Now, the thought of climbing sixty flights of stairs can be daunting. That would be climbing from deck 2 to deck12 half a dozen times. Of course, the walking down counts only if you are counting steps but otherwise really is not going to contribute to fitness. It will contribute to you meeting, greeting, passing and dodging people as the North Americans and Europeans are in the habit of staying to the right while the Aussies and Brits go left. If you are all going in the same direction, this is not a problem but regularly leads to dodging, shuffling around and otherwise helplessly grinning while things sort themselves out. Smart people give way to those hauling themselves up and small children at speed, but never, ever let it be said that the average ship is populated by smart people.

So here my alternative to fitness for the “could do it but lazy.” Slide to be fit. If you can climb one flight of stairs aided only by railings, fit into a bathing suit and are not afraid of water, you can slide. It is one flight of stairs at a time separated by 10-15 seconds of pure fun and maybe 20 meters from the bottom of the slide to the spiral stairs going up the tower.

This slide is not terribly high with one left hand turn followed by only one spiral to the right before splashing down at the end. Or coasting down if you are afraid of getting your hair wet.

Today, besides the usual under 10 suspects four of the regular adults were already at play when I arrived about 1230. That meant 75 minutes of sliding good for at least those sixty flights of stairs I mentioned.

Just think about it – fun, sun and water! And only one person on the slide at a time to avoid crash and dunkings so it is the only way I see to have any water to oneself, even if it is only 15 seconds at a time. Besides, if someone can seriously offer “Sit to be Fit” then I can discuss sliding – can’t I?