u2cruiser

Hi elvismeggi,

 

Another vote for the Esplanade Hotel here :). We flew into Perth last month for the Solstice 'Top End' cruise. We took advice from people on here and TripAdvisor about staying in Fremantle rather than Perth (cooler) and were so glad we did. We spent 2 nights there and loved it.

 

The Esplanade rooms are a little tired, but it's so well placed for everything, plus it has a small, but nice outdoor pool which we were so grateful for as it was roasting hot.

 

We had no trouble getting a taxi to the port on cruise day - the taxis were lined up outside. It is walkable, but it would be a little tricky with large luggage.

 

On our first day, we made our way to the port to take one of the Captain Cook cruises into Perth, but as the first sailing was after 11am, we decided to take the train instead and came back on the Swan River cruise. We saw most of Perth, including the beautiful King's Park. It was easy to walk around and easy to buy tickets at the pier in Perth.

The buffet brunch was alive and kicking on the Solstice during our 'Top End' Australia cruise a few weeks ago. The MDR staff were promoting it a couple of days before and reminded us the night before. Also, crew around the ship and bar staff told us about it.

We didn't go. I'd seen enough food to last me a lifetime by then :rolleyes:, but I heard it was very busy and quite spectacular.

Good luck on your upcoming "Top of Australia" sailing on the Solstice.

Look forward to hearing more your trip. My understanding is that about 600-800 people are doing the full, 35-day circumnavigation of ALL of Australia. They started that "adventure" Monday from here in Auckland.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Yes, the roll calls for this trip have been very busy.

We're very excited. We left the Solstice in Singapore in November 2012, as she continued her maiden voyage to Sydney. We were so sorry to leave her, we knew we had to get ourselves to Australia ASAP to catch up with her again. :D

 

Enjoy the rest of your trip. Looking forward to your next installment. :)

We were told by an assistant maitre'd during our Dec 10, 2013 Solstice sailing that the "brunch" (which I assume is what you are referring to) had been discontinued - he said, due to increased health concerns. On the Oct 23 sailing we had no brunch, as there was an increased level of GI illnesses around (on that sailing we also had only 3 out of 12 days of self-service at the buffet). So u2cruiser, you may sadly not have a brunch to look forward to.

 

Hi boeckli, we don't mind about the brunch - we've never made it to one yet. Too busy enjoying life on deck to go indoors for food. Terry's pics of the buffet brunch here on CC are the nearest we've been to it ;)

I know many look forward to it though, so some will be disappointed.

I know this is a really silly question, but I will ask anyway. Is there a way to look at all your pictures without clicking on each link in each post?

Norma

 

Hi h20cruzer, not a silly question at all.

Have you got the 'show images' option ticked in your profile? :)

Appreciate your nice comments and following along. YES, will have more on the Solstice, its condition, staff, food, etc. Yes, this trip has been more about the ports and traveling with the six other couples/friends in our group from Central Ohio. Will share a number of impressions and opinions on the Solstice at age five versus what we saw during the Med sailing two and a half years. Have lots of upcoming airport terminal and flight time to sort pictures, share more of those kinds of impressions, etc. My wife reads books while I play on my MacBook Pro laptop. Keep up the good questions, suggestions and comments.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 160,644 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

Thank you. I ask as we will be back on board her 2 weeks today, in Perth.

No scary carved melon pictures from you this time :D

Hi Terry, I'm really enjoying your blog, especially the pictures. Thank you for all the time you give up to entertain and inform us here on CC.

 

I know this trip is more about the ports than the ship, but how does the Solstice seem since your last trip on her in 2011? Any changes noted? Have you enjoyed the ship as much as last time? :)

I wish you lot were on my cruise. :D

Hmm. I'm female and if hubby is around then I'm safe. I'm A+. Not sure what he is.

 

It would be interesting to find out his blood group wouldn't it, if the blood group theory is to be believed? :)

Note to sel;f - buy husband some perfume and nag him into using it :D:D:D

 

:D Too funny!

Don't forget to order him a large beer every time you sit down anywhere, as the mozzies love that, allegedly, and you shouldn't get a single bite :cool:

I love the photo of the sandstone tower at the Penal Colony. Such detail in the stonework in the foreground with the lovely blue sky to contrast.

 

I'm really appreciating your supreme efforts to take us all with you on this trip :D

Very interesting about the blood type, it explains a few things.:D

 

Beer! We musn't drink beer!! :eek:

 

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-do-mosquitoes-bite-some-people-more-than-others-10255934/

So lets talk mosquitoes in Perth!:eek:

 

It has been mentioned by visitors (especially from UK) that they are so big they can carry you off:D

 

If visiting Perth I highly recommend wearing a personal repellent during Feb and March or I guarantee you will be bitten alive.

 

Perth Mossies are not the little Knatts most others call mossies.

 

Mossies are attracted to the CO2 you exhale and if an "O" blood group you will be bitten a lot as they favour O blood group and seek you out from your exhaled breath.

 

Perth mossies bite from Dusk until Dawn and in between those times the flies take over so better practice your "Australian salute" :D

 

:eek: *note to self - go out and buy another 3 cans of jungle formula*

 

hmmm.... I am blood group O, but so is Mr U2cruiser and they much prefer to eat me instead of him :rolleyes:

It can also be found in Barocca, I think Les may have been confused when he said it was in red wine when it is just in his hangover remedy.:p

 

So, drink as much red wine as you wish, plus a Martini or 2, take Barocca before retiring to bed, then enjoy the next day with no hangover and the bonus of no mozzie bites. :D

So this Vitamin B2, is that in Red wine? LOL. If so, I am protected ! LOL.

