There's no better way than "blowing a few cobwebs" out of the system than by taking a cruise. It's often easy to get caught up in work and day-to-day life and forgetting about some of the pleasures life has to offer.

I needed a break and my body was screaming at me to take one! So when an offer came in from "out of the blue" from a close friend in Atlanta to head off on a five day cruise out of Fort Lauderdale to Cozumel in Mexico, I jumped at the chance. I'm glad I did.

We sailed on Royal Caribbean's Enchantment Of The Seas, a magnificent vessel which had recently undergone some modifications. The ship amazingly was extended in length and the result was a bigger, more spacious cruise ship which provided every possible amenity you could think of.

From the time we boarded in Fort Lauderdale to the moment we walked into the ship's main entrance foyer I just knew I had made the right decision. It was one of the most cost effective holidays I had taken. Not that I'm in the "scrooge" category; $400 bucks for four nights and five days surrounded in total luxury was money well spent. Sure, I didn't have an outside window in my stateroom but I wasn't intending on spending the bulk of my time in my room.

Royal Caribbean certainly got my attention. Eleven levels of spectacular cruise ship and I've got to hand a dozen bouquets to their level of customer service...simply outstanding. There was one lady who worked in a side coffee shop. Her name was Carla. I must have consumed a good deal of coffee...hey, I didn't sleep much! Anyway, Carla knew my name from the first moment she swiped my card after I'd purchased my first brew. I must have bumped into her two dozen times during the cruise after that and she always greeted me by first name. That's pretty impressive when you consider how many people were on the ship.

It was all part of the Royal Caribbean service. We sailed to Key West first up and spent the day there. Then it was back on board and off to Cozumel. I guess the only downside was the hurricane damage that was still evident in Cozumel from the previous year but these resourceful people are re-building in a real hurry. Amazing place.

There was no shortage of activities on board the Enchantment Of The Seas. Everywhere I went on this mighty cruise ship there seemed to be something going on. I took part in some physical stuff but I'll admit, most of my time was spent laying buy the ships pool. It was my relaxation time. And cruise ship staff never pressured me into doing anything.

Royal Caribbean provided an excellent catering service and arrangement on the Enchantment Of The Seas. I gave the fine dining areas a miss I will admit but my favorite eatery was up on the ninth floor. Casual and one didn't have to be too concerned about one's "beg your pardons.' Once again, relaxation seemed the aim of Royal Caribbean and it's staff.

It was a cruise ship experience to help re-charge the batteries. I treated it that way and Royal Caribbean responded in wonderful fashion. For the price, it exceeded my expectations.