After lunch, we weren't quite sure what to do with ourselves because it was another rainy day.

Then we played Giant Pictionary at 2:00... it's a little challenging with such a large group.

Then we played Themed Trivia (Movie Music) at 3:00 which was our best game.

Then stuck around for General Knowledge Trivia at 3:30 because... why not?

After General Knowledge Trivia, we decided to head back to our stateroom to pack our bags and get ready for dinner. Normally, Aaron and I do walk-off departure, but since we were Aaron's parents, we decided to take advantage of the luggage service. We needed to place our bags in the hallway between 8-10PM.

I'll share some cruise cabin organization strategies that helped keep our stateroom tidy on this cruise and the next!

I use Magnetic Wall Hooks to hang necklaces, hats, and bags so that they're easy to spot and access when getting ready. They're also really useful for hanging damp swimsuits/cover-ups to dry. They stick to the metal stateroom walls which are on most cruise ships, but in the cases where we've not had metal walls (our interior cabin on the Disney Wonder), we can still use them to hang items on the metal doors and ceiling.


Some people swear by bringing a pop-up hamper for dirty clothes, but I've never tried this or thought it was necessary. We put my dresses and Aaron's shirts back on the hanger after wearing. I refold most garments and put back in the drawer to wear again. I leave my suitcase open under the bed to toss in the dirties.

For out and about on the ship, I purchased a Bandolier crossbody phone case for my specific cruise problem - most of my evening dresses don't have pockets, and my hands aren't free to carry my phone because I'm holding my camera. It always felt too cumbersome to carry a purse when all I needed was my phone and SeaPass card. I went back and forth on whether or not to get the Bandolier case because it's a little pricey for a phone case. I looked at some similar cases on Amazon, but I really liked the fancier-looking Bandolier cases. I bought the Sheila in creme/gold and Lily in metallic gold with the intention of choosing one.... but I ended up keeping both. I love them, and they work great for cruising! It makes it easier for me to switch between taking photos on my camera and my phone.

Eka brought us new flowers since the last glass broke -


Tonight's theater performance was Soundtrack, "forty-five minutes of pure energy and dynamic performance... redefines music from the movies into music that moves." I missed the beginning of the show because I was trying to get our bag packed and into the hallway, but what I did see seemed like a more cohesive variety show. For the most part, the vocals were good... until an ear-wrenching number of "Since U Been Gone." Once again, the aerialists stole the show. The choreography seemed much more practiced and lines were better tonight. Also, the theater was packed full, so I'm sure the production team was really feeding off of that energy.

The dining room, however, was fairly empty tonight. Perhaps people were in their rooms packing their bags? Because of that, we received very fast service.

To start, I ordered the Eggplant Caviar which I enjoyed.


Aaron ordered the Prosciutto di Parma which was sweet and savory. Interesting presentation -
Aaron also had the Spinach Turnover which had interesting black olive presentation...


I ordered the Spiced Louisiana Gumbo. I liked the flavor, but would have appreciated a larger portion (maybe an entree-sized dish) -

For his entree, Aaron had the Braised Beef Stroganoff which he did not thing was very good, but thought it could have been the large noodle to meat ratio.


For my entree, I had the Sauteed Tilapia Filet which I did not realize was going to be presented on a bed of pasta. It was an odd dish, and I didn't think that the tilapia went with the noodles. I also preferred the noodles over the fish.

For dessert, I got the New York Cheesecake which is a solid option -

And Aaron ordered the Sacher Torte -

Then Dipo brought us his favorite dessert the Cannoli "Tutti-Frutti," and I really questioned if this was really his favorite, or if he happened to have an extra one. Definitely a unique choice for a favorite.


Because the dining room was so empty, we had plenty of time to chat with and thank our dining team. We really appreciated the service that Dipo and Rahmad provided throughout our sailing.

Note: If you'd like to provide an additional tip to your dining team and stateroom host (in addition to the automatic/prepaid gratuity), remember to bring cash for easy tipping.

When we returned to our rooms after dinner, there was a surprise for Aaron's mom -

On our reservation, I had noted that we were celebrating her birthday, but I had no idea what would come of it. They delivered a platter of little desserts and a bottle of wine.


Her birthday is December 30, so I wrote that it was the 26th (technically they have her passport information, so they weren't cross-checking anything) since that was the closest date to her birthday on our sailing. However, if I had known that they deliver a bottle of wine, I would have chosen an earlier date so there would be more time to enjoy it.

It was a happy surprise, and we enjoyed the wine and treats with Aaron's parents in their stateroom.


Afterward, I convinced Aaron to come with me on a nighttime long exposure photography tour of the ship. I had chosen to pack my tripod on this trip, so I needed to be sure to get some use out of it (there have been a few times when I've carried my tripod only to never use it).

First Stop: The Grand Foyer

I've mentioned before that I'm not a fan of this staircase. It takes up so much central floor space, and it was completely useless during our sailing because they blocked it off with a Gingerbread Village display. Scale-wise, I think that it's too large for the space.


Aaron providing some behind-the-scenes:


Next Stop: The Theater


It was completely empty, so we took advantage and went up on the stage for a shot of the back.

To give credit where it's due, this is Aaron's ceiling shot:

The white curtain is not cute. It looks like a shower curtain liner. It really brings the whole room down aesthetically.
Last Stop: Pool Deck

Unfortunately, the netting over the pool is not very photogenic.

The lighting was also crazy in the Solarium.

The pools close at 9AM which is early compared to other cruise lines.


One last mirror selfie before calling it a night!


Next: Celebrity Summit Post-Cruise Miami