A 2-line World Cruise--Around the World on Amtrak, Crystal, and Cunard

[rafinmd]

Day CS28, Thursday, February 20, 2020, Northern Explorer train to Wellington

Crystal Serenity is in Tauranga.  Queen Mary 2 is at sea from Fremantle to Darwin.  The sun rose at 6:55 and set at 8:13.  The moon rose at 3:14AM and set at 6:14PM, although I did not see any of the events.

There was once a grand Strand Station in Central Auckland but it is now a luxury housing facility.  The Northern Explorer runs out of a pair of converted containers in a corner not close to anything and the main pedestrian access is via a narrow trail.  There was only one bench in the station that held about 6 people although some people were sitting out on the platform.

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The train arrived as I was walking up the trail.  There are 3 coaches, café car, baggage car, observation car, and the locomotive.  It is not a very long train.

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Checkin started at 7, 180 people lining up to see one agent who issued boarding passes but the process moved more efficiently than I expected.  I was assigned to the first coach, in a group of 4 seats and table in the middle.  The other 3 were a group of women from the South Island who had been to Auckland for the (cancelled) Elton John concert.  One of them had a bad cold that I hope I can avoid.

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We pulled from the station at 7:45.  It was over an hour before we passed out of the area served by the commuter rail network.  There were several stops where people who could get off the train and stretched.  They weren't well announced and I only got off at the first one.  It was Hamilton, about 10:15, and the station appeared to be a lot nicer than the one in Auckland.

From Hamilton we continued south through mostly agricultural lands and an occasional hill.

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We started climbing about 11:30.  The vegetation became a bit thinner.

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We continued to climb, getting a bit steeper.  The summit was about 2600 feet.

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There is a National Park where the train made a stop with white capped mountains in the distance.

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For this part of the journey the open observation car became quite busy.

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We continued through a plateau, crossing a number of canyons (or the same one several times), and an occasional village.

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I was not thrilled with the cuisine on the Northern Explorer but did ok.  I found a bag of "Proper Crisps" and a very nice ice cream bar (Kapiti).  Dinner was a microwaved macaroni and cheese dish.

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The temperatures had been high enough that the train was slowed due to possible expansion and warping of the rails.  Our 6:25 arrival into Wellington turned into about 7:05.  It was another 15 minutes for my checked bag to come out of the baggage car.

Wellesley Boutique Hotel is about a 10-minute walk from the train station.  The front desk closed at 8 (I had late arrival instructions) but I arrived just after 7:30.  It's quite eclectic with an elevator that uses a hand pulled sliding wooden outer door.  I found it a bit awkward while carrying my bags.

I was pretty well pooped out and did not accomplish a lot in the evening.

My parting shot is a wish that Auckland could have provided something a bit more in keeping with the train's prominrnce as a departure facility.

Roy

 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Not exactly a ringing endorsement of this train trip.

[rafinmd]

Day CS29, Friday, February 21, 2020, Interislander Ferry/Coastal Pacific Train Wellington-Picton-Christchurch

Crystal Serenity begins a 2-day call in Napier. Queen Mary 2 is at sea from Fremantle to Darwin.  The sun rose at 6:50 (totally cloudy) and set at 8:30.  The moon rose at 3:56 and set at 7:28.

It was kind of a dreary morning in Wellington.  I took a short walk to the supermarket in the train station but didn't buy anything and then checked out of the hotel about 7:20.  I became a bit concerned about time since they said "be there by 8AM" but there was no worry.  I arrived at the shuttle bus station in the train station about 7:40 and found the bus would not leave for another 15 minutes.  I arrived about 8:05 and the luggage check line was still long.  I planned on carrying everything on board and there was an alternate line that was very quick.  I was on board probably 8:15.

There are several places to get food on the Kaitaki.  One deck above us (deck 😎 there is Local Heroes café aft, and the largest of the facilities, the Ocean view eatery.  On deck 7 there is Hector's Café, and right next to it a lounge.  The QC lounge has reserved seats and is a private area with coded entry.  It was $20 but included a $15 voucher for the café.  An awkward feature of the lounge is there was a double latch which required both hands to open.  I bought a fruit cup with my voucher but when I tried to open the door it went crashing to the floor.  A café guy said forget about it, he would clean it up and about 10 minutes later delivered a replacement to my seat.

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From my seat I could see one of our sister ships, the Kaiarahi (bottom) passing from the channel.  There was a small open area along the side on deck 7 and a larger one aft on deck 8.  The smallest of the ferries (Aratere, top) passed us while we were entering sheltered waters closer to Picton.  I ventured out on deck occasionally but the weather did not really cooperate.  The Kaitaki has wifi but it was extremely slow, almost like the worst of the Serenity before it was fixed.  Wifi at the Wellesley had been excellent but I had not yet finished my blog post and was able to do that very slowly from the ferry.

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We arrived in Picton about 12:30 right next to a Le Boreal ship.  It was about a 5-10 minute walk to the train station where crew was ready to check me in, although the incoming train had not even yet arrived.  I was among the first to arrive for checkin.

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I was assigned a window seat in a part of the train with conventional seating.  While the train has no wifi there is a power outlet at each seat and I took advantage of that to recharge after the ferry which  had wifi but no power outlets.  While the Northern Explorer was jam packed the Coastal Pacific was less so and I had the row to myself all day.

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We left Picton at 2:15.  The first couple hours the landscape was mostly agricultural with an occasional river or rolling area.

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We followed the Pacific Coast until after 5.  It was very rocky with a significant surf and seals galore, and we passed through a number of tunnels.  There was also a lot of work on the adjoining highway, possibly still some repair work from earthquake damage.

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We passed a number of rivers including the Waiau, a braided river with ever changing channels amongst a wide rock bed.  I hadn't realized that this type of river is quite rare, occurring only in New Zealand, Alaska (especially Denali), and the Himalayas Mountains.   

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The Hurunui was another nice example of a braided river.

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The sun was getting quite low in the sky just after 8, and made a nice final appearance through the clouds.

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We had traveled with some heat restrictions but still pulled into the Christchurch station (forgot about my camera but it was the nicest of the stations) just a couple minutes after our 8:30 schedule.  My shuttle to the Arena Motel didn't show up but it was a short taxi ride.  It appears to be pretty much a one-woman operation and she shuts down about 9.  After I got to my room I discovered I needed but didn't have a wifi password so I am off line until Picton and the ferry.  Other than that it was very nice.

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It was actually getting late anyway with an early train Saturday and I didn't do much except go through photos.

My parting shot will be a wish for additional recovery from the Christchurch earthquake.  This has been going on far too long.

Roy

 

[rafinmd]

Day CS30, Saturday, February 22, 2020, Coastal Pacific/Interislander to Wellington

Crystal Serenity concludes a 2-day call in Napier.  Queen Mary 2 is at sea from Fremantle to Darwin.  The sun rose at 6:57 and set at 8:17.  The moon rose at 4:58 and set at 7:49.  I saw just a tiny bit of morning color while sitting in the train in Christchurch and the sun was behind tall buildings when it set in Wellington.

It was a bit earlier to the day than I would have liked and really no time to experience Christchurch (I had a lovely visit there in 2003) but the hotel shuttle to the train station was at 6:30.  I left the room at 6:20 and the lights were just going on in the office.  I was at the station at 6:30, the darkness just starting to lift.  There were 2 clerks waiting to issue me a boarding pass, and I checked one of my bags through all the way to Wellington.

The train was set up in reverse to the other 2 with the observation car at the back.  My seat was in the last coach, next to the observation car.  This train was only about half full.  We rolled out of Christchurch at 7 and I did not see obvious earthquake damage although we did not pass through the downtown area.  I did see a large vacant area that may have not been vacant before the quake.

There were a couple of things I saw on the northbound trip that I wanted to photograph on the return but with no heat restrictions we went by just a bit too fast.  There was a "Peace Hall" and a nice collection of vintage railway equipment that is also part of a scenic train trip.  As we crossed the braided river I did get a photo of a couple of old houses provided by the railroad to workers in remote areas.  They are now vacation homes.

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A number of people got off the train at Kaikoura.  Apparently the northern section is used as a day trip by people starting in Christchurch in the morning, doing whalewatch tours and other things in Kaikoura, and returning to Christchurch in the evening.  There were a many seals on the rocks on the beaches north of Kaikoura.

