After rocking and rolling all night long we had another Sea day. It was a pretty busy day starting with room service for breakfast.
We hurried down for trivia followed by bingo where I won $80. Lunch was at the pizza place where we learned that they don’t have salads and desserts for lunch == only pizza.
After lunch there was another trivia. They then had a presentation on Alaska which was pretty good. This was followed by another session of bingo where we didn’t win this time. David played bingo with us and he didn’t win either. There was another trivia after bingo but we decided not to stay for that. We went back to the cabin to freshen up for dinner.
Dinner was in the dining room and was fast. There was a show in the Princess Theatre at 7:45 so we headed down there at 6:30 so we could get a seat. The theatre didn’t open up for seating until a little after 7:00 but we did get an aisle seat. The show was someone playing Adele music which I thought was pretty good. As soon as the show was over we dashed to the other end of the ship because a comedian was performing at the Vista Lounge at 9:00. This guy was from New Zealand and I guess all of his jokes were inside jokes with the Aussies and Kiwis. I didn’t think any of it was funny. Then he started in on Trump and his wall. I didn’t see any humor in that either. After about 15 or 20 minutes into his show we walked out and went back to the cabin and called it a night.
Kotor, Montenegro
Kotor, Montenegro
Saturday, March 31, 2018
Friday, March 30, 2018
March 30, 2018
We are in Adelaide today and have a private tour booked. It is Good Friday and a lot of places are closed so it was challenging to find a tour. Our tour guide, David, said he would find some places and show us around.
David had a wonderful VW van to travel in. It was so comfortable. Too bad we can’t get them in the states.
The first stop of the day was Gorge Wildlife. We were some of the first there so it wasn’t crowded. David had arranged a private holding of a koala. We each got to hold it for about 5 minutes. Her name was Claire and will be retiring soon. I think they said she was about 9 years old. She was bulky and kind of heavy. They told me to stand there like a tree.
We then walked through the park and looked at the other animals. A goose chased Mary P and pecked her on the back of her knee. It was quite comical.
We had requested to do a chocolate tasting so he took us to a chocolate factory with 100’s of kids there getting their Easter candy. The only tasting was samples around the store. I did purchase a dark chocolate candy bar for later. We weren’t in there long as this wasn’t really what we were interested in.
He then drove us to Hahndorf, a German town. There were lots of shops and restaurants there. He dropped us off at one end of town and said he would pick us up at the other end and for us to find a place to eat along the way. He had recommended Haus so we located it and ate there it was good but a lot of food.
After lunch he took us to Mount Lofty for a view of the area. Absolutely gorgeous. We continued back into Adelaide for an overview of the town. He took us to a really pretty church. They were getting ready to have a Good Friday Meditation Service. We traipsed through there with our cameras. I felt kind of strange but he said we were ok. I don’t know if that was his church or not but I kind of felt like it might have been. Beth wanted to hear the organ so Mary P, Beth and I went back inside for the first few minutes to listen but they never really played it. We did get to hear the choir sing though.
There are parks surrounding Adelaide and they are so pretty and peaceful. The town is also very clean. He showed us some fig trees which were enormous in size. I’ve never seen one that big. It kind of reminded me of our redwood trees.
We returned back to the ship a little before 5:00. All aboard time was 5:30 so we stayed in the cruise terminal to check our email on free WiFi. When we got back on the ship they were having lifeboat drill for the few people that got on the cruise in Adelaide.
We didn’t rush down to dinner and when we got there all the window seats were gone. Lesson learned — rush to dinner or wait a little longer. Dinner was good but by the time we got out we couldn’t get a seat to the show. We were there 30 minutes early but all the good seats were taken. We went back to the cabin and then went to trivia at 9:00. It was famous faces. We knew some of them but missed some obvious ones. After that it was back to the cabin.
I forgot to mention that the captain had made an annnouncement that we may have a rough night.
David had a wonderful VW van to travel in. It was so comfortable. Too bad we can’t get them in the states.
The first stop of the day was Gorge Wildlife. We were some of the first there so it wasn’t crowded. David had arranged a private holding of a koala. We each got to hold it for about 5 minutes. Her name was Claire and will be retiring soon. I think they said she was about 9 years old. She was bulky and kind of heavy. They told me to stand there like a tree.
We then walked through the park and looked at the other animals. A goose chased Mary P and pecked her on the back of her knee. It was quite comical.
We had requested to do a chocolate tasting so he took us to a chocolate factory with 100’s of kids there getting their Easter candy. The only tasting was samples around the store. I did purchase a dark chocolate candy bar for later. We weren’t in there long as this wasn’t really what we were interested in.
