Live from Orion - Auckland to Bali - Crossing Tasman Sea

[SM77]

Aussie Cruise Nuts,

 

Thanks so much for posting the photos - it will be a nice memento from our stay in Brisbane.  We had an outstanding excursion despite the warmth!  We did a city tour - got to see City Hall, Custom’s House, Anzac Square (that’s where the shuttle stopped), St. John’s, Roma Street Parkland, went over Story & William Jolly bridges. And the best part of our excursion, we went to the Lone Pine Sanctuary.  Viking (or the tour company) arranged for each bus to have ten minutes w/ a gamekeeper holding the koala while we each took turns gently patting the koala’s back & take a photo w/ the koala.  It was fascinating to be this close & the little guy was very alert and interested in his surroundings.  Folks also had the opportunity to hold & have a professional photo w/ a koala for a fee.  It was fun to observe the koalas in their habitat.  We also got to feed and pet kangaroos & wallabies.  

 

We were amazed at the number of new buildings going up.  It is certainly a big city.

 

Today we are at sea, enjoying another glorious sunny & very warm day.  I think weather looks good for Whitsundays & Townsville.

 

You will love being on the Orion - the staff are wonderful.  I think compared to other Viking (& other cruises we have taken) - the Orion staff have been the most friendly & taking extra efforts & initiative to ensure that you have an exceptional cruise.  We have been very pleased.

[stretchcruz]

Thanks for the pictures! ACN there are 25 people onboard doing the entire Auckland to Vancouver. Had a good day in Brisbane but it was SO HOT! We did an optional paid for excursion to the Australia Zoo. It was pretty good. The heat took away from the experience but that can't be helped. A lot of animals just hiding out and we couldn't find them. We did get to hold a koala for a photo op. Our guide said she'd take pictures of all of us with our cameras but they were horrible. Luckily the one the zoo took wasn't bad and it was included. I live in AZ so the humidity is killing me. I drank 8 bottles of water there!!

Continuing to have a great shipboard experience. The entire staff is marvelous. Our stateroom stewards even bring clean wine glasses every day. The staff's ability to remember names is unbelievable. At sea today, Whitsundays tomorrow. They are having a gathering this afternoon for those of us who are back to back.

[CharTrav]

Questions about specific excursions. Am investigating doing this trip in the future but in reverse from Bali to Auckland. Looking at Komodo-Australian Coast in a butterfly with Australia-New Zealand. I see that each has one very long multi-day excursion that read like they only run Westbound. One is 6 days starting in Cairns going overland and by air to Ayers Rock, Alice Springs etc and ending in Darwin. The other is 5 days starting in Dunedin traveling by land and air through South Island to Tasmania and ending in Melbourne.  Have 2 questions. The first is fairly simple - do these excursions only go Westbound? The excursion descriptions read the same regardless of direction. The second may be a bit more complex. Do the prices for these excursions take into account the multiple days off the ship and not using any of the services provided onboard ship? Meals etc. Thanks in advance!

[SM77]

2 hours ago, CharTrav said:

Questions about specific excursions. Am investigating doing this trip in the future but in reverse from Bali to Auckland. Looking at Komodo-Australian Coast in a butterfly with Australia-New Zealand. I see that each has one very long multi-day excursion that read like they only run Westbound. One is 6 days starting in Cairns going overland and by air to Ayers Rock, Alice Springs etc and ending in Darwin. The other is 5 days starting in Dunedin traveling by land and air through South Island to Tasmania and ending in Melbourne.  Have 2 questions. The first is fairly simple - do these excursions only go Westbound? The excursion descriptions read the same regardless of direction. The second may be a bit more complex. Do the prices for these excursions take into account the multiple days off the ship and not using any of the services provided onboard ship? Meals etc. Thanks in advance!

Your question whether the excursions run both east & westbound would be best answered by Tellus@viking.com. With regards to your second question about the pricing being adjusted for the time off the ship, I would doubt that is considered. We’ve done other extensive excursions & the pricing is usually reflective of the costliness of the excursion.  This is an optional excursion. 