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The northern part of the coast had less surf with black sand beaches and was popular as an area for oceanside camping.

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The top section of the route, near Blenheim, was mostly vineyards, and I got a nice look at the Coastal Pacific as we rounded one curve.

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We were scheduled to arrive in Picton at 1:15 but it was actually a little before 1.  I got a nice overview of Picton as we approached the town.

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The train station is directly across the street from the Picton visitor center.  I posted my reports for Friday from the center where the wifi was faster than on the ferry, and also picked up a couple of maps.  

I was thinking I had been to Picton on the Symphony in 2018 but it was nearby Nelson, so this is my first time in Picton.  While there are 3 Interislander ferries I was on the Kaitaki for both trips.  A ferry from the other company was at  the dock where the LePonant ship had been on Friday.  I guess now I will be as surprised as anybody about where Serenity docks tomorrow.  

As nasty as the weather had been for my crossing to Picton, conditions were near perfect for the return voyage.  I spent most of my time on the sun deck (deck 10) where for most of the voyage even the wind was just a light breeze.  There is a U-shaped passenger area on the deck although most of it is operational crew space.  There are probably 50 chairs on each side of the deck.  The deck is just painted steel, and the chairs are also.  If cruise ships had more of these chairs there might be fewer complaints about chair hogs.

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We sailed at 2:15 and about 3PM Captain Harvey announced the weekly crew drill.  A bit unusually, while he pre-announced the drill each of his announcements was made exactly as if it was a real emergency, nothing like "For exercise......", and then after the message came back a few seconds later with "This was part of our crew drill, no passenger action is necessary".  When we reached the abandon ship stage, a crew member was stationed in my view preparing to activate the life rafts.

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When I went down to get ice cream, a jazz combo was playing in one of the lounges.

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While the winds had been calm in Cook Strait, they picked up as we entered Wellington Harbor and I spent much of my final time inside.  We docked at 5:45, baggage came to the carousel just after 6, and the shuttle to the train station left about 6:15.  I was in a rush in both of my previous stops at the station but did stop for photos on my final visit.  It is pretty nice and stately, and has several suburban lines running in addition to the Northern Explorer.

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My final overnight stay was at Rydges, close to the train station, and a more conventional hotel than any of the other three.  

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My parting shot comes from a blog from someone on the QM2 World Cruise.  I think Cunard may have been a bit lucky in their timing of their Asian ports but did exactly the right thing moving from Hong Kong and Singapore to Australia.  Still, people on QM2 are quite outraged, mostly because cabins on the segments announced at the last minute are selling for very low prices.  Some times, no matter what a cruise line does, they just can't win.

Roy

 

[rafinmd]

Day CS31, Sunday, February 23, 2020, Rejoin Crystal Serenity, Wellington

Queen Mary 2 is at sea from Fremantle to Darwin.  The sun rose at 6:53 and set at 8:15.  The moon rose at 5:56 and set at 8:21.

While up at 5 I didn't leave my room until about 7:30 and was surprised to find quite a nasty rain.  I checked the hotel's breakfast (passing on a $30 buffet) and made my way to McDonalds for hash browns and a not very good coffee.  It was very close to the train station and I had noticed an underground tunnel there, I walked on that and in the shelter of a couple of train platforms, eventually finding a covered passage to the Sky (Formerly Wespac) stadium which was about halfway to the port.

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I had intended to visit St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in town but the rain put those plans in jeopardy.  The service was at 10 and I decided to leave the hotel at 9:30 and either make my way to the church or the ship.  The rain had cleared so I dropped my big bag at the hotel desk and headed for the church.

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After the service I picked up the bag and headed for the Crystal Shuttle stop.  I think 2 years ago it had been at the train station (very convenient for Rydges) but this time it was the information center, about a half mile walk in the direction opposite from the ship.  It is theoretically possible to walk to the port but it involves crossing a busy motorway and is strongly discouraged.

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I was back onboard about 12:40 and headed up to lunch before checking out some of the lectures I had missed while on the train.  Captain Richard Hayman is still on board and I started with his talk on the New Zealand ports.  Next was Jill Bruce with a talk on "Pacific Region Geology and Volcanoes".

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The interdenominational worship service with Pastor Ed Voosen was at 5:15.  After the service I got my first real look at the Waitaki which I had seen extensively from the inside but never a good look at the ship.

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There were just 4 at the shared table.  I chose the vegetable soup, grilled chicken breast and berries for desert.  We finished just before the show started.

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The evening entertainment was violin virtuoso and Crystal icon Ian Cooper.  That may be a bit of a misnomer as Cooper now has an electronic cello, and he might better be called a violin-cello virtuoso.  The cello is actually just about the size of a violin and is played violin style.  Dance team Curtis and Beverly also had a show in the Stardust Club but I did not attend.  Sunset came during Cooper's show but there was still some nice color in the sky when I left the Galaxy Lounge.

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All aboard was 9:30 but at 9:45 we seemed to still be waiting on a tour.  Things did move quickly though and about 10 minutes later the gangway was rising from the tarmac.  I was a bit surprised with the late departure but Louis actually did sing at 9:57.  It was only on the outer decks and the volume seemed to be quite low.

Today's parting shot will be a story.  Before the evening show Rick recounted on an incident in Nome on the first Northwest Passage cruise.  We were waiting on an entertainer flying into Nome when the departure time.  Captain Vorland said "Doesn't matter if it's a guest or entertainer or what, we need to leave".  A few minutes later he asked Rick who the entertainer.  When the answer was Ian Cooper Captain said "Hold the ship".  Some people are just that good.

Roy

 

[rafinmd]

Day CS32, Monday, February 24, 2020, Picton

Queen Mary 2 begins an overnight call in Darwin.  The sun rose at 6:57 and set at 8:17.  The moon rose at 7AM and set at 8:52PM.

It was a beautiful day although it started out a bit early.  As I went out on deck we had just left the open waters of the Cook Strait and were starting our approach to Picton.  We were on quite a different course than the one the ferry took, going to the west of Arawapa Island.  The ferry generally uses a shorter passage to the east (red line with the 2 green dots).  We were west of the island (blue line) a longer but straighter route.  It would have been nice if we could go in one route and out the other but I expect we are too big to use the shorter route.  The Seabourn Encore was also in port and used our route as well.  I did notice the Waitaki following our course in the evening so it may not even be suitable to the ferries in certain wind conditions.

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It was clear but sunrise became a matter of passing the appropriate dip in the hills of Arawapa Island.

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There is a berth for one cruise ship in the center of town but the Encore had it and we docked at Waimahara wharf in Shakespeare Bay.  It was not far from town but we were not permitted to walk, even to what appeared to be a store 100 yards from the gangway.  It was not a very attractive dock as we were surrounded by large stacks of logs.

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I went into town just before 11.  I had decided while waiting for the ferry that my primary goal for the day would be visiting the Edwin Fox.  In her life she served a variety of purposes, carrying convicts to Australia, troops in the Crimean War, and bringing immigrants to New Zealand.  Built in 1854 she sailed as a passenger ship in those roles for about 20 years and then as a refrigeration ship for lamb carcasses for another 15 years.  She is among other things the last surviving ship to have carried convicts to Australia.  Restoration started in 1999 but she is still mostly a ruin.  I assume the navigation area is simply a re-creation in an available space, and we could walk down into the dry dock basin to view the exterior close up.

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Passages for passengers were quite harsh, even for those in first class but pretty brutal for others.  An exhibit showed replicas of the bunks used in steerage, and the even smaller stacked cells for convicts.

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After the Edwin Fox I took a little walk around town.  The fire station looked quite nice.  High Street is the main commercial street.  I stopped in one of the supermarkets and bought some apples (currently only available only through room service on the ship), and chips and a Kapiti boysenberry ice cream bar, one last time for my usual train lunch.

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I was booked for the 3:30 magic show with magician Charles McFarland.  It was mostly "mind reading" tricks.  McFarland also spoke of the change in the relationship with the Magic Castle.  Until recently cruisers got an invitation for an evening at the exclusive Magic Castle in Hollywood.  McFarland said some of those invitations started showing up on E-Bay and some people complained about paying hundreds of dollars for the ticket and not getting what they wanted.  He said those issues were the reason for the change in policy.

