PeterGavin
-
Posts
55 -
Joined
Content Type
Forums
Store
Blogs
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by PeterGavin
-
-
Selection of food from breakfast (1 photo) and lunch (2 photographs). Breakfast Egg dishes came shortly after. These menus allow unlimited selections (and the crew advise that the expected food wastage has reduced). The dinner menu is 3 courses, with a payment for extra dishes required (but for me, was unnecessary).
The specific selections last for 3 days - titled around Green Flavours of the
Fjords / Polar Lands / Arctic / Islands, with the "Always on the Menu" group being quite extensive.
I have a good appetite, and have had no need, nor desire, to go to the cafe.
A great experience on Havila; Northern Lights appeared on the second night, cloud cover has kept them hidden, but heading south again; early last night there was a small show. Still 4 nights with hopefully some cloudless skies.
-
1
-
-
4 hours ago, crazyman3 said:
Hi
We are on the Eclipse in March.
Obviously excursions are now on our minds and we need help!
How far away are these ports from the town/city? Walking distance? A short taxi ride?
Dunedin
Wellington
Christchurch
Napier
Picton
Also, can anyone recommend areliable excursion company?
Thanking you in advance.
Stephen and Eileenover
Dunedin is at Port Chalmers - 13-14 km away; half hourly public bus [#14] will get you there, but recent reports are that it is getting crowded due to overpriced ship shuttle prices.
Wellington - about 1.5km walk; since earthquake in 2017, due to pier status, no longer allowed to walk to city; generally a free shuttle is provided.
Christchurch is at Lyttelton - 12.1km, including a tunnel; public bus #28, every 30 minutes, cash accepted [NZ dollars].
Napier - 2km from city; rail tracks within port; might still be possible to walk. Rarest of these ports visited, so not sure of current status.
Picton - working port - free shuttle provided if at jetty [massive lumber piles usually on port site pre export]; if tender operation, taken to Town wharf for markets and shops.
-
Capella to return to service on June 28th.
https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/27745-havila-capella-resumes-service.html
-
Hope for Capella to return to service "Arrest" !!
-
1
-
-
Coral Princess commenced sailing Australia season from Brisbane on 16th June.
Photograph of Senior Officers on post #204:
Diego Perra - Captain.
Martina Damonte - Hotel General Manager.
Kevin Tugwell - Cruise Director.
Madison Adams - Entertainment Director.
-
-
3 hours ago, losfp said:
There's only a small number of options that will sail in our winter. You're basically limited to the P&O fleet and maybe 1-2 Carnival.
This season, Coral Princess is sailing out of Brisbane from June 2022; mainly to North Queensland.
-
1
-
-
On 4/22/2022 at 8:26 AM, Oceansaway17 said:
yes he is a very humble person and when answering questions, he goes into detail.
But then again, Captain Loy took Ovation to China through Suez canal and spent time over there and then Australia.
Captain Henrik Loy was the Captain on Ovation of the Seas in New Zealand in 2019 when the Whakaari / White Island incident occurred. He was a wonderful communicator at extremely difficult times, and was in touch with the New Zealand Prime Minister. It was a tough time onboard and he balanced frequent and informed communication [with much that could not initially not be said until facts were determined] with the need to continue the cruise and return the ship to Sydney. There were 3 different options proposed before a final solution was determined. Joff Eaton was Cruise Director and kept the ship "running" as best as possible in those sobering days.
-
1
-
-
-
From the east end of Circular Quay, by the Ferry wharves and under the railway station.
-
2
-
-
7 hours ago, Broons77 said:
RC NEEDS to get family bathrooms on board. DW needs help with using the bathroom and as far as I've been able to tell, there's just men's and women's rooms.
Even better would be a laminated card in each accessible cabin with the locations of these facilities throughout the ship to make it easier when away from the stateroom.
-
21
-
-
3 hours ago, ShazM said:
I am in Sydney, Australia and it is 4pm Sunday here. I just want to know now, don't feel like being patient.
and in New Zealand too; best thread going! Wish you all a great adventure. 9.45pm here!
-
5
-
1
-
-
YAY ... the Celebrity FUNmother returns.
Like those above, I am certainly looking forward to more great posts of your tales at sea. The Equinox was great.. so now will see the Edge through your eyes, GenX !!
-
3
-
-
I am not aware of any currently, but now have time to hunt for Sydney private guides; There may be experienced travelers here who have been treated to fine guide service in Sydney.
