Day 5 – Last Day At Sea

After a big night of adventures and partying, we hit the buffet with sunshine in the skies and headed to our newfound favorite spot, The Great Outdoors. I had heard about The Great Outdoors from my sister’s sister-in-law. Noreen and her husband Mike are huge cruisers and NCL Gem is one of their favorite ships. We were emailing after Christmas 2022 when I told her about the Broadway Cruise and the NCL Gem – they would be boarding the Gem they day we arrived home. Noreen just raved about The Great Outdoors saying it was their favorite spot on the ship and would often be low traffic early on in a cruise until folks “discovered” it – we found that out too! It’s a terrific spot at the aft of the ship on deck 12 behind the Garden Café. There is a small/modified buffet served from that space but if you want more selection, you just need to head inside. Great tables and amazing views! We spent almost all afternoon there on Day 5, soaking up the rays, sipping mimosas and enjoying each other’s company. 

We opted for “couples” massages – ok BFF massages at the Relaxation Spa on deck 12. TBH, wasn’t thrilled with mine but I was suffering from a serious (and at the time undiagnosed) knee injury which kept me from relaxing completely. (FYI – left knee was surgically repaired in Oct 2023 – good to go!) I didn’t go for the upsell on products, but Kristen did, and she really liked them.

Our trip is now winding to a close and I am starting to get anxious. This happens to me sometimes when I travel, no matter if I am alone, or with my kids or friends. This time it was rather overwhelming. We had a great dinner and shopped for souvenirs, but I was not feeling great. I begged off to pack and hit the hay early … well….

That was a mistake. My friends ended up at Magnum’s Champagne & Wine Bar (top notch bartenders the whole trip!). And there was a surprise performance …

By…

ALAN CUMMING.

 He came out dressed in a full Spiderman costume and took off the hood to reveal himself and start singing. While this is happening, I am having a panic attack, in my sleep, in the cabin, so I MISS ALAN CUMMING IN THE MAGNUM CHAMPAGNE AND PIANO BAR.

I’ve gotten over it, but it’s taken almost a year.