Standing on a hill 500ft above sea level and staring down at the water in front of me, I’ll admit there was a brief moment when I wondered what on earth I was doing. Seconds later – after a gentle push – I was flying through the air at up to 50mph harnessed to a zip wire above the perfect white sandy beaches of Haiti.

At more than 2,500ft long, the Dragon’s Breath flight line is the world’s longest of its type over water, but any initial fear I had dissipated as I took in the view.

From that height our normally majestic cruise ship, Freedom of the Seas, looked like a toy boat against the picture perfect Labadee Bay.

During the past week, I’d been spoiled for choice with adrenaline-pumping activities.

I’d hurtled through the sky on a broomstick with Harry Potter, fought aliens with the Men In Black, gone rock climbing, watched an ice show, and still found time to relax in a hot tub, soaking up the warm Caribbean sun.

By way of explanation, I was travelling on a Cruise and Stay holiday with Virgin Holiday Cruises and Royal Caribbean International.

After spending a couple of high-octane days at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida, we hit the water on board the Freedom of the Seas.

I consider myself to be one of those independent traveller types and this was the first package holiday I had been on in years.

But you know what? I loved every second, both on land and at sea.

Our trip began at Universal Orlando Resort, which is like a country in itself. There are two theme parks – the Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida, three onsite hotels and lots of restaurants, bars and shops.

We stayed at the Loews Royal Pacific Hotel which provides plenty of entertainment for children and is only a short water-taxi ride from the theme parks.

Fully refreshed after a night’s sleep, we started at the Islands of Adventure which is divided into six themed areas: Marvel Super Hero Island, Toon Lagoon, Jurassic Park, The Lost Continent, Seuss Landing and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. There are thrilling rides (Spider-Man), more soothing offerings (The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Rail Ride) and plenty of shops and restaurants for those who would rather keep their feet firmly on the ground.

But most visitors’ favourite is clearly Harry Potter. Looking past the snow-capped buildings of Hogsmeade and towards the imposing towers of Hogwarts is an awesome sight.

The attention to detail is incredible – author JK Rowling had final approval – and fans will love the chance to buy a wand at Ollivander’s, try Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, or have their photo taken with the Hogwarts Express.

The highlight is undeniably the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. The queues may be long but guests are entertained by talking paintings and Dumbledore. Oh, and the safety instructions are dictated by the Sorting Hat, of course. The ride is not a rollercoaster as such, but the effect is much the same. It really  lets you live out what you see in the movies.

The other half of the park is the movie-themed Universal Studios Florida. Complete with still-functioning film lots, this park is divided into Production Central, New York, San Francisco, World Expo, Woody Woodpecker’s Kid Zone and Hollywood.

I lived out a childhood dream by going on the E.T. Adventure ride – even if it does look ancient nowadays. The Simpsons Ride also proved a hit with our party. The makers of the show had full input in its development and although it’s not a rollercoaster, thanks to 3D animation it may as well be.

Our final ride was indoor rollercoaster Revenge Of The Mummy and I’m sorry to say none of us had the nerve to try the Rip Ride Rockit, where you sing along to a song of your choice while rocketing along at 65mph.

At night the studios really come alive when the streets of San Francisco, New York and Hollywood sparkle with the fluorescent lights of cinemas, stores and restaurants.

After the excitement of Universal Orlando Resort, it was back to reality with a reasonably soft landing as we were transferred from our hotel to Port Canaveral in time to board Freedom of the Seas.

The cruise ship isn’t just big, it’s very big.

One of Royal Caribbean International’s larger ships, it is 1,112ft long and 185ft wide, with a guest capacity of 3,634.

On board, there is everything from an ice-skating rink to a 1950s-style diner, a theatre to a casino, and a rock-climbing wall to a wedding chapel.

At the heart of the ship is the shop and restaurant-lined promenade and on the upper decks you’ll find three swimming pools, six whirlpools and a flow rider where you can polish your surfing skills.

Once you’ve checked in on the ship, all you need is your SeaPass card, which acts as your room key, passport and credit card.

The best place to see the ship set sail  is from the upper decks and, cocktail in hand, we waved goodbye to Florida while the crew danced and sang around the main swimming pool – along with a lion, some penguins and a ring-tailed lemur called King Julian III.

Well, it is America...

Royal Caribbean works in partnership with animators Dreamworks, so do not be surprised if you bump into Shrek or the characters from Madagascar.

Once at sea, you can do as little or as much as you like.

However, my favourite part of being on board was the food. While there are plenty of informal options – the self-service buffet at Windjammer, burgers and dancing waiters at Johnny Rockets and peanut butter cookies at Café Promenade – the dining really comes into its own at one of the restaurants or at the formal dinner.

I had perfectly cooked filet mignon at Chops Grille and the most succulent seafood skewer at Portofinos. The formal dinner evening is also a great excuse to dress up, and the food lives up to the occasion as much as the frocks.

One of the greatest advantages of going on a cruise is the chance to see far-off lands that you would otherwise not visit. Our ship called at Labadee in Haiti; Falmouth, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, Mexico, before returning to Florida and there’s an extensive list of excursions you can sign up to before you arrive at each port – from parasailing to  learning about local life as part of a cultural tour.

But my personal highlight was still the zip line over Labadee.

Flying through the air, any preconceptions I had about theme park and cruise holidays quickly evaporated. 

This was anything but the unadventurous option.

FACTFILE

Natalie Marchant was a guest of the 11-night Orlando Stay and Caribbean Cruise from £1,299 per person, based on two adults sharing full-board with return Virgin Atlantic flights.

Virgin Holidays Cruises offers four nights at Loews Royal Pacific at Universal Resort on a room-only basis with car hire, before joining Freedom of the Seas for seven nights from Port Canaveral, Cococay, St Thomas, St Maarten and Port Canaveral.

Visit www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk or call 0844 573 4398.