Live on Edge Down Under - Mar 24 & Apr 5 - NZ and S Australia 🛳️🇦🇺🦘🇳🇿🥝🛳️

[81Zoomie]

16 hours ago, TheHawk1 said:

Does the ship not turn around and go back the same way out of the sound? I’ve booked an SV and am expecting to get good views and pictures on the return portion? 

You make a very good point.  However, time of day and weather conditions pay a roll.  We had great weather, nearly perfect, but we didn’t enter the sound until 4:30 pm.  This made shadows an issue as time went on.  Additionally, due to the medical emergency on board, we stayed stationary at the end (most inland point) of the sound for nearly two hours.  It was 7:30 pm and dark before we exited.  
 

Hopefully your SV ❤️ works out well for you on your cruise!

[jamscckmc]

Is it just me or are you hearing coughing everywhere? Especially noticed it on the excursion buses and in the theater. Lots on the previous cruise report + Covid. Avoiding the buffet but can’t help being on a bus full of sick people. 

[Boatharbour]

30 minutes ago, TheHawk1 said:

Does the ship not turn around and go back the same way out of the sound? I’ve booked an SV and am expecting to get good views and pictures on the return portion? 

We assumed the same, but the ship sailed through two sounds yesterday without turning around. It was only in Milford Sound that we went back the same way. Once you’re in the sounds though you’ll still get good pictures from the aft and magnificent views as you sail along the coast line. 

[Suzi66]

A lot of cruises have Milford Sound as the first one that you enter.  Often the itinerary is Sydney, Sounds, Dunedin etc and so Milford is in the morning.

 

[81Zoomie]

6 hours ago, jamscckmc said:

Is it just me or are you hearing coughing everywhere? Especially noticed it on the excursion buses and in the theater. Lots on the previous cruise report + Covid. Avoiding the buffet but can’t help being on a bus full of sick people. 

We have brought CV home as a souvenir from 2 cruises over the past 2 years.  Just got our newest boosters and are hoping for the best.  Same with flu and RSV.  You can only do so much. Wash your hands and don’t touch your face. We packed masks just in case we need them.  Unfortunately we will never be as carefree as in 2019.  We want to travel before the next crisis, whatever that might be.  Everyone has to do what they are comfortable with and hopefully be considerate of others ❤️.

[hcat]

10 hours ago, 81Zoomie said:

In between sounds we decided it was time to pay to play so to speak.  In our case it was burn some calories in the gym to allow for those desserts ands beverages!  💪 🏃‍♂️Best views in gyms are usually in cruise ships!  I snapped a pic from the cardio machines in the sound.  It doesn’t get much than this to pass the time while exercising.

We are so lucky with the weather!  Milford sound had phenomenal weather with little or no wind!  These fjords have a different look than those in Alaska and Norway.  Since it had been fairly dry, there were very few waterfalls. Sitting up top was a wonderful way to pass the afternoon.  The vistas were stunning!

 

 

If photography is important to you, here is a major hint. 📸🎥🤳📷  The only unobstructed forward view on the ship with no glass wind breaks is the Thermal Spa sun deck.  We saw folks out there earlier in the day.  The spa attendants guarded it like it was Ft Knox. 🔐🔒🔑🔐. Literally with lock and key.  No thermal spa pass, no Aqua cabin/suite, no upper suite, NO ACCESS.  I tried…. The fjords are quite narrow.  The only options for forward looking pics are between the wind breaks or sliding your phone sideways out the glass.  It made getting landscape photos difficult.  One man had a tall telescoping monopole and her extended his camera above the glass.  If photographs are really important to you, book your cabin class accordingly.

 

We ended up in the end of the sound for an extended period of time, nearly 2 hours.  Unfortunately, someone was quite ill and needed medical evacuation .  They were taken by tender to shore and then to a hospital.  
 

It was now time for dinner!  
 

 

DH had the soup and the duck breast.  I had the kale salad and the veal cannellini.  We opted for the Opulance Cabernet (+$10 per glass) again this evening.  Life is too short to drink bad wine 🍷🍷!  The appetizers were good and DH enjoyed his duck.  The veal in the cannoli was shredded and not nearly as tender as the veal cheeks the other night.  I needed a knife to cut them, which is a bit for pasta. 🍝🍝

 

 

 

No meal on vacation is complete without dessert 🍨 🍰🥮🧁. DH ordered the chocolate Neapolitan and I had the hazelnut cake.

