“You’ll never get bored on a ship.”

“There’s so much to do.”

That’s the word on Royal Caribbean. It’s also the reality.

Boarding Voyager of the Seas in Brisbane for her first voyage into Sydney during this year’s cruise season, I already had a list of things I knew I had to try on my two-day voyage.

Ice skating, Roller skating. Rock climbing. Cocktail by the pool.

But after dropping my luggage off in the twin share balcony cabin I began exploring. My list started to grow.

Spa. Basketball. Golf. Running track. Swimming. Michael Jackson trivia.

There really is so much to do. So it was time to get started.

First up – lunch at a throwback diner.

Serving traditional US hamburgers and milkshakes while blasting music from the greats – the Beatles, Ray Charles, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons – Johnny Rockets is a must-try on Voyager of the Seas.

The line’s 50/60s inspired eatery is located on deck 12 and is open from 2.00pm to 11.00pm for lunch and dinner. The menu is made up of hamburgers, club sandwiches and chicken salads.

Guests receive a free entrée – onion rings and a bowl of chips as well as a free dessert – apple pie or a chocolate sundae.

Aside from the amazing food and the throwback experience – service at Johnny Rockets is impeccable with all staff members greeting you upon entry and wishing you well upon departure.

If you stick around long enough, you can also catch the waiters and chefs perform a dance number to ‘Stayin Alive’ [check out Cruise Passenger’s Facebook page later this week for a preview of their performance].

After throwing away months of exercise on a chicken club sandwich [well worth it], it’s time to head to the muster station for a brief safety update. A compulsory requirement when cruising.

The safety officer briefs passengers on procedures during an emergency situation and how to locate and wear a life jacket.

After the update and still full from lunch – I decide it was time to burn off the food with some sport. Located on deck 12 toward the front of the ship is a sports zone.

The zone has a putt-putt golf course, basketball court, roller rink and best part of all – the rock climbing wall.

Unfortunately for me, the rock climbing activities didn’t start until 7.00pm. So instead I picked up a ball and played some ‘hoop’ with a fellow cruiser.

I’m no Michael Jordan, but when on a cruise ship – try something new. I lost of course – seven to one.

Eager to recover from my shameful defeat, I proposed a game of putt-putt. The course is only a couple of steps away from the basketball court [literally a couple of steps] and has three challenges.

Although it may seem like a small course, it will keep you entertained for hours.

The course was quite busy, with a family and a group of friends taking up two of the challenges. So we tried out one of the challenges. Not surprisingly, my ball never made it into the hole.

The sun began to set and it was almost time for the ship to sail away from Brisbane.

Heading up to deck 14 I found an ocean view spot in the Viking Crown Lounge. I just watched as the ship slowly made its way out of Brisbane and into the ocean.

As the sun faded away, my view did too. So I made my way to deck four’s La Boheme for dinner. The French and Asian fused restaurant serves a range of chicken, fish and meat dishes.

A dish that really stands out on the menu is the Red Wine Marinated Kangaroo Filet. It’s served with wattle seed crust, roasted potatoes and truffle oil.

For less daring diners, the restaurant also has a range of alternatives, including the Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast; Broiled Fillet of Pacific Salmon; and Thai Chicken Breast curry.

I chose Creamed Wild Mushrooms served with flaky puff pastry and sautéed mushrooms, cream and herbs for the appetiser. And for my main, I went with the Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast. Both were cooked to perfection.

After dinner I joined the rest of the ship’s passengers at the nightclub in The Vault.

Although I didn’t party for too long, I did take a minute to try-out the ship’s ‘drink of the day’ – Tasmania Tea cocktail – a mix of vodka, gin, bacardi, rum, midori and sprite.

I only have one thing to say about that concoction: WOW they know how to make drinks on Voyager of the Seas.

Click here to read day two on board Voyager of the Seas.