Arrivederci Sorrento!

Sorrento was our last port and this was our last night on the Ocean Princess. The last night of our cruise and that is not usually a happy night for most cruisers who enter back into the real world on the next morning: the real world of buses to the airport where they may have to wait hours before take-off. Crowds of people, few places to sit comfortably. Waiting and waiting. Then a long flight home to America or Australia (based on the passengers on our ship) suffering from Jet-lag when they land.

Your luggage has to be packed and left outside your cabin by 10 pm on that last night so you have to decide what you will be wearing when you disembark and leave it out for tomorrow.

For us though, not such a sad night as we are staying in Rome for two days so we have another adventure to look forward to. No rush to an airport or sitting in an airport watching the clock hands countdown to our flight. Not tomorrow at least.

Here's a video of our leaving Sorrento...

The highlight of our evening ahead would be-you've guessed it- dinner in the MDR. Our last meal there and our last chance to thank our waitstaff for their service during our brief stay on the Ocean Princess. Although every passenger is charged roughly $11 to 12 a day to cover staff tips it is customary to give extra to the waitstaff if they have served you well during your cruise.

The biggest tip is usually reserved for the Room Steward who cleans your room and makes your bed twice a day. In our case Liuz from Mexico.

I tipped my bar waitress from the pool deck each time she brought me a drink. Marisol from the Philippines...

Said farewell to a couple of new friends as the sun went down

Now time to eat!!

This would be a crab cake

New York Strip steak

Seared scallops

I think this was a fruit tart with chocolate topping....

Our busboy stopped by for a photo opportunity

The last night's entertainment was a Crew Show where members of the crew sang-some of them very well and one even accompanied himself on the piano. This is typical on a Princess Cruise ship. There's a lot of talent among the Officers and crew. The audience gave them a great response.

I packed my luggage at the last minute- Carol's had gone into the hallway before dinner but mine didn't go out until 1 am and was the only suitcase in the hallway. It was still there at 3 a.m when I got up to use the bathroom, but luckily gone by the time our room service breakfast came at 6.30 a.m

After just five hours sleep I was awake and up to see us docking in our last port-Civitavecchia, the port of Rome.