Beejay4016

I'm with you on how charming Akaroa is. We visited there last year - oops, no, in 2016 - while on a HAL cruise and just loved it. I think we ate lunch in the same pub.

Wow, thanks so much! Yeah,we miss our kitties while we're away so lots of cat shots, if they're part of the local landscape.:) Next big planned cruise is to Ireland, Scotland & Iceland, not till May of next year, so long away, but that's how we can save up the $ & time away from work to travel!

Sounds fantastic. Is that also with Celebrity? We are on the Solstice in a little under 5 weeks for Auckland to Fremantle - our first Celebrity cruise after previously being HAL cruisers. I feel we are going to love Celebrity and so either cruise line will do in future, depending on itinerary and cost. Our upcoming Solstice cruise drew me in because the price was so good (for Australians, that is - we pay way more than Americans pay for the same cruise), and also because, with one of our cats now being 19 years old, we want to stay reasonably close to home for the time being. It's now been over 3 years since we last visited Europe, though, and, well, we simply miss it.

Classic transfer of accountability - do something wrong, get caught, blame everyone else. Cops and teachers see it every day.

 

We need enforcement of the cruise line policy by the cruise line. PAX should not be the ones to enforce the no chair hog policies - the cruise line should never allow it to start with. The more chair hogs are allowed to flourish, the more chair hogs there will be. Chair hogs are basically bullies, only they are stealing your lounger instead of your lunch money.

 

We all need to complain about chair hogs on every cruise - or nothing will change.

Spot on, they are bullies, and arrogant people with a belief in their own entitlement.

I also like to walk at daybreak and see people (sometimes in their pajamas) leaving stuff on chairs by the pool. I have to admit... after my walk I've piled all of it up on ONE lounger and left. Maybe more than once.

You get my vote. Well done, you.

Wow, I just love your reviews. I came here because I've been following your Solstice review for the current cruise. Your photographs really are an essay all of themselves, and your posts so informative and chatty. I think I need to check out your other review, and then hope that it won't be too long before your next cruise. I think Celebrity should simply employ you and your man as roving PR people. Oh, and as a couple of cat lovers, my man and I appreciate those cute felines that pop up in some of your photos. In every holiday album we do there are always a few shots of furry friends we make along the way.

I think that most people from the US comment that it reminds them of San Diego. That is a really common comment from US sailors on port visits. I may live here and think it's a great place, but it just so damned far from everywhere.

I saw lounge hoggers on a Carnival cruise and they were definitely from the US. They would go out before breakfast, claim around twenty loungers and then disappear, often for hours. i complained to one of the staff who shrugged and did nothing and after waiting around thirty minutes more for a free chair, I removed a towel and sat down. About fifteen minutes later an enraged woman swore at me for taking "her" chair. I reminded her of the so called rules and did not move.

I feel if there are rules rather than guidelines for clothing, pool use etc., then the crew need to enforce them. I was left angry with Carnival more than with the selfish passengers.

Good on you for not accepting such arrogant behaviour. It's one thing for people to put something on their lounger when they pop off to the toilet or to get something from their cabin, but "reserving" them? Nope, should not be allowed.

Ooh, fingers crossed that it is held on the Solstice when we sail in February as it is something I am so looking forward to. That's a beautiful piece you bought, Oneputt18.

Goodness, I hope not. They certainly should be first come/first served. That sort of behaviour is guarantee to cause issues and ill-feeling, and quite rightly so. It is nothing but extremely ill manners.

Cruise Kitty, it is such a pleasure to log on and read your updates and see your fantastic photographs. Enjoy your sea day (we love them). I'll look forward to your post about Wellington. It's now 41 days until we board the Solstice and your posts just whet my appetite so much.

Oh, and cricket? It's just the most beautiful game, so your man is right to be fascinated by it. And as for test matches, just imagine, a game that goes all day for five days - heaven. You can play Candy Crush, read a book, knit (if you're so inclined), do suduko, all while watching those lovely men in white trousers running around a beautifully manicured field. Just love it. While you're in Australia do try to check out a T20 game. They are super fast and super exciting.

