Resilient Lady in Sydney today - December 2023

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Resilient Lady arriving in to Sydney for the very first time this afternoon:

 

Resilient Lady is in Sydney till the 7th December 2023, according Sydney Ports.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wonder if that is Richard Branson on that boat in the screen shot below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2023 by Kiwi_cruiser

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Resilient Lady this evening:

 

[ozdevil]

The Man  himself below   
  

[MicCanberra]

Welcome 

[MMDown Under]

So excited to see Resilient Lady on her inaugural visit to Sydney. I chose my cruise, departing Auckland on an eleven day cruise to Melbourne, because it will be staying two nights in Sydney.  How special is that!!   She also stops for two nights at Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty in NZ.  I am a destination cruiser, rather than a cruiser where the ship is the destination.  But, with this unique cruise ship, I suspect I might become both.   I'm impressed so far.  I needed to contact Guest Service three times during the booking process and the three different staff members gave the impression it was a pleasure to serve me. I have never laughed so much completing a cruise booking on line.  Just saw an interview between Nat and Sir Richard Branson, who said there were 72 different nationalities on board, I hope they have given these young staff lessons on understanding Aussie lingo, as cruising Down Under is going to be a wonderful adventure for them and their passengers.

We are currently translating for a Victorian.   

"Have you had a dip?" (as it is really hot at present)

"Do you mean hummus?"

"No, have you had a dip in the pool to cool down?"

There is a long list, with lots of laughter in our household.

This thread is full of helpful cruisers willing to share the differences between the States in the same country.   

 

 

[MMDown Under]

Just saw a young couple who won a cruise on Resilient Lady, 

They thanked Channel 7

They thanked Virgin 

Lastly they thanked their parents for minding their children.

Sounded like a couple you'd listen to, not an influencer couple.

[colourbird]

We've got a dinner on board tonight. Looking forward to looking around the ship.

 

Not sure why cruise ships don't have more of these events where the public can book a ticket to go onboard and check them out.

 

I'd like to take some friends who won't go on a cruise on to one so they can see what a ship is really like.

[Jean C]

3 minutes ago, colourbird said:

We've got a dinner on board tonight. Looking forward to looking around the ship.

 

Not sure why cruise ships don't have more of these events where the public can book a ticket to go onboard and check them out.

 

I'd like to take some friends who won't go on a cruise on to one so they can see what a ship is really like.

Hahaha, it's usually those most resistant to the thought of a cruise holiday who end up enjoying it the most!

[MMDown Under]

2 minutes ago, colourbird said:

We've got a dinner on board tonight. Looking forward to looking around the ship.

 

Not sure why cruise ships don't have more of these events where the public can book a ticket to go onboard and check them out.

 

I'd like to take some friends who won't go on a cruise on to one so they can see what a ship is really like.

I think it is an excellent idea.  I have taken both my girls on a cruise and offered a cruise on Resilient Lady, but neither were interested.  Virgin Voyages are so different, some people just need to see for themselves.

[bretts173]

3 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

So excited to see Resilient Lady on her inaugural visit to Sydney. I chose my cruise, departing Auckland on an eleven day cruise to Melbourne, because it will be staying two nights in Sydney.  How special is that!!   She also stops for two nights at Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty in NZ.  I am a destination cruiser, rather than a cruiser where the ship is the destination.  But, with this unique cruise ship, I suspect I might become both.   I'm impressed so far.  I needed to contact Guest Service three times during the booking process and the three different staff members gave the impression it was a pleasure to serve me. I have never laughed so much completing a cruise booking on line.  Just saw an interview between Nat and Sir Richard Branson, who said there were 72 different nationalities on board, I hope they have given these young staff lessons on understanding Aussie lingo, as cruising Down Under is going to be a wonderful adventure for them and their passengers.

We are currently translating for a Victorian.   

"Have you had a dip?" (as it is really hot at present)

"Do you mean hummus?"

"No, have you had a dip in the pool to cool down?"

There is a long list, with lots of laughter in our household.

This thread is full of helpful cruisers willing to share the differences between the States in the same country.   

 

 

Prefer the hummus, that pool is less than impressive.

[MMDown Under]

3 minutes ago, bretts173 said:

Prefer the hummus, that pool is less than impressive.

The girl makes delicious hummus, so she thought I wanted some. ha ha

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, colourbird said:

We've got a dinner on board tonight. Looking forward to looking around the ship.

 

Not sure why cruise ships don't have more of these events where the public can book a ticket to go onboard and check them out.

 

I'd like to take some friends who won't go on a cruise on to one so they can see what a ship is really like.

If they need to promote themselves, I agree.

 

Pre-covid, I have had a free tour and lunch aboard 1/2 dozen ships. I don't think it was covid that stopped it, but some travel agents started selling these lunches instead of just using them as a promotional tool.

 

As for giving over an event instead of a night of cruising, average price of a bed of $250 times 3000+ passengers is 3/4's of a million, plus no casino or duty-free sales.

