Friday 1 November
As we motor down the Queensland coast the weather has changed from the clear blue of yesterday to a grey, with little whitecaps and a strong wind from the east. For the first time they have closed our port deck, so we are having to sit inside. As I wrote previously, last night was Halloween and the dining room staff certainly went full-on with almost everyone in a ghoulish costume. They are also very good at entertaining. The party upstairs later on was pretty tame and they didn't have the right mix. The piano player in the Casino Lounge was much more fun. We actually got all of our table mates together and had a good old sing along. Tonight is the final formal night and everyone has promised to be at dinner. We don't think that we'll bother going to the last Captain's cocktail party - it is only half an hour and from past experience it takes at least that time to get in & possibly get hold of 1 drink.
And no, we did not go to the cocktail party but when we got to our dinner table we had a surprise additional guest, Brad Stevens, who is the pianist in the Casino Lounge. He is American and very charming - Elaine had him to herself most of the evening, much to Diane's dismay! Funnily, when we were talking with Brad later in the evening, he couldn't recall Elaine's name. Anyway, everyone turned up for dinner and we got a professional photo taken (which we purchased and shared with Diane). On this occasion we also head the parade of the Bombe Alaska, a traditional on Princess normally carried out on the last night. As about 100 passengers are getting off at Brisbane, everything seems to have been brought forward to accommodate them. Perhaps I am starting to get grumpy, but the cruise IS to Sydney and the normal schedule should be followed. Another example of a poor Cruise Director. Yes, definitely time to take a break.
Saturday 2nd
Woke to a glorious day and we were sailing up the Brisbane River. Having never seem Brisbane from this perspective, was really great. We were amazed how the river banks were so clean and well maintained. We went under the Gateway Motorway bridges by the airport, which is something the big ships can't do (they apparently dock right out by the heads) and as we approached the Overseas Terminal, turned around in the river and backed into place.
We had arranged to meet Alastair at 10.00, so we're were in no hurry too get off, but eventually went down to the terminal about 9.45. I went outside to check on the carpark and there was Alastair Kristi Blake & Jordan just getting out of the car. Talk about great timing. The terminal is new and surrounded by apartments and all the usual cafes, restaurants etc. so we wandered down and along the river to show the grandchildren the ship - they thought it was great and so big, I don't know what they would have thought of the Royal:-)
We went back to the shopping area and found a great chocolate shop, which is part of a chain in parts of Brisbane, so we all filed up on chocolate drinks (apart from Vivian, who had green tea) and then the children went exploring and bought more chocolate, so you can imagine....... Fortunately there was an excellent park just across the road, so we went and did the various activities to wear off some of the excesses. Both the boys enjoyed it very much and little Jordan, only 5 was great on flying fox, agility thingies and of course loved the swings. We moved on to lunch and although Kristi had originally thought of going to Southbank, everything was right here, so we stayed and had a lovely fish meal - as usual bought far too much and the boys had too much soft drink, but hey that's what it's all about. Was really great to catch up and we were lucky to catch up with Alastair as it turns out that he is off to Iraq on Monday. Excellent timing and hopefully our trips will coincide on future adventures.
After dinner we went to the show and then up to the Tahitian Lounge, where the band (at last) was playing. Well, there are 4 in the band and for a start, just the two of us on the dance floor. Another couple turned up, so we ended up with 4. But obviously the day on Brisbane had worn people out! While up in the lounge (top deck), we were surprised to see all the lights of Brisbane still visible and on our Port (left) side. This is about 5 hours after we set sail and 3 hours after we went through the heads. It was not until Sunday that I worked out that the course out of Brisbane heading south is a convoluted one to circumnavigate around Moreton Island and that the lights were actually from the Sunshine Coast
Sunday 3rd
Sad, sad day. Today is packing up day and a series of lasts. The sea is just a little choppy and a nice little roll reminds us where we are. We were a bit late to get "our" deckchairs, but here we are. We have put off packing until later, but we will have to focus tonight. Although they want the bags out before we go to dinner it is too inconvenient as we don't want to carry more carry-on luggage than we have to. I have relented and rather than take as taxi as planned, purchased the ship's transfer - the cost is about the same and we don't have to worry about bags, taxi overcharging etc. I also booked the last transfer to leave the ship at 9.30. The only downside is that our luggage tags are Pink 8!!