-
Havila Capella sailed from Bergen on the evening of the 12th December. Havila facebook page has a few photographs.
-
1
-
1
-
-
LGW59 .. I will be on the first sector Rome - Suez Canal - Dubai [replacing an Azamara Suez Canal booked for 2019], which was drydocked and then Covid delayed and finally [by me] cancelled!
-
Some Milford Sound photographs:
Overview of Milford Sound from light aircraft
Milford Sound from village
Mitre Peak
Lady Bowen Falls
Stirling Falls [U shaped valley] ... ship Captains like to nose into the Falls here and get the bow sprayed.
Milford Sound entrance - looks plain and was narrow and unattractive to early explorers.
All taken on the same day - weather can change in a short period. Clouds came in while on the cruise.
-
1
-
-
12 minutes ago, LGW59 said:
Do they generally have enrichment speakers such as yourself on this type of cruise? Would be awesome if they do. If so, please call Celebrity and sign up, I’m sure you be a wealth of great information.
Yes, there is a mix of Enrichment speaker types on these trips; some times Naturalists are onboard, of which Celebrity seem to have a good selection [as a higher end carrier]. There are usually talks on each of the sea days to/from Australia, plus any sea days between NZ ports. The intent is to inform travelers as much as possible about New Zealand [not just shore excursions, which the ship informs]; often with behind the scenes talks so that the traveler has more knowledge before stepping ashore.
-
1
-
-
Travelers hope for a wonderful sunny day in Milford Sound. Three out of every 4 days [on average] are wet in the Sounds. The average Fiordland rainfall is 270 inches per year. So if it is wet, it is normal!
-
19 minutes ago, LGW59 said:
You are correct, Dec 18 it sails through all 3, then turns around to return. Meant to say 3 sounds not days! Jeez your photos are gorgeous, that’s what I signed up to see. Anxious to find out the total length of time for the whole sail through. I’ll be on my balcony the entire time. Thanks for all the information and the great pics!
The time to traverse all the Sounds is generally 8am to 5pm, weather permitting.
-
On almost all Australia-New Zealand cruises, the Sounds are either first or last day on the Southern New Zealand itinerary, after/before the 2 day crossing to/from Australia on the Tasman Sea.
Dunedin is the first/last port in New Zealand for all these cruises as there is a requirement to carry a Department of Conservation / Fiordland specialist speaker to provide a commentary through the Sounds. Between Dusky and Doubtful Sounds, there is usually a full presentation in the theatre. The speaker boards/leaves in Milford Sound.
Some cruises offer an overnight package to visit and stay in Queenstown joining/leaving the ship in Dunedin and from Milford township ... so the two lower Sounds are missed.
The first Sound is usually an early start - can be cold and wet... but "enterprising" crew provide hot chocolates or warm alcoholic drinks to help warm up the guests.
There are a total of 14 fiords in this area of "Fiordland", all wrongly titled "sounds" rather than "fiords", as the early explorers did not know that these were glacially created. The area at the north of the South Island around Picton is the Marlborough Sounds - sounds are created by the flooding of a river valley, not a glacial event, and often wider than fiords. Simply, the fiords are U shaped valleys carved out by glaciers and the sounds are V shaped (flooded) valleys.
A bonus for Fiordland travelers - you actually travel on 5 of the Sounds - Milford is a return trip [to the small Milford township for transfers]; Doubtful is joined to Thompson Sound; and Dusky sails though and exits at Breaksea Sound.
I am an enrichment speaker on the Australia - New Zealand and South Pacific cruises, resident in New Zealand. On one of my earliest cruises on Radiance, the professional speaker could not travel and I had the pleasure of broadcasting the trip through these Sounds from the Bridge
-
5
-
1
-
-
Havila Capella arrives in Norway; Start delayed until December 12th.
-
1
-
-
Every ship has a Godmother ... we gentle readers here have the FUN mother ! Cheers.
-
1
-
1
-
-
Havila takes delivery of Capella - now quoting first service on 1st December.
-
2
-
1
-
Jim_Iain Live - 2nd Half World Cruise - B2B Singapore to Down Under 11/25 – 12/21
in Celebrity Cruises
Posted · Edited by PeterGavin
Wadzy was with us on the first leg from Rome to Dubai; she is delightful and professional, and demonstrates the Celebrity team member spirit and warmth, and the reason we cruise.
Please greet her from the NZ boys, and ask her how Kiwi the Camel is enjoying the trip now!!