 

 

We went to the game show in The Club to pass a bit of time.  It was fun and we participated!  DH was actually a semi finalist.  Nope, we didn’t win a t-shirt 🤷‍♀️.

 

We went to see the show this evening.  It was the NZ singer Will Martin.  He is a very talented vocalist! 🎶🎤🎵

 

 

This concludes another great day on Edge.  Bonus, we get to set the clocks back one hour tonight! 

more great photos.. You have a  good perspective indoors,  and of course the outdoor vistas are  stunnnng! Interestingcommentary.

 

i did not have a chance to ask..why is so much wood/ logs exported to China?  Hope some limits apply!

[Norwaylady]

You hit the jackpot 🎰 for weather! 
Greate pictures🤩 We truly felt at home in the sounds😁 NZ is magical🤩

 

CD Giuseppe is a one of a kind🥰 

Looking forward for next week🥳

[maggie.1008]

Are they offering a few nights when Elite lounge is open? Where is it held? Seems S Class ships have a better location for a Elite happy hour.

 understands happy hour is at most bar’s between 5-7

[Jim_Iain]

Still enjoying all the memories your photos bring back.    Loved the Fjords and had an equally nice day.  

[81Zoomie]

22 hours ago, maggie.1008 said:

Are they offering a few nights when Elite lounge is open? Where is it held? Seems S Class ships have a better location for a Elite happy hour.

 understands happy hour is at most bar’s between 5-7

Elite HH is every night except the first night in most bars.  We did see one Elite HH lounge gathering in The Club.  There were very few people in there and there was no atmosphere, so we moved on.  Just my perspective, but recreating the Elite Happy Hour Mingle/Get Together is a bit more challenging on E class because there are fewer bar locations inside.  Martini bar, Eden, Al Bacho are all very busy.  That is probably why The Club was selected.

[Georgia_Peaches]

15 minutes ago, 81Zoomie said:

Just my perspective, but recreating the Elite Happy Hour Mingle/Get Together is a bit more challenging on E class because there are fewer bar locations inside.

Speaking of bars...Ascent and Beyond have a world class bar one deck up from the martini bar that overlooks the entire space.  What is located in that area on Edge?

[81Zoomie]

17 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Speaking of bars...Ascent and Beyond have a world class bar one deck up from the martini bar that overlooks the entire space.  What is located in that area on Edge?

I think it is Petite Chef and Raw on 5.  They close off Petite Chef with folding door ala IV cabins.  There are a few low tables and chairs there for additional leisure seating.  Definitely no World Class bar.  I will look today to confirm.

[81Zoomie]

We had booked Le Petite Chef pre cruise.  Actually, DH booked it because we have never been.  I was a little less keen on the idea, but life is about compromise ❤️.  We did stop by the LPC Podium the day prior to ask whether they could accommodate my food allergy.  If not, no harm, we would eat elsewhere.  We were assured it would be no issue.  I asked if I had to preorder and was told no.  They accommodate all the time. I recommend you get specific with them before because it wasn’t that accommodating.

 

It was an early eating dinner time for us at 5:30.  Looking around, only about 60% of the seats were occupied. There are 2 menus and you can mix and max.   Between 5:30 and 6 pm the music from the martini bar area was overpowering.  Fortunately, the band stopped playing when dinner began.

 

 

The cartoon animation was very cute. It would be very entertaining for children. DH had the Menu Extrodinaire. I had to eat The Other Menu because everything is sautéed in soybean oil.  They did accommodate me with a fabulous filet and asparagus for my entree 😍😋😍.

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the animation stills …

 

For us, it was one and done.  Cute novelty, but nothing that would make us desire to do it again. 🧑‍🍳👩‍🍳👨‍🍳🥳🧞‍♂️. However, if you want to experience something a bit different, give it a try.

 

 

 

[81Zoomie]

Finished eating early we had the opportunity to make the early show!  The theatre was packed.  It was Jessica Jane Peterson the magician and illusionist.  A photography restriction was in place for the performance, hence no pictures.  She was quite good.  In addition to the Magic, there were what were described as high risk stunts.  She walked on glass, ate razor blades, and wiggled out of a straight jacket while hanging upside down. 🪄🪄🪄  At least that is what we think we saw 🤓😀🤓

 

 

We attended the Yes-No game show in The Club.  🎤🎙️🎤  Giuseppe and his sidekick are always very entertaining. 🤣🤭😆 A few guests managed to avoid saying YES of NO for 3 minutes of questioning and won t-shirts. 👕👕. Maybe on the next voyage I will give it a go???

