The Last Day Already?
Our last day onboard had a jam-packed itinerary, fitting in all the things we’d been meaning to do but hadn’t yet got around to.
We started with a spot of exercise, having a quick jog on the treadmill to wake us up and followed up with a choose-your-own-adventure breakfast in the visually hectic dining room.
Jude had inadvertently stumbled upon a sauna in the women’s top floor changerooms, which seemed to be a well-kept secret. We had the entire thing to ourselves. Though fitted out with the usual Scandinavian timber seats and hot rocks, this was no ordinary run-of-the-mill sauna. It had a wall of floor to ceiling windows looking out over the swirling ocean. it was the best (hot) seat in the house! We watched sea birds dip and dive and clouds sail by, while we mistook every white cap for a whale - constantly on the lookout - all from the “comfort” of the sauna. The bucket of water and ladle sat in the corner enticing us to splash a bit of H2O on those hot rocks. I couldn’t resist but immediately regretted the decision, considering the instant spike in temperature, the gauge notching up to 55 degrees celsius. It was HOT, damn hot. It was great while it lasted.
There had been a note on our door last night saying the staff would be conducting a “balcony clean” today but we hadn’t taken much notice. Getting changed out of my gym gear, I faced the window, bearing all to no-one but the dolphins and whales, or so I thought. Literally seconds after getting dressed, a couple of big burly blokes appeared on our balcony staring straight back at me, giving a wave. Missed me by that much.
The rock stars on the boat, many of whom have brought their kids and families with them, are milling around, mingling with the passengers, masquerading as mere mortals. They look so incredibly normal in the daily queue for bacon and eggs but can absolutely transform into superstars when they’re up on stage, the thousands-strong crowd in the palm of their hands.
Jude and I came across Dale Ryder, lead singer extraordinaire from Boom Crash Opera, in the lift this morning. Jude, always up for a chat with rock royalty, had actually struck up a conversation with Dale on last year’s cruise, where he’d shared that his wife was very ill. Thinking they’d really bonded over that, when she saw Dale again today & said hi, she realised he had absolutely no recollection of ever having seen her before in his entire life. If only she’d had photographic evidence.
We managed to fit in a final swim and spa, scoring our last poolside pod for the cruise, before seeing an enthusiastic encore performance from Dragon.
Without exception, the cruise staff are always smiling; so incredibly helpful and friendly. Today, when I got myself horribly lost (for a change) I found a staff member and enquired about where to go. She stopped what she was doing (she looked busy) and actually rode in the lift with me a few floors, to deposit me exactly where I needed to be, announcing: “You have reached your destination.” A human Siri. Above and beyond!
Tonight’s last show was the Living End, joined briefly onstage by Dave Gleeson for a quick Angels cover. It was an awesome concert and so much fun.
All danced out, we limped back to our little cabin to pack and get ready for our early morning departure. What a ball it’s been!