[stretchcruz]

Today is Cairns. Did the included. It was fine, drove around, stopped at a beach with a long jetty where folks were fishing. Pretty views and since it is Sunday nice to see the kids learning how to fish from their grandparents. Went to the botanical gardens which were spectacular, wish we had more time there. Then drove around more. He dropped us off downtown, those that wanted to, and we went walking to search for something to bring home. Aussies are so friendly! We were on a street looking at a map and 2 workers came out of a Eurocar shop to see if they could help us find anything. We followed their suggestions but it got so hot that I couldn't deal with it anymore. Drank 6 bottles of water. Had to head back to the ship. The humidity is something that I am not dealing with well at all.

Yesterday was Townsville. Went on a paid for excursion to the Billabong Sanctuary, thanks to friends who gifted it to us. We enjoyed the Sanctuary very much. We had a private guide in the sanctuary who took us around and explained a lot about the animals. My husband held a snake and a crocodile and we got up and close to koalas.  The guide's name was Jess and she was fantastic. Our tour guide on the bus, however, was horrible. She spoke in a monotone, seemed to not understand the plan of the day, and she was downright awful. Our bus driver, however, was great. He kept interrupting her with his microphone, thank goodness. Without him the city tour part would have been unbearable. The AC in the bus was not working well.

The day before we were in the Whitsundays. Airlie Beach. My itinerary said Hamilton island but I assume it changed and I didn't know. Did the included. Not good. Our bus driver seemed to think we were going someplace else, then they dropped us in this town called Persepine (sp?). The folks in Persepine were so happy to have cruise ship visitors. They blocked off a street and had policemen there to direct traffic (there wasn't any). When we got off the bus he told us we'd have an hour there. Then someone came on the bus and said an hour and a quarter and he'd meet us at the end of the road, ask anybody where. There were ladies set up when we got off with a quilt show benefitting the hospital. Wonderful charity but we are not going to buy quilts to go home with. There were folks dressed up in period costumes despite the oppressive heat. They kept thanking us for being there. Problem is, nobody told us why we were there, what to see or do. There were no shops or booths with native things or any real direction. There was an historical society display down the road and they asked if we had been there. No, no idea it existed. We all just kind of congregated in the lobby of a Big Lots type store to wait for the bus back. At least it had air conditioning. Walking back to the bus one of the "ambassadors" asked if we'd been to the park. No, what park? She said that there was music and giveaways. As wasted a day as I felt that I had, I felt even worse for the people of Persepine who were so excited to have cruise ship people there. We were not prepared or told where we were or what to see.

We have not received comment cards for our last 3 excursions.

The ship is, still, FANTASTIC. Every crew member goes above and beyond. They all smile, greet us, it is a wonderful atmosphere. Yesterday after spending time in the spa pool exercising I came back and showered and decided I didn't want to get dressed again. Put on my pjs, hubby did the same, we ordered room service. Delicious chicken breasts and sides and they brought the included beer and wine too. Nice restful evening.

[stretchcruz]

Apparently we are not going to Thursday Island Australia. The captain made an announcement that we didn't hear in our stateroom this evening before dinner. There is bad weather there I believe he said. We were to have a sea day tomorrow, then Thursday Island. We found out from our dinner companions. Our waiter said yes, there is a typhoon. Hopefully a language barrier thing, but, regardless, they are looking out for our safety. I just wish that we had heard the announcement or had something written delivered to our stateroom. I'm sure it will come tomorrow. Someone said that the captain said that the seas would get rough, but it's like that old game of telephone when we were kids. I called the desk and they confirmed that we were not going and the captain was evaluating options. We had a private tour booked there and I'm sorry that we are missing it.

I feel really sorry for the crew who now have 3 sea days. They already work 7 days a week 7 months in a row and now they have to work even more.

[CharTrav]

Looks like it'll be pretty bad. Here are the official weather warnings - http://www.bom.gov.au/qld/warnings/. Stay safe!

[stretchcruz]

Oh boy. Thanks!!

[Pushka]

Yes, we are hearing about it in Southern Australia. And there have been major storms along northern eastern coast - Sydney and north. 

[SM77]

We were not surprised by the captain’s announcement.  We had been watching BBC news & they had mentioned something building & heading southwest towards the peninsula below Thursday Island.   We’ve been extremely fortunate to have had such fabulous weather until now.  Of course we are disappointed in missing the opportunity to see Thursday Island but if we have to miss a port this would be the one that we are ok w/ missing.  We are on our way up the coast on our Sea day, it is raining & the seas have a few whitecaps.  I think the captain is trying to get around the peninsula before the storm hits the peninsula.  Please forgive my simplistic explanation, I’m not a meteorologist nor a sea navigator. 

