Homeward bound

What a lovely nights sleep - one of the darkest hotel rooms ever, and the bed was soooo comfy.  Still feeling odd on the feet, you don't really notice the boat sway until you're on land again.

Breakfast was the buffet extravaganza in the hotel.  Without a doubt one of the best breakfasts weve ever had in a hotel, certainly the best we've had in Australia! I'm not a big breaky eater but I could have eaten so much.

Our flights left at 1pm so we didn't have to rush to the airport.  We booked an earlish taxi as we were sure how long it would take so of course we were there early.  So what does one do when they're in the airport waiting.... They book another cruise!!!  We didn't really have internet access while away as the antenna packed it in on the second or third day.  So I spent time clearing my emails and noticed an email from cruise guru about a princess cruise sale.  I think this one caught my eye particularly as it leaves from Adelaide!!!  While it was great to visit Sydney, it did add about $1000 to the cost for flights and accommodation.

So we have a new cruise date - 11th March 2021!!!!  Adelaide to Hong Kong on the Majestic Princess!!

Land Ahoy

Happily for me it seems I saved the worst nights sleep for last night.  I think I was overly keen to be up when we came back into Sydney Harbour.  Tony and I awoke at about 5am, just as we had just started going through Sydney Heads.  It was earie and dark still so very cool to watch.  We went out onto our balcony for about an hour and watched us return to civilisation - we docked just after 6.  

Its officially Good Friday so super quiet in the harbour.  We showered and then I nicked downstairs to get a plate of pastries and yoghurt and of course coffee.  Our planned debarkation time was supposed to be 750 but at about 7 we could see people walking off.  

We gathered our suitcases and headed downatairs, fully expecting to be sent to our waiting zone.  Instead, we were ushered off the ship with no wait time at all!.


The process for customs was super quick too so really just a matter of handing in our customs forms and walking out.  We ambled over to McDonalds for Nates second breakfast and planned our journey over to Darling Harbour where we are staying tonight.  We tried to get a cab but there were none available so we opted for the train again.  Quick couple of stops and then a short walk over Cockle Bay to Novotel Darling Harbour.  

Id organised an early check-in so only had to wait an hour and then we got to our room.  Then bam it hit - the boatlag ( feels just like jetlag).  We had a short snooze and then wandered into the shopping centre to get drinks and some lunch.  Watched the tv and walked back over to the shops in the afternoon and that was it.  Room service dinner and then a couple of movies to keep us awake until 1030.


Sad that the trip is nearly over, but that just means its time to plan the next one :-)) 

Water everywhere - sea day 4

Last sea day tomorrow as were back in Sydney bright and early tomorrow.  We had a time change back an hour overnight so its like daylight savings all over again.


Tried our hands at trivia, this time general knowledge and then superheros.  I went out solo to try the musicals one and none of them did we get close.  I guess no ship on a stick for us!  Tried the movie themed one this afternoon and did well, although not as good as the people in front of us who cheated.


Last dinner was had in the dining room and again the staff put on a show.  They did the traditional cruise baked alaska parade and then a bit of a dance show.  We all agreed that the service from our team has been exceptional.  The food again was great - japanese theme tonight.  Karaage chicken and then tonkatsu.  Tonkatsu will always remind me of dad - so there were some tears from Tony and I, remembering our time in Japan.

Sadly post dinner we returned to our room and finished packing.  

I cant believe how quickly the time has flown on this ship.

Out to sea again - sea day 3

A slightly calmer night to begin our journey home.  After breakfast we went out to the lido deck to check out the towel animals that the staff had made.  So cool - channelling my inner child!


We all had a lazy day planned but I still managed to get the boys to join me in 2 trivia sessions.  The first was songs from the 00's and the second session was Game of Thrones.  We thought we had a chance at both - oh so wrong!


We were feeling tired from doing nothing so Nate ventured out solo to the comedy performance tonight.  I think he enjoyed it but not as much as the first night.  Its nice to see him bventuring out to do things on his own, but I remain frustrated that he hasnt wanted to go and do kid things.  Didnt want to try the water slides, or meet other kids in the kids club - I think hes just in that wierd in between age group.