He then drove us to Hahndorf, a German town. There were lots of shops and restaurants there. He dropped us off at one end of town and said he would pick us up at the other end and for us to find a place to eat along the way. He had recommended Haus so we located it and ate there it was good but a lot of food.
After lunch he took us to Mount Lofty for a view of the area. Absolutely gorgeous. We continued back into Adelaide for an overview of the town. He took us to a really pretty church. They were getting ready to have a Good Friday Meditation Service. We traipsed through there with our cameras. I felt kind of strange but he said we were ok. I don’t know if that was his church or not but I kind of felt like it might have been. Beth wanted to hear the organ so Mary P, Beth and I went back inside for the first few minutes to listen but they never really played it. We did get to hear the choir sing though.
There are parks surrounding Adelaide and they are so pretty and peaceful. The town is also very clean. He showed us some fig trees which were enormous in size. I’ve never seen one that big. It kind of reminded me of our redwood trees.
We returned back to the ship a little before 5:00. All aboard time was 5:30 so we stayed in the cruise terminal to check our email on free WiFi. When we got back on the ship they were having lifeboat drill for the few people that got on the cruise in Adelaide.
We didn’t rush down to dinner and when we got there all the window seats were gone. Lesson learned — rush to dinner or wait a little longer. Dinner was good but by the time we got out we couldn’t get a seat to the show. We were there 30 minutes early but all the good seats were taken. We went back to the cabin and then went to trivia at 9:00. It was famous faces. We knew some of them but missed some obvious ones. After that it was back to the cabin.
I forgot to mention that the captain had made an annnouncement that we may have a rough night.
March 29, 2018
This was a Sea day and very quiet. We ate breakfast in the Club Class dining room. It was good but I think we will stick to room service. I ordered eggs and bacon. The bacon was good and crispy but the serving of eggs was enough to feed an army.
We had bingo in the morning but no luck. After bingo it was time for lunch. We once again ate in Club Class dining room. We always get such good service in there and it is really fast.
They had trivia so we went to listen. We don’t ever play because people are so competitive and they get mad if you don’t know things so we just listen. We know some of the questions which is fun. We keep our own scoresheet and pretend that we got all the answers right.
After trivia we had bingo again. Mary P won this time which was nice. After bingo it was time for dinner. We decided not to go to the dining room but had pizza which was good.
There was a special entertainer so we had to get there an hour early to get a seat. We found a prime location to sit and waited what seemed like forever for the 7:45 performance. There was not a seat to be had in the whole place. I don’t remember the performer’s name but he was from Montreal. He had a nice voice but I didn’t care for his stage presence. We listened to one song and left when he started the second one. I just couldn’t take it and it is rare for me to walk out. I usually will sit through the shows.
The singers and dancers were doing a show called Country Jam in the Vista Lounge at 9:00 so we went and got a seat for that show and waited an hour for it to start. I went to the cabin and got our iPads to keep us entertained. This show was great. They had done 2 performances of it a couple of nights before but we were too tired to stay up for it so missed it. This was the last chance to see the show and so glad we did. The lead singers are really talented.
After the show it was back to the cabin for the night.
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
March 28, 2018
Today we are in Melbourne and are in port until 11:00 tonight. We booked a tour through Tours By Locals. We have to meet him outside the secured area so I looked out to see how far we had to walk and it didn’t look bad. By the time we went through all the mazes they had set up for us to go through it was quite a walk. When we met up with him I told him I didn’t realize I had booked a walking tour. We all had a good laugh with that and then he showed us to the van he had rented for our tour. We were very comfortable unlike we were the prior day.
Our tour was to circumnavigate Port Phillip Bay. There were some boring parts but mostly very interesting and pretty. We were gong to ride a car ferry across to the other side but first we stopped to look at a beautiful view and a couple of lighthouses. One was white and one was black. He explained that they were like that to help ships line up properly to come through the narrow channel. They would look at the lighthouses and when the black one was completely hidden by the white one they knew they were lined up properly.
We drove over to the ferry and lined up. Once on the ferry we got out of the van and went inside. There was a food counter where we purchased sandwiches for a quick lunch. We saw the houses of the rich and famous overlooking the bay.
Once to the other side we drove over to Point Nepean National Park. We went on a brief walking tour through the Quarantine Station which was established in 1852. It was the place for quarantine purposes in Victoria until 1979 and closed in 1980. The site later became home to Army Officer Cadet School (1952-1985) and the School of Army Health (1985-1998). In 1999, selected buildings were used to accommodate Kosovo Refugees. The buildings contain intact artifacts spanning over 150 years of quarantine and army use.
We then took the park shuttle to Fort Nepean dating back to the 1880’s with views of Port Phillip and Bass Strait. We explored several of the tunnels, forts and gun emplacements from which allied shots were fired for both World War I and II.