 

CharTrav - thanks for the weather link!

 

Love all the tropical flora but it doesn’t love me.  I’ve have developed a cough from all the pollen so I have been feeling poorly, so our visits to Townsville & Cairns have been limited to the included tours.  Our weakest tour guide was in Cairns - she wasn’t very specific about meeting instructions & was confused about where to get maps of the botanical gardens.  We went to Palm Cove which was very nice but not clear as to why it was part of the Cairns city tour aside that is was a very nice place.  

 

We had a fabulous day on the Barrier Reef.  The cataraman picked all 180 Viking guests right at the ship & we headed directly to the pontoon.  Plenty of crew, went over medical fitness for snorkeling, went over the basics of snorkeling, safety signals, etc.  They provided all equipment including stinger suits.  There was another cataraman with other clients(120) that we would share the pontoon with.  A crew member told me that the cataraman that we were on can hold 300 passengers.  I didn’t quite understand how it would all work but essentially the pontoon is just the platform to do the snorkeling from, any scuba diving, riding on the glass bottom boat.  The cataraman is where the restrooms are, where lunch, snacks, & drinks are provided, so the cataraman is tied up to the pontoon.  Yes, it was busy w/ 300 passengers but for a novice it was perfect.  Plenty of staff to help you get outfited, fitted for a life jacket (almost all of us had life jackets due to medical background), etc.  I had a little trouble getting off the platform so the young man helped me sit down(which is no easy feat with bad knees) - there is a roped area that you can stay within & they have plenty of spotters to keep an eye out for you.  So I snorkeled which was a lot harder than when I did it in my 20’s in a lagoon in the Philippines some 35 plus years ago.  This probably would not have been good for anyone that was an experienced snorkeler - too many novices around.  You could have hired a guide to take further out which one couple I spoke to did and they had a great time.  Some complained that it was too crowded.  I didn’t think it was too bad.  Sounds like they can have a lot more than 300.  We had perfect weather conditions.  Unfortunately, the Barrier Reef is getting bleached due to warmer sea waters, however the fish are still brilliant & beautiful.  This was my once in a lifetime experience & I did it!

 

 

 

 

 

[CharTrav]

@SM77 You're welcome. It's amazing what one can do even from here thousands of miles away thru the power of a Google search.😁  Am thinking seriously of doing this cruise albeit in reverse a few years from now, which is why I decided to follow this thread. 

[SM77]

45 minutes ago, CharTrav said:

@SM77 You're welcome. It's amazing what one can do even from here thousands of miles away thru the power of a Google search.😁  Am thinking seriously of doing this cruise albeit in reverse a few years from now, which is why I decided to follow this thread. 

CharTrav,

 

You might find it useful to look at some earlier live posts from Little Monty who did the cruise from Bali to Auckland.  My only regret is that I didn’t think about how much more time I would have liked in Sydney.  We went with doing both segments since it is such a long journey from the U.S. east coast.  And I really wanted to go to Tasmania but could have skipped the two sea days to get there from Dunedin - even on a good day it’s a hard passage for those who get seasick easily.  I’m assuming heading eastbound, the ship sails in mid-day so you get the full effect of sailing into Sydney Harbor.  That is not to be missed.  For us, this was the easiest way to go, minimal work on our part & being taken care of the entire time.  Yes, there are some trade-offs but we are fine with that.  It is a lot of work to plan an entire itinerary & I don’t have the patience to do it all.  I have a hard enough time just planning the odd free day!  Hope this helps. I have found excellent information and advice on many of the Cruise Critic boards.

[Little Monty]

35 minutes ago, SM77 said:

CharTrav,

 

You might find it useful to look at some earlier live posts from Little Monty who did the cruise from Bali to Auckland.  My only regret is that I didn’t think about how much more time I would have liked in Sydney.  We went with doing both segments since it is such a long journey from the U.S. east coast.  And I really wanted to go to Tasmania but could have skipped the two sea days to get there from Dunedin - even on a good day it’s a hard passage for those who get seasick easily.  I’m assuming heading eastbound, the ship sails in mid-day so you get the full effect of sailing into Sydney Harbor.  That is not to be missed.  For us, this was the easiest way to go, minimal work on our part & being taken care of the entire time.  Yes, there are some trade-offs but we are fine with that.  It is a lot of work to plan an entire itinerary & I don’t have the patience to do it all.  I have a hard enough time just planning the odd free day!  Hope this helps. I have found excellent information and advice on many of the Cruise Critic boards.

