Australia/New Zealand – Scribbles and Snapshots

Australia / New Zealand Cruise 12 / 13

March 4, 2024March 3, 2024Posted in Australia/New Zealand, UncategorizedTagged Australia, celebritycruises, New Zealand, Sydney, Sydney Harbor Bridge, Sydney Opera HouseLeave a comment

It had been a late night New Year’s Eve – so we took the next day at a more leisurely pace. We also knew that we were coming to the end of our cruise so just wanted to relax and soak in our vacation.

On New Year’s Day – there was a hypnotist show. Andy volunteered to be a part of it. It was fun to watch – but I won’t embarrass him here with the videos. Let’s just say his impression of a T-Rex left a mark on the hypnotist.

You can see Andy in the first row on the left!

That evening also had a special encore show with Mr. Stephen Barry. The winner of Ireland’s Got Talent. He was super talented and always engaged with the crowd, which made things fun and interesting!

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The next day – our last full day on the ship we went to a special session they were hosting with Giuseppe and Captain Matt. It was meant to be more an informal ask me anything session. We learned a lot about both of them – and a lot of silly facts as well.

It was another nice day at sea – so that afternoon we spent some time on the pool deck in the sun. It was a great way to end our cruise!

The outdoor pool was packed – so we made our way inside. As you can see we almost had the pool to ourselves!

Our last dinner on the ship, we went to the Mediterranean restaurant and had one of our favorite waitresses and sommelier again. We had hoped we would get them – and without asking, we did! They went above and beyond to make our experience special.

The production team had one last show for us – it was a play on Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night Dream. It was called a Hot Summer’s Night Dream. The show started a little earlier – and the squad was interacting with the crowd.

If we could always sail with Captain Matt, we would!

Our friend new friend Viktar (who we had met wine tasting) did an incredible job in this performance. The sheer upper body strength and talent was incredible to watch!

We would pull into Sydney around 5 AM and dock by 6 AM the next morning. We knew we needed to go to bed early, because we had to catch our flight by 11:30 AM. We finished packing that night and headed off to sleep.

The view out of our room as we pulled into Sydney

I woke up and could tell something was really wrong. I felt awful – like I had been hit by a truck. Sore throat, full body aches (actually felt like someone was twisting my spine in their hands), and a fever. Not something you want to happen when you’re about to embark on a 14 hour flight home!

Up Next:

Jordan – March 2024

Australia / New Zealand Cruise Day 11

January 24, 2024January 25, 2024Posted in Australia/New ZealandTagged Auckland, celebritycruises, New Zealand, Waiheke Island, Wine TastingLeave a comment

We docked in Auckland on December 30th – but didn’t stay there long! We got off the ship and made our way over to a high speed ferry that was taking us to Waiheke Island.

We were set to wine taste again that day. On the ferry ride over, we unfortunately ended up sitting in front of quite possibly the world’s grumpiest woman. She complained about the ship – then the spa – the fact that the ship had installed new handrails but hadn’t been varnished. You might call her… Karen.

I sent a silent prayer up that she didn’t end up on our bus. But as luck would have it, she was in our group. These tours can get kind of big, so sometimes you can avoid annoying people. That wasn’t the case.

When we had booked the tour, the first thing that I had noticed was that at our first stop we were supposed to get tea. It stood out to me, because why would I want tea if I was scheduled for wine tasting?!

Well Karen, she wanted that tea. She made a big stink when the winery didn’t have it. They tried to make it right by giving her a glass of her favorite varietal in addition to her tasting flight. Some people just can’t be reasoned with.

Once Karen quieted down – we began our tasting. The wine was good, but unfortunately the set up wasn’t great. Most of us were standing (even though there was a perfectly good restaurant and patio behind us) – but I don’t think anyone wanted to complain after we all witnessed Karen’s outburst. It was a beautiful area – and it was one of the more tropical stops so far on our trip!

We even got to see not one, but TWO helicopters take off and land to drop off some of the more wealthy folks who wanted to wine taste.

We made our way to our next winery that was on the highest point of the island. Andy and I really didn’t like the varietals they tasted for us – but we got a glass of their Shiraz which was nice and the view was great.

The charcuterie board at the second winery – Batch

Beautiful view – look at the water in the distance!

Before we knew it we were already on our way back to Auckland. It had been pretty humid, so we made our way back to the ship to take advantage of the ships amenities. (Pool, proper AC, etc!)