It has all become so real, with the bags on the bed and clothes etc. out for packing. Good news, I have just checked the Qantas website and find that all tickets purchased since 7 February have a 30kg baggage allowance (too bad that I've been telling Vivian that we can't buy any more because of our 23kg allowance :-) ). Update - have fully packed & the bags still weigh 22.1kg, amazing!
Final dinner tonight, but not as sad as other voyages, as our table companions are infrequent and generally don't share the same interests. We were just completing dessert when Elaine eventually turned up - she had been too busy at the gym !? Oh well people are different. Also at dinner the Captain made a surprise announcement that the Pilot would be boarding an hour later than planned due to the bad weather in Sydney. Just what we wanted to hear, but any delay would not affect us as we have a 3.30 flight.
Monday 4th
Hardly slept last night. The Captain's warning proved correct and we started to rock and roll just after we got to bed. Was certainly quite a large swell and the wind caused the ship to groan. The was amplified somewhat by the tender outside our window, which was moving a bit against its restraints. Anyway we woke/got up at 6.15 and there was a big swell running as we sailed down towards the harbour entrance. Watched the Pilot boat try to board the Pilot - it took 3 goes before he was able to get on board. With some relief, we soon entered the harbour and enjoyed smooth seas once again.
So here we are, up in the Premium departure lounge, looking over a beautiful Sydney. We have just one more hour on board and now is the hour to say goodbye (as the song goes) and I trust that you have enjoyed these random jottings over our adventure. Looking forward to being home with family & friends. Byeeeeee.
Monday 28th
As we sail eastwards across the top of Australia the wind & sea have picked up and while the stabilisers are doing a great job of smoothing out the bumps, the spray is sometimes reaching deck 5 a bit. Not at all unpleasant but apparently the walking track on deck 10 has been closed because of the wind. Now there is a great excuse to avoid the exercise! As we travelled along we saw a flock of about 40 birds flying in "V" formation. We passed them! After a while they gave up and flew back to wherever, presumably at great speed, given the tailwind. The sea abated a bit later in the afternoon and we did our 13 laps (1 mile) around the top deck before dinner. Vivian appeased the sea gods by donating her white cap, so we sure to have fine smooth sailing for the rest of the trip.
Tuesday 29th
Yes, it is 2 months since we left on our adventure and every day we have to pinch ourselves as so much has happened. I look back at the 2,500 photos in amazement. Probably because Australia is so familiar, it doesn't feel quite the same as many of the exotic places we've been in. The sea is much calmer and once again the clocks went forward last night, so at least we are now on Queensland time. We are just about to enter the Torres Strait, which is the closest point between Cape York & Papua New Guinea. From here we enter the Great Barrier Reef area and take a slightly more southerly course, down the east coast towards our next stop at Airline Beach on Thursday. We rounded Cape York at 11.15 and are now moving closely down the coast. It is nice to see the coast and various little islands so close.
Wednesday 30th
We are back to normal with our waking at 6.30 and we still see the coast of Australia out our cabin window (so sorry for those "POSH" passengers who have the sunrise but not the view). We don't recall seeing so much coastline when we sailed up here on the Sun Princess last year, but I think that as we are a smaller ship, we are much, much closer to the shore, inside the reef. We are making good progress and I estimate that we'll be off Cairns sometime later this morning. When we get out on the deck I'll get a good GPS reading on our exact location.
Anyway, as usual on waking I phone Room Service for our cup of tea. Each morning the phone is answered by Sandy, a very cheery and short Mexican girl. She is so cheerful and now I only have to day "Good morning Sandy" and she replies "ah yes, your tea' see you soon" and there she is within 2 or 3 minutes. The early morning cuppa allows me to check the news and emails. I have the NZ Herald app. which downloads the top 25 stories, so I can read them offline, which saves a lot of time & money. Not that the internet is costing anything as we got 1,000 free minutes when we boarded in Rome and I have been carefully allocating them. It is surprising how much you can do in a very short time:-)
Sure enough, we reached Cairns just before lunch and shortly after that we changed direction to a more easterly one and are now well out of sight of land. Tomorrow however we will be at Airlie Beach and the weather is looking great. We have nothing planned, but will go ashore after the mad rush (it is a tender port - our last thankfully).
