Rare Dolby1000 Posted January 2, 2013 #726 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Been interested in going to NZ and taking a cruise out of Sydney. Since this trip was taken during early summer in the Southern Hemisphere, was the weather typical? I noticed the days were around 65-70 (F) and even cooler at the Sounds. Would the weather be warmer in Jan/Feb/Mar or about the same? Outstanding review, I always enjoy reviews with all the pictures, thank you for taking the time to share with us. OWD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brossy Posted January 2, 2013 #727 Share Posted January 2, 2013 We purchased our NZ dollars at a money changer in Singapore. We have never purchased foreign currency on the ship, so I don't know their rates. You are right that no ship tours take you to the Luge. We noticed that too. Rotorua is a good 1hr and 15 min drive from the ship, which is at Salisbury Ave. I think self-drive is the most viable option if you want to do the Luge. Thank you. I think i'll save the Luge for another time :). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mycruise2000 Posted January 2, 2013 #728 Share Posted January 2, 2013 This tug boat was sailing right beside us, very close, yet not touching the ship. Anybody knows why? Excellent review and loved every bit of it. Thanks for sharing and Happy new year to all CC members. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator0178 Posted January 2, 2013 #729 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Very informative and thanks for the nice pics!!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iluvcruising2 Posted January 3, 2013 Author #730 Share Posted January 3, 2013 (edited) Thank you. I think i'll save the Luge for another time :). A short sidetrack. Thanks to New Zealand for exporting the Luge to the world. The Luge is also available in Singapore (Sentosa island) and my family just went on a ride last weekend. We're happy that we have tried the original (in Rotorua) and now an offshoot in our home country! Luge is a NZ success story. A view of the chair-lift and the busy waterways. Edited January 3, 2013 by Iluvcruising2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iluvcruising2 Posted January 3, 2013 Author #731 Share Posted January 3, 2013 (edited) 90 minutes? Thats impressive. i first saw this on Allure in 2011 and enjoyed it a lot with the exception of a few stupid questions from the audience that made a few people groan, but it was informative. Glad they are doing it on other ships. Yes, they are. I recall attending Captain's Corner on almost all the Royal Caribbean cruises that I have been on the past couple of years, including Legend, Brilliance and of course Voyager. I've always wondered how they would conduct this Captain's Corner for sailings out of Mainland China (e.g. Shanghai), since most passengers wouldn't be able to speak much English and I doubt the 4 senior officers can speak Mandarin! Glad to share that on the Singapore to Shanghai re-positioning cruises that we have been on (Legend and Voyager), the main langauge onboard was still English. In the June 2012 re-positioning, the majority of passengers onboard were Singaporeans (1,800) followed by large numbers of Australians (I think 500 to 600) and then Americans and British. This time round, I found the questions from the largely Australian audience to be very good. One particular question stumped the Captain for a bit - what and where was the southern most point that the Voyager reached on this cruise? Edited January 3, 2013 by Iluvcruising2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iluvcruising2 Posted January 3, 2013 Author #732 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Been interested in going to NZ and taking a cruise out of Sydney. Since this trip was taken during early summer in the Southern Hemisphere, was the weather typical? I noticed the days were around 65-70 (F) and even cooler at the Sounds. Would the weather be warmer in Jan/Feb/Mar or about the same? Outstanding review, I always enjoy reviews with all the pictures, thank you for taking the time to share with us. OWD Good question. Yes, I think the Voyager will do a similar itinerary for 3-4 months, starting late Nov/early Dec. Sorry, I do not know the answer to this weather question. Hope the others can help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iluvcruising2 Posted January 3, 2013 Author #733 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Sydney getting closer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iluvcruising2 Posted January 3, 2013 Author #734 Share Posted January 3, 2013 HMAS Sydney. She must have been a very famous ship? Maybe from the World War II. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iluvcruising2 Posted January 3, 2013 Author #735 Share Posted January 3, 2013 The opera house on the right side of the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iluvcruising2 Posted January 3, 2013 Author #736 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Another picture of the approach into Sydney. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iluvcruising2 Posted January 3, 2013 Author #737 Share Posted January 3, 2013 This looked like a restaurant built on rocks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iluvcruising2 Posted January 3, 2013 Author #738 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Some views of the Opera house from our balcony. By this time, the ship was turning to dock at Circular Quay. Time was 0930. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemini1106 Posted January 3, 2013 #739 Share Posted January 3, 2013 HMAS Sydney. She must have been a very famous ship? Maybe from the World War II. The HMAS Sydney was lost with 645 crew in 1941, after an involvement with the German cruiser Kormoran. There was a lot of controversy regarding this particular engagement. Quite interesting if anyone is a history buff. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemini1106 Posted January 3, 2013 #740 Share Posted January 3, 2013 This looked like a restaurant built on rocks! This is a picture of Fort Dennyson. In 1788 it was used to hold convicts and I think that a gibbet was installed a few years later for hanging. Now it's a museum and I think there's a place to hold a wedding reception, for something a little different? You get there from ferry at Circular Quay. Interesting place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agutaya Posted January 3, 2013 #741 Share Posted January 3, 2013 The HMAS Sydney was lost with 645 crew in 1941, after an involvement with the German cruiser Kormoran. There was a lot of controversy regarding this particular engagement. Quite interesting if anyone is a history buff. :) Yes, I just up on it after I saw the photos. A sad story which would probably be even sadder if the whole truth were known. I'm glad she was found again. Iluvcruising2, thanks for the great review, especially with all the photos. I appreciate how much time it has taken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Cruizers Posted January 3, 2013 #742 Share Posted January 3, 2013 I breifly went thru your reviews and loved the pictures, we are looking forward to visiting Sydney for the first time, march 0f 2014 for our 13 day NZ cruise on the ROS, this will be followed by 9 days of sight seeing then reboarding the ROS for our b2b 18 day transpacific & 12 day Hawaii to Vancouver. Thank you for your review and photos and will definately take more time looking going thru everything in the next few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iluvcruising2 Posted January 4, 2013 Author #743 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I breifly went thru your reviews and loved the pictures, we are looking forward to visiting Sydney for the first time, march 0f 2014 for our 13 day NZ cruise on the ROS, this will be followed by 9 days of sight seeing then reboarding the ROS for our b2b 18 day transpacific & 12 day Hawaii to Vancouver. Thank you for your review and photos and will definately take more time looking going thru everything in the next few days. So envious of your upcoming cruises!! Enjoy!! I will complete the review this weekend. A little bit more to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annerz Posted January 4, 2013 #744 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I was hoping you could help me with a quick question. My father, who has done many cruises, mentioned a 'coffee card' or coffee package you could purchase on RCCL. Do you know anything about that? He may have got his cruise lines muddled :) Cheers Anne PS I love a good cup of strong coffee....so the WJ stuff probaby won't suit :eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iluvcruising2 Posted January 4, 2013 Author #745 Share Posted January 4, 2013 (edited) I was hoping you could help me with a quick question. My father, who has done many cruises, mentioned a 'coffee card' or coffee package you could purchase on RCCL. Do you know anything about that? He may have got his cruise lines muddled :)Cheers Anne PS I love a good cup of strong coffee....so the WJ stuff probaby won't suit :eek: Sorry, I am not aware of any such coffee package on RCCL. I haven't seen any such deals before. If others can help, please do. However, I am told that there is a speciality coffee machine in the Concierge Lounge (for Suite guests, D+ and above guests) and also Diamond Lounge (not sure). There is currently no Diamond Lounge on the Voyager. I assume she will get one after her 2014 revitalization. Edited January 4, 2013 by Iluvcruising2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6andy6 Posted January 4, 2013 #746 Share Posted January 4, 2013 (edited) Possibly some sad news for you ILuvCruising in light of your recent trip to tasmania where you hired a car and drove to Port Arthur. Southern Australia (the states of Victoria, tasmania and South Australia) have been having a heat wave the last couple of days with temperatures up around the high 30's and low 40's degrees (around 105 degrees fahrenheit). Well today bush fires hit the Tasman Peninsula hard particularly around the township of Dunalley which you would have gone through (it sits at the head of the Peninsula) - early reports show up to 65 buildings destroyed including the local school, homes and a petrol station. More in these papers (one a Melbourne paper and one a Hobart paper). http://www.theage.com.au/environment/weather/bushfires-gut-tasmanian-town-20130104-2c8j1.html http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2013/01/04/369647_tasmania-news.html Just goes to show, how things can change overnight and particularly Australia, while people enjoy good weather and heat it can also bring tragic results in the blink of an eye. :( Edited January 4, 2013 by 6andy6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iluvcruising2 Posted January 4, 2013 Author #747 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Possibly some sad news for you ILuvCruising in light of your recent trip to tasmania where you hired a car and drove to Port Arthur. Southern Australia (the states of Victoria, tasmania and South Australia) have been having a heat wave the last couple of days with temperatures up around the high 30's and low 40's degrees (around 105 degrees fahrenheit). Well today bush fires hit the Tasman Peninsula hard particularly around the township of Dunalley which you would have gone through (it sits at the head of the Peninsula) - early reports show up to 65 buildings destroyed including the local school, homes and a petrol station. More in these papers (one a Melbourne paper and one a Hobart paper). http://www.theage.com.au/environment/weather/bushfires-gut-tasmanian-town-20130104-2c8j1.html http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2013/01/04/369647_tasmania-news.html Just goes to show, how things can change overnight and particularly Australia, while people enjoy good weather and heat it can also bring tragic results in the blink of an eye. :( Oh dear. Very sad indeed. Thanks for letting me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iluvcruising2 Posted January 4, 2013 Author #748 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Docking at Circular Quay was most convenient. We got off the ship at about 10:30am. Our plan was to take a ferry to Darling habour. I recall this ferry was from Wharf 5. They run very frequently. It was a gorgeous day and the harbour ferry ride was breath-taking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iluvcruising2 Posted January 4, 2013 Author #749 Share Posted January 4, 2013 A view of the Voyager of the Seas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iluvcruising2 Posted January 4, 2013 Author #750 Share Posted January 4, 2013 We went under the Harbour Bridge. There were several stops along the way before we reached Darling Harbour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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