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck....

Geez louise the weather hasnt really gone in our favour.  Windy again this morning after another rocky night.  This was our last stop today - Isle of Pines.  The plan to get to swim with turtles went out the window with the weather.  Not only did the turtles swim for cover, the tour was to take place on these tiny little boats, again not weather friendly.  So Nates heart was broken; we did tender over to the island, had a quick look and then returned.  In the bay as we were getting back onto the tender there was a tiny turtle looking for cover so at least we saw one.


Back on board gave us some more snoozing time and time to catch up on tv programs and reading.


We had our dinner in the restaurant again and then head to the theatre for the comedy performance.  We got there 20 mins early but still we were looking to find a seat.   We did get one and were glad we did.  The comedian was very funny, it was a PG show so he had to do it without swearing which would have been tough.  These two brat kids who were throweing popcorn around became his target which was superfunny.  Their parents did seem to claim them which was also funny. 

Under the Sea

The second of our 3 port days is Mare.  A beautiful island with a poulation of around 7000 people.   We had our restaurant breakfast and got straight onto the tender boat at around 9 am.  We didnt need to line up for the boat, and should they have been busy we could have used our Faster to The Fun and queue jumped.  

The lifeboats hold about 140 people although I think there was only about 50 of us going over to the island.  Once on the island we got onto the prepaid shuttle buses and took a 15 minute rtide to the other side of the island and Yejele beach.  The beach was magnificent although sadly it was way windy.  We eventually got up the courage and went into the water - Tony was the bravest so Nate joined him.  About 2 mins later I decided I wasnt going to be outdone so I got in too.

There were a couple of small coral reefs near to the waters edge so we got to do a wee bit of snorkelling over them.  I was surprised how many fishies we saw.  Some bright blue ones and some yellow ones and the boys even saw some clown fish. 

The other bummer was that there were some very strong currents that were more than willing to push me out to sea.  Nate and Tony being much stronger swimmers than I were fine.  It did freak me out a little so I kept myself close to shore.  I think we spent about an hour splashing around and then caught the bus back to the ship.


We got back onto the ship at around 12 so we showered and then went to get lunch.  Was a revisit of Guys Burgers for the grownups today and was just as nice as the first visit.

We passed the afternoon watching movies and snoozing and before I knew it dinner time arrived.  Was Italian themed food and we tried Venison which I thought to be quite shite lol.


After dinner we planned to go to the comedy show at 845 but man did we underestimate how popular it was.  We got there 10 mins early and it was standing room only.  Much to Nates dissapointment we left and decided to try agian tommorrow night - definately getting there early!

A whole new island

Holy crapola that was a rough night.  Was ultra windy and the ship did rock.  We were woken a couple of times by what could only be described as screaming wind through the cabin.  Luckily we did wake the last time fairly early, just as we were coming into Noumea.  We went out on deck with the sunrise and watched the beautiful scenery.


Breakfast in the restaurant – again nice, a different menu to sea days which is good.  Went for the old faithful today – vegemite on toast (sometimes you just want simple).


It was a port day today so we were able to just walk off the ship and onto the dock.  We had to catch a transit bus to the terminal in Noumea as this is a working port and you’re not able to walk around.  Once at the terminal we chose to do the Chou Chou Train tour.  This was a little train that took us on a ride around the island.  The island certainly does have some spectacular views and there’s very much a fitness and physical activity feel everywhere you go.  Lots of bike tracks and running tracks everywhere you look.


This is probably my only real complaint about the whole thing so far - being that today is a Sunday it was slightly disappointing that everything was closed.  It did make the town feel more than a little deserted.  There were still some locals around though, in the parks and streets, who seemed super friendly.  We got drinks at the only cafe open and noticed it was very expensive for food here.


Once done on the tour we wandered back to the ship for lunch.  Today we went for the toasted sandwiches that were super tasty.  I had a reuben and it’s a firm favourite going forward (beef and sauerkraut and cheese).


