One Week Till Oriana - Will Blog the Cruise

[Neilius]

Our family flies out in a week to Auckland to join Oriana.

 

Everyone is getting excited, and we've bought the kids their own digital cameras to record the voyage.

 

I've also set the kids some "assignments" to help them appreciate and remember the experience.

 

(BTW did you know that an average cruise ship is approximately 1000 times heavier than Boeing 737, carries ten times more passengers, and travels at almost 1/24 the speed. What a jet flies in an hour is equivalent to what a ship sails in a day).

 

Anyway, for those of you who are interested, I'll be uploading blog articles and photos as we go (the link is in my signature). I'll include some of our fun adventures in Auckland. Also, we're taking a Toy Voyager with us, so you might see some wierd photos of a furry toy kicking back in a deck chair.

 

Liz keeps teasing me that two weeks after we get back I'm taking a client on Aurora for the return trip to NZ. I think that's why everyone in our party has an outside cabin except me - I got stuck with the inside one

[Witchymob]

Hi Neil, Really enjoy your shipwatcher site, compulsive viewing to see where the ships are and even more exciting as the world cruises show webcams in daylight for a change, particularly like Oriana's webcam because can see people waving, my husband had to do that every day last year for the family and work mates left behind, looking forward to your blog and any photos and videos you take on board, we were on part of Oriana's cruise last year and had a great time, say Hi to the guys of Rebound if they are in the Lords Tavern from their number one Aussie fans we were in there every night from Singapore to Freo last year. We are also hoping to do a short sector on Aurora next year.

[kaseyoz]

so you are doing the Oriana AND the Aurora.

How lucky are you?That sounds like a lot of work........

I look forward to reading all your reviews.

Are your kids doing a review as well?

 

We will be ship watching the shipwatcher

[Neilius]

so you are doing the Oriana AND the Aurora.

How lucky are you?That sounds like a lot of work........

I look forward to reading all your reviews.

Are your kids doing a review as well?

 

We will be ship watching the shipwatcher

 

Yeah it's a bit much, isn't it?

 

I've given the kids "homwork" to do, and part of that will be taking pictures and writing a diary of what they do. Blogging while cruising is difficult, but I'll try to upload snippets of what they write during the cruise, then add the rest of it after we get back.

[Cruzer Nut]

Hi Neil,

 

Have a great time, look forward to reading all about your trip when You/I return.

 

Will send you a postcard along my travels, I am now hooked on sending Post Cards all over the world thanks to your site. :D :o it's alot of fun.

[Rasa Sayang]

Have a good one Neil.

 

Please just make sure she arrives in Brisvegas on time - with something left in the bar. :p:D

[MargnGrah]

Hi Neil,

 

Hope you and your family have a fantastic time!!!!!:D

[Neilius]

Hi Neil,

 

Have a great time, look forward to reading all about your trip when You/I return.

 

Will send you a postcard along my travels, I am now hooked on sending Post Cards all over the world thanks to your site. :D :o it's alot of fun.

 

There are plenty of QE2 postcards here ready to set sail for anyone who sends me a real postcard :)

 

Have a good one Neil.

 

Please just make sure she arrives in Brisvegas on time - with something left in the bar. :p:D

 

Thanks, I think you're in luck. Some of my older boys aren't travelling with us, and I don't drink (much) since the second worst hangover of my life which was in Auckland waiting for Aurora last year :)

 

We don't ever talk about the worst hangover.

[Flipper133]

I don't drink (much) since the second worst hangover of my life which was in Auckland waiting for Aurora last year :)

 

 

Neil

 

I'm sure you would not have been in the Auckland Hilton!:rolleyes:

 

Even Paris could not afford their prices

 

Enjoy your cruise

 

Cheers

[chaz cruiser]

Hi Neil,

 

Make sure you look after her. My Aunt will be on the quickie from Sydney to Brisbane!! Really looking forward to it. I will have to check out your blog to see if you have any tips for us.

 

Cheers,

Charmain:)

[Izabelle]

Hi Charmaine, I'm going on Arcadia Adelaide to Melbourne for 2 nights the same day as you, my Son and Daughter along with their partners where waitlisted when we booked ours but TA rang yesterday with cabins available so with 12 days to go they are going as well, we can't wait to leave from Adelaide, I don't think any of us will sleep much onboard as we will want to check out every bit of the ship. :)

 

Have a great time :D:)

[Neilius]

I can't beleive our good luck.

Queen Victoria will be berthed outside our hotel room at Princess Wharf the day before we sail out on Oriana.

I couldn't have booked a better room to view her from.

How cool is that!

[Izabelle]

What a fantastic view you will have to see Queen Victoria and have a fantastic cruise on Oriana :D:):p

[Rasa Sayang]

Heres an interesting post from the P&O UK site Neil.

 

It refers to the current Oriana voyage.

 

I wonder will P&O carry this practice on for the whole of the voyage???

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=918363

[Neilius]

Heres an interesting post from the P&O UK site Neil.

 

It refers to the current Oriana voyage.

 

I wonder will P&O carry this practice on for the whole of the voyage???

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=918363

 

Wouldn't that be great! Turning up for a cruise on the first day and get a credit would be a lovely way to start it all off.

[planning obsessed]

Have a great cruise, Neil. I'm looking forward to your reviews and photos because, who knows, in the next 10 or 20 years the Aurora or the Oriana could be relocated down here.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Hi Neilus,

Just watched you cruise past our lounge window

2 hours out of Auckland.

Oriana looked glorious with the sun shining on it, even though it was in the distance.

All the best for a great cruise.

[Kiwi_cruiser]

I wonder if this is Neilius on the web cam again? :)

 

[chaz cruiser]

I have a question that I assumed the answer to but have never really checked. We are sailing on the Oriana from Sydney to Brisbane next week. Do we pay with Pounds??

 

Cheers,

Charmain:)

[Izabelle]

Hi Charmain,

 

We are sailing on Arcadia on Monday and in the brochure P@0 sent me the currency is pounds sterling and payable by credit card, it did say they didn't accept payments with cash. I would say Oriana will be the same :):)

[chaz cruiser]

Thanks Izzy!!

[Neilius]

Hey, that's us!!!! I'm the one talking on the mobile trying to get my son to save the webcam pic :)

 

We're back BTW!

 

I have an amazing video of the Auckland Tug Boat driver doing dough-nuts in the water after he left us. Hope I don't get him in trouble.

 

We've got loads of pictures too. I'll post a separate thread later wen all the pics are up.

 

There are a few pics on my blog already (link below) if you're interested.

 

 

I wonder if this is Neilius on the web cam again? :)

 

[LuckiePuris]

Welcome Back Neil!

 

Long time no chat!

 

Looking forward to the photos and reviews, hope you had a fantastic time!!

 

- LuckiePuris

[Kiwi_cruiser]

We're back BTW!

 

Your back already!! :eek: & I still haven’t had a chance to post the photos of you guys leaving.....

 

I have an amazing video of the Auckland Tug Boat driver doing dough-nuts in the water after he left us. Hope I don't get him in trouble.

 

I have the same video from the dock :) :D

[Concorde001]

Hi Neil

Interesting to see you're on this cruise. Are you and you family on until Southampton?

 

If so, we will see you onboard - we join in Mumbai. I'm the Guest Lecturer from Mumbai to Southampton (talking about Concorde and aviation in general).

 

Might see you onboard!