Cruise

Our final sea day had only one objective: slow down.

Of course, that didn't happen.

After breakfast, we joined a candy sushi class, which turned out to be exactly what the kids needed and exactly what my dentist didn't. The rest of the day was split between the pool, wandering around the endless decks, squeezing in a few last activities, and trying to convince ourselves that we'd already seen everything the ship had to offer.

We hadn't.

That's the clever thing about a cruise like Spectrum of the Seas. Every time you think you've explored the whole ship, you discover another bar, another café, another activity or another place to sit and watch the ocean drift by. You could happily spend a week on board without repeating the same day twice. From bumper cars and surfing to Broadway-style shows and surprisingly good specialty restaurants, there was always something competing for your attention.

Our final dinner was at Wonderland, probably the strangest restaurant I've ever eaten in. The menu appears with a paintbrush, nothing arrives looking like you expect, and half the fun is trying to work out what you're actually eating before taking the first bite. It felt more like a science experiment than a meal... thankfully, a very tasty one.

As the sun disappeared over the East China Sea, we realised something slightly worrying.

We'd spent two days in Shanghai, visited two cities in Japan, eaten far more than we should have, and somehow still felt there wasn't enough time.

Cruising had officially converted me.

Tomorrow we'd be back in Shanghai to catch the Maglev one last time before flying home.

The only thing heavier than our suitcase was probably me.