We took the last shuttle of the day (4:00) back to our van. We continued on a coastal drive and got to see the Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes. Evidentially they are very famous but I had not heard of them. Beth told us she had always seen pictures of them and was really happy to be able to see them. The cost of them are $300,000 and yo have to be a resident in the area to be able to purchase one. They are about th size of the little cabana that we rented when we went to Half Moon Cay.
It was getting late and our guide asked if we wanted a city tour of Melbourne and we agreed that we wanted to. There was lots of traffic but he drove us around and gave us a brief overview. This is a city I would like to return to.
We returned to the ship about 8:00 pm. He was able to drive us right up to the ship so we didn’t have to walk so far. Once on board we went to our cabins briefly and decided to just eat pizza and pass up the dining room for the night. The pizza was good. It is actually a restaurant where they wait on you. I figured it would just be counter service. We got an appetizer to share. I got Caesar salad and flatbread. Once finished eating we went back to the cabin and turned in for the night. It had been a long day.
Our tour was to circumnavigate Port Phillip Bay. There were some boring parts but mostly very interesting and pretty. We were gong to ride a car ferry across to the other side but first we stopped to look at a beautiful view and a couple of lighthouses. One was white and one was black. He explained that they were like that to help ships line up properly to come through the narrow channel. They would look at the lighthouses and when the black one was completely hidden by the white one they knew they were lined up properly.
We drove over to the ferry and lined up. Once on the ferry we got out of the van and went inside. There was a food counter where we purchased sandwiches for a quick lunch. We saw the houses of the rich and famous overlooking the bay.
Once to the other side we drove over to Point Nepean National Park. We went on a brief walking tour through the Quarantine Station which was established in 1852. It was the place for quarantine purposes in Victoria until 1979 and closed in 1980. The site later became home to Army Officer Cadet School (1952-1985) and the School of Army Health (1985-1998). In 1999, selected buildings were used to accommodate Kosovo Refugees. The buildings contain intact artifacts spanning over 150 years of quarantine and army use.
We then took the park shuttle to Fort Nepean dating back to the 1880’s with views of Port Phillip and Bass Strait. We explored several of the tunnels, forts and gun emplacements from which allied shots were fired for both World War I and II.
We took the last shuttle of the day (4:00) back to our van. We continued on a coastal drive and got to see the Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes. Evidentially they are very famous but I had not heard of them. Beth told us she had always seen pictures of them and was really happy to be able to see them. The cost of them are $300,000 and yo have to be a resident in the area to be able to purchase one. They are about th size of the little cabana that we rented when we went to Half Moon Cay.
It was getting late and our guide asked if we wanted a city tour of Melbourne and we agreed that we wanted to. There was lots of traffic but he drove us around and gave us a brief overview. This is a city I would like to return to.
We returned to the ship about 8:00 pm. He was able to drive us right up to the ship so we didn’t have to walk so far. Once on board we went to our cabins briefly and decided to just eat pizza and pass up the dining room for the night. The pizza was good. It is actually a restaurant where they wait on you. I figured it would just be counter service. We got an appetizer to share. I got Caesar salad and flatbread. Once finished eating we went back to the cabin and turned in for the night. It had been a long day.
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
March 27, 2018
Today we were in Burnie. Our ship docked in a working port so everybody had to ride a shuttle to go in or out of the port. We had to go to the dining room to get a numbered ticket for the shuttles. We docked at 10:00 and had a 10:00 tour so we wanted to get off as soon as possible. We were in the dining room at 9:30 and got tickets for bus #2. The 4 of us were sharing this tour with 2 other people so there were 6 on our tour.
We arrived on bus #2 to The Makers Workshop where we met our tour guide Cherie. After quick introductions we were on our way. Today the main place we were visiting was Cradle Mountain which was a few hours away. The car we were riding in was really cramped. Mary P and I sat in the very back. I think we had more room than anybody else but I had a really hard climbing into the car. Beth sat in the middle of the middle seat and she had no leg room and it was like she was sitting in a jump seat. This definitely was not a good car for a tour of 6 adults.
The first stop was a gift shop and Art Gallery at Cradle Mountain. From there it was on to Cradle Mountain itself. There were lots of walking trails all over. The air was cool and brisk. When we got to our destination we got out for a shortb15 minute walk. I opted to wait for them because I was afraid I would not be able to make it. It appeared to have a steep incline which I have problems with sometimes. While waiting for the others I saw several wombats which were interesting to watch. There was also a lone wallaby.
Cherie had brought chicken wraps for us as well as some Australian Dessert called lemmington. It was delicious.
We were rushed for time but we went for a few mote brief stops in Cradle Mountain. The area was absolutely breathtaking. I would love to go back and spend more time there.