 

 

We were ready for a night cap and quiet.  We headed up to the Retreat and it was an ideal setting for both!  We unwound and enjoyed our beverages 🍸🥃.  Another bonus hour as we are setting our clocks back one hour again!

 

Edited April 4 by 81Zoomie

[81Zoomie]

On 4/3/2024 at 5:29 AM, hcat said:

more great photos.. You have a  good perspective indoors,  and of course the outdoor vistas are  stunnnng! Interestingcommentary.

 

i did not have a chance to ask..why is so much wood/ logs exported to China?  Hope some limits apply!

Great question!  My thought is perhaps proximity?  I cannot say with certainty.  We were told that over 99% of exported lumber goes to China.

[81Zoomie]

Day 12 - Tasman Sea.

 

This is the last day of the 12 Night NZ cruise.  We did rock a bit overnight, but the wind seems to have calmed somewhat and the temperature is closer to 70 deg.  Yes, the sun has even returned ☀️🕶️☀️.  Still rolling with 10-12 foot (2.5-3 m) swells.

 

 

I had a craving for a coffee this morning.  I popped up to the OV early, before 7.  Avoiding the Lavazza 😝, I made a cafe mocha with instant coffee and hot chocolate.  Then we opted to go to Tuscan for the CC/elite breakfast.  It was sleepy quiet down there.  The wait staff was delighted with the light crowd and also their extra hour of sleep 😴 .  We had a fairly small bite with mostly fruit.

 

 

 

We attended the lecture about the early day of sea exploration around Australia.  We find the speaker very informative and knowledgeable.

 

 

The lecture was about an hour and the ship was bobbing a bit.  It was apparent that my extra light breakfast might have been a mistake. 😵‍💫🤢. We went up to the OV where I grabbed 2 rolls and a coke. Much better.  For added insurance I had Bonine for dessert.  Better safe than sorry 👍.

 

It is turning into a lovely day.  There are lots of activities including the officers vs passenger volleyball game, Bingo, and a production cast show.  Due to Australian restrictions, sale of liquor and cigarettes in the shops has been stopped.  Bars are still open and alcoholic beverages are available.

 

 

 

Edited April 4 by 81Zoomie

[81Zoomie]

20 hours ago, 81Zoomie said:

I think it is Petite Chef and Raw on 5.  They close off Petite Chef with folding door ala IV cabins.  There are a few low tables and chairs there for additional leisure seating.  Definitely no World Class bar.  I will look today to confirm.

@Georgia_Peaches, I didn’t get it quite correct.  On one side, deck 4 is Le Petite Chef with the casino bar adjacent.  Fine Cut is on deck 5.

 

 

One the other side, cafe Al Bacho is on deck 4, Raw on 5 is on deck 5.

 

[81Zoomie]

Another example of what a difference a day makes 😁.  This is our favorite location at sea no matter the cruise line, name of the sea/ocean, or ship ❤️😍❤️.

 

 

Yep, no toe polish 💅👣 😬.  Since we were going to be in cooler weather, I didn’t bring sandals, only flip flops 🩴🩴, for the days.  
 

Speaking of shoes, etc., some have asked about the evening dress code.  This sign is posted outside the sit down restaurants.

 

 

Is it enforced you ask?  It appears to be up to the discretion of the person at the podium/maitre’d.  In Luminae, one particular passenger wears a Celebrity ship picture t-shirt nearly every night.  This is an observation, not a judgement.  Our dining experience is not affected by what others wear 👗👚👖👕👔.

Moving on from clothes is laundry.  This will be our first cruise over 14 days.  We preceded it with 8 days on shore.  Laundry takes a bit of creativity.  DH is comfortable sending his laundry out.  It’s amazing how much he can cram into those small bags. 🧺🧺. It is wash and fold ship laundry, no hang or press.  However, I packed mostly lighter jersey polyester/spandex blends.  Dryers are not kind to them.  So, handwashing and hang dry a little at a time is my gig. A little shower gel and soak. Swish it around a bit with your hand.