All aboard was 4:30 and I we started preparations to leave a little before that.  Louis sang at 4:40.  I decided to stay on deck for the entire sailout.  The first couple of bays were relatively substantial, likely Waikawa Bay and Whatamango Bay (both served by roads and then some smaller clusters of cabins with small docks.

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I stopped at the Trident Grill about 5:30 for an on-deck dinner, ham & cheese, fries, baguette, and pineapple for desert.  We dropped off the pilot around 6:30 as we entered the open water of Cook Strait.  

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Captain Vorland's final (he goes on vacation in Sydney) welcome party was held in Palm Court at 7:45. I stepped up to deck 13 for the sun set off the South Island about 8:00.

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The evening shows (8:45 and 10:00) featured a duet of pianist/singer Chris Hamilton and tenor Shimi Goodman.  Both have been featured artists in the Galaxy while I was off shore.

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My parting shot will be a wish for a safe and pleasant Mardi Gras.  While not a religious (almost anti-religious) day with Christian overtones it seems to be a holiday that most everyone can enjoy.  May it be the best.

Roy

 

[rafinmd]

Day CS33, Tuesday, February 25, 2020, Akaroa

Queen Mary 2 concludes an overnight call in Darwin.  The sun rose at 6:59 and set at 8:23.  The moon rose at 8:00 and set at 9:24.

I'll start with another of the ship's photos.  This is the embarkation photo in Auckland and the hat was one of the prizes for trivia on the morning show.

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I started the morning with a load of laundry and it was just about finished in the dryer when the sun came up.  It was mostly cloudy but there was a small open band behind us and that's where the sun was.  We shared Akaroa with the Maasdam and she was about 20 minutes ahead of us in the bay as I rounded the corner on the promenade deck.  My walking on the ship was roughly 6 times around the ship or 1 ½ miles.

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I spent the morning on the ship taking the tender after lunch at 12:30.  It was a fairly long ride on the tender, about 1 ½ miles.  There was a good sized wharf there with a landing for the Serenity's tenders on the left side and the Maasdam's on the right side.

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Akaroa is a small village and resort with a permanent population just over 600.  It is one of the gateways to Christchurch, a 90-minute drive away.    France started a settlement there in the 1830's and many of the street names are still French.  One of the exceptions is the main street along the waterfront, Beach Drive.

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There are 2 small commercial areas separated by a narrow ridge which is also a park.  Much of the ocean front is a wide sandy beach.

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I walked to the start of the second of those areas where there was a monument to the 2 world wars.  I returned along the second street from the ocean which turned out not to have much of interest.  My total walk was a little over a mile.

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Before returning to the ship I stopped for New Zealand ice cream  (Deep South) at a shop just across Beach Drive from the tender pier.

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There was a Mardi Gras celebration at 5:15 in the Crystal Cove with music by the show band along with Ian Cooper on the violin, Assistant Cruise Director Raphael Derksen on the trumpet, and Special Events Coordinator Grant Tharp on the trumpet.

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Listed departure time was 6PM for the Maasdam and 7PM for Serenity.  I had planned to stay on deck for the Maasdam's departure but when I looked out at her at 5:45 a tender was still heading back to town, probably for a late tour return.  I decided not to wait and headed down to the shared table.  It filled quickly despite one of the regulars not returning from her tour until 5:45.  I chose the chicken consume, pasta, and berries for desert.  It's just as well I didn't wait as the Maasdam passed our window just after 7.  We started to move as desert arrived, probably about 7:20, and I had about 10 minutes to return to my room before heading to the show.

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The featured entertainment was a double bill with Icons in Concert at 7:45 and 9:45, and the dance team at 8:45 and 10:45.  I missed sunset by about 15 minutes but there was still nice color in the sky when I emerged from the Galaxy.

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As a parting shot, Crystal has just announced the changes in itinerary due to Coronavirus.  Singapore will be skipped and the next segment break will be in Bali on March 17 rather than Singapore March 20.  Seems to me disappointing but not disastrous for those now ending in Bali.  I hope those planning to embark in Singapore who must now embark 3 days earlier in a different port will not be too badly affected.  I do prefer Cunard's response skipping Asia altogether.  Coronavirus is as much an epidemic of fear as of disease and I'm pleased to be on a ship which has  not been anywhere near the epidemic, minimizing the chance of a port deciding out presence is an unacceptable risk.

Roy

 

[rafinmd]

Day CS34, Ash Wednesday, February 26, 2020, Dunedin

Queen Mary 2 is at sea from Darwin to Yorkeys Knob.  The sun rose at 7:07 and set at 8:33.  The moon rose at 9:09 and set at 9:56.  

When I first went on deck we were still a couple of hours away from Dunedin.  I started walking a bit more seriously about 7 and as I rounded the bow there was just a trace of color in the sky where there should have been a sunrise.  About 3 laps later the sun was strong enough to show through light clouds.

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There is a cruise terminal in Dunedin but only very small ships dock there (Perhaps Endeavor will).  The main cruise terminal is in Port Chalmers, about 5 miles closer to the ocean.  There is a maritime museum and a couple of other things of interest in Port Chalmers but most people will either be on excursions or take a shuttle (25 minutes each way) into Dunedin.

I spent most of the morning on the ship, venturing ashore only briefly to make telephone contact with the people I would meet later in the day.  At 10 Captain Vorland came on the PA and announced a change in itinerary; due to severe storms in the Tasman sea we will be cancelling our overnight call into Hobart.

I met my party outside the port gate at 11.  Erewhon is primarily a Holland America cruiser and we have never sailed together but have corresponded on Cruise Critic quite a bit.  They often will host cruisers as they visit Dunedin, and they joined me for lunch at Trident on the Symphony 2 years ago and then showed me around Dunedin.

This time we drove through the University which has quite a rich history.  One of the buildings is a theater and I thought quite stately while the other was much more modern.

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Many of the buildings live in small houses and most have catchy little names, quite a varied collection.

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Lunch was a restaurant called Luna near where they live.  It sits on a hill overlooking the harbor and the view was spectacular.

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I ordered from the brunch menu.  There were 3 slices of great french toast and quite a mound of bacon in between.  It was topped by a kind of candied banana.  

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After lunch we did a bit more touring.  We stopped at a local landmark which has been recognized by Guinness as the world's steepest street.  I took a photo but it doesn't look like much as the camera did not really pick up the perspective of where level would be.  I saw some photos on the internet including houses which give a much more interesting view with the level house as a point of reference.

We continued to Signal Hill where there were both beautiful views of the surrounding area and a monument commemorating New Zealand's centennial.

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Back in Port Chalmers we visited another overlook for a birds eye view of Serenity.

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Once back at the port I stopped at a little convenience store for ice cream.  I was still quite full from lunch but got a delicious cup of vanilla ice cream.

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Captain Vorland gave an update on our plans at 5PM.  We will still plan to visit the fjords but will begin later than planned, and we will arrive in Sydney a day earlier, anchoring in the harbor on March 2.  He warned of rough seas overnight and advised us to securely stow anything that could fall.

Ash Wednesday services were held at 5:15, Catholic in the Hollywood Theater and Protestant in the Bridge Lounge.  Louis sang at 6:02.

I was looking for a light dinner and chose Churrascaria, getting just a salad, 3 of the 8 available meats (chicken, pork, and lamb), and of course the spiced pineapple.

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The featured entertainment was musical comedian Bayne Bacon.  I found his comedy too much of a series of put downs and not in very good taste.  He was followed by Curtis and Beverly with a dance show in the Stardust.  

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My parting shot comes from my time on land.  I had previously noticed and Erewhon had commented that most of the fire departments in New Zealand are volunteer, and that the employers in New Zealand firmly support their employee's efforts.  Most of the companies I saw responded with a sign in the front recognizing and thanking the employers who give their employees the time they need for their service.  I like that system.

Roy

 

[rafinmd]

Day CS35, Thursday, February 27, 2020, At Sea, Crystal Serenity

Queen Mary 2 is at sea from Darwin to Yorkeys Knob.  The sun rose at 7:22 and set at 8:41.  The moon rose at 10:26 and set at 10:28.

