again?
Hell yes!
Final Thought
My first cruise wasn’t what I imagined.
It was calmer. Fuller. Stranger. More enjoyable. More productive.
And now I understand why people book another one before the trip is even over.
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