I could not agree more! My earlier post was made at a time where there were ongoing discussions about chair hogs, and I was being a bit "tongue in cheek!" Apologies for any offence taken - none intended, and certainly not a practice I would condone.

Oops, sorry. And there I was, equating you with those of a certain European ethnicity. ;)

Although it ages since the above post, we're doing research for an upcoming Celebrity cruise and in particular Concierge Class embarkation lunch and Elite special breakfast. Noticed the comment about embarkation day strategy re enjoying the Concierge lunch while also securing a place by the pool: "...leave a couple of towels on your preferred seats while you enjoy a leisurely lunch". Not the only comment along these lines, sad to say. Do fellow passengers really think it's OK to leave their possessions on deck chairs while they go off for a "leisurely lunch". Surely one only has their 'stuff' on a deck chair while actually using it/taking a swim/getting another towel? When it's time for lunch, surely you should take your belongings with you - or find a place after lunch. Manners.

I second your comments re leaving something on a lounger, Runaways. That is such an arrogant and annoying practice, and one I thought practised mostly only by people from a certain European country who are really quite famous for it in the south of Spain and France. It is an awful practice, and not something that should be recommended to anybody but should be called for what it is: rude.

I know which one I would choose every day. Just love those blue bottoms and a bit of old style class.

LOL, has me thinking what sort of bears they have in NZ. At least here in Australia with the three types in the Koala, Drop and Bundaberg bear.

Oh, those Bundy bears - very dangerous, particularly at this time of year when they're out in huge numbers.

Fantastic posts and superb photographs. We are on the Solstice out of Auckland on 17 February, and we have four days in Auckland pre-cruise so I've definitely made a note of some of the places you visited. I hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise as much as you have so far.

Now, regarding the bird identified as a shag, here is a little poem we learned a million years ago when I was at school. Yes, it's a nonsense poem, but one that once learnt is never forgotten:

"The common cormorant, or shag,

Lays eggs inside a paper bag.

The reason, you will see, no doubt,

Is to keep the lightning out.

But, what these unobservant birds

Do not know is that herds

Of roving bears may come with buns

And steal the bags to hold the crumbs."

I think it's by Christopher Isherwood, and I hope I have not paraphrased too much.

While in Perth (Fremantle is the port for Perth), I recommend lunch at C Restaurant, a revolving restaurant in the city centre. The food is excellent, the service both professional and friendly, and you will be able to get a fantastic 360 degree view of Perth, which, despite having a population of just over 2 million, is a VERY spread-out city. Failing that, try for lunch in a restaurant in King's Park, a huge area of stunning parkland on a hill overlooking the city and river. You can easily get a hop-on/hop-off bus in the city that will drop you up the top of King's Park. And most important of all when going up there: don't forget the camera. The views are just beautiful.

Has anyone out there have experience with either or both of these ships in Austrailia/ New Zealand or anywhere else and would like to share their experiences and preference?

 

Thanks.

We did the Noordam round trip from Sydney last year and it was superb. She is a lovely-sized vessel at just under 2000 guests, and the service was impeccable. We thoroughly enjoyed spending most evenings in the piano bar, where a fantastic atmosphere was enjoyed singing around the piano and chatting to fellow guests. The port stops were excellent. The beds on HAL are nothing short of fabulous, to the point where, after our first cruise, which was on the Volendam in 2013, we came home and bought a new bed. The afternoon teas are fantastic, and the Pinnacle Restaurant is superb.

Next year (wow, in only about 7 weeks) we are doing Auckland to Fremantle on the Solstice, so it will be good to compare the ships as we've been HAL cruisers up until now but wanted to try something different, and the itinerary, ending up in our own backyard, really appealed.

We have friends who cruise A LOT and they find very little difference between Celebrity and HAL, so we feel we will love our Solstice cruise. Bear in mind that for cruises around Asia, Australia and New Zealand, there is going to be quite a few Aussies, Kiwis and people from Asia, and they will generally be a younger demographic than folks from the US simply because we get a lot more vacation time here (at least a month, but some trades/industries it's 5 or 6 weeks a year). And Australians have taken to cruising in crazy numbers in the past few years. Taking into account that our population is less than 25 million, when I say that the cruise industry figures show that 1.2 million Aussies cruised in 2016, you can appreciate that you are likely to come across lots of us from Down Under on whichever line you cruise with.