We ended the night with another show in the ship’s theater. The entertainment on the ship was truly top notch!

Up Next:

Bay of Islands (Glow worm caves)
New Year’s Eve

Australia / New Zealand Cruise Day 10

January 21, 2024January 21, 2024Posted in Australia/New ZealandTagged celebritycruises, Hobbiton, lord of the rings, middle earth, New Zealand, taurangaLeave a comment

One of the activities that we were most looking forward to on our cruise was Tauranga, because we had a tour booked to Hobbiton. I’ve spent most of my life reading a variety of books, but I had a soft spot for J.R.R. Tolkien’s books. Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit were some of the books that secured the fantasy genre for me. (Not to mention, once the movies came out I thought Legolas was soooo attractive!)

We got off the ship and hightailed it to our meeting point. There was a group of us from the cruise ship that met up and starting our journey to Middle Earth. The forecast called for rain. Rain. And more rain. We weren’t looking forward to that, but there wasn’t too much that could put a damper on our adventure.

The history of Hobbiton was really cool. “In 1998, Sir Peter Jackson’s team discovered the picturesque Alexander farm in Waikato, New Zealand, resembling JRR Tolkien’s vision of The Shire. Recognizing its suitability for Hobbiton, they transformed the 1,250-acre sheep farm, preserving its natural beauty. Bag End, perched atop a hill near a magnificent pine tree by a lake, became a focal point. With the New Zealand Army’s assistance, they constructed 39 temporary Hobbit Holes in secrecy, implementing strict security during the nine-month project that began in March 1999. Filming commenced in December 1999, and within three months, The Shire scenes were successfully wrapped.”

After Lord of the Rings, the entire place was dismantled. However, a few years later the filming for the Hobbit brought them back. This time they reconstructed Hobbiton to be a more permanent feature – that way fans could come to visit.

Enough about the history… it was MAGICAL. I ONLY took 77 pictures and videos of the place. We got to walk around with a guide for a few hours – the group was large, but it never felt crowded. People were respectful about space – and making sure everyone got a chance to look at the different Hobbit holes and get pictures.

We lucked out, early in December, Hobbiton had opened two separate Hobbit holes that were fully furnished. And they staged them to look like two different families had lived there. The details were so intricate. Down to the newspapers – the food in the pantry – the children’s toys! I’m so glad we got there AFTER they had opened so we could spend more time looking around!

As the tour wrapped up, we ended at the Green Dragon. You could get a pint of beer, cider, or a non-alcoholic beverage. It was a great way to end the tour.

The sun came out – and it got really humid!

Pardon the sweat, it was really humid at this point!

We made our way back to the ship. We got cleaned up and had dinner – before heading to the magic show.

If you don’t already know, you’re about to find out. I love magic shows. If the magician ever asks for a volunteer, I always raise my hand. Random fact: I once was part of a magic show in Las Vegas.

What made this show extra fun, was that the magician was a woman. Jessica Jane from Las Vegas! She went through a few tricks and then asked for volunteers. She picked me and another guy from the audience.

The goal was to show that even though we didn’t know each other that we could quickly form a mental connection. I won’t spoil it if you want to watch the video. It was really fun to be a part of a trick! Although, he got to stick around and help her get into her straitjacket.

Ending the night at a silent disco (always a crowd favorite on a cruise ship).

Up Next:

Waiheke Island wine tasting tour

Australia / New Zealand Cruise Day 9

January 11, 2024Posted in Australia/New ZealandTagged celebritycruises, Napier, New Zealand, Wine TastingLeave a comment

The next day, we had a quick stop in Napier. We were only there for a few hours and due to rough waters we only had one gangway. This meant that up to 3,000 people were trying to get off at the same time. The line snaked from the gangway all the way back through the casino, just trust me when I say that it was a LONG line.

I had done some research on the Hawkes Bay wineries – and knew that there would likely only be time for one. We landed on Church Road Winery – they’ve been around for over 125 years. The Hawkes Bay region is New Zealand’s oldest – and voted 12th best in the world.

We had called ahead and secured a tasting reservation. The prices were about the same to wine tasting in the USA. One thing that we noticed is that most of the wine tasting in NZ was about 30 minute appointments, which varies dramatically to what we are used to with California wine tasting! (You could easily spend 2 hours at one spot).

We definitely liked these wines the best out of the other places that we had been to. And the venue was stunning! Since the wine tasting was 30 minutes, we realized that we could sneak in another winery. But… it would have to be in town closer to the cruise ship.