The ship moved a lot overnight but did not disturb my sleep.  When I went up for my first coffee things were a bit calmer and the starboard promenade doors were roped off but the ones on the port side were all open.  Walking around the stern of the ship it was quite calm.  When I returned for sunrise, the doors had not changed and I went out the aft door to the promenade deck to be greeted by a howling wind.  I decided better to go around to the sheltered aft to return to the ship rather than fight the wind.  As I rounded the stern the sea was raging and it was cloudy but there was still a pretty color to the sky.  I had just gone up a deck for a sheltered door back inside when the Captain came on the PA and said "don't go on deck".  The outer decks remained closed until we entered Milford Sound about 4PM.

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The winds continued to pick up and reached 100kt sometime in the morning.  It was quite a busy day inside starting with the Protestant devotions at 9, followed by Captain Richard Hayman at 10 with "Asian Seas and Straits", and Robert Freedman at 11 with Sino-American relations and the Australia-New Zealand role.

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In his noon update Captain Vorland announced that we would arrive at Milford Sound about 12.  It was during lunch that the rumor mill started buzzing that embarkations for Sydney and beyond had been cancelled.  It turns out to be true.  I was getting off in Sydney anyway and hope Cunard will not follow suit as they seem to be taking a more proactive and consistent course in dealing with the virus and minimizing last minute changes.  I remain hopeful.

A day or at least afternoon cruising the Fjordlands had been planned and a retired Park Ranger was on board for commentary.  With our delayed visit to the Fjords Ranger Ross Kerr gave a talk in the Galaxy in the theater.  I watched all the day's lectures in my room on TV.

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We entered Milford Sound about 4.  There was some light fog and clouds but it was essentially clear viewing as we passed a myriad of waterfalls.  

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One ribbon waterfall was very faint, just managing to poke through some heavier fog.

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We turned around at Milford town, the only road access into the Fjords, and the home base for a number of tour boats.

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On the way back out we paused quite close to one of the waterfalls.  I walked about 6 laps around the ship while we were in Milford Sound.

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We left Milford Sound about 6.  I watched as we dropped first Ranger Ross and then the pilot just outside the entrance. It was then 6:10 and the usual shared tables were filled.  I was seated with 2 Ambassador Hosts.  Both seemed to know little if anything about the changes as they affected passengers but apparently had been told a day or 2 earlier that Singapore/Bali was being replaced by Perth and had been asked to stay on.  One who was disembarking in Sydney declined.  The other, due to be on until Singapore, was considering his options.  I opted for the consume double, turkey dinner, and berries for desert.

 

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The Crystal Society Party was held in Palm Court at 7:45.  The honoree was recognized for 150 cruises.  It was too cloudy for an actual sunset but there was still a nice band of color on the horizon.  When I went out about 10PM there was a very slight slice of the moon in the sky.

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The featured entertainment was singer Mark Vincent.  He seemed more interested in demonstrating the power of his voice than presenting the music and in begging for adulation than earning it.  He said a song would be his last and when he came back for I think two more but I took him at his word the first time.  We gained an hour of the two we need to gain to be on Sydney time.

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My parting shot will be a wish for safe travels for all leaving the Symphony in Sydney whether leaving as planned or not.

Roy

 

Edited February 27, 2020 by rafinmd

[rafinmd]

Day CS36, Friday, February 28, 2020, At Sea, Crystal Serenity

Queen Mary 2 is at sea from Darwin to Yorkeys Knob.  The sun rose at 6:41 and set at 7:47.  The moon rose at 10:27AM and set at 10:09PM.

I will start off with a photo from the gangway in Picton.  The cap is one presented to all cruisers (I assume) on the first BTO night out of Los Angeles.

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The next one was actually taken in Milford Sound.  During the height of the storm rain was driving under the port promenade doors and the carpet was still being dried out Friday morning.  The salt spray had created a filthy forward section of the promenade deck walls and vent boxes, and I assume the crew had more important things to do than clean it up before sometime Friday.

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I started the day with a load of laundry, interspersed from time to time with some walking.  Conditions were pretty good although it was pretty cloudy.  There was only a barely perceptible bit of light through the clouds at sunrise but the sun came through about a half hour later.

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I barely touched the camera during the day but there were 2 morning lectures, Richard Hayman on Tasmania at 10 and Roberto D'Alimonte at 11 on "Challenges of Our Time" (mostly threats to democracy).  I watched both on TV.  In his noon update Captain Vorland noted that during the storm we were running 4 generators (the maximum practical) but only making 10 knots while that would have normally been sufficient for 20.  Seas may be a bit busier Saturday than they were Friday.  It was nice to once again be able to take my lunch out to the pool deck.

Most of the afternoon was spent either on the internet or organizing my packing.  Golfer Craig Stadler had a presentation and Q&A in the Hollywood Theater at 1:30.  I "sort of" watched as I sorted my stuff for packing.  On the final Black Tie Optional night I had a final "Cocktails in the Captain's Quarters" before dinner.

My shared table filled quickly with 3 people continuing to Rome and 3 disembarking in Sydney.  I chose the beef consume, the every day fillet steak, and blueberry crumble tart.  

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The winds had come up during dinner with the promenade deck closed but I was able to get a glimpse of the sunset from the Studio before continuing to the Galaxy Lounge.

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The evening show was the Crystal Ensemble of Singers and Dancers with "Crystal on Broadway--The Show" featuring excerpts from Something Rotten, West Side Story, and Rent.

We gained another hour to be on Sydney time.  I went up to the pool deck about 10 and the moon is still just a sliver but more visible and actually pretty clear although it gets blurred by the camera.

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As a parting shot, the Coronavirus situation still is a work in progress.  After telling people Thursday that they would not be permitted to embark in Sydney the decision was largely but not completely reversed within 24 hours.  It really makes me wonder what or if Crystal is thinking but gives me a bit more confidence that Cunard will not do the same thing.  There is one other bit of positive news; on Friday the Amsterdam was the first ship allowed to dock in Tonga since we were turned away almost 2 weeks ago.  A couple of signs of hope and I'll take them.

Roy

 

[muddleaged]

16 hours ago, rafinmd said:

 

https://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/stormy.jpgi

Thoroughly enjoy your writing.

 

This link needs fixing.

Take off the last letter - should be jpg not jpgi.
https://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/stormy.jpg

Edited February 29, 2020 by muddleaged

[rafinmd]

Day CS37, Saturday, February 29, 2020, Arrive Hobart, Australia(NOT)

Queen Mary 2 is at sea from Darwin to Airlie Beach.  The sun rose at 5:55 and set at 7:05.  The moon rose at 10:39AM and set at 10:05PM.

The last of my port photos is from Dunedin.  That's my Come From Away ball cap.

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There was not a lot of open space on the horizon but there was a little slit right at the water behind the ship as the sun came up.  I walked a total of about 2 miles.  My foot is not back to normal but did not complain about the walking.

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The day's lectures were both in the morning.  Jill Bruce started things off with a talk on Early Australian Settlement with an emphasis on the convict aspect.  She was followed by Robert Freedman with a talk on the prospects for Chinese dominance in Asia.

I am largely a culinary creature of habit but I do check the menus regularly.  I was attracted to the Macaroni and Cheese dish in Waterside but was still not convinced.  Then I noticed the chilled mango soup and was hooked.  

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Desert was going to be ice cream from Scoops but I delayed it until after 1:30 when the Crystal Quartet would be on the pool deck.

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The deck was quite popular even though the pool was closed due to the swells.  The crew made the most of the situation by cleaning and painting while there was no water.

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I decided on a relatively light dinner at Churrascaria.

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I chose just 4 of the 8 available meats, sausage, chicken, sirloin, and lamb, and of course the spiced pineapple.

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Sunset was 7:05 and I missed it by a few minutes but the sky was still pretty nice as I left the restaurant.

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The featured entertainment was an old favorite I haven't seen on Crystal for a number of years, Latin Guitar Virtuoso Vincenzo Martinelli.  The show was in a packed Stardust Club and I ended up near the stage.  He performed on the bandstand instead of the stage further forward and all I saw was his knees and an inch or 2 of his face.

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The White Extravaganza was held at 10:30.  I had dozed off and almost missed it.  I did have a look briefly but the photos I thought I had taken were not on the camera.

My parting shot comes from Captain Vorland's noon update.  He does not normally mention crew birthdays but when your birthday only comes once every 4 years they should be specially.  Happy birthday to Clearance Officer Charlene Casper.

Roy

 

[rafinmd]

Day CS38, Sunday, March 1, 2020, At Sea, Crystal Serenity

Queen Mary 2 is in Airlie Beach.  The sun rose at 6:21 and set at 7:24.  The moon rose at 11:57AM and set at 11:00PM.