[Zanny]

5 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

So excited to see Resilient Lady on her inaugural visit to Sydney. I chose my cruise, departing Auckland on an eleven day cruise to Melbourne, because it will be staying two nights in Sydney.  How special is that!!   She also stops for two nights at Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty in NZ.  I am a destination cruiser, rather than a cruiser where the ship is the destination.  But, with this unique cruise ship, I suspect I might become both.   I'm impressed so far.  I needed to contact Guest Service three times during the booking process and the three different staff members gave the impression it was a pleasure to serve me. I have never laughed so much completing a cruise booking on line.  Just saw an interview between Nat and Sir Richard Branson, who said there were 72 different nationalities on board, I hope they have given these young staff lessons on understanding Aussie lingo, as cruising Down Under is going to be a wonderful adventure for them and their passengers.

We are currently translating for a Victorian.   

"Have you had a dip?" (as it is really hot at present)

"Do you mean hummus?"

"No, have you had a dip in the pool to cool down?"

There is a long list, with lots of laughter in our household.

This thread is full of helpful cruisers willing to share the differences between the States in the same country.   

 

 

We are onlvthis cruise also if it's the one in mid Jan looking forward to the new experience. 

Regards Zanny

[MicCanberra]

Enjoy, 

[gbenjo]

6 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

So excited to see Resilient Lady on her inaugural visit to Sydney. I chose my cruise, departing Auckland on an eleven day cruise to Melbourne, because it will be staying two nights in Sydney.  How special is that!!   She also stops for two nights at Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty in NZ.  I am a destination cruiser, rather than a cruiser where the ship is the destination.  But, with this unique cruise ship, I suspect I might become both.   I'm impressed so far.  I needed to contact Guest Service three times during the booking process and the three different staff members gave the impression it was a pleasure to serve me. I have never laughed so much completing a cruise booking on line.  Just saw an interview between Nat and Sir Richard Branson, who said there were 72 different nationalities on board, I hope they have given these young staff lessons on understanding Aussie lingo, as cruising Down Under is going to be a wonderful adventure for them and their passengers.

We are currently translating for a Victorian.   

"Have you had a dip?" (as it is really hot at present)

"Do you mean hummus?"

"No, have you had a dip in the pool to cool down?"

There is a long list, with lots of laughter in our household.

This thread is full of helpful cruisers willing to share the differences between the States in the same country.   

 

 

They ( Virgin)  have quite a few unique terms they use ie, sailor not guest as well as rock star and mega rock star for those in suites. Ahoy sailor in lieu  of hello, first mate not travel agent and you did not speak to guest services, you spoke to sailor services. They are also very environmentally aware, the reason there is no buffet on board is because they are aware of the food wasted and instead have twenty or so “eateries” that serve food to order and no designated main dining room. There are also no specialty restaurants as we know them but may have certain items on a particular menu that you would pay extra for.You cannot buy a plastic bottle of water on board , instead they have water stations and glasses, you can, of course, fill your own reusable water bottle. The coffee they serve on board is purchased only from producers who practice sustainable methods  and even the hammocks on all the balconies are made by, and have a link back to, the person who  made it in Thailand (sorry,  I might have the country wrong) . There is no drink package available, however you can put money into a bar tab and they usually have a deal where you pay, say, two hundred dollars and you may get $50 or whatever is on offer extra and drink prices are cheaper than other lines.Their whole concept is innovative  and makes a lot of sense and it will be interesting to see how  they are received in Australia.

It will be interesting to how their greeting   “Ahoy Sailor”  is accepted in Australia, considering the “hello sailor “ connotation.. 😂😂

[MMDown Under]

11 minutes ago, gbenjo said:

They ( Virgin)  have quite a few unique terms they use ie, sailor not guest as well as rock star and mega rock star for those in suites. Ahoy sailor in lieu  of hello, first mate not travel agent and you did not speak to guest services, you spoke to sailor services. They are also very environmentally aware, the reason there is no buffet on board is because they are aware of the food wasted and instead have twenty or so “eateries” that serve food to order and no designated main dining room. There are also no specialty restaurants as we know them but may have certain items on a particular menu that you would pay extra for.You cannot buy a plastic bottle of water on board , instead they have water stations and glasses, you can, of course, fill your own reusable water bottle. The coffee they serve on board is purchased only from producers who practice sustainable methods  and even the hammocks on all the balconies are made by, and have a link back to, the person who  made it in Thailand (sorry,  I might have the country wrong) . There is no drink package available, however you can put money into a bar tab and they usually have a deal where you pay, say, two hundred dollars and you may get $50 or whatever is on offer extra and drink prices are cheaper than other lines.Their whole concept is innovative  and makes a lot of sense and it will be interesting to see how  they are received in Australia.

