It was the last day we would be spending on this ship. I could already see numerous cargo ships, an indication that we were close to the city. I woke up incredibly early as I wanted to make the last day the best day on the cruise. Today, we had planned to participate in the Harry Potter quiz, a game of Family Bingo and watch a live show performed by the Kinetic Band. We would also be going swimming after breakfast, and as it was bright and sunny, we were hoping that the pool would be warmer today😊.

The sumptuous breakfast included toast with jam, noodles, an omelette, fresh fruits, and juice. No desserts because I had an excess dosage of sweetened food during the past three days and my taste buds were acting funny. After our breakfast, we headed to the pool. The pool was thankfully, slightly warmer than the earlier day. However, that did not necessarily mean that it was a soothing temperature. IT WAS STILL COLD! A lifeguard spotted me and Em shivering, our lips pale and blue, and he guided us to the whirlpool, which was amazing as it was warm. That was a fresh respite from the nail-biting cold of the main pool. We spent the rest of the hour there, enjoying the gentle waves.

We spent almost two hours in the pool, relaxing and sun-bathing. We headed back to our room and quickly changed as we had a few quizzes scheduled before having lunch. Em left for the “Aquanauts”, and we headed to the Royal Theatre for Family Bingo followed by the Harry Potter quiz.

For the Family Bingo, there were 3 rounds-single row, four corners and then all numbers. We had to yell Bongo if the Bingo was not likely. We were ALSO supposed to act like a monkey if we had a number left. Overall, the activity was hilarious as my mum and dad yelled at the world for not giving them the numbers they required to win. I, on the other hand, was enjoying the pure chaos😊.Next up was the Harry Potter quiz. I thought the questions would be complicated, but the crowd of youngsters finished the entire quiz while the adults mostly gazed at the questions with utter confusion etched onto their faces. My parents questioned me on what LANGUAGE this was. That was my cue to face-palm. It was a neck-to-neck competition followed by a tiebreaker. I missed out on 2 questions and hence was out of the game. My classmate won the grand prize, and I congratulated her😊. So proud! It was a fun game for the Potterheads.

We grabbed our lunch in the dining hall. Em kept narrating her experiences in the “Aquanauts” over and over again till I told her to STOP TALKING. My mind was completely exhausted, so we headed straight to our room. The next one hour were spent chit-chatting, reading books, and relaxing in the room. The view from our balcony was really spell bounding and I sat there in peace for a while. We had some time to spare before our table-tennis session, so we decided to watch the movie “Cruella”. Emma Stone was adorable as Estella and Cruella, and we were riveted as the story of vengeance unfolded in a thrilling manner.

We returned, discussing about the movie, changed into our sports attire, and headed to play table-tennis. My serve mostly stopped at the net, but I managed to hit it back pretty well. Em was busy instructing me on how to score points that made no sense☹. My dad provided a few tips and tricks that helped me improvise. And then, it was my mom vs my dad. So…It was serve, forehand smash, backhand smash, return serve, accusations, they were real competitors, and they both had to outsmart each other. It was hilarious to see how they were bickering like teenagers. I captured a quick video and later, my mom denied being such a brat.

After the fiercely competitive match, we headed to the deck and decided to engage in a brisk walking session. I wore my mother’s walking shoes as I had brought none, so my mother had to adjust with MY DAD’S shoes which looked INSANELY WEIRD! The shoes kept flopping around and my mother had me guffawing after she remarked that she was wearing an elephant’s shoes😉. It was a refreshing walk as the breeze was strong and the sky was clear.

We wandered around the ship, stopping to comment on different designs and art pieces hung up. My dad visited the Next Cruise office which was present in the ship. He checked the details of the next cruise, the Spectrum Of The Seas which would be another experience if we could visit it. We had a quick dinner as we had to rush for the music band playing in Boleros but by the time we reached, admissions were closed as it was completely packed. So, we decided to queue up for the next show-the “Kinetic Band”.

When we reached, we saw a long queue but were fortunate enough to grab a seat. The hall filled up quickly and the show began. The band introduced themselves with a flourish and began playing many popular English songs. Their voices were harmonious and AMAZING, and they ended the show with a song for Valentine’s Day: Perfect. I enjoyed their performance thoroughly and again felt sad that we would leave the next day.

As we headed back to our room, I recalled all the exciting events of the past few days and how we would return to our everyday lives the next day. I am simply going to miss the ambience, the activities, the hearty meals, larger than life shows, movies, and luxurious theatres. I hope to visit again.

Signing off…