Oh, the last few days of a longer cruise—always a whirlwind, always action-packed, and always leaving us wondering how time slipped by so quickly. These final sea days were no exception. The officer-vs-guest competitions wrapped up with great fanfare and, in the end, resulted in a perfectly fitting tie. Honestly, could there be a better ending?
We also enjoyed a fabulous crew show, one of our favourite events on any voyage. It never fails to amaze us just how much talent lies behind the hardworking crew members who take such exceptional care of us every day. Singers, dancers, performers—there’s no shortage of hidden skills onboard, and the show was a reminder of just how multi-talented this team truly is.
Then came our last dressy night, where the crew once again pulled out all the stops to give us a beautiful, memorable closing to our voyage. A few days ago, one of the younger crew members asked if I liked motorcycles. I said yes—though not quite enough to ride one! Well, out of nothing more than champagne corks and wire, he created a miniature Harley-style bike, a true little masterpiece. Thank you, Ginan—you are an artist through and through.
On our final day, the ship’s officers held an auction for the navigation charts used and displayed throughout the cruise. The proceeds go into the crew fund, which makes the whole event even more meaningful. Bidding started slowly, but momentum built quickly, and in a flurry of hands and excitement, both charts sold for $2,000 each. A fantastic result—well done indeed.
As we close out this voyage, our gratitude goes out to the entire crew. This team is truly top-notch. Special thanks to our wonderful cabin stewards, May and Aji, who were so attentive and detail-oriented—right down to remembering that we prefer our sheets untucked. Such a lovely touch. In the dining room, Mika and Yudha were always ready with a smile, thoughtful suggestions, and the occasional gentle nudge to try something outside my comfort zone. And of course, my Lido breakfast duo, Carlo and Rocel , who—very early on—remembered not only my name but my quirky little breakfast order. Fantastic.
The list really does go on, from bar staff to wait attendants to the many team leaders who keep everything humming behind the scenes. And then there’s the guest factor—the unpredictable variable that can make or break the tone of a cruise. This time? What a crowd. People came “bells on,” as they say. Participation was through the roof, not only at the evening balls and themed events but also with guests dressing up and leaning into the fun. We met so many wonderful people, both new friends and familiar faces from past adventures.
And finally, a tip of the hat to our cruise director, Clare—warm, personal, and absolutely instrumental in setting the tone for this incredible, truly legendary voyage.
All in all, a wonderful cruise—so wonderful, in fact, that we may just consider doing it all again next year. Lol… we shall see.
Finally, we hoped you enjoyed our version of this amazing legendary adventure, thank you for coming along and thank you for your comments and emails. We do have some more travels coming up and we welcome you to come on back and join in our fun. A note to some of you that have asked, please check our older blog posts for additional information on many of these ports as well as other ports around the world. In the most part, our planet is an amazing place with amazing people and are just looking for a smile and a hello… Until our next adventure… Cheers!