My final ship photo will be from Milford Sound on the back of deck 7.

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I walked 9 times around the ship over the course of the morning.  Early in my walk the sun rose beautifully over the aft deck.  Unfortunately. I did not make much use of my camera during the day.

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My days activities started with the end of Rick and Stacey's swan song morning show (Rick goes on vacation in Sydney and this is Stacey's final World Cruise).  There was a lot of reminiscing and the show concluded with a hilarious reading of "What to do on A World Cruise" created a few years ago by a member of Joe Kita's memoir writing class.  A highlight line for me was about the shows, "People will crowd in the front rows to get a glimpse of what a young person looks like".  Next up at 9 was my final Interdenominational worship service with Pastor Voosen.

I watched the day's lectures from my room on TV.  Richard Hayman started things off at 10 with an introduction to Sydney.  He was followed at 11 by Robert Freedman speaking about Putin and his policy towards Asia.

In his noon update Captain Vorland spoke of our plans for the first day in Sydney.  We will pick up the pilot at 6, and arrive at our anchorage at 7.  Tender service will begin as people are cleared by Australian Immigration and will cease at 6:30.  Once the tenders are on board, the ship will continue to Circular Quay, arriving about 9PM.

The afternoon (1:30) lecture was Jill Bruce on Australia's Bush Rangers.  After her talk I walked an additional 8 laps around the Promenade Deck for a total of 5 miles for the day.  As of Monday morning my foot has not complained.

I went up to the lido about 3:30 for ice cream and took it out to the pool deck where DJ Emotion was spinning the hits.  I spent the rest of the afternoon organizing for departure.  The World Cruise Chorus performed at 5:45 in the Cove.

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There were 5 at the shared table, and some of the full world cruisers at the table have opted to go home from Sydney.  I chose the chicken consume and half portion of the pasta.  I wanted berries for desert but they ran out and I got a plate of fruit instead.

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We finished dinner about 7:30 and I stepped out on deck.  The moon was shining brightly above the bridge.  The sun had set but there was still a pretty nice sky.

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The featured entertainment was an on site production, "A Tribute to The Sound of Music".  A beer stand was set up outside the starboard entrance to the Galaxy.

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The show featured movie clips, most of the on board entertainers, and special appearances by Ian Cooper and the World Cruise Chorus stepped to the front at the end of the show and joined in the final number.

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As my parting shot, drama about Cronavirus has been a major factor in this segment, pretty much overshadowing the concurrent drama with the weather.    That was graphically illustrated to me in the evening.  The cruise map on the TV has shown us going to Hobart for several days after we left Dunedin.  That was fixed Monday and I was intrigued by our route from Milford Sound to Sydney.  That crooked red line on the map shows vividly how serious that Tasman storm was taken.

Roy

 

[rafinmd]

Day CS39,Monday, March 2, 2020, At Anchor, Sydney Harbor

Queen Mary 2 is at sea from Airlie Beach to Brisbane.  The sun rose at 6:42 and set at 7:30.  The moon rose at 1:12PM and set at 11:46PM.

My final full day started off with a visit to the laundry room.  I also went out on deck periodically as we entered the harbor.  

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The port was busy but there was only one other ship that interested me, Cunard's Queen Elizabeth.  It's my least sailed of Cunard's current ships but I've had very nice voyages on her.

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I had only a couple of laps around the promenade deck, one very early for coffee, and the second around sunrise where I also started my breakfast.  

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QE, which was already scheduled for March 3 and was there as a turnaround day had the Overseas Passenger Terminal and we tendered in the harbor.  The anchor went down about 7.

The first order of business was meeting Australian Immigration.  Reflections had said it would start at 7:30 but I didn't hear the first number called until 8:55.  My number 8 came about 9:40 and I headed up to Palm Court.  I have a lot of snacks, largely for my time on QM2, and had checked "yes" on the food box.  I was sent to the Quarantine Officer and had come prepared with samples of everything I had.  All was approved, even the sealed UHT milk.

We were using the ship's tenders and not the Captain Cook ferries and it was a long (roughly 30 minutes) ride to the dock next to the Opera House.  Back on February 15 I had spilled Diet Coke on my secondary laptop and it isn't working.  I had looked on google for repair shops and had a couple of possible choices.  I have also been getting correspondence with the Four Seasons Hotel and asked about this and they said it was ok to check with the concierge the day before checkin.

He came up with the closer of the 2 shops I had identified and even gave me a walking map to get across the freeway between the shop and the hotel.  On the way I passed through Lang Park.

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It appears to be a one-person repair operation, and he was out on a service call.  The receptionist took the laptop and my email address.  I got an email in the afternoon and authorized them to do the investigation to see if it could be fixed.

I walked back past the hotel and on to the terminal at Circular Quay.  They told me I could drop off my luggage for QM2 as early as 8AM.  I think rather than using a taxi I will just start early and make 2 or 3 trips.  It is barely a quarter mile.

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My final stop ashore was at the Opera House to pick up to the 2 performances I have booked for my stay in Sydney.  I was back at the ship about 2:30.

I wanted to be on deck to watch the other ships leaving and decided on my final dinner mostly from the Trident, along with a scone from the Bistro.

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That was early and I returned to packing, losing track of the Seven Seas Mariner, just catching her stern on the way out.  QE was a bit late out of the berth.  I saw the first movement of her funnel about 7:30, and she was just starting to turn to start moving forward when I needed to leave for showtime.

The final show of the segment was a variety show with violinist Irena Guskova and comedian Jeff Green.  We started moving as the show began and were just tying up at the dock as it ended.

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I went on deck for a look after the show and the Sydney Opera House was looking very nice.

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I finished up my packing (mostly dental stuff used one last time) and my 3 bags (53pounds, 46pounds, and 24 pounds) went out between 9:15 and 9:25.

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About 10:15 I dropped briefly in on a Dixieland Jam Session in Palm Court.

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My parting shot will be a wish for a great cruise on those embarking on QE Monday, and those either embarking or continuing on World Cruises on QM2 (from Brisbane) and Serenity on Tuesday.  The adventure awaits.

Roy

 

[rafinmd]

Day CS40, Tuesday, March 3, 2020, Disembark Crystal Serenity, Sydney

Queen Mary 2 is in Brisbane.  The sun rose at 6:42 and set at 7:28.  The moon was up from 2:10PM for the rest of the day but I never saw either the sun or the moon.

This was not to be a typical tourist day.  I made 3 trips around the deck 7 perimeter of the ship in the course of getting coffee and returning to the lido for an omelet and raisin toast.  The weather ran from cloudy in the morning to drizzle in the afternoon.  I got a look at the Sydney skyline from the same point when I first went for coffee at 5:30 and again going back for toast 2 ½ hours later.

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It isn't my usual style but I booked a private transfer to the Four Seasons after Hobart was cancelled and I was left with an unexpected $149 in onboard credit that came back to me from a cancelled shore excursion.  My transfer time was 10AM and I left my room at 9:30 to wait in the cove.  I was escorted off the ship a little after that and found all 3 pieces of my luggage already loaded on a trolley with my name and destination on it.

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Since the Quarantine officer had signed my Customs Declaration on the ship there were no questions when I handed it in and we were on the street.  It was only a few minutes before my car arrived for the short drive to the Four Seasons.

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Checkin was officially at 3 but my room was ready, a nice little bonus.  I am on the 8th floor in a bit of an odd shaped but very nice room.  I saw hospitality desks in the hotel for Crystal but not yet at least for Cunard.

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I think the receptionist said "partial view" but it's a very nice partial view.  I have a nice view of the Opera House, the ferry docks, and part of the bridge and the funnel on Serenity.  Over the next few days the view will change to the Costa Deliziosa and then QM2 for just a couple of hours before I check out.

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The hotel was very busy.  I decided an hour was as long as I would wait for luggage delivery and went out shopping.  I encountered a bell person in the elevator and confirmed they were really busy; he said the bags would be left in my room.  My first order of business was a grocery store.  The best bet appeared to be an "IGA-Express" on the Rocks.  It was not the greatest but served me pretty well with nuts, milk, apples, coffee, and blueberries.  All I am finding in Sydney is various types of cappuccino (even on the hotel's machine) and I want regular coffee.  The store didn't have packets but I bought a small jar of instant.  What I don't use at the hotel will be handy for the hot pot in my room on QM2.

