and so it begins....Dec/Jan Circumnavigation of Australia on Regatta

[cbb]

california native--

 

sure, i'll see what i can do for you.

[cbb]

california native-

 

found a room attendant who does 4028. Report is: bath tub.

 

probably not what you wanted to hear.

 

 

there are other places on board to take showers that might be easier for you.

 

 

Folks here can help you with those locations that have used them personally--i haven't.0 Notifications

[California Native]

Thank you so very much!

[cbb]

californianative....hey, no worries! (getting into the aussie lingo)

[Paulchili]

california native-

 

found a room attendant who does 4028. Report is: bath tub.

 

How does this make any sense - a bath tub in a handicap room:confused:

[Dobby_The_Ship_Elf]

californianative....hey, no worries! (getting into the aussie lingo)

 

once you reply "no wukkas"

 

we will know you got aussie slang!!

[Dobby_The_Ship_Elf]

californianative....hey, no worries! (getting into the aussie lingo)

 

BTW excellent photos mate

 

one day I may be able to circumnavigate my own country ... till then I rely on guys like you

 

cheers

[Mura]

How does this make any sense - a bath tub in a handicap room:confused:

 

It's my understanding that was the original design of the "R" ships. Don't know about Marina/Riviera.

 

We were contemplating cruising with my BIL/SIL a few years ago on Regatta. The deal breaker was the bathtub in the handicapped accessible room. Dan had had a stroke that left him with a severely weakened left side and there was no way that he could have gotten in and out of a bathtub.

 

Mura

[palakika]

It's nice to know that Oceania puts the medical emergencies of passengers first. Fortunately for the person on your cruise, you were close to land. When in the middle of the Indian Ocean it would be more of a challenge. But this is part of the excitement of world travel. Dave's photos of helo rescue good.

 

What's up with a bath tub in a handicapped room?

[4Lakes Lady]

We were just on the Riviera in November. We were lucky enough to secure a handicap accessible cabin. I can’t tell you how much this was appreciated! DH has Parkinson’s. The bathroom did not have the standard step up and the shower was large enough for a wheelchair as well as having a drop down seat. The room itself was twice the size of the standard ocean view of which category this was located. A bathtub would also be a deal breaker for us which is too bad as we both like the R ships.

 

 

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[cbb]

4 days at sea we were happy to arrive in Geraldton at 8:00 and get off the ship by 9:00

 

Our Aussie friends Jennie and Peter rented a mini van from Hertz and the 6 of us took off for HMASII memorial and beat the shorex buses. It really is a lovely memorial to a horrific loss of life of 645 Australia sailors--the greatest loss in Australian Naval history.

 

During WWII a freighter was able to get close to the Sydney, hoisted the German flag, and opened fire. In its death throes, the Sydney was able to return fire and both ships sank although German sailors survived and were interned.

 

The memorial has many lovely features including a domed monument in which the roof is composed of 645 sea gulls touching in 3 places, a statue of Waiting Woman, to represent all of the women who worried about the men in their lives, and a small pool in which the coordinates of the ship's wreckage is noted as well as a map of western Australia.

 

From there we went to Horrocks Beach, touted as Australia's most beautiful beach. Clearly someone needs to have his/her eyes checked because it. definitely. was. not. No one was in the little beach town--it is summer so go figure!

 

We understand people like going there because of the wind--kite surfing, etc. but it is by no means beautiful.

 

On to the Pink Lakes and they are! Probably even more impressive if they had been completely filled with water but they were still lovely. We also did a photo stop of the Lynton Homestead where convicts had been auctioned off for labor--Peter and Jennie did not claim kin with them.

 

Lunch time called and we returned down the highway to the Oakabella Homestead for scones, tea, and coffee. Driver had 4 scones and a latte--he needed his strength! (but who is counting1)

 

We were back in Geraldton by 3pm, returned the van all fat with fuel, and in to a taxi which took us to the shuttle bus and return to the ship. A lovely day spent with friends....on to Freemantle and Perth tomorrow.

 

just thought y'all should know that today ALL drinks were free from 5-7pm from the Captain as thanks for our patience with all of the schedule changes over the past 3 days.

 

What a lovely gesture. Extra furniture had to be brought out in Horizons to hold everyone!!!

