Call me crazy, but I am so happy that my vacation is over! I just returned from seventeen days of R&R, and I'm more exhausted than I've ever been in my life! What is it about vacations that suck the energy out of us (or maybe that’s just me)? Don’t get me wrong – it was an utterly fabulous vacation from beginning to end.

It began with seven days on the Gulf coast of Florida with my husband and kids, staying at my parents’ house and going to the beach every day. Then we spent four days in Orlando, visiting the theme parks, before my family returned to New England. I can’t begin to tell you how hard it was for me not to join them; I cried as they went through the security checkpoints and disappeared from view. I love spending time with my family and I love having them all to myself when we go away; they’re my captive audience, and vice versa. I felt so lonely after they left. Of course, by then I’d been away from my own home and bed for ten nights and I was more than ready to go home with them. I didn’t think I’d be able to muster a second wind for the next phase of the vacation!

The next morning, however, I joined my sister for a seven-night Caribbean cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas. It was my first cruise, and I had no idea what to expect. Certainly not a ship of such gargantuan proportions! It had four swimming pools, a golf course, a rock climbing wall, a wave pool for surfing, and an ice-skating rink, not to mention all the "standard" accoutrements like theaters and fitness centers and lounges. It was the Titanic on steroids. This is the largest cruise ship ever built (or so I’m told). It accommodates 4,300 passengers and 1,500 crew members on fifteen passenger decks. This is equal to the population of my hometown! I have to say that for the most part, I didn’t have the sense that there were that many people around me, except for when we were looking for an empty lounge chair on the top deck. By 10:00 each morning, every chair on every deck was occupied. I’ve never seen so much bare flesh in my life.

The food was another example of excess. The buffet breakfasts and lunches were unbelievable. Our head waiter said the kitchen prepared 15,000 meals every day. What amazed me was how fresh everything was, from the juicy melon to the fresh-baked croissants, to the mouth-watering desserts. I was intensely curious about what life aboard was like for the crew. Were their staterooms adequate? How many hours did they work each day? Where had they come from, and how had they found their way aboard? Were they able to disembark and do the tourist thing at each port, or were they required to stay on the ship? Did they enjoy their work, or did they look at the passengers with contempt? I wanted to take a tour of the working part of the ship. I wanted to see the kitchens, the laundry, the food storage areas, the bilge, the engine rooms, the crew staterooms, but was told this was impossible for security and health safety reasons, which I understood.

I sensed a distinct hierarchy amongst the crew, from the people who cleared away the dishes, to the waiters and beverage servers, to the stateroom attendants, spa and health professionals, to the entertainment performers. While nearly every crew member was kind to a fault, I had one unpleasant encounter with a beverage server who adamantly refused to give me a small pot of coffee to bring back to my room; he wanted me instead to carry two sloshing mugs through the ship and down six flights to my deck. I didn’t prevail in this little battle of wills; he did. It was a small thing, but left me close to tears, which was even more ridiculous. By then, I’d been on the ship for five nights, and was really missing my family and was feeling a little strung-out from too many late nights.

As much as I loved being with my sister and as much as I loved the islands, I couldn’t wait to get home. I have friends who love cruises. They love that it’s all-inclusive and they don’t have to think about where they’ll go to eat, or what they’ll do for entertainment or activities. They love going to bed in one port, and waking up in another. I totally understand the appeal, but I’m not sure I’m the cruising type. But maybe, if my family was with me…

What about you? Does a vacation away from the kids and hubby hold any appeal for you, or are you like me…a home body who isn't happy unless the family is there?

P.S. - I maintained a travel blog while I was away, so if you're interested in seeing more, check it out at www.karencruises.blogspot.com.