When I returned from shopping and lunch the luggage was waiting in my room.  I dug out my tux, trusty Travelsmith blazer, and sport coat and sent them out for dry cleaning.  I think I prefer a real dry cleaning to the "specialist cleaning" on the ship.

I also wanted to get a haircut before returning to sea.  There was a barber shop in what was mostly a food court across the street from the hotel.  The barber asked how I wanted it cut and I mentioned that I was about to embark on a 50 day cruise so take quite a bit off.  I think she took my words a little too literally.  Far beyond 50 days I don't expect to need another haircut for at last a month after returning home.  I thought the mural on the wall where George street meets the railroad tracks was kind of interesting.  It was a bit out of my way but it was starting to drizzle and I could wait for the light under the overpass.

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For the evening I was booked on the first of 2 nights at the Opera House.  The walk over was mostly covered.  This performance, "No Pay, No Way" would be at 6:30 in the Drama Theater.  The theater has a capacity just over 500.

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I was in an aisle seat, J3, fairly close to the front.  The show was a comedy/farce about 2 women who steal food in a riot and then try to cover up their crime by hiding it under their coats claiming pregnancy.  There are almost too many crazy twists and turns to keep track of.

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When I left the theater the Serenity looked quite nice at the dock.

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My parting shot will be a wish for some breaks in the rain over the next few days.  Passengers on Serenity and QM2 deserve a nice port experience.

Roy

 

[rafinmd]

Day CS+1, Wednesday, March 4, 2020, Sydney

The Crystal Serenity left Circular Quay at 7PM.  Queen Mary 2 is at sea from Brisbane to Sydney.  The sun rose at 6:43 and set at 7:27.  
The moon set at 12:39AM and rose at 3:10PM

While I couldn't really see much of the ship from my room, the string of lights was pretty much all visible when I woke up.

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I had gotten the word that my laptop could not be repaired in Sydney and I left the hotel about 9 to retrieve it.  What had been a light rain at 8 had become stronger and I came back pretty wet.

My major plan for the day was the Hop On Hop Off bus.  There are 2 loops in Sydney and my plan was one loop Wednesday and the other Thursday.

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I started with the city loop and with the rain the bus was pretty crowded.  I was one of the first ones on and quickly snagged a window seat.  By the time the bus left there were a number of people standing.  With the rain photos were a challenge but I did get a couple.  The El Alamein Memorial Fountain in Kings Cross is a memorial to Australian soldiers killed in the battle of El Alamein, Egypt in 1942.

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A bit further along we passed St. Mary's Cathedral.  Sydney has Anglican and Catholic Cathedrals, St. Mary's is the Catholic one.

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The rain slackened off as I rode and near the end a few brave souls were even going to the upper level of the bus.  I disembarked at my starting point about 12:30.

I did not stray too far from the hotel in the afternoon.  My host in Dunedin clued me in about a couple of grocery stores near me.  I was pretty well set from my visit to IGA but did look for a couple of things at the Coles in Wynyard.  I bought an 8-pack of Diet Coke for QM2, small baggies of potato chips, and blueberries for an evening snack.  I will probably check out the slightly closer Woolworths on Thursday.  Soon after I returned from Coles my dry cleaning was delivered.

When I left home documents from QM2 were not yet ready.  I took care of that courtesy of QM2.  I printed out my boarding pass and baggage tags in Serenity's computer center.  The tags are just paper, and to give them a little more substance I borrowed the hotel stapler and stapled them to my Crystal disembarkation tags.  They should work quite well.

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I left the hotel about 6 for a burger and Serenity's sailaway.  Something I don't normally see on Serenity is the hatches used for line handling in an open position.

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All aboard was 6:15, and the gangway was pulled back just after 6:30.  I saw the first ropes slacken about 6:45, the rest a couple minutes later and when I heard the roar of the bow thrusters moved back to the ferry dock area.  Serenity turned towards the sea just before 7.

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I hadn't really seen the sun or the moon for a couple of days but the moon was overhead when I looked up.  It was clouded over by the time I left for the opera house.  When I returned to my room I got my last look at Serenity as she sailed out between the Opera House and the Circular Quay East shops.

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My show was at 8:45 and I left the hotel about 7:30.  The Musical Six is a story about the six wives of Henry VII.  The Studio is a multi-purpose venue with a permanent balcony but the seating on the main floor (where I was) is temporary seats placed on risers.  My seat was of the stackable type which could be easily taken out.  The show was about 75 minutes, ending just after 10.  It was quite dark in the Studio so the only photo I got was of the final bows.

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I was back at the hotel about 10:30 and in bed about 11.  According to Marine Traffic my two ships probably passed in the night a little before 1AM.

I'll take my parting shot from sailaway.  After I walked up to the ferry dock to watch Serenity turn towards the sea there was a street violinist playing.  With the Serenity's passenger load dropping from 900+ to 200+ literally overnight I found it amusing that as Serenity backed away from the dock he was playing the Titanic theme.  His next song was "Time to Say Goodbye".  I just found those 2 selections a bit amusing.

Roy

 

[rafinmd]

Day CS+2, Thursday, March 5, 2020, Last Free Day in Sydney

The Crystal Serenity is at sea from Sydney to Mooloolaba.  Queen Mary 2 is anchored in Sydney Harbor.  The sun rose at 6:44 and set at 7:26.  The moon set at 1:16AM and rose at 4:08PM.

When I first looked out the window there was a cruise ship docked but it was neither the Crystal Serenity nor Queen Mary 2.  It was instead the Costa Deliziosa.  Queen Mary 2 dropped anchor out of my sight about 6AM at Sydney's Athol anchorage.  Both ships are in Sydney for 2 days.  Costa swapped passengers on Thursday and will change places overnight with QM2 for my turnaround day.

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By the time I went to breakfast it looked like the start of a nice day.  When I went out and boarded the HOHO bus about 9:30 I was able to sit on the upper level for the short ride to the transfer point to the blue route, and again on the top deck of a very nearly empty bus.

The first 45 minutes or so were nice as we made a wide circle heading along trendy Oxford Street.

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By Bondi Beach it was still viable on the top deck although the drizzle was getting more noticeable.

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I was forced to move to the lower level about the time we got to Rose Bay, a picturesque bay with an illustrious history as a seaplane base.

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When we got to Sydney's Central Train Station I both wanted to look around a bit and also needed a toilet break.  Australia's classic train, the Indian Pacific, is now in private hands and runs only once a week, but it uses Central Station.

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There was a long wait for the next blue bus and it was crowded.  I took several photos on the blue route that I can't identify in retrospect.

 

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It was a fairly short ride back to the transfer point where I took a fairly short ride on the red route back to the Opera House.  This bus was very crowded and I was forced to stand.  The rain was quite heavy.  I had lost my umbrella on the bus Wednesday and bought a new one on leaving the bus.

The tender dock is at the "Man of War" steps just on the inland side of the Opera House.  I thought with the umbrella I could get to that point without getting too late but was a bit over optimistic.  QM2 was sitting out there shrouded in mist.

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A combination tender service was established using both Cook Fast Ferries and QM2's own tender boats.  In addition to the regular QM2 pop-up there was a good sized tent for people waiting to board the tenders.

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I discovered a bit late that I could actually get back to the hotel without a lot of exposure to the rain.  The Opera House has a lower concourse with restaurants that runs from the building proper to the Circular Quay East shopping complex and then under the tracks and Cahill Expressway back almost to the hotel.  I learned after getting pretty well soaked.

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It rained heavily all afternoon.  I took the plunge of a trip to the super market a couple of blocks away at 4 and came back soaked again.  The good news is I was looking for blueberries for an evening snack and instead found raspberries which I prefer.

The rain did let up around dinner time and I hope will stay that way long enough for an easy trip to  Queen Mary 2 in the morning.

My parting shot is inspired by some exchanges on the Crystal Forum of Cruise Critic.  While there are real concerns about the disease sometimes I think we have more to fear from fear itself than from the virus.  Sydney is not exactly an epicenter of the virus but reactions are puzzling.  I had not noticed anything unusual in the supermarkets but kept hearing of a run on toilet paper.  I looked and found the shelf (Woolworths Metcenter) about 95% empty, and what remained was at least partially attributable to limit of 4 packages per shopper.  While there aren't a lot of surgical masks in evidence I was quite surprised to find one being worn by an employee in the currency exchange.  Yes, she deals with the public but I can't imagine much danger working in an entirely glass enclosed booth.  Go figure.