[palakika]

Free drinks sound great! Nice of them to think of the passengers, some of whom might have had some disappointments at not getting to ports.

[MMDown Under]

Sounds like Regatta was lucky to miss the two cyclones currently forming in Northern WA.

 

ABC News

[SailingCableBeach]

Welcome to Fremantle and especially to our Canadian friends on board the Regatta.

It’s a lovely cool day here in Perth today and so perfect for touring our city and countryside. At this time of year it can be north of 40C!

Have fun in port.

[cbb]

let's see....when last we met, I was congratulating O for buying free drinks for everyone for 2 hours.

 

This morning we arrived at Fremantle at 7, all clear at 8 and we were off the ship. We headed directly for the train station a short distance from where we had docked and bought tickets --under $10AU for the 2 of us to take the train to Perth. What a wonderful transit system this part of Australia has! Fast, efficient, and on time....what's not to love!

 

Left the train station and began walking Perth. It is, to my eyes, much as other big cities are, with a few remnant buildings from the old days still around, although the area around St Mary's Cathedral/Perth hospital very charming.

 

Everyone is very busy, lots of cars, and cranes everywhere-- building, building.

 

We meandered through the Stirling Gardens taking pictures of the kangaroo sculptures and walked down to the waterfront and bought a ticket ($30Au each) for the Capt Cook cruise boat that was leaving immediately for Fremantle.

 

An hour later we arrived back at Fremantle having sailed the Swan River. The guide in the boat told us who owned the expensive houses and said that one of them was for sale at $50M+Au....I told Dave we didn't have that much OBC coming back to us so we'd have to give it a pass.

 

Most of the houses were bought by families who gained their wealth through mining; he told us some were Asians who were investing in real estate.

 

We saw pleasure boats and marinas, black swans, and porpoises; the sun was out and it was not hot--about 70F.

 

We then walked down Hyde Street in Fremantle and bought lunch at one of the charming historic pubs. We then went down the other side of Hyde and through the tunnels toward the water and on to Bathers Beach.

 

The tunnels had been built by convict labor as a passage to move goods from the ships to the buildings on Hyde Street--pick axes spring to mind when i looked at the walls of the tunnels! Sweet little beach.

 

We really liked Fremantle. It has a charm that I thought Perth lacked. It seemed very laid-back and convivial and they have kept many of their historic buildings as pubs, artisan shops, clothing stores, a book store and a record store (remember those???)

 

Please remember, though, I saw Perth for maybe 5 hours max so I'm positive there are areas that are wonderfully historic that we didn't see.

 

We walked along the waterfront and then decided our day had been long enough so we returned to the ship to be informed of yet another change to the itinerary!!!!

 

A letter from the Captain was on our bed and said that because forecasted weather conditions for the seas around Esperance and the safety of passengers and crew being paramount in the operation of tenders, the port call in Esperance had been canceled.

 

So that we would not experience another 4 days at sea, they decided that we would overnight in Fremantle tonight and leave Friday, Jan 12 at 6pm--so another day here. We have some ideas of what we're going to do tomorrow.

 

Dinner tonight in Terrace was an Australian Buffet and the place was jammed. Everybody wanted to try croc, kangaroo, emu, lamb, beef and kidney pie, and Pavlova, and raspberry Lamington!

 

I appreciate the desire of the Captain for us NOT to experience high winds and waves--Mr Wonderful is NOT wonderful in high seas!!! Good night from Fremantle!

[roothy123]

Thank you for your information! It's helping me get an idea of what there is to see on an Australian cruise.

 

Yes, itinerary changes can and do happen. Those of us who have cruised a lot know; it's just too bad that some newer cruisers get upset when there's a change. But I see those infrequent missed ports as an excuse to take another cruise - or if feasible, a land trip!

[PaulMCO]

Thank you for your information! It's helping me get an idea of what there is to see on an Australian cruise.

 

Yes, itinerary changes can and do happen. Those of us who have cruised a lot know; it's just too bad that some newer cruisers get upset when there's a change. But I see those infrequent missed ports as an excuse to take another cruise - or if feasible, a land trip!

 

You can look at it that way. You can also look at the other side is why schedule ports of call where you have a less than 50 percent chance of tendering. Our tour guide who does tours at both ports we have missed stated this.

