- Embarking on Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady in Barcelona marked my first Mediterranean cruise.
- Regrettably, my initial act on the journey involved a four-hour nap in my cabin, which turned out to be a grave mistake.
- The consequences of this ill-timed rest left me jet-lagged for days, as I struggled to adjust to the new time zone.
Anticipating some missteps during my inaugural Mediterranean cruise, I never expected to commence the journey with such a colossal blunder.
The Valiant Lady, operated by Virgin Voyages, embarked from Barcelona. Having flown in from NYC on a red-eye flight two nights earlier, I spent a night in the Spanish city on an Airbnb houseboat.
Being no stranger to Europe, I was aware of the challenges posed by jet lag due to the six-hour time difference. Although I managed to get some rest on the plane, my houseboat was located next to a beach club that blasted music until the wee hours of the morning.
Given my sleepless night, I boarded the ship feeling utterly exhausted.
I succumbed to sleep as soon as I reached my stateroom
Typically, I combat jet lag by enduring the day without sleep. However, when I boarded the ship around 3 p.m. and settled into my stateroom, exhaustion led me to believe that a nap was necessary. I showered, had a meal, and broke my rule against napping while dealing with jet lag.
“I’ll just take a power nap,” I reasoned as fellow cruisers flocked to the top deck to witness the ship’s departure.
Fast forward four hours—I awoke having slept through my alarm, which had been set for 30 minutes after I started napping. Seeing the sunset as I opened the balcony curtains confirmed my colossal mistake.
Consequently, I ended up staying awake until the early hours of the morning and slept until nearly noon on the following day.
This error had long-lasting effects. For the initial days of my voyage, I found myself needing afternoon naps. It wasn’t until halfway through the trip that I finally managed to adjust to the local time zone.
In the future, if I embark on a cruise with a significant time difference, I’ll ensure I have some coffee on the first day and join other passengers on the top decks to stay awake.
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