Noordam - A Passage to New Zealand

[richwmn]

Pictures from the ship today

 

 

 

 

 

 

[erewhon]

Thanks for the update.

Rain here this afternoon, after a sunny morning.

[Krazy Kruizers]

More great pictures.  Thanks

[Himself]

you have given us many pictures on your trip.  Thanks for sharing.

[richwmn]

Picton, New Zealand

55°F | 13°C

Arrive: 10:00 am, All aboard: 7:30 pm

Looks like a beautify day outside, very clear.

 

[richwmn]

Activities Last Evening.

BB KIng was off last night, instead they had a game show "Call My Bluff" in the Queen's Lounge. One staff member and two entertainers made up definitions for obscure words and the audience, by applause, chose the most likely. Weak applause from the audience on all rounds, but the responses were a bit funny.

 

Billboard On Board has been better the last few times I stopped to listen. They always seem to have a full lounge, with plenty of people standing along the walkway or sitting in the Casino to listen. Since last night was the last night for the Casino, that seating will be available until we leave Saturday.

 

World Stage had a singer last night. Patrick McMahon. A good singer and story teller, he presented a nice show to a smaller audience than he deserved. One problem was that they had a key light on both sides of the stage that was basically aimed to shine in the balcony, making it difficult to continue watching the stage.

 

Cruise Director Chris continues to be out and about and easy to talk to.

[erewhon]

Did you go ashore in Akaroa?

[richwmn]

Picton, New Zealand
This is a very quaint litle stop. As has happened with several other stops,
the ship docked in a commercial are. This time it was not containers but
logs waiting to be shipped out of New Zealand.
The ship provided a shuttle from the dock area to a stop near many
attractions. When we exited the shuttle it was just a short walk to an area
that had attractions set up, and tour operators selling short tours. As with
other cities, there was a market set up under tents specifically for the
cruise ship passengers.
People were very friendly and helpful. Public toilets were set up in various
locations and they are permanent. The weather was beautiful and the area
very scenic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 19, 2019 by richwmn

[richwmn]

In the dining room tonight

 

 

[richwmn]

Today we are in Wellington, New Zealand

59°F | 15°C

Arrive: 8:00 am, All aboard: 4:30 pm*

Shipboard Activities

 

 

[richwmn]

Notes from last night.

 

The World Stage entertainer was Jim Short. Jim is Australian but now lives in Los Angeles. The audience for the first show was close to full, and he put on a good show for us. The show kept moving and the time passed quickly.

 

Billboard On Board - The pianists had the night off and between World Stage shows there was a game of Majority Rules. The game was well attended and everyone seemed to have fun.

 

BB King did their thing and put on another good show.

 

Talking to staff last night I was told that we would continue enhanced sanitation until Auckland, and the ship would undergo additional cleaning during turn around. Neither of these revelations surprised me.

 

 

[erewhon]

The Otago Daily Times (our local daily newspaper)  mentioned the Gastro Bug on board the Noordam., stating 20 passengers were affected on Sunday.  The District Health board was notified , the on call health protection officer investigated. advice was given for containing the illness.  

[richwmn]

With the cruise winding down, here are the offerings in the Lido and MDR

 

 

[Himself]

I must say that you have been a part of a spectacular voyage.

[zelker]

4 hours ago, erewhon said:

The Otago Daily Times (our local daily newspaper)  mentioned the Gastro Bug on board the Noordam., stating 20 passengers were affected on Sunday.  The District Health board was notified , the on call health protection officer investigated. advice was given for containing the illness.  

 

Way more than 20 pax affected ... we were told it was closer to 200.

[richwmn]

3 hours ago, zelker said:

 

Way more than 20 pax affected ... we were told it was closer to 200.

 

7 hours ago, erewhon said:

The Otago Daily Times (our local daily newspaper)  mentioned the Gastro Bug on board the Noordam., stating 20 passengers were affected on Sunday.  The District Health board was notified , the on call health protection officer investigated. advice was given for containing the illness.  

From what I have been told, the total cases involved were probably over 200, but we are down to under 20 new cases a day and it seems that yesterday that number might have been 2 or 3.

 

Edited November 20, 2019 by richwmn

[erewhon]

8 minutes ago, richwmn said:

 

From what I have been told, the total cases involved were probably over 200, but we are down to under 20 new cases a day and it seems that yesterday that number might have been 2 or 3.

 

 

That's good.

Did you visit the museum ,(Te Papa)   or ride the Cable car?

[Ken the cruiser]

20 hours ago, richwmn said:

Talking to staff last night I was told that we would continue enhanced sanitation until Auckland, and the ship would undergo additional cleaning during turn around. Neither of these revelations surprised me.

If I might ask, what visible sanitation efforts are they doing? For example are the s/p shakers missing from the tables, do they wash the pencils after trivia, do they require everyone to sanitize their hands going into either the buffet or MDR)? Also, if you know, how long are infected passengers quarantined in their cabins and is it on the honor system or do they actually put red labels outside their doors? Just curious as 10% of the ship being infected (200 of 2000) seems quite high.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for the reports.

 

Sorry you have to continue with the Code Red.

[richwmn]

2 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

If I might ask, what visible sanitation efforts are they doing? For example are the s/p shakers missing from the tables, do they wash the pencils after trivia, do they require everyone to sanitize their hands going into either the buffet or MDR)? Also, if you know, how long are infected passengers quarantined in their cabins and is it on the honor system or do they actually put red labels outside their doors? Just curious as 10% of the ship being infected (200 of 2000) seems quite high.

The term "Code Red" as applies to HAL indicates all the cleaning that you mention. As far as length of quarantine or if it is honor system I don't know as I have not been infected.

The number of 200 would include everyone infected over the course of the infection, not the number sick at any given time.

 

[Ken the cruiser]

19 minutes ago, richwmn said:

The term "Code Red" as applies to HAL indicates all the cleaning that you mention. As far as length of quarantine or if it is honor system I don't know as I have not been infected.

The number of 200 would include everyone infected over the course of the infection, not the number sick at any given time.

 

Thanks and hopefully you'll never have to find out the quarantine requirements.

[richwmn]

Napier, New Zealand

50°F | 10°C

Arrive: 7:00 am, All aboard: 1:30 pm

We arrived on time and were quickly cleared. One more stop and then disembarkation at Auckland.

Today's activities

 

 

[richwmn]

A couple of pictures from yesterday in Wellington, New Zealand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

And some from today in Napier, New Zealand

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

Our final port stop, Tauranga (Rotorua), New Zealand. Today's activities -