We then went to Sheffield to see the Sheffield Murals. Murals were all over town painted on the side of buildings. There was also a mural park that we went to. I understood that they are getting ready to have a competition in another week or so of all the murals. I noticed that some of them in the park noted what year each one of them had won.
We were REALLY pressed for time then as we had to be back to Makers Workshop by 5:00 for the last shuttle. It was about 4:00 then and we were an hour away. I don’t know how fast Cherie was driving but it was FAST. We made it back with about 5 minutes to spare.
Once on the ship we watched the ship sail away and then had dinner with David and Beth. The food has not been as good on this cruise but we aren’t going hungry.
After dinner Mary P and I went to trivia and David and Beth went to listen to music. After trivia we called it a night.
We arrived on bus #2 to The Makers Workshop where we met our tour guide Cherie. After quick introductions we were on our way. Today the main place we were visiting was Cradle Mountain which was a few hours away. The car we were riding in was really cramped. Mary P and I sat in the very back. I think we had more room than anybody else but I had a really hard climbing into the car. Beth sat in the middle of the middle seat and she had no leg room and it was like she was sitting in a jump seat. This definitely was not a good car for a tour of 6 adults.
The first stop was a gift shop and Art Gallery at Cradle Mountain. From there it was on to Cradle Mountain itself. There were lots of walking trails all over. The air was cool and brisk. When we got to our destination we got out for a shortb15 minute walk. I opted to wait for them because I was afraid I would not be able to make it. It appeared to have a steep incline which I have problems with sometimes. While waiting for the others I saw several wombats which were interesting to watch. There was also a lone wallaby.
Cherie had brought chicken wraps for us as well as some Australian Dessert called lemmington. It was delicious.
We were rushed for time but we went for a few mote brief stops in Cradle Mountain. The area was absolutely breathtaking. I would love to go back and spend more time there.
We then went to Sheffield to see the Sheffield Murals. Murals were all over town painted on the side of buildings. There was also a mural park that we went to. I understood that they are getting ready to have a competition in another week or so of all the murals. I noticed that some of them in the park noted what year each one of them had won.
We were REALLY pressed for time then as we had to be back to Makers Workshop by 5:00 for the last shuttle. It was about 4:00 then and we were an hour away. I don’t know how fast Cherie was driving but it was FAST. We made it back with about 5 minutes to spare.
Once on the ship we watched the ship sail away and then had dinner with David and Beth. The food has not been as good on this cruise but we aren’t going hungry.
After dinner Mary P and I went to trivia and David and Beth went to listen to music. After trivia we called it a night.
Monday, March 26, 2018
March 26; 2018
Today we were in Hobart. We started off with a light room service breakfast. I had peanut butter crackers that we were going to carry with us on the excursion for a snack until lunch. There was an announcement made that no food could be carried off the ship. So much for those plans.
When we got off the ship someone was there checking our bags as we got off the ship. Glad I didn’t try and take them off. Once in the ship terminal we quickly located our guide for the day. We had chosen to go on the Ida Bay Railway which was a historic WWII Diesel Locomotive. It was a 2 hour ride where we got to see the scenery and wildlife along the way. Midway we stopped and got out and walked down to the water and I saw a wallaby in the distance. We also saw black swans. It rained off and on all day with sunshine periodically coming out.
For lunch we ate in a small bakery in the town of Geeveston. It was a quaint little town where we visited the tourist information center and met one of the volunteers that was a Geeves. Interesting man.
We were running out of time. We visited the boat building center where they teach boat building. David went on a private guided tour while Beth, Mary and I browsed the gift shop.
We returned back the the ship right before all aboard time — about 3:30. We had a smooth sail away. After resting a bit, it was time for dinner.
We had dinner in the Club Class Dining Room. Halfway through dinner the Captain came on and told us it was going to get rough and he wasn’t kidding. When we got up to leave the dining room it took all our power to stand upright and walk. We walked to the show lounge and I turned around to talk to Mary and found that she had fallen into a man’s lap and she had several people help her up. So many of these people on the ship are elderly. I don’t see how they get around.
The show was a ventriloquist and he was so funny. He had been on the first night but we missed his show because we were at dinner.
After the show we went to trivia and observed. We knew some of the answers but not all. It was fun watching.
When we got back to our cabin around 10:00 our fruit basket was all over the floor. Things on the bathroom counter were turned over and stuff in the shower had fallen in the tub. Drawers and doors were open in the cabin. It was evident that things had been rough. The ship rocked and rolled all night.
