Tranquility Base

Agreed nz 1, the braised short ribs were wonderful. Thanks for the coconut macaroon tip; will try them out.

To those actually onboard Regatta, I see you are anchored at Port Arthur today. It is an interesting port, and I hope you enjoy your day there. Now that your cruise is back on course, I hope everyone can now enjoy the Oceania life. Thank you for the updates over the last week.

"Sir, we have a problem with poor internet whilst in port" " Don't worry, I have the solution, reduce port times" "Brilliant Sir; I will implement straight away"

A nice DIY day I’ve done. 1. Ferry from Port Chalmers to Portobello. ( Port to Port website.) Leaves from Back Beach. 2. Bus into town from Portobello. 3. Get off at Queens Gardens for a beer at the Duke of Wellington. 4. A look through First Church. 5. End up at the Octagon for a return to the ship when ready,

I see Regatta is now well on their way towards Geelong to continue their journey. Good to see, especially for those doing the next few cruises to NZ with a clean hull. NZ cruising is also currently being disrupted by the first Cyclone of the season heading for the East Coast of the North Island. Various ships are taking the necessary avoiding action and making the best of it. It’s shaping up to be a busy cruise season in NZ, so everyone is hoping any future disruptions are relatively easy to manage.

To those onboard Regatta, please keep us updated as you are doing. It is appreciated. Hopefully the dive team completes their job soon, and you are given an update as to the upcoming plan. Hopefully people here will assist the information flow by staying on topic for this thread.

JDincalif. Thank you for posting that info.

Which ports were affected the most with a shortened stay ? What would be an example of the new timings in port where passengers are likely to be touring for much of the day ?

Were your breakfasts in Crown Grill ?

You'll be right. Just past the brown ferry building is Queens. Less than 10 mins between the two terminals. As you are in transit pax, you should be off the ship with minimal delay once cleared.

We are 8 miles out, turning towards the approach channel. It’s a lovely day here.

FYI: We are on Coral and will be in Napier with you tomorrow. We are due in at 7am, but leave early afternoon as we are Northbound.

Indeed it is. Just did the coastal path from Lyttelton, past Corsair Bay beach, past Cass Bay beach and went as far as Pony Point. Many families enjoying Christmas and lunch on the grass reserves and the beach. A very pleasant few hours.

Yes, as you say, no longer any of those cheque things in use in NZ. A few weeks after your cruise you will receive an email. Follow the instructions and you will receive your money electronically the very next day.

Allocated to the cruisetours ?

Nostalgia is not what it used to be.

When booked in a suite and dining in Luminae, is it "open seating" ie the same as "select" dining ? My booking shows 6pm dining which was automatically selected. Is this just a default setting when booking, or do I need to have this changed to select , ie anytime dining ?

A different question re this itinerary. Do you know if the ship is planned to dock in Klong Toey at Bangkok, and Nah Rong in Saigon ? If so, this is a great itinerary; as Bangkok would be about a 30 minute shuttle ride, and parts of Saigon would be walking distance from the ship.

This segment is the 2nd half of the full 32 day around Australia cruise. My guess, fewer cabins have been released to the two 1/2 segments (one North, one South) and more are being allocated to the full Australia cruise.

Thanks CAG. We hope to overnight in Jerusalem , preferably whilst the ship moves from Haifa to Ashdod. We are aware appropriate permissions would be required beforehand. From Haifa we plan to do a Northern Tour .

Two questions please. We have done a tour into Jerusalem from Haifa previously. With Ashdod being closer, what would be a conservative travel time in a van from Jerusalem to Ashdod. This would be on a Monday, or possibly on a Friday ? Also, has anyone done an overnight in Jerusalem whilst the ship moves from Haifa to Ashdod, or vice versa ? Thanks.

Friday. As you say, drop the bags at the hotel…..that will be OK. Wander down to the ferry terminal and catch the 15 min ferry to Devonport. Check the Fullers website for times, but likely 00 and 30 each hour for the departure from the AKL side. Depending on your energy level….in descending order. 1. Walk to the right, and up the road / track to the top of North Head. Excellent views around the Hauraki Gulf. 2. Walk straight ahead then up the road / track to the top of Mt Victoria. Also great views from there. 3. In all cases stop off in the Devonport village Main Street for a drink and a bite to eat. 15 min ferry back to the Auckland CBD side of the harbour. There may or may not be a small public holiday surcharge added to your cafe bill due to higher staff costs on a public holiday. I hope you enjoy your visit to NZ as much as we enjoy our visits to BC.

Julie, I have them…..all safe and sound. I’ll just hold onto them for you till Monday. cheers, D.

Will do. D.

Do you know if any unused OBC gets carried over onto the next cruise ? Thanks.