I went on my first cruise — here are 15 things that surprised me about this type of travel

I thought I'd feel cramped since the room was only 179 square feet. But when I stepped inside, the cabin felt surprisingly spacious.

Since the room was only 179 square feet, I thought I'd feel cramped. But when I stepped inside, I was surprised at how big it felt.

I thought the stateroom made great use of a small space with plenty of storage for my clothes and other belongings. There were two closets for hanging space and more drawers than I used.

I assumed I'd have a small porthole window like I've seen on ships in TV shows and movies. But my rectangular window was much bigger than I expected.

An electronic shade over the window could be brought down during the day to reveal some grand views. I loved waking up after a night at sea to a front-row view of the place I'd be visiting that day.

While windowless rooms are cheaper, I couldn't imagine staying in a room without one. My oceanview stateroom cost about $300 more than an entry-level room.

All cruises mandate a training session for guests on what to do in an emergency. But I was surprised that mine was available to watch on-demand in my cabin.

All I had to do for safety training was watch a couple of videos — either on my room TV or on the Royal Caribbean app — and then check into my assembly station, the area that I was assigned to go to in case of an emergency. At the assembly station, an attendant checked via the Royal Caribbean app that I had completed the mandatory training.

I was expecting to attend a large safety training session once I got on the ship, so this alternative was a breeze.

The ship has 24 elevators, but taking the stairs was often faster.

Since there were so many elevators on the ship, I expected them to be a pretty efficient way to get around. But they were often so crowded and slow that I took the stairs instead. By the middle of my trip, unless I was going all the way up to the pool decks, I always opted for the stairs to save time.

The ship was harder to navigate than expected, and I often got lost on my way to specific venues.

The ship was harder to navigate than I expected, and I often got lost on my way to specific venues.

The ship has 16 guest decks; each deck is divided into three sections — forward, middle, and aft.

It took me a few days to get used to the sections, and I often found myself heading to the right deck but the wrong section of the ship. Luckily, there were maps on every floor, which I used until the morning I left.

In the communal indoor spaces, I was surprised that I didn't even feel like I was on a ship.

In the communal indoor spaces, I didn't even feel like I was on a ship, which was unexpected.

If I woke up on deck five of Wonder of the Seas with no memory of my cruise, I'd think I was in a shopping mall.

Aside from the slight movement of the ship, the indoor decks were so big that, as a cruise newbie, it was hard to believe that I was on a gigantic boat in the middle of the ocean. Everywhere I looked, I saw shops, stands, restaurants, large sculptures, and a unique ceiling structure that reminded me of the malls I've visited.

I thought formal nights would be enforced more.

I like to be comfy, so I was dreading formal nights going into this cruise.

I brought one fancy dress with me to wear whenever I needed. But on the first formal night, I realized that the dress code wasn't strictly enforced. People wore a range of outfits, from evening gowns to T-shirts.

For the rest of the trip, I also relaxed my interpretation of the dress code.

I found that reservations for restaurants and shows on the ship fill up fast, so it's important to plan ahead to do exactly what you want.

I missed some shows because I didn't make reservations for the week as soon as I boarded the ship.

The cruise ship was full of activities and restaurants that I could go to any time, but some restaurants, like the specialty ones, and all the shows on board, required reservations that I made through the Royal Caribbean app.

However, getting reservations for the show and meal times I wanted on the day of was often hard. So, I started making reservations days before each event, depending on its popularity.

For example, the circus-like acrobatic water show in the Aquatheater seemed to be the most popular and hardest reservation to get. I tried to get one on the day of the event, but couldn't find any availability until a show two nights later.

But even with extensive preparations, planning anything on a cruise ship was subject to change.

The excursion I was most thrilled about — a hot air balloon ride over the Bahamas — was canceled the day of because the winds were too high.

It was on the last day of my trip, and with only one day in port, it could not be rescheduled. It was the experience I was looking forward to most, so I was disappointed. On a cruise ship, I learned that all plans are subject to change based on things outside the crew's control, like the weather.

I thought the port stops would be longer.

Since we traveled such a long way to each port, I wrongfully assumed we'd spend more time in them. The ship usually docked in the morning, around 8 a.m., and left in the early afternoon.

I thought I'd have time to explore the port for a while after each excursion, but some of my excursions took the entire day, getting me back to the boat just in time for departure. I also hoped to see what these places looked like at night, but we never departed after sundown.

Although I got a taste of the Caribbean, I didn't have enough time to get a sense of each place, which made me realize that I would probably prefer to vacation in just one place and have time to truly explore it.