When we got off the ship someone was there checking our bags as we got off the ship. Glad I didn’t try and take them off. Once in the ship terminal we quickly located our guide for the day. We had chosen to go on the Ida Bay Railway which was a historic WWII Diesel Locomotive. It was a 2 hour ride where we got to see the scenery and wildlife along the way. Midway we stopped and got out and walked down to the water and I saw a wallaby in the distance. We also saw black swans. It rained off and on all day with sunshine periodically coming out.
For lunch we ate in a small bakery in the town of Geeveston. It was a quaint little town where we visited the tourist information center and met one of the volunteers that was a Geeves. Interesting man.
We were running out of time. We visited the boat building center where they teach boat building. David went on a private guided tour while Beth, Mary and I browsed the gift shop.
We returned back the the ship right before all aboard time — about 3:30. We had a smooth sail away. After resting a bit, it was time for dinner.
We had dinner in the Club Class Dining Room. Halfway through dinner the Captain came on and told us it was going to get rough and he wasn’t kidding. When we got up to leave the dining room it took all our power to stand upright and walk. We walked to the show lounge and I turned around to talk to Mary and found that she had fallen into a man’s lap and she had several people help her up. So many of these people on the ship are elderly. I don’t see how they get around.
The show was a ventriloquist and he was so funny. He had been on the first night but we missed his show because we were at dinner.
After the show we went to trivia and observed. We knew some of the answers but not all. It was fun watching.
When we got back to our cabin around 10:00 our fruit basket was all over the floor. Things on the bathroom counter were turned over and stuff in the shower had fallen in the tub. Drawers and doors were open in the cabin. It was evident that things had been rough. The ship rocked and rolled all night.
Sunday, March 25, 2018
March 25, 2018
This morning we started out by ordering room service for breakfast. We always order coffee and they deliver a pot of coffee. Today we got 2 cups of coffee in to go cups. This must be an Australian thing because there are several things that they have done that are not the norm.
Today was a Sea day so we were not rushed. They had given us cards to get stamped for the scavenger hunt so we went to all 6 places and had the cards stamped and dropped them in the box for the drawing to be held later in the day. We also had to go to the coffee shop and collect our coffee mugs that they were giving us.
I purchased the photo package for $99 a year ago. This gives me all pictures taken that have me or Mary in them as well as the digital file. This is quite a deal as the pictures are expensive. I picked up the picture that we got taken when we got on the ship yesterday and had them put the picture on the flash drive they gave me.
This morning was the first session of bingo. There was a decent crowd there but the payouts weren’t that great. Mary P won the first game for $60. They had a drawing at the beginning of each game for someone to play a free computer for that game. I was the lucky winner to play the computer for game 3 but I didn’t bingo. The bingo cards and the rules of Australian bingo are very different and I don’t think it is as much fun as the bingo back home. If I remember I will try and take a picture of their bingo card and post it to Facebook.
We had lunch in the main dining room and it was very good and relaxing.
There was another session of bingo in the afternoon and I won 2 games for a total of $240. They also had the drawing for the scavenger right before bingo started and Mary P won a coffee card. Of course it won’t do us that much good because we already have the drink package and all the coffee we can drink is already included.
Tonight was formal night so we were going to eat in the buffet. Before we ate, there was a Blue’s Brothers Tribute show that we went to see. They were very entertaining and funny.
After the show we ate dinner at the buffet. The food wasn’t that great but I didn’t go hungry.
The ship has been rocking and rolling today. The Captain came on the speaker and said they were having some type of mechanical problem that they were working on and that the stabilizers were not working and for us to be careful walking about the ship. We just stayed put in our stateroom until he came back and announced that everything had been fixed and we were continuing on course and would arrive in Hobart on time in the morning. It will be an early day tomorrow. Our tour starts at 7:30 am. I am not sure what I was thinking when I booked it.
Today was a Sea day so we were not rushed. They had given us cards to get stamped for the scavenger hunt so we went to all 6 places and had the cards stamped and dropped them in the box for the drawing to be held later in the day. We also had to go to the coffee shop and collect our coffee mugs that they were giving us.
I purchased the photo package for $99 a year ago. This gives me all pictures taken that have me or Mary in them as well as the digital file. This is quite a deal as the pictures are expensive. I picked up the picture that we got taken when we got on the ship yesterday and had them put the picture on the flash drive they gave me.
This morning was the first session of bingo. There was a decent crowd there but the payouts weren’t that great. Mary P won the first game for $60. They had a drawing at the beginning of each game for someone to play a free computer for that game. I was the lucky winner to play the computer for game 3 but I didn’t bingo. The bingo cards and the rules of Australian bingo are very different and I don’t think it is as much fun as the bingo back home. If I remember I will try and take a picture of their bingo card and post it to Facebook.
We had lunch in the main dining room and it was very good and relaxing.