[roothy123]

You can look at it that way. You can also look at the other side is why schedule ports of call where you have a less than 50 percent chance of tendering. Our tour guide who does tours at both ports we have missed stated this.

 

Well, unfortunately, the big, sheltered, reliable ports that most cruise lines go to are not always the ones I want to go to, so I suppose my best option is to just not worry about the occasional missed port. Some may have worse weather and port conditions than others, but of course, there can always be a "first" for even the most predictable port experience. If anyone has info on how often each port is missed, that would be helpful. However, aside from the tour operators who monitor such things at their own port(s), I'm not aware that such information is available. In 15 or so cruises, I've only missed two ports (Lerwick and Grand Turk, both scheduled for docking; both missed due to weather/port conditions, two different cruise lines). On Easter Island, which is known for bad weather, difficult tendering, and many misses, we were able to tender in one day but not the second. I was disappointed about the second day but relieved about the first. I'm sure the cruise lines were relieved as well - that their expensive cruise ships didn't suffer any damage, and that no crew or passenger got hurt.

[palakika]

Missed ports are part of cruising so those choosing this type of travel need to be aware of the possibility. In certain parts if the world this is unlikely, but in others chances are great especially if tendering. For example, we were lucky to get into Falkland Islands where tenders frequently can't land. However, we didn't get our two days in Easter Island. We're taking another run at Hanga Roa later this year. So we'll see!

[roothy123]

Missed ports are part of cruising so those choosing this type of travel need to be aware of the possibility. In certain parts if the world this is unlikely, but in others chances are great especially if tendering. For example, we were lucky to get into Falkland Islands where tenders frequently can't land. However, we didn't get our two days in Easter Island. We're taking another run at Hanga Roa later this year. So we'll see!

Good luck with Hanga Roa. You just can't predict, but if you make it in, it's awesome and SO memorable. We loved our 12 person van tour, and the vendor refunded much of the cost of the second day we missed out on. Be sure to have good footwear - tender platform is pretty basic, and there are some metal steps to climb. If your ship can't make it in, at least maybe the Captain can go back out and you'll see some of the statues from a distance (again?) But I digress...

[palakika]

Thanks Roothy for the advice. Our Capt. Did circumnavigate Easter Island so saw statues from distance. Hope to see them close up!

[Emma Chisit]

Missed ports are part of cruising so those choosing this type of travel need to be aware of the possibility. In certain parts if the world this is unlikely, but in others chances are great especially if tendering. For example, we were lucky to get into Falkland Islands where tenders frequently can't land. However, we didn't get our two days in Easter Island. We're taking another run at Hanga Roa later this year. So we'll see!

 

Missed both the Falklands and the next port of Puerto Madryn on a 2006 Celebrity cruise. Just back from a South America/Antarctica cruise on Holland America and we were lucky enough to get into both ports - and also have two glorious sunny days in Antarctica (as well as two other days which were tending more to the foggy and atmospheric. But there were still penguins floating past on icebergs…..)

A thought to those pondering the difficulty of getting to Easter Island ….. At the end of the 2006 Celebrity cruise we hopped home across the Pacific from Santiago, and spent three nights on Hanga Roa. You might consider doing something similar, maybe as an add-on after a South American cruise (on Oceania of course) to ensure you get there.

 

Hi cbb and Mr Wonderful, and all the gang - As you see - am emerging from the fog of jet lag after our brutal trip home and catching up with your terrific blogs. Wilting in the heat, though….

[Beagle5]

 

Please remember, though, I saw Perth for maybe 5 hours max so I'm positive there are areas that are wonderfully historic that we didn't see.

 

Ummm no, that's about it in Perth in terms of 'historic' stuff. Although the Perth Mint is worth a visit. Perhaps the other typical 'must do' for the Perth CBD area is to walk up to Kings Park for the view over the city and the Botanic Gardens.

 

 

We walked along the waterfront and then decided our day had been long enough so we returned to the ship to be informed of yet another change to the itinerary!!!!

 

A letter from the Captain was on our bed and said that because forecasted weather conditions for the seas around Esperance and the safety of passengers and crew being paramount in the operation of tenders, the port call in Esperance had been canceled.

 

So that we would not experience another 4 days at sea, they decided that we would overnight in Fremantle tonight and leave Friday, Jan 12 at 6pm--so another day here. We have some ideas of what we're going to do tomorrow.