Our server had recommended Urban Winery, which is where we were headed. It was a cute spot in town, although you could tell they did some of their production there on site. The girl working was incredibly overwhelmed that “so many people just want to do tasting flights.” I was a little baffled, considering… they are a winery? Anyway, she wouldn’t serve us tastings. She almost let us walk out the door, but I decided to ask if we could get a glass.

At this point, I think she might have realized that she was about to lose money. (Mind you – important to note, I think there were only 6-8 other people inside). So she decided she could serve us glasses. So that’s what we did!

The interior was really cute, and I loved their branding. I’ll just say that if you are planning on going there – lower your service expectations.

We didn’t get to see much of downtown Napier, but it is known for having Art Deco architecture. We wished we would have more time there!

We made our way back to the ship, and this time we tried the Italian themed restaurant. We had wonderful service, which was a great way to end the night!

Up Next:

Hobbiton

Australia / New Zealand Cruise Day 8

January 2, 2024Posted in Australia/New ZealandTagged celebritycruises, Christchurch, New Zealand, Waipara, Wine TastingLeave a comment

The next morning we arrived in Christchurch (Lyttelton) and immediately got swept away to the Waipara wine region. The weather was cold and rainy again – this trip was so long it was hard to get an accurate forecast for the whole trip. I started to get worried that I was going to run out of cold weather clothing, but made due with a thicker dress and a shacket.

Christchurch had a massive earthquake (6.3) back in 2011 that devastated the port area. 185 people lost their lives in the quake. It took them YEARS to rebuild the infrastructure and for the area to return to a sense of normalcy. Our guide/bus driver was from the Lyttelton area – which was the epicenter. He said the area woke up that morning with 9 pubs, and after the quake none of them were standing.

As we drove north to Christchurch (and beyond to Waipara) – the evidence was apparent. You could actually see where housing developments used to be – but New Zealand decided not to rebuild there because the ground wasn’t stable. The streets were grown over with grass and the streetlights still stood next to street signs. It felt a little post apocalyptic! However, there were some areas where they decided to convert into parks.

We were originally supposed to go to three different wineries, but I think with the holidays some of them were closed. The agenda for the day shifted to going to 2 different wineries, and then a local restaurant that had many of the local wineries on their list. (We would get a glass included with our tour – as well as lunch).

The first winery that we visited was called Georges Road – the owner was actually our host. Their wines were all pretty good, but we liked their rose best. They had an adorable wine-dog, Pepper! She was very cute. Our driver was incredibly prompt, so we were only there for about 30 minutes.

We made our way over to the next winery, Torlesse Wines. We were still on a tight schedule, but our server made it her mission to try to serve us as much wine as possible. They had a large variety of whites and reds – I wasn’t sure what we would get when wine tasting in New Zealand. I had assumed it would end up being a lot of Sauvignon Blanc, but I was completely wrong!

From there, we made our way to a restaurant called, The Better Half. They had a buffet set up for us – and we tried some New Zealand wines. During lunch, we got to meet one of the acrobats, Viktar. It was definitely the highlight of our wine tasting day! We learned a lot more about what it’s like being part of the entertainment team. (And what it’s like being an acrobat!)

We had dinner at the French restaurant, Normandie. It was good! I had their baked Brie and chicken Kiev for dinner. It has been fun being able to try the different main dining room options on this ship.

Up Next:

Napier (Hawkes Bay wine tasting)

Australia / New Zealand Cruise Day 7

December 31, 2023Posted in Australia/New ZealandTagged celebritycruises, Dunedin, New Zealand1 Comment

Our cruise started at the South Island and was making its way north. New Zealand is made up of two larger islands (along with others!), the South and North Islands. We arrived in Dunedin on Tuesday morning – which was our first time stepping foot on New Zealand.

We had an excursion planned with the cruise ship for a city tour. It had a few stops for different points of interest. The first, while interesting, wasn’t very exciting to look at. Dunedin is home to the steepest road in the world, Baldwin Street. We didn’t drive up it, but you could see some brave folks making their way to the top. It was so steep because the city plans for Dunedin were drawn up in England, and they didn’t realize there was a VERY steep hill in the middle of town, and the builders made it anyways.

From there, the skies opened up and it started to rain as soon as we got dropped off at the botanical garden, which is internationally known for some of the species that are grown there. At this point, we were quite miserable from the rain and wind. But we did get to take a few quick pictures before heading back to the bus.

