Day 32 At Sea

So today was one of those proper fun days at sea. As we make our way towards Australia (Sydney tomorrow—no pressure, excitement levels are completely under control… obviously), all eyes were on the pool deck for a 1:30pm showdown.

But before all that, we had a rather fancy invitation to Captain Craig’s suite for a pre-sail party—because nothing says “serious competition day” like a few drinks in a penthouse.

Now, today’s main event was the much-anticipated build-your-own boat competition. The rules? Construct a masterpiece from whatever you can find around the ship, then test it in the pool with a payload of six full soda cans. Basically, naval engineering meets Blue Peter… with slightly higher stakes.

We already knew Craig and Paul had been secretly working on something, but today was the big reveal—and wow, they did not disappoint. Their creation? A beautifully detailed floating casino boat called Pair O Dice (yes, a pun… and a good one at that). Small in size but big on detail, it genuinely looked the part.

Officially, teams could have up to six people, but with the ladies stepping in for the finer touches, they ended up as a team of four—and honestly, what a job they did.

After a few drinks (purely for creative appreciation, of course) and a good nose around their very lush penthouse suite, we headed up to the Terrace for a quick lunch before grabbing a prime viewing spot for the big event.

There was, however, a twist—apparently you could boost your chances with an opening speech. No one told Craig and Paul that. Thankfully, Joyce stepped up at the last minute and delivered a brave few words before they were first up.

The boat was loaded, placed into what can only be described as a slightly enthusiastic pool, and… success! Pair O Dice floated beautifully—upright, stable, and looking rather smug about it.

The other teams followed, each with their own creative (and occasionally questionable) designs, and then it was time for judging.

Now… here’s where things get interesting.

Despite a sterling performance, Pair O Dice didn’t make the podium. And while we are, of course, completely gracious and accepting of this outcome… we also think it was a travesty of justice. The guests didn’t really get a proper close-up look at the boats, and had there been a public vote, we’re fairly confident the result might have been… different.

Joyce, in particular, took on the role of unofficial complaints department and made sure this point was thoroughly—and repeatedly—highlighted. She was not letting it go. At all. Which, to be fair, made it even more entertaining.

After all the excitement, reality kicked in. With Sydney and a bridge climb booked for tomorrow, Lorna and I had to make the difficult (and frankly heroic) decision to stop drinking. Yes, breathalysers are involved before you climb the bridge, and we didn’t fancy failing before we’d even started.

So it was back to the room, a quick freshen up, a light evening meal, and an early night.

Australia tomorrow… and Lorna is especially excited as it’s her first time.

No pressure, Sydney—we’re expecting big things.