It will be interesting to how their greeting   “Ahoy Sailor”  is accepted in Australia, considering the “hello sailor “ connotation.. 😂😂

Yes, I noticed all the different terms which I booked in on line.  When you are done, you are the Captain.

I have never laughed so much doing a routine task. I had to phone Sailor Services three times and they were all friendly and helpful.  I noticed on one restaurant table booking,  a game was played, which should liven things up. Also no problem with singles, doubles and groups.  They just fill the table until it is filled, then continue on.  

[MicCanberra]

1 hour ago, gbenjo said:

They ( Virgin)  have quite a few unique terms they use ie, sailor not guest as well as rock star and mega rock star for those in suites. Ahoy sailor in lieu  of hello, first mate not travel agent and you did not speak to guest services, you spoke to sailor services. They are also very environmentally aware, the reason there is no buffet on board is because they are aware of the food wasted and instead have twenty or so “eateries” that serve food to order and no designated main dining room. There are also no specialty restaurants as we know them but may have certain items on a particular menu that you would pay extra for.You cannot buy a plastic bottle of water on board , instead they have water stations and glasses, you can, of course, fill your own reusable water bottle. The coffee they serve on board is purchased only from producers who practice sustainable methods  and even the hammocks on all the balconies are made by, and have a link back to, the person who  made it in Thailand (sorry,  I might have the country wrong) . There is no drink package available, however you can put money into a bar tab and they usually have a deal where you pay, say, two hundred dollars and you may get $50 or whatever is on offer extra and drink prices are cheaper than other lines.Their whole concept is innovative  and makes a lot of sense and it will be interesting to see how  they are received in Australia.

It will be interesting to how their greeting   “Ahoy Sailor”  is accepted in Australia, considering the “hello sailor “ connotation.. 😂😂

I have heard they even recycle the check-in people, reused RCI check-in staff

[gbenjo]

Just now, MicCanberra said:

I have heard they even recycle the check-in people, reused RCI check-in staff

Hello Sailor 😂😂😂😂…………you know what I mean 😉😉  not recycled……..revitalised……….I was going to say updated,  but I knew what you would  do with  that. 😱

[possum52]

8 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

 

We are currently translating for a Victorian.   

"Have you had a dip?" (as it is really hot at present)

"Do you mean hummus?"

"No, have you had a dip in the pool to cool down?"

 

How old is this Victorian? Referring to dip to cool down is a saying I grew up with in Victoria, either in the pool, river or beach. 

[arxcards]

13 minutes ago, gbenjo said:

Hello Sailor 😂😂😂😂…………you know what I mean 😉😉  not recycled……..revitalised……….I was going to say updated,  but I knew what you would  do with  that. 😱

Do you get a sailor's cap and a cravat for your uniform?

 

Apart from the language, most of this stuff isn't brand new and has been tried on one brand or another. I like the no botted water move. Having fill stations is nothing new, but some passengers/sailors/cruislings will only trust it coming from a sealed container, especially if it is just chilled ship water.

[gbenjo]

27 minutes ago, arxcards said:

Do you get a sailor's cap and a cravat for your uniform?

 

Apart from the language, most of this stuff isn't brand new and has been tried on one brand or another. I like the no botted water move. Having fill stations is nothing new, but some passengers/sailors/cruislings will only trust it coming from a sealed container, especially if it is just chilled ship water.

Oh well, who was it that said, you can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time but you can’ t please all of the people all of  the time. If some one wont go on a cruise because of a glass of water  then that is their problem and would not really be missed ( in my  opinion).

[arxcards]

56 minutes ago, gbenjo said:

Oh well, who was it that said, you can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time but you can’ t please all of the people all of  the time. If some one wont go on a cruise because of a glass of water  then that is their problem and would not really be missed ( in my  opinion).

All good. I applaud their stance on single use plastics. Was just pointing out that the water stations are nothing new. Virgin's point of difference is they have just taken away the choice on their sailors' behalf. The stuff I drink comes in glass, so it bothers me not.

[MMDown Under]

2 hours ago, possum52 said:

How old is this Victorian? Referring to dip to cool down is a saying I grew up with in Victoria, either in the pool, river or beach. 

40 ish. She might have just misunderstood me. 

[yarramar]

I remember seeing off relatives going on cruises when young. We would all go on board and explore the ship, partake in refreshments etc. and when the ship was about to sail away, we would head down the gangplanks, and watch as she sailed, throwing streamers at the ship while passengers also threw them to us.

Ahh, those were the days.🥲

[MMDown Under]

2 hours ago, yarramar said:

I remember seeing off relatives going on cruises when young. We would all go on board and explore the ship, partake in refreshments etc. and when the ship was about to sail away, we would head down the gangplanks, and watch as she sailed, throwing streamers at the ship while passengers also threw them to us.

Ahh, those were the days.🥲

Yes, it was a real event enhanced by music.  Because my first cruise was the back half of a world cruise, I experienced the streamer farewell at Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland.