Bit of a Blog : Solstice : Auckland – Fremantle – Sydney : February 14th 2016

[hen302]

Hi Linda, as an Aussie I have really enjoyed reading about your adventures in my homeland. I am having my first cruise with Celebrity in Europe in May and your insights have been most valuable. Thanks for letting me come along on your wonderful holiday and safe trip home.

[Groovybusybee]

Hi Linda,

 

I have been following your blog daily since the beginning and it has brought me great pleasure.

 

Every day my mum asks me where you are and what you have done. After various trips on S class ships I realise that we haven't seen half of the ship - this must be rectified soon! :)

 

You have invoked memories of the year I spent in Australia nearly thirty years ago and makes me even more eager to take my son with us next year for a protracted visit. Who knows, we may try to squeeze a cruise in!

 

Enjoy the rest of your trip, safe travels. Where is the next cruise to? I can't wait to come along!

 

Debbie

[NorbertsNiece]

As some Brits are known to say, I'm cream crackered.

 

I have, however, in a matter of minutes, managed to download, upload and resize a bunch of Dailies for you. Enjoy.

02-25 - At Sea 4.pdf

02-26 - Melbourne .pdf

02-27 - At Sea.pdf

02-28 - Adelaide.pdf

02-29 - At Sea.pdf

03-01 - At Sea.pdf

03-02 At Sea.pdf

[ozscot01]

As some Brits are known to say, I'm cream crackered.

 

 

Oh my goodness, I have not thought of Cream Crackers in years! But now you've brought them to mind, the local version just does not stack up.[emoji23]

[Martin and Lindsey]

I know it must be sad to depart BUT its time for Solstice to come home to America from its vacation Down Under.....Sorry Aussies and Kiwi's but I have Premium Drinks and Specialty Dining to attend to so say Sayonara to Solstice as our 14 day date is looming! :D

 

 

Not so fast!! It is our turn first on the Sydney to Hawaii cruise! ;)

[Martin and Lindsey]

Linda, you have enthralled and whetted the appetites of many readers here. We are going to miss your photos and description of the Solstice, but you still have good memories to make.

 

We leave the UK in one week, via Melbourne, to board the Solstice in Sydney for our first Celebrity cruise to Hawaii.

 

Enjoy the Opera House! We have tickets to see Swan Lake there soon. I am really hoping that we will be able to take photos inside the Opera House before the ballet starts. I have seen that no photography is allowed of the ballet which is quite normal. I'm sure, if anyone can get a photo inside, it will be you! (Challenge for you! ;) )

[madgemonica]

How much did you pay for the extra bag on BA. We are flying LBA to Heathrow then to Singapore for our Solstice B2B Australia &NZ. Worried about luggage seeing as though there's no laundry and no shower washing line . Not too happy there being no ironing facilities and not being allowed travel irons.

[Mark.Jules]

Linda,

Words simply cannot express what you have given to so many. Thank you from myself and from so many others.

Know that you have new friends around the globe.

 

Thank you!

 

Mark

[NorbertsNiece]

As we left the Opera House last night Solstice was pulling out....in the pouring rain. Such a shame. Was so grey and miserable out.

 

Rain like I've seldom seen before.

 

Took pics inside the Opera House. All uploaded in seconds last night.

 

And it's bucketing torrents of the stuff right now. Breakfast buffet here is incredible with everything labelled GF where appropriate and loads of choice. Small restaurant though. Not many tables.

 

Extra case for NCL to LHR was £60 each way. Crazy. :eek:

[I'm from Oz]

Linda, you have enthralled and whetted the appetites of many readers here. We are going to miss your photos and description of the Solstice, but you still have good memories to make.

 

We leave the UK in one week, via Melbourne, to board the Solstice in Sydney for our first Celebrity cruise to Hawaii.

 

Enjoy the Opera House! We have tickets to see Swan Lake there soon. I am really hoping that we will be able to take photos inside the Opera House before the ballet starts. I have seen that no photography is allowed of the ballet which is quite normal. I'm sure, if anyone can get a photo inside, it will be you! (Challenge for you! ;) )

 

Yes you can take photos before the performance. Swan Lake however will be in the Joan Sutherland Theatre which is the smaller of the two performance theatres, not the big concert hall

[I'm from Oz]

As some Brits are known to say, I'm cream crackered.

 

I have, however, in a matter of minutes, managed to download, upload and resize a bunch of Dailies for you. Enjoy.

 

Amazing what a bit of speed can do

[Martin and Lindsey]

Yes you can take photos before the performance. Swan Lake however will be in the Joan Sutherland Theatre which is the smaller of the two performance theatres' date=' not the big concert hall[/quote']

 

 

Thanks for forewarning us about this.

We are doing a tour earlier in the day, so hopefully we'll be able to get photos of the big concert hall then. :)

[I'm from Oz]

Thanks for forewarning us about this.