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Roy

 

[rafinmd]

Copying  from Cunard thread.  I’m on IPAD and won’type this twice.

 

2 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

Greetings from not onboard QM2.  I’ve been onboard, lunch at Boardwalk Cafe, all bags delivered, and posting from the Visitor Center.  Longest Cunard Voyage by far, and will likely not choose an internet plan until tomorrow.  
 

Sailaway is midnight so I’ll sleep in tomorrow, and unpacking comes first.  If I don’t post for a few days I’ll catch up.

 

 Roy 

 

[rafinmd]

Day QM2-0, Friday, March 6, Board QM2, Sydney, Australia

 

Sorry one photo is sideways.  No time to check comments right now, classical concert in 5 minutes.

 

The Crystal Serenity is in Mooloolaba.  The sun rose at 6:45 and set at 7:25.  The moon set at 2:16AM and rose at 5:03PM.

When I woke at 5 Costa was still at the dock.  Very soon thereafter her bow lights went out and the ships began to swap spaces.  I walked down to the terminal for QM2's arrival at the terminal until the first lines went out about 6.  I had planned on a photo but had forgotten to take the memory card out of my computer.  The photo I am using is from later in the morning, and a comparison of where the bow ended up vs the Crystal Serenity.  I was  standing closer to Serenity than to QM2 but the point where Serenity's bow stood was closer to QM2's bridge than to her bow.

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The view from my hotel window gives a vivid view of how much taller QM2 is than Serenity.

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I made a mid-morning trip up to the Woolworths and bought a fruit cup as part of my breakfast.  Walking back towards the Four Seasons I was looking directly at the Harbor Bridge.

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My 2 rolling bags were 50 pounds each, the large back pack 33 pounds, and the carryon bag turned up at 19 pounds.  The weather was fine and the port accepted bags early.  I took one of the rolling bags and the back pack down to the porters about 9.  There is a discussion of rat guards on the Holland America forum so I paused on the way back to take a photo of the ones used on QM2.  

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I took the second of the rolling bags down about 9:30.  All of my bags had been delivered by 1 when I returned from my lunch.

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The porters had told me to return about 11:30 to check in.  I checked out of the hotel about 11 and was told by a port employee to return at 2.  To her my Diamond Status made no difference.  I asked to see a supervisor; she never produced one but said "maybe they can take me at 12".  When I returned just after noon the terminal was busy but nothing it couldn't easily handle.  I was on board at 12:20 and dropped my carryon in the room.  I'm in 8025, an obstructed balcony.  I'll say, I look directly out at lifeboat number 3.

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The outdoor grill on QM2 is called the Boardwalk Café (on deck 12) and it's rarely open on crossings.  It wasn't mentioned in the Daily Programme but I went up anyway and it was open.  I had always thought of it as a culinary wasteland but the choices and quality were a lot better than I remembered.  When I returned I set all the bags out to start unpacking after a final walk to the visitor center for the last of the free internet.

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The Muster Drill (new guests only) was at 5:  My station in the Café Carinthia was pretty well filled.  I have heard just over 1000 boarded in Sydney, perhaps 1/3 of the ship's capacity.  Dinner was at 6 at table 211, a 6-top on the top seating level of deck 3, not by the window but with a view outside.  Four of the others are on until Southampton.  The fifth is a sister in law of one of the others, an Aussie who is only on from Sydney to Fremantle.  I asked the head waiter for advance copies of the menus and expect a daily sheet with the lunch and dinner menus.  It's a simple format but easily scannable and particularly makes it easy to plan my lunches based on my dinner plans.  My first dinner choices were chicken consume, leg of lamb, and ice cream.

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I took a token walk around the promenade deck after dinner.  It was not really dark yet but the moon was showing through the clouds.

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A local show was supposed to be the featured entertainment but they cancelled at the last minute and a movie was shown instead.  I did not go.  As I rounded the aft of the deck the bridge was quite pretty in the twilight.  

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Being very late in posting on my first QM2 day I'll take my parting shot from Paul O'Laughlin's morning show.  His quote of the day, "Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else."

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Day QM2-1, Saturday, March 7, 2020, At sea, Queen Mary 2

The Crystal Serenity is at sea from Mooloolaba to Airlie Beach.  The sun rose at 6:47 and set at 7:44.   The moon set at 3:19AM and rose at 6:23PM.

At midnight I was on the Promenade deck looking out at  the Rocks lit up for the evening.  Captain Hashmi had indicated we were waiting for clearance about 10 minutes after he spoke about 11:45.

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We waited and waited, and finally about 12:20 I decided not to stand there any more,  I started walking.  As I rounded the stern we had moved about 20 feet off the dock.  I walked one more lap before going up to deck 8 for a better look.  The Opera House was beautiful all lit up at night.

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I was in bed a little after 1 and up about 6:20.  I will declare I walked 5 laps around the ship for the day, 2 before going to bed and 3 after rising.  It was mostly cloudy but the rising sun found a nice hole to peek through about 7.

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It was a VERY busy sea day.  Port lecturer Graham talked about Adelaide at 9:15, followed by forensic dentist Judy Hinchcliffe with a presentation of American mass murder Ted Bundy.

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Paul O'Laughlin had a talk with Celebrity Speaker Ken Sutcliffe (sports broadcaster) at 11.  Most of the things they talked about related to British sports and were largely lost on me.

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When I walked in the morning winds were at the force 7 (near gale) level.  When Captain Hashmi gave his noon update they had dropped a bit to force 6 but deck 14 was still closed off.

There was a classical concert by the piano/clarinet duo of Westlake and Hay at 2:15.  Selections from La Traviata were featured but there were some other works presented as well.

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Andrew Jarrett had a talk on the life of a professional tennis player at 3.  I wasn't particularly interested and might have skipped it even if it had not conflicted with the Cruise Critic meet and mingle in the Commodore Club.  There were roughly 25 in attendance.  The last couple of meetings have been dominated by a group (mostly NOT Cruise Critic) complaining about the cancelled ports and compensation for them.  That group now meets separately but a number of people at the meet and greet were still unhappy about the changes.  We concluded the meeting about 3:30 and I went down to Kings Court for tea and scone.

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The day's final presentation was by Stuart Usher on a disastrous 1942 naval battle in the Java Sea.

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One person was missing from table 211.  I chose the chicken consume as well as 2 of the spa selections, the lamb chops and chocolate coconut cake.

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The evening show was Desperado, an Eagles tribute band.  It was very good.

https://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2020/03/desperado.jpg

My parting shot comes actually from over night.  Captain Hashmi came on the PA just before 2AM, asking for a blood donation for a sudden medical emergency.  I think we arrived at the Melbourne dock a little early due to the situation.  Best wishes for a recovery for the person involved.

Roy  

 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

3 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

Captain Hashmi came on the PA just before 2AM, asking for a blood donation for a sudden medical emergency.  I think we arrived at the Melbourne dock a little early due to the situation.  Best wishes for a recovery for the person involved.

 

Good grief, I hope they found a donor!

[Vict0riann]

Hope you have a good cruise on QM2, Roy.  Is there any talk of the Coronavirus?  Someone on my roll call for our next (maybe?) cruise said today they are returning from Europe on Cunard, and Cunard is not offering any form of cancellation rebate, or, as HAL is doing, a FCC for the amount of the cruise, if one cancels before March 31.

[rafinmd]

Day QM2-2, Sunday, March 8, 2020, Melbourne

The Crystal Serenity is in Airlie Beach.  The sun rose at 7:11 and set at 7:51.  The moon set at 4:49 and rose at 7:13.

We were just tying up when I went on deck about 6.  I walked 3 laps around the Promenade deck not sure how much walking I would do in town.

My regular readers know of my obsession with Come From Away.  This was originally supposed to be the last performance in Melbourne before that production moved to Shanghai.  It has been extended a couple of weeks (presumably due to Coronavirus) with the move now to Sydney.  I had posted on my Cruise Critic roll call and one other person decided to join me.

We had also both planned on finding a church service in Melbourne and we both left the ship about 9.  Ann is primarily Episcopalian and we originally looked at a church near the Comedy Theater and an 11AM service, but Ann had been off the ship earlier and had some ideas for churches near the shuttle stop.

