Riding a wave on the Independence of the Seas

7:36am Tuesday 29th April 2008

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By Will Carson »

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INDEPENDENCE of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, promises rest, relaxation and indulgence - but for those wanting a bit more adventure, fear not - there's enough excitement to be had to last a whole holiday.

And it was excitement I got as I strapped on a climbing harness and began to scale the ship's huge rockwall.

The wall was a vertical face that seemed to go on forever, but as I reached the halfway point, things seemed to be going well.

I hadn't fallen, slipped or otherwise injured myself - a result in my book.

But soon into the second half the slow burn set in.

Jelly' My forearms felt like they were on fire, my legs might as well have been made from jelly and, just feet from the summit, I could hold on no longer.

After being lowered back to reality, I had just a few minutes to recover before moving on to the next of the ship's toys.

Having surfed for more than ten years, my confidence was running high as I approached the Flowrider surfing simulator, my next port of call.

"Have you done this before?" asked the friendly American instructor, who just moments before had been showing the crowds just how to ride the wave.

"No, but don't worry, I'm a surfer," I replied wryly.

"It's not the same as surfing," he said. "Whatever you do, don't try to surf it, you'll just fall off."

And as I jumped on the skateboard-without-wheels board for the first time, I thought I'd cracked it - but then before I knew it, the board was no longer under my feet and I was upside down getting blasted off the back of the wave in what can only be described as a wipeout.

Determined to master the Flowrider, time and time again I jumped into the wave looking like a small child at Christmas, a huge grin never leaving my face.

As well as surfing and rock climbing, guests can learn martial arts at the ship's state-of-the-art On Air Club, touch gloves in the Power Boxing Ring or even dance to Ravel's Bolero on the ship's very own ice rink.

After all, who said cruising had to be relaxing?