There is a common misconception that cruising is all about eating and sitting on deck in a recliner.
We are not all as lazy as this life style pretends.
On the deck below me is the gymnasium with an assorted range of equipment including monitors to check how hard we are working.
The walking machines are quite popular, especially since the gymnasium is air-conditioned.
There is a regular clientele competing for its services before breakfast.
It can be set for running if the user is so motivated but I notice that a brisk walking pace is more popular.
To make it more difficult, the slope of the machine can be altered so that one is climbing up an interminable hill.
I have been impressed by the determination of an American lady who strides purposefully uphill every morning as though she were out to conquer a mountain before breakfast.
In my view the gymnasium should be more popular than it is, as retribution for all the food that is being eaten.
The aerobic classes, however, are full with people paying their penance for the six course meals.
Then we have lectures to attend when we will be educated on the anthropology and customs of the people on the islands we are to visit.
We also have to work at our pleasure.
There are many diversions on board.
There are classes for watercolour painting, competitions for archery and bowling and even, I am told, some ships have a rock face for the younger people to climb.
It makes me exhausted just to think of it.