Seabourn Encore Spending the night in Townsville due to Cyclone Owen

[Stickman1990]

We’re on Seabourn Encore at the moment en route from Bali to Sydney - currently in Townsville as scheduled however the Captain announced earlier today that we will stay here overnight and not visit Airlie Beach as planned because the harbour has been closed thanks to Cyclone Owen 

 

One of the tour ladies here says we are the first cruise ship to overnight in Townsville - I don’t know If that is correct or not

 

If anyone’s interested I am doing a live from thread on our voyage  -  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2611162-live-from-seabourn-encore-bali-to-sydney-december-2018 - it will be interesting to see if we get any heavy seas as a result of the cyclone as we come down the coast - it’s been clam up to now 

 

[Toryhere]

Good luck. I hope the seas aren’t too rough.

 

[Stickman1990]

We’ve just left Townsville where it continues to rain - we are now entourage to Fraser Island

 

Theres not a lot of wind but there is a gentle swell so you can feel we’re at sea 

 

We quite like a little motion of the sea - and the cyclone is now downgraded to a tropical storm so I suspect we will be ok 

 

[sewgood]

By the time you get to Sydney hopefully the bad weather is over and you will have clear skies for your vist.

Enjoy your vist to Sydney, it is a beautiful harbour city.

 

Thanks for letting us about Seabourne Encore.

[MicCanberra]

Thanks for the info, I am not sure if any other ship has overnighted in Townsville but it certainly the first time I have heard of it.

[sewgood]

After reading your thread on the Seabourn board I think you are Australian (the reference to Fosters may have given it away or the fact that you flew out of Sydney) so sorry for my assumption that you were an overseas visitor and it may have been your first vist to Sydney.

 

I enjoyed reading your live thread and comparing it to my experience cruising of the main cruise lines and how they differ from the luxury ones.

I see that you can still have food arrive cold (potatoes) in the dinning room but wow the guest speakers are literally out of this world. I would have loved to hear the talk given by Captain Scott Kelly.

Best of luck with the trivia competition.

[Stickman1990]

2 hours ago, sewgood said:

After reading your thread on the Seabourn board I think you are Australian (the reference to Fosters may have given it away or the fact that you flew out of Sydney) so sorry for my assumption that you were an overseas visitor and it may have been your first vist to Sydney.

 

No need to be sorry, yes we live in Sydney and have enjoyed sailing in and out of Sydney several times - the experience is great as you come around and see the Harbour Bridge

 

This trip we are coming in around 4pm on Thursday afternoon so that will be interesting to see how we navigate ferry traffic - we will pass under the bridge and dock at White Bay and then disembark in Friday morning 

[MicCanberra]

Interesting to come in the afternoon, but as you go to White Bay, it shouldn't disrupt Circular Quay transport at all.

[OzKiwiJJ]

35 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Interesting to come in the afternoon, but as you go to White Bay, it shouldn't disrupt Circular Quay transport at all.

Apart from the ones that go across to Milsons Point, and they're used to dodging cruise ships.

[sewgood]

Enjoy that electric recliner chair Stickman.

It sounds lovely place to relax and read a book.

[Stickman1990]

We’ve just arrived at Fraser Island this morning after a couple of sea days which included a moderate swell which sadly did impact a few passengers - there were plenty of complimentary pills handed out and several people (incl crew) wearing sea bands 

 

I tried to to capture the sea swell last night as we cruised along but it’s hard to do - always fascinating to see the luminescence on the water 

 

We don’t feel the sea at all so no issues for us but I do feel sorry for those who do as the conditions really weren’t bad and I hate to think how they would fare in a Tasman storm or Southern Ocean swell - interesting that we have a couple of the rough spots on our back doorstep 

 

We sail for Sydney tonight - with almost 48 hours cruising before we sail in on Thursday afternoon 

 

[MicCanberra]

You are lucky, I know lots of cruisers who succumb from time to time, especially after a full belly on several courses of rich food and alcohol.