 

Thanks for the plug SM77

 

CharTrav .. we actually did Auckland - Sydney and I wrote about the experience if you would like to read (below) ...

 

I also started a topic named 'Crossing the Tasman' (or something similar) which generated some useful discussion (hopefully a quick search will locate).

 

For me the perfect New Zealand - (southern) Australia itinerary would include a visit to either Doubtful or Milford Sound and an overnight in Hobart. My reasons for this are in the review. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have.

 

Regards, LM

 

 

[CharTrav]

@SM77 and @Littlemonty - many thanks to you both. I'm an inveterate planner; have already prepared a planning spreadsheet for a nominal posited departure from Bali in October 2022 using the excursions listed for 2019, knowing full well that the excursion lineup will change over the next 2-3 years. But am assuming not radically so. What I won't do until we actually book, is create my usual day-by-day detailed excursion report (look in my signature block for the ones I've prepared for past and future cruises.). 

[Little Monty]

2 hours ago, CharTrav said:

@SM77 and @Littlemonty - many thanks to you both. I'm an inveterate planner; have already prepared a planning spreadsheet for a nominal posited departure from Bali in October 2022 using the excursions listed for 2019, knowing full well that the excursion lineup will change over the next 2-3 years. But am assuming not radically so. What I won't do until we actually book, is create my usual day-by-day detailed excursion report (look in my signature block for the ones I've prepared for past and future cruises.). 

 

hello CharTrav  .. apologies, I didn't recognise your name - I now realise I've made reference to some of your spreadsheets / other saved documents in the past.

 

Best wishes for your next adventure. LM

[stretchcruz]

I'm still here and we are rolling a little bit as we are avoiding Cyclone or Typhoon Trevor! No complaints.

SM 77 have we met onboard?

[Aussie Cruise Nuts]

23 hours ago, stretchcruz said:

Apparently we are not going to Thursday Island Australia. The captain made an announcement that we didn't hear in our stateroom this evening before dinner. There is bad weather there I believe he said. We were to have a sea day tomorrow, then Thursday Island. We found out from our dinner companions. Our waiter said yes, there is a typhoon. Hopefully a language barrier thing, but, regardless, they are looking out for our safety. I just wish that we had heard the announcement or had something written delivered to our stateroom. I'm sure it will come tomorrow. Someone said that the captain said that the seas would get rough, but it's like that old game of telephone when we were kids. I called the desk and they confirmed that we were not going and the captain was evaluating options. We had a private tour booked there and I'm sorry that we are missing it.

I feel really sorry for the crew who now have 3 sea days. They already work 7 days a week 7 months in a row and now they have to work even more.

 

Stretchcruz,     It’s not a language barrier thing, more a different name depending which part of the world you are in.    In Australia/Pacific, they are cyclones, in Asia Typhoons, and in USA region Hurricanes.      Same destructive weather event, and the current cyclone Trevor in Far North Queensland will intensify to a category 3 tomorrow (Tuesday).     Should cross Cape York Peninsular tomorrow night, by which time I trust the good ship Orion is well around the Cape.    Captain made the right decision in bypassing Thursday Island and scooting on out of the path of the cyclone.   

 

We cruised your current itinerary on Seabourn Encore (in reverse - Bali to Sydney in Nov 2017) and know what you mean about the summer humidity in Far North Queensland.   Absolutely draining, and I was born and bred in Townsville, NQ.    But can’t handle the summer humidity now.  

 

Interesting you missed Hamilton Island and went to the Whitsunday mainland instead.  I am sure the good folk  of Proserpine would have been excited to welcome you to their town.     Shame the included excursion planning was not up to speed (again) !!!!     Viking Ocean really need to get on top of this issue.   It seems to be ongoing for Orion and not being addressed.      And perhaps spoiling what is otherwise an excellent cruise experience. 

 

I do hope the excursions can be sorted before we join Orion in Hong Kong in 35 days.  

 

Happy cruising and enjoy your last few days in Australia.  

 

Rod 

 

 

 

[stretchcruz]

We are doing fine. Tonight, however, we spoke with someone who had no idea that we weren't going to Thursday Island tomorrow or anything about the storm. Frankly, we wouldn't either if our dinner companions hadn't told us.