Thursday 31st
Well, Airline Beach has put on s great day for us - brilliant sun, a bit of breeze & calm seas. It is about 4.00 & we are on the deck watching all the boats coming back to the ship. We were lucky today that they have predominantly using the big cats, rather than the ship's tenders. Certainly leather seats and air-conditioning beat squashed metal seats, diesel fumes and bouncing through the water. We were awake pretty early and once again the tender outside our cabin was lowered before 7.00, so we had a "respectable" breakfast before heading down for the boat to shore. We were very lucky that the held the boat for us, so we went straight on (& off we went).
A great reception on shore as they had over 20 volunteers to welcome & help passengers - a nice touch. Once again we elected to walk around the hill into town, which was still pleasant even though the day was starting to hear up. Walked the whole of town, including the market which they set up specially when cruise ships come to port (& undoubtedly ship prices too!). Vivian bought a couple of things for herself and we had a lovely flat white overlooking the harbour. There really wasn't much else to do, so we walked back to the dock and got back onboard about 1.30 in time for lunch and a rest on the deck.
Tonight is a Halloween theme and of course bring American based, they have gone all out. I can only guess that there'll be pumpkin soup for the rest of the cruise given the number decorated around the ship. We are due to sail at 6.00 tonight and have yet another sea day tomorrow in advance of our arrival in Brisbane on Saturday. We are meeting Alastair at the dock and will have lunch etc. We haven't seen him since his wedding as his schedules never seem to coincide. We were originally excited when we booked this cruise last year as it included Oman, where he was based, but that didn't last long! Looking forward to it.
There are quite a few passengers disembarking in Brisbane and I am not surprised, given that it is only really 1 more day to Sydney and then they'd have to fly back again. We are surprised however how many apparently got off on Darwin (& they'd only come from Singapore). However I suppose it shows how cheap the cruise was for them - enough said about that.
On our way to Darwin, where we arrive on Sunday (great planning Princess!). However, looking back to Vivian's birthday - as there was no bridge as it was a port day, we went up to the top lounge/restaurant (Sabatini's) which is reserved for "special" passengers. We have never been before as there is too little time between bridge/afternoon tea/dinner. Anyway this was a great opportunity to get some fantastic views of Komodo & the other islands as we sailed away.
As it was Vivian's birthday, she had a large Pina Colda, which lasted all the way through dinner too. I had the cocktail of the day "Chairman of the Board" which also lasted all evening . However the night was all Vivian's. Diane had decorated our table with balloons and had a birthday card for Vivian. All of our table companions made an effort and attended, so that was a nice touch. At the conclusion of the meal, our Head Waiter, Meg our waiter & assistant waiter Nikolai, along with Victor (another waiter) & his assistant, Fernando (another Head Waiter), Eleana and Marina sang a very merry "Happy Birthday" and presented a birthday card from the Captain, along with a little chocolate birthday cake (just one candle). A very happy occasion. For some reason, there were no shows that night, so we saw a movie - Red 2. I was unimpressed at first, but it was actually a spoof James Bond type of film and we had a good laugh.
Friday was an uneventful day (shortened once again by an hour) and was also a formal night, so we took the group photo as it may be the only time that we are all together. Preceding dinner, was the Captain's Circle cocktail party - we haven't been to the last couple of cocktail parties, so thought that we would. Just like the last Captain's Circle gathering - line up for 15 minutes, get a seat, wait 20 minutes for a drink, wait another 20 for a nibble (literally) & listen to the Captain give his standard talk! Vivian's bridge buddies from Adelaide won the "most cruised" award - again. They have won it on each sector, so did #2. Their cruise days are up in the 700s, so our 120 is insignificant :-)
We have been looking and thinking about future cruises, and there are a wide variety of choices, but we'll wait until we get home to plan, rather than rushing in now. Might have to do a couple more Australasian ones first, to get our status level up!! Although there are not as many Elite passengers on this sector, they still make up about 15%, with Platinum (us) just under 25%. We have established however that status and long term loyalty do not get upgrades, rather the amount you pay & a lot of luck. As with the NZ cruise earlier in the year we have heard a number of stories of people being contacted just before they left Australia, being offered a downgrade (yes, a downgrade) in exchange for large cash payment equating almost to a free cruise!
It is now Saturday afternoon and we had another of their famous Brunches, where they turn the main dining room into a bunfight for 3 hours in exchange for not having a proper breakfast nor lunch. I've got to say that the presentation is great, but just not my thing. I am starting to get past all the food stuff and am really looking forward to some good old simple home cooking - but without the preparation or the cleaning up.
We are in the Timor Sea and once again I suspect that we are running ahead of schedule as we are barely doing 8 knots. The sea is like an absolute millpond and this weather is predicted for tomorrow, but with higher temperatures. We arrive in Darwin at 7.00 and have no plans other than going into town, as we were there just last year. A bit annoyed however that we have to go to Australian Immigration at 7.15 - how about our sleep in? Well, it seems that once we've done that they'll leave us alone until we disembark in Sydney. Don't want to think that far ahead yet.
Sunday 27th. Well, here we are in Darwin (again). We are surprised that many Australians have not been here before. Our biggest surprise however was the amount of development which has gone on around the waterfront. Numerous apartment blocks have been built around the inlet, which has been fenced off to keep out stingers, Crocs, sharks etc. There are 2 areas, one which is about 8ft deep, complete with lifeguards and another much deeper for serious swimmers. Under the apartments are all the cafés & bars. There is also a lift which almost takes you to the bottom of Smith Street (main street/mall). It was a very pleasant walk from the ship and much better for us than paying $A28 for a 5 minute shuttle!!
Talking of Smith Street, quite a bit of redevelopment is going on, but at the same time there are many empty buildings, but overall Darwin was looking better than when we saw it a couple of years ago. Another surprise was that as we sailed in, we saw that we were to berth next to a warship (seems a common thread), but we could not identify it as there was no flag flying or any other identification. Turns out that it was HMNZS Te Kaha - a piece of home at last. We spoke with one of the seamen and they've been away about the same time as us.
We were in town just after 9.00 and as we passed the Cathedral, we heard singing and to cut a short story shorter, we attended the service. Interesting that they have a new Bishop & a new Dean arriving/going or whatever next Sunday. Following Church we resumed our walk through town and grabbed a coffee - first flat white for months. Darwin city is really small and a couple of hours was plenty, so we went back to the waterfront area and had a beer, watching the sights along with the gathering rain clouds. The moment we stepped into the open the spots started, but the torrential rain held off until we were just about to leave the security area to board the ship. Being tropical however it was all over in less than 5 minutes and the sun dried it all up in no time flat.
We only have a short time here and we are due to set sail for Airlie Beach, Queensland just after 3.30. So another 3 sea days are on store and we hope that the fantastic sea conditions we have been experiencing continue, particularly as Airlie Beach is a (last) tender port.
I have just been reviewing some of this & other posts and see that sometimes the spell checker/correcter has a mind of it's own - so belated apologies if some sentences don't make sense :-)
Thursday 24th
Woke just before 6.00 and a lovely day ahead - Komodo Island was just outside as we made our way into the bay, where we later anchored. The crew were up too and soon the tender/lifeboat by our cabin was more being lowered. Vivian had her cup of tea in bed to celebrate her birthday and we were soon up to get ready for our excursion ashore.
The day looked hot, and it was. Luckily our trip left early at 8.30 and we were tendered in the second boat (with only a couple of dozen of us). This was our group and we had 2 rangers plus a guide from the tourist company. The rangers carried sticks about 6 foot long, with forked prongs on the end. Given that we had been told that the dragons can run at 30kph for a short distance and that they are also poisonous, this seemed a little primitive. In the briefing beforehand we had been told that there was no guarantee that we would see any dragons, as they tend to sleep during the heat of the day. We were also instructed not to run, wave cameras or bags and generally to take it easy.
So off our little group went and once again we were pleased that it was only 9.00 as it was more than hot enough. The island is sparsely covered with spindly trees and in particular palm trees. Surprisingly the baby dragons (lizards) live in these trees for 3 years before they come down. This is because the adults will eat them - they are very cannibalistic. Because they young nest inside the trees, there is considerable dieback. Adult dragons live to 60/70 and when they dir, they too are consumed by others. All very tidy.
So here we are, all looking at this half-dead palm tree, with about a quarter of a young dragon sticking it's head out. All taking photos and looking up, when suddenly out of nowhere an adult dragon comes running (OK wobbling) up the path behind us. He is a good 8 foot long and is NOT happy. All 3 of our guides/rangers rush back and use their sticks to good effect. The dragon is redirected and wanders back into the bush. Most exciting - we have certainly seen a real Komodo Dragon. Vivian thinks that this is enough and would prefer to go home, but there's no other way than forward.
