I was afraid of cruises for years. After boarding my first, these 6 things surprised me the most.

My first cruise on Virgin Voyages' Valiant Lady was way better than I expected. Justine Lee Despite my lifelong fear of the ocean, I decided to face my anxieties and book my first cruise. As an introvert, I was surprised that the Virgin Voyages ship offered activities beyond partying. I was also relieved that each port had multiple checkpoints, making reboarding easier. Ever since I was a kid, I've had a fear of getting trapped in the middle of the ocean. So, the idea of going on a cruise…