Having said that, I think it's fair to say that Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean are probably the most popular lines with Australians. I wouldn't sail with Princess because I'd walk in fear and trembling of bumping into umpteen cousins, and the RCI vessels are just simply too big and too rah-rah for our taste.

Whether you opt to go HAL or Celebrity, I'm sure you will have a wonderful time in this part of the world. :)

I notice a few people have recommended the Whale World in Albany. Personally, I wouldn't recommend it to anybody. Instead, I think you may find a visit to the National ANZAC Centre both fascinating and moving. Here is a link to Trip Advisor comments on the Centre: https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g261671-d7275819-Reviews-National_Anzac_Centre-Albany_Western_Australia.html

For many people, it was only through the Australian involvement in WWI - and particularly their experience in Gallipoli, Turkey - that a real national sense of self was born. My grandfather was one of the many ANZACs who passed through Albany on his way to the Middle East, and was actually one of those who landed at Gallipoli on 25th April 1915. I always think a visit to a war memorial is a great way to appreciate the spirit of a country. Highly recommended.

Cruise CRITIC means just that. I don't read cruise critic to read posts/reviews from members who are cheerleaders for a particular line. You know the people who basically say love it or leave it Those reviews are not at all helpful to any of us when we are about to try a cruise line for the first time. .And even when guests did not have a good experience on my favored cruise line, there is no need to take it so personally as to try and invalidate another guest's experiences.

Perhaps the key here is (as with comedians) it's the way you tell 'em. Your posts read more like a rant of a bad-tempered child than a well-tempered criticism. I'm not surprised nobody wanted to befriend you - they were probably following your posts with amazement and wondering when you were going to pop up with "Smile, you're on Candid Camera." Pour yourself a nice long drink, pat the cat, and ease up.

I am not sure if they were going down a list. I got the impression that they had selected us among others in the same catagory (first time Celebrity cruisers I suspect) to bump. Their initial approach was absolute, it was going to happen whether we liked it or not.

 

Will we cruise with Celebrity again? Probably not. The whole episode has left me cold, even though we came out better ($200 more OBC) than before.

 

David

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There is so much talk about Noro virus. I luckily have never had it however, after a 10 night cruise I had the worst respiratory infection ever! Went to work after the cruise and had to go home the same day and was off for a week. No amount of hand washing will stop an airborne virus. Commonly called cabin cough.

 

 

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Yes, that is the pits. On our Singapore to Hong Kong cruise we spent 3 days laid out in our hotel room with that awful respiratory issue, and were then off work for a week once we got home. So many people had the same problem.

We booked through an online travel agent and paid the full fare because it was only 4-5 weeks out from the cruise.

 

 

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The Pearl and the Aria/Eden are two very different ships and I think you will be pleasantly surprised with how P&O have improved in just the last 3 years. That said, picking the itinerary is important, as a booze cruise will always change the cruise experience compared to a longer cruise, say to Tasmania or PNG.:D

Yes, I think one of them will definitely be on the list in the not too distant future. I hope they still have the fabulous HAL beds. Superb.

P&O have two of them, Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden.:D

Yes, I know. We did a Norwegian cruise on the Aria when she was the Holland America Ryndam. Probably our favourite vessel. It's just about enough to tempt us to try P&O Australia again. We have done one cruise with them, on the Pearl, and declared never again, but the Eden or the Aria certainly put P&O back on our list of options, and particularly as they both seem to have some really good South Pacific itineraries.

Thanks for the info. We are actually disembarking on the 17th as you get on and we depart.

 

These weather reports suit me just fine. As a true bred Canadian anything over 14c is shorts weather for us! Looking forward to visiting the land down under and all its wonder!

 

 

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You will live in your shorts, in that case. I now laugh about living in Germany and how we would go to the pool if the weather was around 18 degrees C. Now, here in Oz, I'm like to put on a light jacket at that temperature. Enjoy.