Moving on, we stop to admire some trees and once again the guide is explaining the traditional uses, when our friend returns yet again - he is still not happy about our little group, despite the fact that about 5 other groups had already been through and dozens were yet to follow. Vivian has seen enough! On we go and enter an area with a "silence" sign (I think that this is where their "tame" dragons are located). Sure enough, 2 adults are happily sleeping under a big tree in a massive clearing, waiting for their photos to be taken. But we also see a couple of young ones, about 2 foot long, as well as numerous deer. The deer are very tame and graze very close to the track and were not in the least worried about us, as we are not the enemy, but the dragons are. Apparently deer, pigs etc are bred food for the dragons. Anyway, while photographing the sleeping dragons, good old grumpy comes along again. This time however he seems quite happy to stay with the other dragons and happy to day that we did not see him again.
Soon the track returned us to the waterfront and the tour ended. We then wandered down to the market, which was typically Indonesian - all the same stuff, lots and lots of vendors, noisy and in your face. We decided that we had had enough and headed back to the tender and the ship. Got back in time for our usual 11.00 coffee and then the deck in the shade. Although it was only a short time ashore, it was more pleasant to be back and change into something cooler (we wore long trousers and blouse). Vivian's afternoon is being rounded off with a rest, which is unusual as there is no bridge today. A few sea days until we reach Darwin on Sunday and then the reality of nearly being home will set in. 8 weeks today since we left and so, so many things seen & done.
Monday 21st
Grey morning with threatening skies, however we were still able to sit on the deck as the drizzle went by. We crossed the equator at 12.54 and all the water went straight down the plughole :-) Unfortunately we did then pass through a heavy shower, which delayed the King Neptune ceremony at 1.00. It was all good fun (watching from above), with lots of noodles, eggs, ketchup, flour and other delights strewn about. No sooner had the proceedings finished the rain reappeared. Didn't last long and we saw a lovely sunset. After dinner we sat on the deck as usual and were treated to a magnificent lightning display, including some multicoloured forked lightning. We were also travelling a fleet of squid fishing boats - over a dozen with bright lights, quite spectacular.
Tuesday 22nd
We are in the Java Sea this morning and the sea is flat, skies clear and I suspect that we could be in for a hot day. They stole an hour from us last night, so we are back on Singapore time. It was noticeable at breakfast that there were only a dozen of us at 8.00, but the crowds rolled in half an hour later. We are back in the shipping lane, with a number of tankers passing or being passed. There is also an aircraft carrier off to Port, but it is too far away to know whose it is.
Wednesday 23rd
We are about 20 miles north of Bali and later in the day we will pass between Bali & Lombok on our way to Komodo Island. The sea is still calm and the sun is bright. Once again we are on deck, but today half of our (non-smoking side) deck is closed as they are doing some maintenance work. Update - they've finished!
We have a lunch today with other members from the Cruise Critic website. Cruise Critic is the cruising version of Trip Advisor and generally we have a get together once or twice during a cruise. We had a lunch on the first sector too. Our dinner table continues to be partially occupied each night, with only Diane from the Gold Coast a regular. Sveta & George did come on Monday night, but we haven't seen Elaine since the first formal night. Vivian did meet her in the passageway a couple of days ago & she apparently had gym at 6.00. Like, I'm washing my hair too:-)
Had a good show last night - a comedian/magician from UK. Reminded us of our friend Norman, from the last sector and he actually did one of Norman's tricks - but using invisible cards. Sounds silly, but the woman from the audience played along well with the invisible cards gag.
Well since I started this the sea has risen and the wind increased. As we are sitting more towards the front of the ship, we are getting quite a bit of sea spray. A reasonably large wooden raft had just drifted past, no one was on board, except half a dozen sea birds - and no, not boat people, as it was headed the other way, towards the north. Both islands of Bali & Lombok are now in sight and the sea is further increasing however our stabilisers are smoothing out our journey. Latest update just after 3.00, we have past through the small strait and are now in much calmer seas. It was very interesting going through though as I was up in the lounge on the top deck at the front of the ship and there appeared to be a large rip or at least current running and we were certainly moving around a bit. I think that we are pretty well in the Indian Ocean now, although keeping pretty close to the shore on our journey to Komodo.