 

I just googled it - doesn't mention red wine ;)

 

'Riboflavin is a B vitamin. It can be found in certain foods such as milk, meat, eggs, nuts, enriched flour, and green vegetables.'

Hope you have a wonderful time :) Have you got a couple of days after the cruise to potter around Sydney?

 

Thank you. I'm certain we will.

Yes we have 2 nights in Perth (Fremantle) pre cruise - 17 nights sailing up the West coast, little diversion to Bali, back to the Northern Territories and down the East coast. 3 nights in Sydney post cruise, where we have so many things on our list to do.

Will have to save the South coast for another time. :D

We have just moved from Sydney and I don't think you need worry about mosquitoes in the city itself. If you happen to be in somewhere like the Botanical Gardens at dusk or dawn then that could be a different matter.

 

As for dress, as MicCanberra posted it depends where you are going. Smart casual would be suitable in most cases. You would find that in upmarket restaurants for example, there would be a tendency for it to be a bit more dressy in the evening.

March is a great time to visit Sydney IMHO as the humidity has gone.

Enjoy your stay and have a great cruise.

 

Thanks bronte2. We were supposed to be cruising from Sydney on the Rhapsody in January, but due to a bereavement, we had to cancel, so we are very much looking forward to finally making that long journey in just over 3 weeks to meet the Solstice in Perth. :D

 

Thank you all for your replies :)

Mozzies aren't usually a problem in the Sydney CBD or any of the major shopping / dining precincts. We get a few where we live as our house is in a small, bushy valley with a creek running through it.

 

If you're going to a CBD restaurant smart casual is the norm, at a beachside cafe you can wear more casual clothes.

 

Yes, tipping isn't expected in Australia. Keep the change for taxis, 10% in restaurants only if you think you've had good service and food, you don't need to tip at all when just having a coffee.

 

Thank you OzKiwiJJ, all my queries answered perfectly :)

We are so excited to visit your beautiful city.

Thank you guys, it's dusk that always catches me out with the mozzies, especially if we've been out all day and I don't have the spray with me.

 

Thanks MicCanberra about the dress code. Very helpful. :D

I thought that parts of the South Island were 'the Pennines by the Sea.'

 

We lived in Penistone, in the Pennines when we visited NZ :D

I could hardly believe I had travelled so far, only to see a very familiar landscape.

 

I notice we have South Yorkshire (me), North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire in this thread ;)

Terry, how lovely to see a nice pic of you and our lovely Penny together as well as all the other super photos. Just wait until you reach my beloved NZ! :)

 

If you can squeeze in a swift trip to Lake Wanaka and Arrowtown from Queenstown, I know you would love it there and the pie shop facing the lake, best pies in the world according to a very friendly Aussie we met there. :D

 

Hi Essexlass :)

Have you been lucky enough to cruise with Terry?

 

I spent one short week on the North Island. What a wonderful place, but I'll never forget how very much like home it looked as we came in to land in Auckland.

Hi, I'm wondering how much of a problem mosquitoes are in the months of Feb/March in Perth and Sydney. I'm always prepared, but it's good to have an idea what to expect.

 

Also, is city wear always casual or do people dress up a bit in the evenings? I want to leave one suitcase packed for the cruise if possible and need to know what to include in the city suitcase.

 

Tipping is appreciated but not expected? Is that correct? Keep the change for taxi drivers and around 10% in restaurants?

Thanks in advance :)

I think we are for the most part happy people, although there are always acceptions. I hope your journey to australia is a great one and the weathe ris kinder than our cricket team (at the moment).:D

 

Well, I'm watching the weather closely, but not the cricket.

It would be rude not to smile with all that sunshine every day. :D

I'm worried I won't want to come home after the cruise, not that I ever want to come home, but I think Australia is going to knock our socks off.

 

Terry, nice to see the Solstice from that angle, through the Opera House. :)

Hi Terry,

 

I am following your long awaited trip with much interest as we will be following you down under in 4 weeks, joining the beautiful Solstice in Perth, for a 17 night Australia cruise, disembarking in Sydney.

 

Your photos are stunning and informative as usual. I'm sure your extensive research is paying off as you pack as much as possible into each day.

How is the Solstice looking?

 

Great to hear the Aussies are such a friendly lot. I'm expecting them all to be like MicCanberra, permanently smiling :D

We are just arriving into Airlie Beach after a very lovely day at sea yesterday. The obligatory stop to Willis Island happened - which isn't a stop at all - we dropped anchor / hung out for about 10 minutes and then pulled up anchor and turned around. This 'scenic cruise' stop technically makes the cruise an 'international' one so they can open duty free etc during the rest of the cruise.

 

Most of the day we just enjoyed the ship... lunch was an American themed bbq on the pool deck. Dinner - we met new friends in Chops Grille and had a great night.

 

Will post pics when we are in better internet range - we are still cruising through the islands of the coast (Such a hard life!) :D

 

Yes, such a hard life you lead :D

I wondered about Willis Island as the itinerary says 'cruising' rather than visiting - now I know, thanks.

Looking forward to hearing about Airlie Beach. :)