Dinner was in the dining room again and yet again superb.  We started a tradition whereby we order the ‘special’ dish which is generally something different that we normally wouldn’t.  Tonight’s special was frogs legs.  Nate chickened out but Tony and I tried them.  They look like tiny little chicken legs and have surprisingly little taste.  Maybe a little like chicken with a tiny fishy taste?


The theme on board tonight was 80’s and the restaurant staff did their usual little song and dance mid meal.  I even partook in the Nutbush which was a hoot.

Ahoy there - sea day 2

Another sea day today.  Again a little rocky overnight but I still seemed to get enough sleep.  Im not sure the boys are doing as well.  Nate is on a top bunk so I think hes missing the space.  

We had a late breakfast in the restaurant this time, technically we were there for brunch.

Lunch was a mixed bag – Nate had another burger, Tony tried a shrimp taco bowl and I had a sampling from the Cside BBQ.  All were tasty treats but as we had a late breakfast we were already pretty stuffed.  

Of course today was the chocolate extravaganza so I had to get a couple chocolatey treats to sample for afternoon tea.  The best was a choux pastry swan (although Tony said it was a vulture).The rest of the day was just a bit or relaxation before the first formal night.


We all got dressed up in our glad rags and went out around 5.  There are photo opportunities everywhere I might say, we had the chance to have our portraits done as well which was really neat.  Dinner in the dining room again and yet again was delicious.  Still can’t fault the service or the food.


Nate was feeling tired again so left us and went back to the cabin.  Tony and I wandered around the lobby and scored a photo opportunity with the captain.  After that we went to the theatre to watch the show called Miss Houdini.  It was a bit of a mixed bag – the magic stuff was great, until she somehow set her equipment on fire  requiring a break for about 10 minutes mid show.  The dancers are certainly not broadway show quality which is a bit sad.   We agreed that might be the end of the shows for us – hoping the comedy shows go better from now on in.

Avast ye landlubbers - Sea day 1

Safe to say that I slept the best.  The ship rocks constantly which helped me sleep like a baby.  The boys not so much.  I think we woke at about 630, probably due to the little bits of light coming in around the curtains.  We never seem to be able to get complete darkness you think we would be able to cope with a lil bit of light.


Breakfast first and we decided to just try the lido buffet.  Went down after 8 and it was pretty busy.  Lots of people who just wander aimlessly and then change their mind and turn around on the spot.  I nearly lost a cup of coffee over my new tshirt.  We all had a few of our favourites to try and it was pretty tasty.


Its pretty breezy on the boat  which probably makes it seem cooler than it is.  We sat out on the balcony for a bit just enjoying the ocean and the seabreeze.


Mid-morning we went downstairs and tried our luck at a bit of trivia.  The theme was “slogans’ and I have to say we did pretty good.  We answered 14 out of 15 correctly but there were a few that got 15/15.  Was a bit of a laugh so a good way to spend an hour.  We also got to have a bit of a look at the front part of the ship and also registered Nate for the teens club – not that he will likely use it.


Lunchtime was an opportunity to try something new.  Nate tried another guys burger – the same type we had yesterday so I assume it is a quality control exercise to check consistency.  Tony and I tried tacos from the Blue Iguana and they were pretty nice too.  They make their tostadas on site which means they’re very fresh.


After lunch it was snooze time so we all had a bit of a nap.  Time seems to go so quickly – before we knew it we were dressing for dinner.  Yesterday while waiting to go in we listened to a bit of music from the Electric Waves Violin trio.  It was excellent so tonight we went to listen to them for the 30 mins pre dinner.  They’re very cool – they play modern songs on the violin.


Dinner theme tonight was Island Night – the boys wore Hawaiian shirts for a bit of fun.  The food was again delicious and this time very tropical food.  Tony used one of the vouchers for lobster tail which he enjoyed immensely.


