I was afraid of cruises for years. After boarding my first, these 6 things surprised me the most.

My first cruise on Virgin Voyages' Valiant Lady was way better than I expected. Justine Lee Despite my lifelong fear of the ocean, I decided to face my anxieties and book my first cruise . As an introvert, I was surprised that the Virgin Voyages ship offered activities beyond partying. I was also relieved that each port had multiple checkpoints, making reboarding easier. Ever since I was a kid, I've had a fear of getting trapped in the middle of the ocean. So, the idea of going on a cruise never crossed my mind. However, my mom has always wanted to take one, and since I love traveling with her, I decided it was time to push past my trepidation and book a seven-night Virgin Voyages itinerary aboard the Valiant Lady ship. This cruise, which traveled from Rome to Barcelona, was the ultimate test of my anxieties.