For a quick second, I assumed I used to be in Las Vegas as I watched a succession of glass lifts transporting friends to the huge on line casino.
However I wasn’t in some neon-lit strip in the midst of the desert – I used to be on board the Carnival Valor cruise ship because it sailed from Barbados to St Lucia.
Caribbean queen: Ellie Taylor took a visit on the the spectacular Carnival Valor
I had joined the vessel for an in a single day journey (different passengers had been having fun with a full seven-night Caribbean cruise).
So with time being brief, I used to be decided to benefit from it.
My first cease was that on line casino. It was all so glamorous inside, if a bit of brash and really American – there was plenty of crimson, white and blue all over the place.
Cruise convert: Ellie Taylor on the crimson carpet
After wandering across the blackjack tables and slot machines for some time, I made a decision the on line casino was all too hectic. So what does a lady do when she desires to loosen up? Head for the spa, in fact. I had an exquisite therapeutic massage and emerged feeling properly and actually pampered.
This was my first cruise, and like many rookies I used to be a bit of uncertain what to anticipate.
One of many first issues that struck me was how a lot there was to do on board. A lot of the actions had been organised, however others had been spontaneous.
For instance, out on one of many decks within the night there was a blast of music and many folks round me bought up and began dancing.
As a comic, it will have been attention-grabbing to have gone to the Carnival Valor’s comedy membership to take a look at the competitors, however as an alternative I fell into dialog with a number of the ship’s workers about life at sea. The actual pleasure of cruising is arriving at a brand new vacation spot.
It was great waking up the subsequent morning simply as we sailed into St Lucia. I wandered on to my balcony at 6am and watched the solar rise over the island – a serene and delightful second.
We had the entire day to discover St Lucia, so I headed as much as superb Pigeon Island and relaxed on the seashore. Later within the day somebody even chopped the highest off a coconut so I might drink from it – one other first! I’ve undoubtedly turn into a cruise convert.
Ellie Taylor presents BBC3’s Snog, Marry, Keep away from. You may see extra of her cruise on Give Me A Break, Virgin’s on-line TV present – go to youtube.com/virginholidays.
Getting there
Virgin Holidays Cruises (virginholidayscruises.co.uk, 0844 488 3084) presents a ten-night Barbados stay-andcruise vacation together with three nights on an all-inclusive foundation on the Savannah Seashore Lodge, and 7 nights on the Carnival Valor from Barbados visiting St Lucia, St Kitts, St Maarten, Puerto Rico and St Thomas. Costs begin at £1,499pp together with full-board on the cruise, transfers and return flights from Gatwick.