We are doing a tour earlier in the day, so hopefully we'll be able to get photos of the big concert hall then. :)

That's great. I'm sure if you are doing a tour you will be able to take photos in the Concert Hall. It's really beautiful.

 

Still astonishing to think how ahead of its time this building was. Now though they struggle with many aspects of production because of limited space. I'm sure this will all be explained.

 

I also love the way they bring this masterpiece to the people. Our children have both performed on the Concert Hall stage as members of their school bands (they were fortunate to be in a very good band programme at school). They also had the opportunity to be on stage as part of the Baby Proms which are held from time to time when the Sydney Symphony brings classical music to children and they can 'perform' - holding a tambourine or triangle for instance - while the Sydney Symphony plays. Wonderful memories.

 

Our daughter is a high school teacher and her school has their presentation day at the SOH. She posted their school choir performing on stage a medley from Les Mis which was a real tear jerker. The building belongs to the people of Sydney and we are very lucky to have it.

[ideliver416]

We toured opera house during our visit on Feb 24th and they do not allow pictures in any of the theaters when we went.

[I'm from Oz]

We toured opera house during our visit on Feb 24th and they do not allow pictures in any of the theaters when we went.

There are restricted areas where you are not allowed to take photos, this would probably apply in particular on the back stage tour as obviously they would not allow photos of costuming and sets etc.

 

However, I telephoned the SOH and you are able to take photos in the Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre. Your guide should let you know when you are able to take photographs. So I suggest you let the guide know at the beginning of the tour that you would like to take photos of unrestricted venues.

 

We have always been able to take photographs inside the Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre prior to the performance commencing.

[AntjeG]

I did the guided tour last year and I really loved it. The guide shared a big knowledge and we could feel the passion he has for this great building.

 

However, photos are allowed most time during the tour but not in the concert halls. Doesn´t have anything to do with backstage or not (I was on the regular tour). When you go to a performance, you can take pictures of the venue where the performance is (prior to beginning of the performance).

[I'm from Oz]

Thanks for forewarning us about this.

We are doing a tour earlier in the day, so hopefully we'll be able to get photos of the big concert hall then. :)

Looks like it varies then.

 

All you can do is ask. :)

[NorbertsNiece]

Please don’t laugh. Promise?

 

5* Hotel with a crappy wifi service. Keeps dropping. Uploading today’s pics now stalled…. I should be experienced at this right? Am writing this in word….. just in case….

 

Had a super day today on the tour to the Blue Mountains. Pouring with rain this morning we ended up with a pleasant day and some sun. At Katoomba there were many other tourists in front of us so our guide decided that we would go down on the gondola and back up on the train which was disappointing to say the least. Lunch was good. Turns out that this tour is not just for Solstice passengers….. the same TA has people who will be boarding a B2B2B on Diamond Princess to Tokyo via Fremantle and Singapore….. what an amazing 33 day itinerary!!! After lunch we visited a lookout and then had a cultural performance at the Aboriginal Cultural Centre followed by a Wildlife Park. How have I become blasé about koalas but still bizarrely excited about penguins? The tour guide was a mine of information and I know more about the baby koala’s digestive system than I knew previously as well as the continuous gestation cycle of the Kangaroo.

 

Wonderful catch up with another friend from Rhapsody last year tonight. Asked the Concierge for somewhere cheap and cheerful to eat and we ended up at a very understated Malaysian restaurant around the corner for a quite acceptable green curry. More rain. Brought ice cream up to my room but my energy levels flagged and I needed to get sorted for tomorrow and an early night.

Edited March 21, 2016 by NorbertsNiece

[Martin and Lindsey]

Looks like it varies then.

 

All you can do is ask. :)

 

Thanks to all of you for your input about taking photos at the Sydney Opera House.

 

We will ask about it at the beginning of the tour and hopefully they will let us. :)

[Chicogirl]

I'm going to miss this blog. My cruise is in July on the Solstice and I've never sailed her, so I've been soaking up all the information I could get.

[NorbertsNiece]

Thanks to all of you for your input about taking photos at the Sydney Opera House.

 

We will ask about it at the beginning of the tour and hopefully they will let us. :)

 

Heading there this morning for a tour. Will let you know. The performance we saw was in the Joan Sutherland theatre. Didn't see or hear any warnings about taking pics so I did.

[NorbertsNiece]

Heading there this morning for a tour. Will let you know. The performance we saw was in the Joan Sutherland theatre. Didn't see or hear any warnings about taking pics so I did.

 

That doesn't mean to say there weren't signs.... I just didn't see them.....

 

Using the La Boheme set

 

 

Bit disappointed with the programme.....didn't see anything more memorable for sale.... these pieces of paper were handed out

 

 

Edited March 21, 2016 by NorbertsNiece

[NorbertsNiece]

 

 

 

 

 

[NorbertsNiece]

 

 

 

 

 

[NorbertsNiece]

 

 

 

 

Then I saw this..... never seen this before.....