Rare erewhon Posted March 31, 2023 #26 Share Posted March 31, 2023 Watching Noordam sailing past, she is well lit up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boeckli Posted March 31, 2023 #27 Share Posted March 31, 2023 Noordam leaving Port Chalmers (from Royal albatross cam) 6 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea42 Posted March 31, 2023 #28 Share Posted March 31, 2023 13 minutes ago, boeckli said: Noordam leaving Port Chalmers (from Royal albatross cam) What a wonderful photo! Thanks for sharing it! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozcruizer Posted April 1, 2023 #29 Share Posted April 1, 2023 We've done a few cruises on the Noordam including New Zealand. We also cruised from Honolulu to Sydney in 2015, its inaugural voyage to Australia. Love New Zealand and hope to do yet another cruise there when the Noordam returns next season. We like the size of the Vista ships. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozcruizer Posted April 1, 2023 #30 Share Posted April 1, 2023 We've done a few cruises on the Noordam including New Zealand. We also cruised from Honolulu to Sydney in 2015, its inaugural voyage to Australia. Love New Zealand and hope to do yet another cruise there when the Noordam returns next season. We like the size of the Vista ships. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Pete Cruiser Posted April 4, 2023 Author #31 Share Posted April 4, 2023 On 4/1/2023 at 2:34 AM, boeckli said: Noordam leaving Port Chalmers (from Royal albatross cam) It was a nice sailaway from Pt Chalmers as the ship hugs the port side of the channel leaving. We stayed outside on deck 10 to watch until we came to the ocean where we saw numerous albatross. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Pete Cruiser Posted April 4, 2023 Author #32 Share Posted April 4, 2023 We rounded the southern tip of the south island of NZ enroute to Dusky Sound. It was rather rough waters with clouds, but the good ship Noordam under Captain Pieter Bant entered Dusky. We passed in and out a different sound giving good views with limited sun. Much to our disappointment, we could not enter Doubtful Sound as the winds had increased to 50 knots. We continued on to Milford Sound and with less wind and better visabilty, Noordam entered Milford. I found deck 9 forward was a great spot for viewing, and the bow was open there, too. We spun near the end of the deep sound and quickly the wind and heavy hit. Milford is very narrow for a ship the size of Noordam. We saw several small tour boats. Near the exit to the Tasman Sea, the pilot left us and to my delight we blew some very good toots as we left New Zealand. 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Pete Cruiser Posted April 6, 2023 Author #33 Share Posted April 6, 2023 After leaving Milford Sound, our next port was Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Two sea days crossing was a little bumpy, but most of us did just fine. Hobart was an enjoyable beginning to Australia and proved to be walkable from the dock. We especially enjoyed the Royal Botanical Gardens. 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StLouisCruisers Posted April 6, 2023 #34 Share Posted April 6, 2023 4 minutes ago, St Pete Cruiser said: After leaving Milford Sound, our next port was Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Two sea days crossing was a little bumpy, but most of us did just fine. Hobart was an enjoyable beginning to Australia and proved to be walkable from the dock. We especially enjoyed the Royal Botanical Gardens. Ahh! One of my favorite botanical gardens too! Do you remember I featured them when Hobart was Port of the Day on the Fleet Report and Daily. I'm glad you decided on seeing it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdw1972 Posted April 6, 2023 #35 Share Posted April 6, 2023 Your photos are beautiful - definitely making me put this cruise on my bucket list! Sue/WDW1972 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aitchgeye Posted April 6, 2023 #36 Share Posted April 6, 2023 I am interested in your blog, as I hope to travel from Australia to Vancouver. But in the meantime, people following the blog may be interested in travelling independently in Melbourne. Melbourne '"Downtown" is near the port and accessible by tram- need a Myki card Attend an Australian Football League game at the MCG (preferably) or other venues. Visit the Botanic Gardens, National Gallery of Victoria, Victoria Market (food and souvenirs) Day trips- accessible by train Visit Ballarat or Bendigo- train travel in Victoria is super cheap, and you can purchase Myki cards at Southern Cross station. Ballarat is known for Sovereign Hill, and also has a decent wildlife park. Get a taxi when you get there. Bendigo is a lovely gold mining town, that is beautiful to walk around. The Great Ocean Road trip is awesome, but if you choose to complete the whole circuit that includes Port Campbell it will be a long and rushed day. Consider hiring a car, and travelling just to Lorne and back. Over Easter this journey will be very very slow due to vacationers heading to the coast. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Pete Cruiser Posted April 7, 2023 Author #37 Share Posted April 7, 2023 I will be posting pics of Melbourne later as I get wifi. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Pete Cruiser Posted April 8, 2023 Author #38 Share Posted April 8, 2023 After Hobart, a day at sea and then Melbourne. Crossing thru a rather narrow entrance you must sail to the far side to see Melbourne. We docked at Port Melbourne and walked into the city along a mostly green space walkway. Melbourne features a free zone CBD tram, which many of used as a hop on hop off tram. Melbourne is a city of 5 million and you must target what you want to see. Our favorites were the Art Museum and Royal Botanical Gardens. At 6:30 , the good ship Noordam left for our final Australian port, Sydney. 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boeckli Posted April 8, 2023 #39 Share Posted April 8, 2023 2 hours ago, St Pete Cruiser said: After Hobart, a day at sea and then Melbourne. Crossing thru a rather narrow entrance you must sail to the far side to see Melbourne. We docked at Port Melbourne and walked into the city along a mostly green space walkway. Melbourne features a free zone CBD tram, which many of used as a hop on hop off tram. Melbourne is a city of 5 million and you must target what you want to see. Our favorites were the Art Museum and Royal Botanical Gardens. At 6:30 , the good ship Noordam left for our final Australian port, Sydney. Thanks for sharing your photos. Are you saying you walked all the way into the city centre? Why not take the bus or tram? Hope you're enjoying your stay here in Sydney today. I see you were lucky and docked at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, which is so much more convenient for sightseeing than the alternative (White Bay). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Pete Cruiser Posted April 8, 2023 Author #40 Share Posted April 8, 2023 1 hour ago, boeckli said: Thanks for sharing your photos. Are you saying you walked all the way into the city centre? Why not take the bus or tram? Hope you're enjoying your stay here in Sydney today. I see you were lucky and docked at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, which is so much more convenient for sightseeing than the alternative (White Bay). Thanks! We needed the exercise and enjoyed seeing the city on foot. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colbe Posted April 8, 2023 #41 Share Posted April 8, 2023 1 hour ago, St Pete Cruiser said: Thanks! We needed the exercise and enjoyed seeing the city on foot. The Sydney Harbour was so busy today. So many different craft. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StLouisCruisers Posted April 8, 2023 #42 Share Posted April 8, 2023 9 hours ago, St Pete Cruiser said: Thanks! We needed the exercise and enjoyed seeing the city on foot. We have walked to downtown Melbourne before using that mostly pedestrian walkway. It's along the tram tracks most of the time as I recall. You really do need the exercise once in a while to combat all that food on the ship! Good for you! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#55worktoplay Posted April 9, 2023 #43 Share Posted April 9, 2023 (edited) @St Pete Cruiser Your pictures are absolutely stunning. I will be interested in following the rest of your journey. Thx Edited April 9, 2023 by #55worktoplay 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Pete Cruiser Posted April 11, 2023 Author #44 Share Posted April 11, 2023 After Melbourne was Sydney, the real Sydney, not the one in Nova Scotia that I have been to several times. We got up early to watch the sail in at 6am. Magnificent! It was a beautiful clear day. The Opera House, the Botanical Gardens, Hyde Park, Darlington Harbour and the Overseas Terminal area, which is the prime dock between the Bridge and Opera House with all the ferries coming and going. Sailaway was the best ever with Captain Pieter Bant using the horn to the max as it echoed off the high rise towers of Sydney. I'll try to post the pics as I can. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Pete Cruiser Posted April 11, 2023 Author #45 Share Posted April 11, 2023 From arrival to sailaway, a beautiful day in Sydney. The best way to see Sydney your first time! 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare erewhon Posted April 11, 2023 #46 Share Posted April 11, 2023 Yes, it's well worth getting up to enjoy the sail into Sydney, pleased that the weather was good for you. Thanks for sharing your photos. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boulders Posted April 12, 2023 #47 Share Posted April 12, 2023 Thanks for your report! I'll be doing the reverse cruise (San Diego to Auckland) in the fall. What are the fixed dining times in the evening? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highscar Posted April 12, 2023 #48 Share Posted April 12, 2023 Fixed dinning is 8pm. We have tried on each ship to have an earlier time to no avail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cunnorl Posted April 13, 2023 #49 Share Posted April 13, 2023 Thanks for the report and the pictures. Brings back great memories. I was on the Noordam in the fall for 85 days. Loved the ship and hard working crew. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Pete Cruiser Posted April 13, 2023 Author #50 Share Posted April 13, 2023 22 hours ago, boulders said: Thanks for your report! I'll be doing the reverse cruise (San Diego to Auckland) in the fall. What are the fixed dining times in the evening? On this cruise it is 5:30 and 7:30. We have the later, with excellent service. Our server has been with the company many years. Wine sommelier started on Rotterdam V over 30 years ago. Many of us asked cruise director for port talks to resume and they have! Fiji today, and I will try to post pics if I can get good wifi, which is not easy here in the South Pacific. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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