Today they had us fill out a form regarding our experience so far. I praised the crew and management. The only thing negative I said was that we didn't hear the announcement. They called tonight to say that all announcements are not in the rooms. We are having a great time and in 3 weeks my only complaint is not hearing the captain's announcement. (Besides the included tours). I haven't looked at tomorrow's daily (we were supposed to be at Thursday Island) but I would assume that they would address the cancellation, why, and add more activities!

[CharTrav]

3 hours ago, stretchcruz said:

We are doing fine. Tonight, however, we spoke with someone who had no idea that we weren't going to Thursday Island tomorrow or anything about the storm. Frankly, we wouldn't either if our dinner companions hadn't told us.

Today they had us fill out a form regarding our experience so far. I praised the crew and management. The only thing negative I said was that we didn't hear the announcement. They called tonight to say that all announcements are not in the rooms. We are having a great time and in 3 weeks my only complaint is not hearing the captain's announcement. (Besides the included tours). I haven't looked at tomorrow's daily (we were supposed to be at Thursday Island) but I would assume that they would address the cancellation, why, and add more activities!

This discussion reminds me of what we experienced last year during the Panama & Central America cruise on the Sky. We had been doing a very "active" sea day from Cartgena towards Montego Bay - with all of us looking slightly drunk as we lurched about (not steady walking by any means). We got within sight of Jamaica. While eating breakfast the captain made the announcement that the sea state was such we couldn't safely dock; therefore, we would skip it. Given the timing, most of us heard the announcement. Anybody who was still in their cabin probably didn't but the news seemed to zip around the ship pretty quickly. The program folks did a great job creating and distributing a new Daily. A few hours later, the decision was made that predicted sea conditions at Grand Cayman would prevent us from safely docking their too. The announcement for this came out while most of us were playing Team Trivia. Again, it seemed like the news zipped around the ship. Even if the decision was made to diverge from the planned course during the night - while everyone was asleep - announcing it during breakfast piped everywhere on the ship including the dining venues - should catch just about everybody. After that - word of mouth catches all who were in their cabin and couldn't hear it. 

[stretchcruz]

We were in Darwin yesterday and this morning. Yesterday we had a private tour with 8 other folks from CC. Ethical Adventures. We got to Darwin at 10 AM instead of 1 or whenever we were supposed to. I emailed Rob and he emailed everyone and he picked us up at 12:30. A nice day with Rob. Hot. Very very hot. I am not dealing well with the humidity. We went on a walk at Berry Springs (I think) then a few other parks and for a beer. Rob was great, so informative and personable. He drew us a map on a napkin to explain cyclones Trevor and Veronica. We've been very lucky outrunning them. Overnight last night the Australian air force evacuated hundreds of people to Darwin as they are expecting Trevor to be Category 5. He brought us back to the ship and that shower was incredible. Planned to go out this morning to maybe shop. Still haven't bought anything in Australia. This morning the ship felt like it was rocking around when I woke up and then we heard our first ever announcement in our cabin! Captain said that there was a squall and they had to take in the gangway. It was pretty windy and rainy but it passed and they reopened the gangway for a few hours. In the meantime I went to run in the spa pool so ended up not going ashore.

Currently we are at sea. Smooth sailing and the sea is turquoise. Beautiful. The staff on this ship is still exceptional. They greet us by name , they smile, they laugh. Service is impeccable. I have been so impressed! Today there was a safety drill at 10 AM. I was in the spa pool. The firefighters came in, fully garbed, hoses and all. I was very impressed. They were professional, serious, and concentrated on their jobs.

Very very happy with this cruise, the ship, and especially the staff! My only complaint is the hot, humid weather that is taking its toll on me. But nobody can do anything about the weather! Can't believe it's almost over. Tomorrow is my birthday (a sea day) and we are going to Manfredis. Yay!!

[Pushka]

The weather is certainly being a bit tricky for you. There are two cyclones but the one you are dealing with is the smallest. As they hit land you will be further away. 

 

Interestingly this morning I attended a Viking presentation and the Manager of SA, Vic and Tas showed where Orion was but that she probably would not be going to Darwin due to current issues but when we looked at Orion’s cam, of course she was there. 