The first of the new possibilities was St. Paul's (Episcopal).  The services were 9 and 11 and we arrived about 9:30, far too late for the early service and too early to consider the second one.

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We hit the jackpot at our next stop.  Ann had heard from a friend in Sydney about Australia's Uniting Church (Methodist, Presbyterian, and Congregational) and we arrived about 9:45 with the service at 10.  Among the announcements in the bulletin was a noon program with a worker who had provided support to victims of the recent wildfires.  Coffee and tea were served after the service, and it turned out they were also selling items appropriate to tea service.  This took care of the need for lunch, and the presentation by a VCC (Victoria Council of Churches) representative was both moving and informative.

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It was only a few blocks to the Comedy Theater where it was time first to exchange reservations for tickets do a bit of browsing of the displays, and then find our seats.

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This was Ann's first time for Come From Away and my 10th.  One thing I found a bit disconcerting is that  the actor who played several roles including a brief reading of a speech by President Bush was completely bald.  That really seemed strange but as always the show was fabulous.  Ann is on the full world cruise and had to rush back to the ship to prepare for an onshore special dinner.  

I had a more leisurely walk back to the shuttle stop.  Chinatown was one block south of the theater.

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I went by St. Michael's again on my way back to town.

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Melbourne's train station is huge but almost all of it is inside fare gates so there was little to see except the exterior.

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I did a bit of grocery shopping on the way back, checking both Coles and Woolworths and buying at Woolworths.  I bought both Diet Coke and enough apples to get out of Australia as there were none in the buffet.  Of course they were back on the line Monday morning.  Go Figure.  The shuttle stop was just across the Yarro River from the business district.

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I was back at the shuttle stop about 5:15.  It was about 3 miles back to the ship and the first 2 ½ miles took 15 minutes and the last half mile over a half hour.  The ferry to Tasmania was docked next to QM2 and the line for cars boarding the ferry ran all the way to the end of the dock with us trapped in the queue.

It was just me and the Aussie for dinner as the other 4 were at the onshore event.  I did not see an appetizer that appealed and asked for skim milk instead, along with a steak and cherry strudel with ice cream for desert.  The milk never came but I got it at Kings Court where it is always out at the coffee stations.

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After dinner I stepped out on deck and the ferry to Tasmania was just getting underway.

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A few minutes later the sun set over the top of life boat number 3.

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The featured entertainment was the Royal Cunard Singers and Dancers with "Be Our Guest" which I believe is the standard first night show.

My parting shot will be long.  I thought it was appropriate that it was on International Women's day that I saw Come From Away once again.  One of the featured characters is American Airlines Captain Beverly Bass and the show includes her life story as well as her experiences in Gander.  There is only one vocal solo in the show and I just can't get enough of this inspiring story grounded with a sad final twist:

My parents must have thought I was a crazy kid.,
I was one of those kids who always knew what I wanted.
They took me DOWN to the airport to see all the planes departing
WATCHing them fly something in me was starting
I was EIGHT when I told them I'd be a pilot

But I was too young and too short and there were no female Captains
And my dad said be patient, he said just see what happens
When I took my first lesson, came down from the sky,
and told my father I'd fly for the rest of my life

Then I got my first job flying for a mortician
In a tiny bonanza, just the corpse and me
Five dollars an hour for flying dead bodies
I had to climb over their faces just to get to my seat.

Suddenly the wheels lift off,
the ground is falling backwards, I am suddenly alive
Suddenly I'm in the COCKPIT
Suddenly everything's changed
Suddenly I'm not too young or too short
And the passengers in the back don't complain
Suddenly I'm flying company charters, suddenly everything's high
Suddenly there's nothing in between me and the sky

American Airlines had the prettiest planes
So I applied as a flight engineer, but the World War II pilots, they all complained
They said 'Girls shouldn't be in the cockpit
Hey lady, hey baby, why don't you grab us a drink'
And the flight attendants weren't my friends back then, they said
'Are you better than us do you think'

But I kept getting hired and the World War II crew, they retired
And the girls all thought much higher of me
1986, the first female American Captain in history

Suddenly I'm in the COCKPIT
Suddenly I've got my wings
Suddenly all those pilots protesting me, well they can get their own drinks
Suddenly there's no one saying 'stay grounded', suddenly everything's high
Suddenly there's no one in between me and the sky

Suddenly I've got an all female crew
The news talked, it made headlines across the world
Suddenly it STOPPED,
no-one saying you CAN'T or you WON'T or you'll never be anything cause you're a girl

Suddenly I'm getting married, and we're putting pins in the map where we've flown
Suddenly I'm a mother and suddenly shocked at how much they've grown
Suddenly I'm wondering how my parents would feel
seeing me teaching men to be pilots
cause suddenly I'm a senior instructor, and somehow I'm 51.

Suddenly I'm flying Paris to Dallas
Across the Atlantic and feeling calm
When suddenly someone says on air to air traffic
At 8:46 there's been a terrorist action
And the one thing I love more than anything was used as the BOMB

(slowly)

Suddenly I'm in a hotel
Suddenly something has died
Suddenly there's something in between me and the sky

A belated happy International Women's Day to all the ladies.

Roy

 

[rafinmd]

16 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

Good grief, I hope they found a donor!

 

11 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

Hope you have a good cruise on QM2, Roy.  Is there any talk of the Coronavirus?  Someone on my roll call for our next (maybe?) cruise said today they are returning from Europe on Cunard, and Cunard is not offering any form of cancellation rebate, or, as HAL is doing, a FCC for the amount of the cruise, if one cancels before March 31.

Found a number of donors.  Very little discussion of Coronavirus on board.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Day QM2-3, Monday, March 9, 2020, At sea, Queen Mary 2

The Crystal Serenity starts an overnight call in Cairns.  The sun rose at 7:15 and set at 8:11.  The moon set at 6:06 and rose at 8:14.

I'll start with another comparison photo.  I had mentioned getting a pretty extreme haircut in Sydney.  There was 40 days of hair growth after the Serenity photo that was more than gone when I boarded QM2.

https://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2020/03/boarding.jpg

It was dark when I started my 5-lap early walk around the promenade deck.  I stopped about a half hour before sunrise with some decent color in the sky because a load of laundry on my agenda.

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The laundries are open 7:30AM to 9PM but are usually opened up a few minutes early.  There's often a line waiting so I arrived about 15 minutes early.  I was alone when the attendant came but while most of the rooms have 4 sets of machines I found only 2 on deck 8.

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My shipboard activities began with Graham's talk on Fremantle at 9:15.  There was a bit of a break at 10 before Olympian Rechelle Hawkes spoke at 11 on what it takes to sustain success based on the many highs and lows of her career.

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In his noon update Captain Hashmi updated us on the medical emergency as we approached Melbourne.  He said the patient was offloaded without incident and is stable in the hospital.

I got lunch again at the Boardwalk Café.  In what seemed a bit of an odd scheduling move Stuart Usher had a 12:15 talk "Holdout-Surviving for the Emperor".  I did not go and as of 4:20PM Tuesday have not found it in replay, but there is still hope.  I did get to Andrew Jarrett's 1:30 talk on what can go wrong in tennis (bad behavior on the court and in the stands).

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The last talk of the day was Judy Hinchcliffe on Body Snatchers and Murder, the 19th century practice of robbing graves to provide cadavers for medical schools which in a couple of cases progressed to murder for the same purpose.

The Welcome Aboard party for those of us boarding in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne was held before dinner.  Captain Hashmi added that there were about 30 responses to his 2AM request for blood donors.

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There were 4 of us at Table 211 (I'm told the other couple rarely shows up on Gala nights).  I went to the always available selection for a salad and included the lamb duo and carrot cake a la mode.

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I just missed sunset but the sky was still quite pretty from the promenade deck on the way back to my room.  The moon rose above lifeboat number 3 about 8:30.

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The featured entertainment was a new act to me, singer Lisa Crouch.  She did a variety of music and was very good.  

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The Black and White ball was just getting started in the Queens Room as the show opened.  I dropped by only briefly.

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We gained a half hour as we moved to the local time for Adelaide.  As a parting shot, Stuart Usher's program on Japanese holdouts did come into the rotation just before 5PM Tuesday.  Sometimes fact is stronger than fiction.

Roy