They had a lot of very old trees from around the world here

Our next step was the famous Dunedin train station, which is one of the cities most photographed buildings. It was built in the Renaissance-style – it had white limestone and black basalt rock. Together, this creates a beautiful contrast and to put a “cherry” on top there is a red terracotta roof.

The local government purchased it in disrepair, and did a stellar job brining it back to life.

The rain finally stopped for a bit – and we were able to take some pictures in that area. Additionally, just across the way there is the old prison and high court buildings.

They were building out more, but they had some great exhibits to poke around in.

The historic government center, and the little red building to the right was the original jail house

We ended the tour at the Octagon – the city center. This is where St. Paul’s Cathedral is. We didn’t have time to pop in – but it was beautiful to look at!

After the tour, we made our way back to the ship and had dinner at the Mediterranean restaurant on the ship.

Up Next:

Christchurch (Waipara wine tasting)

Australia / New Zealand Cruise – Days 4/5/6

December 28, 2023December 29, 2023Posted in Australia/New ZealandTagged Australia, celebritycruises, Christmas, New Zealand, SydneyLeave a comment

We started our journey to the South Island of New Zealand, which meant about 3 days at sea. The cruise ships do a great job of offering different activities for everybody.

This will come as no surprise, but our legs were super sore from the bridge climb. I also had a touch of a cold, thankfully the symptoms were really mild. Just sinus congestion, not enough to ruin a trip – but did make me want to rest a bit more.

We love playing Deal or No Deal – you purchase the cards and you can be the main contestant or just play along for a chance to win small prizes all the way up to $5,000 or a free cruise!

I can’t believe I’m even writing this – but the last round WE WON THE FREE CRUISE! We are still waiting to find out more, as being at sea and Christmas makes it challenging to get in touch with the folks who can give us the specifics. It sounds like it’s typically a 7-night cruise, just not sure on destination, etc.

There were a few shows in the evening that were fun – one called Kaleidoscope that showcased different musicians, dancers, and acrobats. There was a Christmas special with the Cruise Director, Giuseppe and the ship’s entertainers. It was really cute – and of course Christmas themed.

There were special meals planned for us on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner. The crew made it extra special and dressed up really festive.

The last day that we were at sea – we were going through the Doubtful, Dusky, and Milford Sounds. (Although the Milford Sound was inaccurately named – it’s actually a fjord!) They were absolutely stunning and we could watch them cruise by from our room, which we really enjoyed!

The view from our room (infinite veranda)

Because the Sounds were a few hours apart, one of them we actually were able to view from the rooftop hot tub, which was a really fun and unique experience!

Up Next:

Dunedin Panorama

Australia – Day 3

December 28, 2023December 28, 2023Posted in Australia/New ZealandTagged Australia, celebritycruises, Sydney, Sydney Harbor Bridge, Sydney Opera House3 Comments

We slept in a little bit since our bridge climb time wasn’t until 11:55 AM. We had breakfast on the ship – and then started to get ready for the day.

We had to tender into Sydney – sometimes cruise lines do this so you can still access a city, but they aren’t docked at the shoreline. We thought it might take a while to get a tender into the city, but we were able to hop on right away. Instead of using the lifeboats like they did on our Alaska Cruise, they had the city’s ferry boats bringing us in. It worked out, since we got great views of Sydney from the harbor.

We walked around and did a little shopping as we made our way slowly to the Bridge Climb office. The website and reminder email had reiterated the importance of being well-fed and hydrated before starting the climb. So we got a small bite before heading to check in at the office.

I want to start off by saying how incredible the Sydney Bridge Climb team is – we found the team incredibly friendly and informative. We had paid an arm and a leg to do this climb – and the service/experience exceeded our expectations. If you get the chance, I couldn’t recommend it more!

Just a reminder on *what* we’re climbing! It’s 440 feet tall – it’s about half the height of the Eiffel Tower.

They require you to wear a specific jumpsuit that they provide – it was around 72 degrees, meaning it was a “zero” layer day. Basically, you just wear your bra and underwear underneath the jumpsuit. My jumpsuit was too big – and Andy’s was too small. But if you think the jumpsuit was bad… then you get strapped into a harness!

All of this made us feel incredibly safe – and you could tell that they take safety seriously as well. We were also equipped with a hanky, a hat (that we got to keep!), our sunglasses got strapped to us, and a radio/headset so we could hear our guide.

