Oct. 30, 2023: Last evening aboard the ship, we had the pleasure of attending the final concert featuring Mary-Jess, a soprano from the United Kingdom. This marked our third time witnessing her performance during the voyage, each time left enchanted by her melodious voice. Mary-Jess, an alumna of Nanjing University and a winner of the Chinese X-Factor, is fluent in Mandarin, which she skillfully incorporates into her performances by speaking a few phrases in Chinese and singing a Chinese song. The cruise director, a French national raised in Chile and now residing in Taiwan, is also proficient in Mandarin, as is the ship's general manager, who hails from China. The ship boasted a considerable number of Chinese-speaking guests.

Upon the ship's arrival at Keelung Harbor this morning, we savored our final breakfast. Over the span of 27 days, our mornings were consistently greeted with a freshly prepared omelet, a croissant, and a cup of coffee - a simple yet fulfilling routine, with the extensive buffet offerings failing to tempt our appetites further. Post-breakfast, we disembarked and proceeded to take a train to Taipei Railway Station, followed by a transfer to the airport express line leading to Taoyuan Airport, experiencing firsthand the efficiency of Taiwan's public transport system.

Arriving slightly ahead of schedule at the airport, we were momentarily stalled by airline’s early check-in restrictions, leading us to settle for a less-than-satisfactory bowl of wonton noodles at an airport eatery. Post check-in and customs clearance, we made our way to the airport lounge to await our flight, indulging in a second lunch accompanied by beer and coffee.

Our arrival at Shanghai Pudong Airport was clocked at 5:30 PM. In stark contrast to our experience six months prior, the airport was notably busier, with increased customs booths dedicated to international travelers. What was once a swift five-minute customs clearance had now extended to a forty-five-minute queue, inadvertently prolonging our daughter's wait to over an hour.

This journey back home was quite unique, taking twenty-seven days of sailing across oceans to reach our hometown. It might have been the extended period at sea during the initial part of the voyage, or possibly the daily outings and enjoyment when we docked in the second half, or maybe just the anticipation of homecoming, but towards the end, we found ourselves a bit weary and unfocused. Upon reaching home, the joy of reuniting with our family was immense, and having daughter by our side made it even more special.

十月三十日：昨晚在船上的最后一次音乐会我们再一次享受来自英国的女高音歌手(Mary-Jess)的演唱。我们在船上已看了她三次表演，唱得真好听。她曾留学于南京大学，获得过中国X-factor 冠军，能说一口流利的中国话，所以每次表演都会说上几句中文，唱一首中文歌。这游轮上的巡航总监是智利长大的法国人，现住在台湾，也能说中国话，而船上的总经理来自中国，船上能说中国话的游客也不少。

今天早晨船到了基隆港后，我们先去吃上最后一顿早餐。二十七天在船上，几乎每天早上一个现做的用蛋白煎的蛋卷，一个小羊角面包和一杯咖啡是必须的，简简单单，而其它数不尽的自助餐食品对我们来说一点没食欲。早餐后我们就下船坐火车去台北火车站，再换去机场专线到达桃园机场。台湾的公共交通还是非常方便的。

到机场有点早，中国民航不让我们办理登机手续，只好在机场内的餐厅先吃上一碗馄饨面，不怎么样。等办完登机手续，过海关，来到机场休息室候机，又吃上第二顿午餐，再来点啤酒，咖啡下午五点半到达上海浦东机场。与六月前相比，这次的浦东机场人多了不少，光是为外国人就开了十几个海关窗口。我们六个月前五分钟就搞定的过海关这次竟然排了四十五分钟的队才出关，白白让女儿等了一个多小时。

这次回家行程算是有点特殊，经过二十七天漂洋过海才回到家乡。也许是上半航程中太多天的海上行，也许是下半航程里每天靠岸下船游玩，也许是回家心切，到了最后几天我们觉得有点累，已心不在焉。

到家了，很高兴再次与家人团聚，而且还有女儿陪伴。