[stretchcruz]

We are doing fine. Seas are good. Talked to a few folks this evening who weren't sleeping (like we were) who said that the "squall" was bad, that they saw chairs being blown around and crew jumping into the aft pool to rescue cushions. One of my CC friends had gone ashore at 7 AM and got stuck for awhile in the security shelter. She said she took a picture of about 15 crew members trying to hold down the Viking tent. She said it wasn't flattering, showed butt cracks and fat rolls and she threatened to post it everywhere! LOL!! But all is good. We skipped lobster night in the main dining room (we don't eat seafood) and went to the World Cafe for the French dinner. It was really good.

Tonight Viking is doing a staff appreciation night in the World Cafe at 10:30. They will, hopefully, get to eat some of the great food that we did tonight. They will be served by the officers and then have a dance party on the crew deck. Boy, do they deserve it! And since we turn our clocks back an hour and a half tonight, even better!!

[SM77]

So much for the calm seas that we had outrunning Trevor, it’s the middle of the night and we are rolling a bit. 

 

We have been both plagued with allergies and have been feeling poorly since Cairns so we have taken advantage of the sea days and stayed in the cabin resting. We did celebrate our anniversary in Manfredi’s - we were treated to champagne and a lovely cake. A wonderful evening. 

 

We did the included tour of Darwin which was not much.  We went to the museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory which was not part of the tour description or really described in the port talk.  The guide wanted us to spend two hours there, we agreed as a bus, an hour & a half would be plenty. We did drive out to Eastern Point and passed by the few interesting buildings in the CBD.  We got dropped off by the shuttle stop so we could do a little shopping. Not much of a shopping area but there was a very nice independent bookstore. It was brutally hot & humid. I was so glad that we did our shopping so that we wouldn’t need to go out the next day.  Everyone was wiped out by the heat & humidity. 

 

Speaking of the next morning, it was quite a storm. We were having breakfast in the World Cafe watching the sky get darker & darker and boom, a huge wind gust came through and everything on the outdoor tables came crashing to the deck and the skies opened up. You could feel the ship being pushed by the wind. Staff & crew were running around to clear off the tables & secure the chairs, getting soaked in the process. The rain was blowing horizontal & coming in at the base of the side glass doors. This was going on for a while & we were back in our cabin before the captain announced that the gangway was closed. The captain did mention the wind speed was about 55 knots. So glad we had planned to stay on board. The good news after the storm was that the temperature dropped to the mid-70’s. 

 

[stretchcruz]

I must have slept through the rough seas! It's nice today, just done with my run in the spa pool.

SM77 I'm sorry that you haven't been feeling well. Glad somebody else is complaining about the heat!😁😁

[Aussie Cruise Nuts]

15 hours ago, stretchcruz said:

We are doing fine. Seas are good. Talked to a few folks this evening who weren't sleeping (like we were) who said that the "squall" was bad, that they saw chairs being blown around and crew jumping into the aft pool to rescue cushions. One of my CC friends had gone ashore at 7 AM and got stuck for awhile in the security shelter. She said she took a picture of about 15 crew members trying to hold down the Viking tent. She said it wasn't flattering, showed butt cracks and fat rolls and she threatened to post it everywhere! LOL!! But all is good. We skipped lobster night in the main dining room (we don't eat seafood) and went to the World Cafe for the French dinner. It was really good.

Tonight Viking is doing a staff appreciation night in the World Cafe at 10:30. They will, hopefully, get to eat some of the great food that we did tonight. They will be served by the officers and then have a dance party on the crew deck. Boy, do they deserve it! And since we turn our clocks back an hour and a half tonight, even better!!

 

Stretchcruz.     Many thanks for your regular postings.    I am following you religiously and you are certainly whetting our appetite for when we board Orion in Hong Kong soon - Lobster night ( I am happy to have your share !!!), French Dinner (can’t wait), and so good to hear your very favourable reports on the staff.  

They sound excellent.   

 

Not much you can do about the heat and humidity in the Tropics at this time of year.   It will likely get worse as you near Komodo Island, Lombok and Bali.   It is so draining.     

 

You also got the “bonus” of a tropical cyclone on this cruise.    Looks like the Captain kept the good ship, pax and crew out of harms way, but sounds like a fair bit of rocking and rolling.     Do you think Orion handles heavy seas ok ?

 

Will you still be on board when we join Orion in Honkers ?   If so, I would love to buy you a beer and say thanks for the great reporting.  

 

Cheers.   Rod