You hop on board, find your deck, put down your things, get some blankets, and then it has been only 15 minutes. What happens for the rest of the 11 hours and 45 minutes on a 12-hour boat ride to somewhere amazing? Iloilo to Cebu takes exactly that long to travel via sea. 
Ocular Survey: Get to know your Room Mates
You’re on a huge 642 passenger capacity boat and you are in a room filled with different people – you share the same atmosphere, the same TV (unless you paid for a luxurious single room, then I guess you can’t relate to these things), you have one or two charging outlets and you’ll be stuck with each other for a few hours. You get to hear the crunch of chips, and you’ll definitely smell their dinner (either instant noodles or maybe the good old fashioned “packed meal”). One thing though, you’re not alone.
Walking along the aisle of small, grey, double decks, you’ll see people. Get to know them (Well, I tried talking to some but they’re snobs – respect their right not to converse with strangers). You might say “Hi!” or “Hello!” or start with an introduction like “Will it be rainy when we get to [insert destination here]?” If they’ll answer you back, that’s already a good start! Try to get comfortable with them – so that you’ll have a good night’s rest and be assured that this woman across you will not stab you to death while you’re in dreamland (absolutely kidding!) 
Mingle: Don’t stay in one Place
I’m sure you’ll develop decubitus ulcers on your butt if you’re too shy to mingle around (else, too lazy to move). Familiarize yourself with the vessel you are in. But before that, make sure your things are secure (try to chain it to your bed or something).
Places like the canteen, lounge, or benches overlooking the horizon are great areas to spend time in. I personally love staying in the canteen because hot coffee is readily available, and there are tables for you to work your business on. Yeah!
Know the exits, the life raft’s location, life jackets, and also the protocols when the ship is in danger – This is very important. After that, you could opt to walk around but put into mind where you are staying – we don’t want to see you lost in the vessel at 4 in the morning. Lol! If you got lost, there are actually maps on deck that could help you or better yet, simply ask the people on board. Never lose your tickets!
Chillax: Find a good spot to do something Productive
I could definitely work when there’s coffee around. That’s why you’d always find me doing my stuff near the canteen. Look! 
If you brought with you a book (or a kindle or iPad), then that’s awesome! Congrats! You have something non-boring to do! Include also homeworks and projects – this will definitely scratch some hours off from your schedule. I would normally work on mock ups of websites and poster designs on paper (handy-dandy notebook) and I do the actual designing when I am ready to use my computer. This saves a lot of battery usage on my part.
Believe me, when you’re in your “zone” you could finish some of your tasks in around two hours. It’s a wonderful feeling when you get things done while traveling. Give yourself a GOLD medal for that! Haha!
Droopy eyes: Sleep if you must
There’s a reason why you’re staying in a vessel that offers beds. Duh? So that you could sleep for a couple of hours, stretch your legs, and enjoy the privilege of recharging your body’s energy for the day ahead!
Wake up and Catch the Sunrise
If you’re a big fan of sunsets, I am a HUGE fan of both sunrise and sunsets especially if the view is breathtaking that will make you want to begin the day with extreme awesomeness. Thank you, God for the ultimate beauty you created!
And the rest of the remaining hours might be dedicated to a massive chunk of “good” and “bad” stories. Including a snoring bed mate and an overly obsessive compulsive lady who was a personal alarm clock at 5 in the morning because of her plastic-crazy orchestra. Not to mention a stalker-ish man on the loose. Hahaha! Be safe, everyone!
At age 22, I ditched my future as a nurse and decided to be a full time web designer to 
