All At Sea

Leaving our island hopping portion of the cruise, our group completed another night of Sports Trivia, before launching into our biggest night on board. Everyone seemed to be up dancing at The Attic by the end of the night, as the ship sailed into rougher seas, making the dance floor move significantly.

The captain promised rough seas heading home, and whilst I am sure there is much worse, rough waters we experienced. The day after the big night, our cabin of three took in a lot of much needed sleep. We did, however venture out for the cabin crawl of our group, given that each room of our group of 25 was on a different floor. Working our way from Deck 6, to ours on Deck 8, a few on 9, to Fi and Dave's with their balcony, to Narda's and Barb's on 11 with their wind tunnel-making balcony, we managed to see most room types of the Pacific Jewel. We also learnt that the back end of the boat, and lower down, were faring better as the waves around us got higher.

This night we marked Fi's birthday, with a pre-Sports Trivia gathering of the group at the Casbar, with drinks and nibbles, and a cake. We were finally allowed to win trivia, in an unexpected showdown. Dinner at Waterfront - which sadly I ended up abandoning after ducking to the loo, and witnessing two spewers on the way out.....ewww. That totally ruined my appetite, and brought on thoughts of sympathetic sea sickness.

During this last full day, the captain had announced that he was taking a detour on the way back, to avoid the roughest seas. This then meant some question over our arrival time back into Sydney the next day. By 6.5 hours in the end, with many people changing flights, and me missing mine...by just a whisker.

As it turned out, though, Melissa was on a work junket showing an Italian client around Sydney, and thus I got to camp out in her room at the Radisson Plaza until I could fly home without selling a kidney.

This then meant that after having drinks and canapes with Melissa and her client, I got to meet Fi and Dave, Sarah and Lynda, and Dillo at the Edinburgh Castle for more drinks, in what Fi started calling the first cruise reunion. Surely the first of many, after such a great time away together.