You can see all of our equipment – harnesses, headphones, sunglasses straps, etc.

They even put us through a quick training exercise with the ladders and how to clip your harness in that we would experience out on the actual bridge. We all passed with flying colors – and now it was time to climb!

I envisioned the bridge having more stairs, but it was actually primarily ladders. I have very limited fear of heights, but I didn’t like the portion where we walked over planks. (Laughable – because that spot you might be able to survive a fall. The rest of the climb would likely have resulted in certain death!)

The climb was scheduled for 3 hours – and at no-point did we feel rushed. We had plenty of time to take in the sights of Sydney from above. We got some awesome pictures too (of course we had to pay for them!) – we weren’t able to bring our phones. (Safety reasons – and likely to prevent traffic jams).

Our guide took pictures for us – since we didn’t have our cameras

As soon as we wrapped up the climb – we made our way back to the ship. We got ready for dinner – and then made our way to Ireland’s Got Talent winner – Stephen Barry’s performance. Incredibly talented guy – and very funny.

We called it a night – the next few days are at sea days, which we are looking forward to relaxing a bit.

Up Next:

At sea days
Milford/Doubtful/Dusky Sounds (cruising)

Australia – Day 2

December 27, 2023December 27, 2023Posted in Australia/New Zealand, UncategorizedTagged Australia, celebritycruises, Sydney, Sydney Harbor Bridge, Sydney Opera House1 Comment

We both woke up well rested – I think we slept over 9.5 hours! One of things that I love most about my job, is working for a global company. I have not one, but two gals that have lived in Sydney in the past! It’s always fun to a hear a local’s recommendations of things to do – and places to eat at.

Caroline had recommended a fun brunch spot, The Grounds at Alexandria. They are known for going all out with their decorations – and having excellent food. I had snagged one of the last reservations for when we were in town. It was kind of off in the middle of nowhere, but it was well worth it.

They transform their property into a Christmas wonderland. We had a lot of fun walking around – even in the rain!

Impossible to get a picture without a crowd in the background

The one spot we could get without anyone being in the background!

After we had brunch, we made our way to the Sydney opera house. I’m sure you’ve heard of it, right?

We had booked an hour long tour and lunch. Our tour guide was incredible, and he said we might get lucky and someone might be rehearsing while we were on our tour.

We learned a lot about the history – like – it was funded from funds from a state lottery. It only cost $102 million, just about $95 million over budget! They didn’t have to raise taxes in order to build it and it took over 14 years to build.

The original architect didn’t get to see it completed – and there had been a lot of drama surrounding that. Unfortunately, politics got in the way and they weren’t willing to pay him. That meant someone else had to take over, and they weren’t sure on what the vision of the interior should be.

The lobby of one of the two near identical theaters

To go into the theater, you had to go around to the back side, which has a view of the harbor.

Everything was crafted intentionally – all made with wood to enhance the sound of the opera singers

All this to say, it. Is. STUNNING. Designed to mirror the sailboats in the Sydney harbor, and they actually call it a sculpture.

Nick was able to sneak us into a rehearsal for the Circus 1903 production. We even got to see the acrobat practice. So cool! We couldn’t take any pictures because he made us promise if we got to see a rehearsal that we wouldn’t.

After the tour, we made our way back to the hotel to finish packing up before getting on the cruise ship. Our hotel was so close to the cruise ship port, that we decided to walk. And a bonus for us – it had finally stopped raining!

Our initial itinerary had us cruising up to Newcastle, but a change in the plan had us dock in Sydney for one more night. We had hoped we could go back in to see the full production of Circus 1903, but we found out too late that we COULD get back on the ship that night.

We were sad that we couldn’t see a production, but we agreed that just means we will have to come back to see a show sometime in the future.

We opted out of formal dining the first night and just did more casual snack food so we could get unpacked in our stateroom. This was our first time with the infinite veranda option. On our other two cruises, we had a balcony. The veranda differs slightly – it’s basically an extension of your room. I would almost call it a sunroom.

Our window wouldn’t open when we first got in, our attendant had shared that the captain may have locked everyone’s. So we weren’t too concerned at that time.

When we cruised in Alaska, we had the funniest Cruise Director, Giuseppe. We had hoped he would be here for this cruise – and he is! That already set the tone for our trip.

Accommodations: Celebrity Edge – Infinite Veranda

Up Next:

Sydney Harbor Bridge Climb
Sail away