There was another session of bingo in the afternoon and I won 2 games for a total of $240. They also had the drawing for the scavenger right before bingo started and Mary P won a coffee card. Of course it won’t do us that much good because we already have the drink package and all the coffee we can drink is already included.
Tonight was formal night so we were going to eat in the buffet. Before we ate, there was a Blue’s Brothers Tribute show that we went to see. They were very entertaining and funny.
After the show we ate dinner at the buffet. The food wasn’t that great but I didn’t go hungry.
The ship has been rocking and rolling today. The Captain came on the speaker and said they were having some type of mechanical problem that they were working on and that the stabilizers were not working and for us to be careful walking about the ship. We just stayed put in our stateroom until he came back and announced that everything had been fixed and we were continuing on course and would arrive in Hobart on time in the morning. It will be an early day tomorrow. Our tour starts at 7:30 am. I am not sure what I was thinking when I booked it.
Saturday, March 24, 2018
March 24, 2018
As you all know, my big Australian adventure has begun. I have failed to keep this blog updated since I have been posting on Facebook. I will try to summarize what has happened so far and update daily when possible. To keep down the weight on my carry on luggage I didn’t bring my computer on this trip and will be doing the update through my iPad which will be a little more time consuming.
I am traveling with Mary P on this trip. It has been a while since we have cruised but we are picking up where we left off.
We used air miles for this whole trip so we will be traveling in either business or first class the whole trip. We boarded Japan Airlines flight 11 from DFW to Tokyo Narita on Monday, March 19 around noon. We each had a little self contained pod with aisle access for our seats. I sat in the window seat which was really private. There were lots of on demand movies to choose from which I took advantage of. We also had a USB port for charging our devices as well as an outlet. The remote control had a place where you could place food and drink orders on demand. This was a 13 hour flight and out of that time I only slept about an hour. It was a long flight but I was comfortable.
We arrived to Tokyo around 3:30 or so on Tuesday, March 20. We had to go through in transit security which was very quick. Our layover in Tokyo was only about 2 hours or so and we were able to spend that time in the Sakura Lounge.
Our flight from Tokyo to Sydney was on Japan Airlines flight 771. This flight was about a 9 hour flight. By the time I got on that flight I was exhausted. I didn’t even make it all the way through the meal service until I told them I was done and to take everything away. I was off to sleep in my lay flat bed. Unfortunately I was only able to sleep about 3 hours but that helped refresh me.
Our flight landed on Wednesday, March 21 about 15 minutes early in Sydney. Immigration and luggage retrieval was fast. We had arranged for a car to pick us up through the Shangri-la Hotel. It was only a little after 7 in the morning and traffic was terrible. Once to the Hotel we checked in. We had reserved a Horizon Club Grand Harbor Opera House View. This room was not yet available but we were able to go up to the Horizon Club and have breakfast and relax. Around 11:00 they gave us a day room so we could go get some rest and at around 2 or 3 they called and said our room was available so we moved to our new room on the 33rd floor which nice with an amazing view but very small. Our day room was much larger but on the 6th floor so had no view. We were able to shower and change into fresh clothes. We wanted to go out but it was raining so we decided to rest up and see if it would stop raining. When we woke it was dark so we decided to stay in for the night so went to a hotel restaurant for dinner.
We woke up bright and early Thursday morning March 22. After getting dressed for the day we went up to the Horizon. Club for breakfast. We were meeting my friend Kris today for a Captain Cooks Harbor Lunch Cruise. I first met Kris on an Alaskan cruise in 2011. She is from Sydney and Krista and I met up with her in 2012 when we visited Sydney. Kris then visited Dallas a few years ago and I picked her up at her hotel and drove her around Dallas and to Southfork Ranch for a tour. We then finished up with a trip to visit Krista at her house and Kris got to meet Benjamin.
We met Kris at the Four Seasons hotel which was only about a block from our hotel. She walked us through an area with quaint little shops and we stopped at a coffee shop where we had a latte and some nice catching up. We soon walked to the harbor and boarded our boat for our lunch cruise. It was good that Kris was with us because there was no commentary and she gave us the history of places and explained what we were seeing. The food was delicious and so was the New Zealand wine that Kris purchased for us. After getting off the boat we walked over to the Opera House where we walked inside the lobby. We decided not to do a tour but did look around where we could. We said our goodbyes and parted ways. Kris wants us to come back and stay with her so she can show us other places that we wouldn’t be able to see otherwise. I sure wish I could take her up on that.
Friday March 23 we had breakfast at the Horizon Club again. It was supposed to rain again so we were slow leaving the hotel as we had planned to do a Big Bus Hop On Hop Off Tour. Luckily the rain stayed away so we had a good day of it. I had a hard time understanding what they were saying on the commentary but enjoyed seeing what I saw. It was around 5:00 when we got finished with our tour so we were hungry. We went back to the same coffee shop that Kris took us to and had a bite to eat before heading back to the hotel. Once back to the hotel we were in for the evening.