Straight after dinner we went to the theatre to watch the Getaway Island show.  It was pretty poxy but a bit of a sing along too.  We were back in the cabin by 930 so at least we kept ourselves awake a little longer than day 1.The boat sways a little, but Im surprised how well I feel really.  Nate is much better today which is good.  Were quite well stocked on anti sea sickness medication should we need it though.

Hello Sailors

Awake early as we had probably gone to bed too early.  I’m thinking I’m still feeling the change back from daylight savings which is weird.  First thing I did of course was open the curtains to see what I could see.  And there she was!!  Our ship obviously arrived in the dark of night and is awaiting our arrival.

We went downstairs for our included breakfast and it was a bit of a challenge.  There must have been an old ladies club staying in the hotel as they had taken over the restaurant.  We shared the table with 2 old ducks, who while pleasant enough, were probably not pleased to have to share with us either.


We left the hotel just after 10 and took our 10 minute stroll to the cruise terminal.  We had booked a suite which gave us priority booking, as did our Faster to The Fun passes.  We were almost at the start of the line to get in which was awesome.  Just before eleven we were allowed to start the booking in process which involved both check in and also immigration.  All went smoothly except Nate trying to smuggle water on board.


We would have been in the first 50 people on board which was eerie.  Part of the faster to the fun is that you get to go to your cabin right away – no waiting.  Were on the 6^th floor, midship – 6203.  We went through the closed doors and into our room.  Its quite nice – certainly smelled freshly cleaned.  We unpacked our stuff and found a home for everything and then time for lunch.


Lunch today was always going to be Guys Burgers which is on the pool deck.  Before we ate we all signed up for the bottomless bubbles package which gave us unlimited softdrinks.  Guys has a solid reputation for great burgers and we would agree.  We each went for "the ringer" which was delicious!  It was a super meaty burger with an onion ring in it.  

After lunch we had a bit of a look around and then back to our room for a rest.  We were required to attend the safety briefing down at our muster station at 1500.  It took about 25 minutes and then we were free. At 1600 it was time to set sail.  Very unceremonial as the ship literally just started to move out from the harbour.  The ship reversed out and then swung her tail under the harbour bridge.  Our room is on the starboard side of the ship which gave us a fantastic view of the Opera House as we cruised away.


At 1715 we decided to wander down to dinner - we were early of course as we're booked for the 1730 dining slot.  We met our waiting staff who seemed lovely, and Tony got bottle 1 of our wine package.  Nate was feeling a bit nauseous so it was a quick meal.  Delicious though.



Back to the room and we were all looking for bed.  A couple of spa baths were had and then we hit the hay.  I think we managed to stay awake until 10 but that was pushing it.  Great first day.

Sydney Bound

Left home right at 1300 airport bound.  Wierd feeling to know that were only travelling domestic and certainly the tiny little plane reminded us of that.  Don dropped us off at the airport and then mum met us inside to see us off.


Tony of course got held up through security – there's always one of us!  The flight however was pretty much trouble free which was great.  Landed in Sydney just before 6 pm.  We went straight down to the train station and managed to get one pretty quickly.  The train delivered us straight to circular Quay!  The walk from the train station was incredibly beautiful - it was dark so the Harbor Bridge was alight and so spectacular.


In this past week I second guessed my original accomodation booking, and instead booked one that was much nicer.  Upgraded from 2.5 stars and no lift, to a 5 star with lifts and all the fantastic trimmings of a luxury hotel.  So glad we did.  This time is was the Sir Stamford at Circular Quay, and despite walking in the wrong direction it really only took 10 minutes to walk to the hotel.  One thing Id forgotten about Sydney is that its really hilly.  It came right back to me as soon as we started to push the suitcases up the hill.


The hotel was a different kind of 5 star.  It was very Victorian décor and tres fancy.  There was an opera performance in the lobby as we arrived.  We went to our room on the 8^th floor and then Nate and I walked back down hill to get dinner.  I managed to find fish and chips ( which was pretty terrible) and also Hungry Jacks. 

Looking forward to tomorrow so much.  Ive been planning this trip for so long its even hard to believe that its nearly here.  We can see part of the harbour from here so Im hoping to see the ship first thing in the morning!!