I just found this post in my drafts, sorry for posting out of order and four months late😂

I took pity on a very dusty Luke, and brought back breakfast and water from the buffet as the ship turned into the first fiord of the day. Mum and I went to sit on the promenade deck (7) and found some comfy chairs with a great view. Dad and Luke joined us and we watched the steep cliffs slide by and enjoyed the best weather we’ve had all cruise, which is lucky as this was the part of NZ that gets the most rain. Dad and I walked to the other side of the ship in time to see a pod of dolphins leaping up in the wake of the ship. They weren’t close enough for a photo but we could see them quite clearly.

The sun was hot, so after we had stayed there for quite a while we headed back to our rooms to sit in the shade for a while. Luke went to listen to the information talk and afterwards I wished I’d gone as it sounded very interesting. While in the fiords a local expert does a shipwide broadcast on the flora, fauna and history of the area. I went for a walk around the ship and was surprised to see how many people weren’t looking at the amazing views, mostly kids. I recall being unimpressed by most views and natural things when I was a kid, even though we regularly holidayed in the Blue Mountains and frequently saw quite spectacular views. Why don’t kids care about this stuff?

Anyhoo, we spent most of the day looking at the views but in the afternoon, as the ship set out into the open ocean, we played several rounds of Five Crowns, a card game Michael and Izaac brought. It uses mechanics similar to Rummy so it was easy for everyone to pick up.

Dinner in the buffet was followed by an early night for all.