Our hotel is in an area called The Rocks. It is at the top of a hill so we have to plan our way back and forth to keep from climbing too much. Going down the hill we go in the back of the Four Seasons which is on level 3 and ride the elevator down to the 1st floor. That puts us on level ground for the harbor. There are stairs to either go up or down between our hotel and the Four Seasons. The stairs are an easier climb than a steep street.
Saturday March 24 was the day that we boarded the ship. After eating breakfas we went ahead and settled up our bill and asked them to have someone to come collect our luggage at 10:45. We had arranged to have an 11 passenger van to pick us up at 11:00 and then on to pick up David and Beth at the Four Seasons so we could ride together to the port.
David was my boss at the City many years ago. When I told him we were going on this cruise he said that he and Beth wanted to go also. This is their first cruise so we showed them all the steps to take gettting on the ship.
We arrived to the port a little before Noon and they were already boarding. Checking in and getting on board was fast. We went straight to our cabins and dropped our stuff off and then off to the dining room for lunch. After lunch we walked around a bit on the ship and then back to our cabin for a rest before dinner. We ate at the steakhouse the first night. This is usually the highlight of the cruise. We were the only ones in there and in my opinion the food was subpar.
This ship is a smaller Princess ship than I have been on and seems to be chopped up on how to get around. Certain elevators only go to certain decks. We are on deck 9 and the dining room is on deck 6. The elevator near our cabin only goes to deck 7. If we ride that elevator, we get off on deck 7 and then walk down to mid ship and go down 1 more level. Another way wotid to be to stay on deck 9 and walk to the middle of the ship and go down to deck 6 that way.
This will take a bit to get used to but I am sure we can handle it.
I am traveling with Mary P on this trip. It has been a while since we have cruised but we are picking up where we left off.
We used air miles for this whole trip so we will be traveling in either business or first class the whole trip. We boarded Japan Airlines flight 11 from DFW to Tokyo Narita on Monday, March 19 around noon. We each had a little self contained pod with aisle access for our seats. I sat in the window seat which was really private. There were lots of on demand movies to choose from which I took advantage of. We also had a USB port for charging our devices as well as an outlet. The remote control had a place where you could place food and drink orders on demand. This was a 13 hour flight and out of that time I only slept about an hour. It was a long flight but I was comfortable.
We arrived to Tokyo around 3:30 or so on Tuesday, March 20. We had to go through in transit security which was very quick. Our layover in Tokyo was only about 2 hours or so and we were able to spend that time in the Sakura Lounge.
Our flight from Tokyo to Sydney was on Japan Airlines flight 771. This flight was about a 9 hour flight. By the time I got on that flight I was exhausted. I didn’t even make it all the way through the meal service until I told them I was done and to take everything away. I was off to sleep in my lay flat bed. Unfortunately I was only able to sleep about 3 hours but that helped refresh me.
Our flight landed on Wednesday, March 21 about 15 minutes early in Sydney. Immigration and luggage retrieval was fast. We had arranged for a car to pick us up through the Shangri-la Hotel. It was only a little after 7 in the morning and traffic was terrible. Once to the Hotel we checked in. We had reserved a Horizon Club Grand Harbor Opera House View. This room was not yet available but we were able to go up to the Horizon Club and have breakfast and relax. Around 11:00 they gave us a day room so we could go get some rest and at around 2 or 3 they called and said our room was available so we moved to our new room on the 33rd floor which nice with an amazing view but very small. Our day room was much larger but on the 6th floor so had no view. We were able to shower and change into fresh clothes. We wanted to go out but it was raining so we decided to rest up and see if it would stop raining. When we woke it was dark so we decided to stay in for the night so went to a hotel restaurant for dinner.
We woke up bright and early Thursday morning March 22. After getting dressed for the day we went up to the Horizon. Club for breakfast. We were meeting my friend Kris today for a Captain Cooks Harbor Lunch Cruise. I first met Kris on an Alaskan cruise in 2011. She is from Sydney and Krista and I met up with her in 2012 when we visited Sydney. Kris then visited Dallas a few years ago and I picked her up at her hotel and drove her around Dallas and to Southfork Ranch for a tour. We then finished up with a trip to visit Krista at her house and Kris got to meet Benjamin.
