There's something to be said for vacations you don't need a vacation to recover from.

By Deepti Hajela ~ The Associated Press

NEW YORK -- I'll always remember the day I fell in love.

It was in May 1999, somewhere between Juneau, Alaska, and Vancouver, Canada. I was on vacation with the family, my first time on a cruise ship. The experience had been all right so far, although the other travelers seemed quite a bit older, and the entertainment a little, well, staid. But this day was different.

It was gray outside and somewhat chilly as we spent the day sailing south. Feeling a little claustrophobic after a wee bit too much family togetherness (read: bickering with the older brother), I went wandering and found myself in the ship library. Grabbing a couple of trashy romance novels, I parked myself in a chaise lounge by the window and watched the glaciers go by.

It was the most peaceful, leisurely time I'd had in months. And I realized that I'd finally found the vacation that would force me to actually be on vacation, the kind of trip that guaranteed hours where I would have nothing to do but relax instead of rushing off to the next scenic site or tourist trap.

I've loved cruising ever since.

I've been on two more since then, have one already planned for next year, and have inducted at least one other person into the cult of cruising.

Don't get me wrong, I love travel of all kinds -- the exhausting trips to India to visit innumerable family and friends from the crack of dawn to the late hours of the night; the whirlwind tours of various countries, 10 cities in 12 days or something insane like that. Airports are some of my favorite places.

But there's something to be said for vacations you don't need a vacation to recover from.

There's a certain amount of having to stay in the same place when you're on a ship. What other choice do you have? You're on water. On the days the ship is sailing, there's only so far you can wander and still be on board. Even on the days when it's docked in a port, you don't actually have to go anywhere, or get off the ship.

For some, admittedly, it's confining. Hallways are narrow, and the cabins can be cramped, especially if you take advantage of some of the lower-end price packages, which aren't going to put you in the best cabins on board.

But for me, it's a blessing. When else do I have an excuse to sleep in, or nap in the afternoon, or lounge by a pool? I don't know about you, but in my real life, any time spent just hanging around the house or kicking back is always accompanied by the little voice in my head reminding me that I have a whole to-do list to take care of. On board, even that little voice is on vacation.

And it's not like there's nothing to do on board; far from it. The cruise industry has made a great deal of effort to keep passengers entertained. Increasingly, ships are offering activities for a wide variety of ages.

There are spaces meant just for kids (which can be a vacation in and of itself for parents), video arcades and lounges for teens, libraries, pools, gyms, sports areas, spas, lectures, classes, nightly performances, clubs, shops, and of course, food. Some Royal Caribbean ships even have ice rinks. Yes, in the Caribbean. No, I don't know how they make it work, but hey, it does.

Eating is itself a 24-hour activity on board a cruise. No matter what time of day, there's always something to nosh on. You can get spoiled -- my first day back from a cruise, I wonder where the fresh-cut fruit is and then realize it's back to having to cut it for myself.

And in their attempts to get larger and larger shares of the tourism market, cruise ships are offering all kinds of variety. Different cruise lines and itineraries seem to appeal to different demographics. Want a small, select cruise? There are ships that hold a few hundred passengers. Want a crowd? Join a few thousand of your closest friends on some of the largest vessels.

There are 30 different places around the country to embark on your trip, from traditional ports like New York, Miami and Los Angeles to smaller but increasingly popular local ports like Galveston, Texas, and Mobile, Ala.

Feel like getting away for a couple of days? You can do that. Want to take off for a month or three? You can do that, too.

As for destinations, no part of the globe is off-limits. The Caribbean and Alaska are perennial favorites, but ships go practically everywhere: Africa, the South Pacific, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, even Antarctica.

Is this the best way to immerse yourself in a new culture and learn all about the people and their customs? Nope. The stops tend to be for a day at a time, hardly an in-depth experience. And the activities at those stops are meant to appeal to the largest number of people. But that doesn't mean they're not fun. Through my Caribbean cruise, I've petted dolphins and snorkeled with sting rays. When was the last time that happened in New York?

For the money, I find cruises to be a great way to make use of a vacation week. I may not step foot inside a museum, or get up before 10 a.m., but hey, I come back relaxed, and sometimes even tanned.

It's vacation, people! It's not meant to be work.