 

 

Rinse, squeeze the water out, lay on a pool towel (or 2), then roll it up.  My mom taught me this years ago ❤️.  Then the fun part, like Lucile Ball stomping grapes 🍇🍇🍇🥾🥾🥾🤣🤣🤣.  Step on the towel roll to extract a little more water.

Then hang to dry over the shower door, towel rack, a chair. I wish Celebrity had clothes lines in the shower 🚿🛀💦 like HAL does.
 

It takes a little planning, but so far this has worked for my more delicate fabrics.  If you have a better technique I’d love to hear it.  We were able to pack much lighter (carryon only) on Azamara because they had washers and dryers for passenger use.  Still had to hang the delicates though. 

Edited April 4 by 81Zoomie

[cruzzzinma]

We used to take magnets with hooks and I’d hang my light weight clothes in the main cabin to dry. I always asked for extra towels. I did it from  Vancouver/Hawaii/Sydney on the Solstice and from Seattle to Sydney on Explorer of the Seas. The Explorer cruise was a side by side to a Solstice NZ cruise.

[81Zoomie]

Time for the passengers versus ships officers pool volleyball 🏐🏊‍♂️💦🏐!  The officer side was a little under represented.  The weather cooperated, although there were some waves 🌊🌊🌊 running lengthwise in the pool.

 

 

The passengers won!  More t-shirts 👚👚👚🥇🥇🥇 Per your request @suech1970, Giuseppe was very gracious, even in defeat!  He handed out medals and hugs!

 

 

 

Edited April 4 by 81Zoomie

[Boatharbour]

6 minutes ago, cruzzzinma said:

We used to take magnets with hooks and I’d hang my light weight clothes in the main cabin to dry. I always asked for extra towels. I did it from  Vancouver/Hawaii/Sydney on the Solstice and from Seattle to Sydney on Explorer of the Seas. The Explorer cruise was a side by side to a Solstice NZ cruise.

 I travel with a Scrubba wash bag which I found out about on CC a few years ago. It’s easy to use in the shower recess or large basin and gets the clothes cleaner than a sink wash. I second the towel rolling / method for getting out excess water. Then I use plastic pegs to hang the washing on a line that’s stretched between the balcony chairs.

https://thescrubba.com.au/products/scrubba-wash-bag

[suech1970]

🥳🥳🥳🥳😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰

Superb pictures, did a GREAT job for me. I’ve just woke up, what a great way to start my day.

BIG thanks 81Zoomie😁

[oceanbear]

On 3/30/2024 at 2:03 PM, depplep said:

Do not like Lavazza to put it politely.  Bumming hard on that since we're doing Celebrity in July. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this review. I appreciate the facts and history and the pictures are stunning. Thank you so much.

 

[hcat]

12 hours ago, 81Zoomie said:

We had booked Le Petite Chef pre cruise.  Actually, DH booked it because we have never been.  I was a little less keen on the idea, but life is about compromise ❤️.  We did stop by the LPC Podium the day prior to ask whether they could accommodate my food allergy.  If not, no harm, we would eat elsewhere.  We were assured it would be no issue.  I asked if I had to preorder and was told no.  They accommodate all the time. I recommend you get specific with them before because it wasn’t that accommodating.

 

It was an early eating dinner time for us at 5:30.  Looking around, only about 60% of the seats were occupied. There are 2 menus and you can mix and max.   Between 5:30 and 6 pm the music from the martini bar area was overpowering.  Fortunately, the band stopped playing when dinner began.

 

 

The cartoon animation was very cute. It would be very entertaining for children. DH had the Menu Extrodinaire. I had to eat The Other Menu because everything is sautéed in soybean oil.  They did accommodate me with a fabulous filet and asparagus for my entree 😍😋😍.

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the animation stills …

 

For us, it was one and done.  Cute novelty, but nothing that would make us desire to do it again. 🧑‍🍳👩‍🍳👨‍🍳🥳🧞‍♂️. However, if you want to experience something a bit different, give it a try.

 

 

 

We never were tempted to book LPC.. menu seems limited,  group dining at a set pace,  and the animation gimmick does not appeal... Will trust your review...no need! 

[hcat]

11 hours ago, 81Zoomie said:

Great question!  My thought is perhaps proximity?  I cannot say with certainty.  We were told that over 99% of exported lumber goes to China.

thanks.. hope they do not end up with deforestation..but I think they are careful with their resources!

 

(some carib islands are very bare!)