We met Kris at the Four Seasons hotel which was only about a block from our hotel. She walked us through an area with quaint little shops and we stopped at a coffee shop where we had a latte and some nice catching up. We soon walked to the harbor and boarded our boat for our lunch cruise. It was good that Kris was with us because there was no commentary and she gave us the history of places and explained what we were seeing. The food was delicious and so was the New Zealand wine that Kris purchased for us. After getting off the boat we walked over to the Opera House where we walked inside the lobby. We decided not to do a tour but did look around where we could. We said our goodbyes and parted ways. Kris wants us to come back and stay with her so she can show us other places that we wouldn’t be able to see otherwise. I sure wish I could take her up on that.
Friday March 23 we had breakfast at the Horizon Club again. It was supposed to rain again so we were slow leaving the hotel as we had planned to do a Big Bus Hop On Hop Off Tour. Luckily the rain stayed away so we had a good day of it. I had a hard time understanding what they were saying on the commentary but enjoyed seeing what I saw. It was around 5:00 when we got finished with our tour so we were hungry. We went back to the same coffee shop that Kris took us to and had a bite to eat before heading back to the hotel. Once back to the hotel we were in for the evening.
Our hotel is in an area called The Rocks. It is at the top of a hill so we have to plan our way back and forth to keep from climbing too much. Going down the hill we go in the back of the Four Seasons which is on level 3 and ride the elevator down to the 1st floor. That puts us on level ground for the harbor. There are stairs to either go up or down between our hotel and the Four Seasons. The stairs are an easier climb than a steep street.
Saturday March 24 was the day that we boarded the ship. After eating breakfas we went ahead and settled up our bill and asked them to have someone to come collect our luggage at 10:45. We had arranged to have an 11 passenger van to pick us up at 11:00 and then on to pick up David and Beth at the Four Seasons so we could ride together to the port.
David was my boss at the City many years ago. When I told him we were going on this cruise he said that he and Beth wanted to go also. This is their first cruise so we showed them all the steps to take gettting on the ship.
We arrived to the port a little before Noon and they were already boarding. Checking in and getting on board was fast. We went straight to our cabins and dropped our stuff off and then off to the dining room for lunch. After lunch we walked around a bit on the ship and then back to our cabin for a rest before dinner. We ate at the steakhouse the first night. This is usually the highlight of the cruise. We were the only ones in there and in my opinion the food was subpar.
This ship is a smaller Princess ship than I have been on and seems to be chopped up on how to get around. Certain elevators only go to certain decks. We are on deck 9 and the dining room is on deck 6. The elevator near our cabin only goes to deck 7. If we ride that elevator, we get off on deck 7 and then walk down to mid ship and go down 1 more level. Another way wotid to be to stay on deck 9 and walk to the middle of the ship and go down to deck 6 that way.
This will take a bit to get used to but I am sure we can handle it.
Sunday, March 18, 2018
March 18, 2018
I spent most of yesterday and today trying to get packed for this trip. I have a closet in the guest bedroom that is dedicated to luggage. I tried each piece of luggage at least 2 times. I finally ended up with the piece of luggage that I tried the first time. I got everything packed and the suitcase closed. I then tried to pick it up so I could weigh it. I am allowed 3 checked bags weighing no more than 70 pounds each. I knew there was no way it weighed 70 pounds but I was curious. There was no way I was picking it up and if I did, I am sure somewhere along the way I would hurt myself.
It was then back to the beginning and taking things out and leaving them at home. Of course that meant I had to try out all the different options of suitcases because I didn't want to bring the HUGE one. I was getting really frustrated trying to get it all worked out. I finally came to the conclusion that I needed to bring 2 smaller bags plus my carry on. Once I split it into 2 bags I was able to get everything in with room to spare. Of course we are having the hotel to send a car to pick us up in Sydney when we arrive. I'm not sure it will hold all of our luggage so I shot off an email and told them what we have and asking if the car will hold it all. If not, I guess it is on to a bigger car.
I will be gone just short of 6 weeks. The different ports all around Australia are different climates so I need different types of clothing -- some are cool and others are hot and then I am ending in Honolulu. It also looks like there is going to be rain in some of the ports at first. I hope that clears out.
It was then back to the beginning and taking things out and leaving them at home. Of course that meant I had to try out all the different options of suitcases because I didn't want to bring the HUGE one. I was getting really frustrated trying to get it all worked out. I finally came to the conclusion that I needed to bring 2 smaller bags plus my carry on. Once I split it into 2 bags I was able to get everything in with room to spare. Of course we are having the hotel to send a car to pick us up in Sydney when we arrive. I'm not sure it will hold all of our luggage so I shot off an email and told them what we have and asking if the car will hold it all. If not, I guess it is on to a bigger car.
I will be gone just short of 6 weeks. The different ports all around Australia are different climates so I need different types of clothing -- some are cool and others are hot and then I am ending in Honolulu. It also looks like there is going to be rain in some of the ports at first. I hope that clears out.
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