 

I find it weird that Oceania have chosen the tender ports of Exmouth and Esperence for your itinerary (both now missed), when there are the ports of Broome, Bunbury, and Albany all capable of docking cruise ships and arguably much closer to interesting tourist areas. Broome is a popular tourist destination in the Kimberly, Bunbury is close to the Margaret River wine growing area, and Albany is in close proximity to the magnificent south west kauri forests.

 

I have been really enjoying your blog, but it is a bit frustrating to see that you will sail all the way from Darwin to Adelaide while only stopping at Geraldton and Perth!

Edited January 11, 2018 by Beagle5

[Paulchili]

 

 

 

 

I find it weird that Oceania have chosen the tender ports of Exmouth and Esperence for your itinerary (both now missed), when there are the ports of Broome, Bunbury, and Albany all capable of docking cruise ships and arguably much closer to interesting tourist areas. Broome is a popular tourist destination in the Kimberly, Bunbury is close to the Margaret River wine growing area, and Albany is in close proximity to the magnificent south west kauri forests.

 

I have been really enjoying your blog, but it is a bit frustrating to see that you will sail all the way from Darwin to Adelaide while only stopping at Geraldton and Perth!

 

I guess we were fortunate that our circumnavigation (on a different line) did include Bunbury & Albany, both of which we enjoyed (as well as 3 stops in Tasmania). OTOH, we did not have stops scheduled at either Geraldton or Broome, which I would have liked.

Each itinerary is just a little different.

[cbb]

Yesterday, we spent an extra day in Fremantle which is not a bad place to have to spend another day!

 

There are several volunteers posted on the ship, in the areas outside the ship and on the other side of the port fence --patient and good-natured locals ready to answer any question. Love the folks of Fremantle!

 

 

If you are ever in this area and are faced with deciding whether to go to Perth or Fremantle, chose the latter.

 

On the port side of the ship as you dock you will be able to see a Coles Market which is a great place to restock alcohol, snacks, and pharmacy items and all very close to the ship, so you won't have far to carry your goodies.

 

If you want to book your own scuba diving, or tours to Rottnest Island, look for E Sheds, also right by the dock area. Several businesses there will set you up!

 

 

Yesterday, we continued our walk through Fremantle, this time on Market Street to the Markets because we we were there on a Friday which is one of the 3 weekend days for the market. If you take Market Street you can't miss the building.

 

 

The Market Building is at least 100 years old and is filled with stalls selling all kinds of things in the "front" of the building; in the back is a large open area filled with fresh produce. Locals and Regatta passengers were helping fill the cash registers!

 

We then walked to the Marine Terrace to the Esplanade Reserve (look for the ferris wheel) and sat there for a bit enjoying adults and kids playing on the grounds.

 

We continued down Marine Terrace, turned on to Cliff Street until we reached High Street, and I climbed the stairs to Round House.

 

 

Round House, the oldest public building in Western Australia, was opened in 1831, 18 months after settlement. Not only was it used as a jail but the first hangings in the new settlement took place there as well. It was used as a jail for over 50 years, and then for a wide variety of other uses.

 

Although on the demolition list in the 1920s it was saved. I didn't bring any money with me so i could not leave a donation in order to go in.

 

 

I do encourage you to climb 2 flights of stairs to the area of the Round House. Half way up, look down High Street and notice all of those swathes of yellow paint you saw on windows, heritages buildings, and street are actually part of a huge art installation more than 800 meters long.

 

That seeming random paint morphs into a series of ....2 story yellow paretheses--extraordinary!! The street artist Felice Varini painted it for High Tide, an art festival and it is called Arc d' Ellipses.

 

Continuing on up to the grounds around Round House, and in the back, facing the sea, is a small cannon. Here, at 1:00 every day a time piece falls, the cannon goes boom, and all of the ships' captains in the area are supposed to check their timepieces to assure themselves it is indeed 1:00--forget that whole world wide GPS thingy!!!

 

There are free red & blue CAT buses and as i reported yesterday, the train station is right at the dock to whisk you to Perth or to some of the beaches in the area. There are several free wifi areas, and at the corner of William & High Streets is the Visitor Center in case you didn't see any of the volunteers waiting for you.

 

We returned to the ship and had a late lunch --cheers Fremantle! You are wonderful!!!