Sungirl goes LIVE from the Century - New Zealand/Australia 12/12/11

[KCSungirl]

Happy Holidays 2011 from Sungirl! My DH and I have embarked on a great adventure in the Southern Hemisphere. We are enjoying both land and sea travel. I hope I can give some useful info to those of you cruising/traveling New Zealand/Australia/Rarotonga this season or just be able to share my travel blogs for those of you who love to travel. Get your cup of coffee and enjoy the ride.

 

Disclaimer - Food, Entertainment, and pricing is subjective. I rarely recommend anything unless I think it is a fabulous experience, as my idea of heaven could be someone else’s nightmare. I have traveled extensively and although not a budget traveler, I take pride in getting good deals. I am pretty savvy at getting Champagne dreams on a beer pocketbook. If I make a reference to pricing, it will be in local currency. You can do the conversion, I’m on vacation. ;-) We are very much outdoor people and love the water, mountains, and beaches. We love eating local cuisine and eat off the ship whenever possible. We are also casual, so you probably won’t find me blogging about anything that would require dressing up. Pajamas, Jeans, and bathing suits are my favorite items of clothing. Someday when I move to Florida, I will cut the jeans out and just go from pajamas to bathing suits

 

Dec 9 - KANSAS - Flew SWA from KC to LAX. My last free companion pass ticket for the year. Bummer, as I didn’t qualify for next year. We allowed almost four hours to connect to our international flight. That would been cutting it close if we had any delays. Fortunately, we had an early arrival into LAX. All the more time for me to Duty Free shop. Flew Air New Zealand from LAX to AUK. A total joy. Excellent flight on the new 777-300 aircraft. It purrs. We booked the new class of service - The Sky Couch, economy with three seats that fold into a bed. It’s a $900NZ upgrade. Worth every penny to have three seats for the two of us. The best overseas flight I have ever had, except for my flight to/ from Dubai on the Airbus A380. The glass of Pinot and the Xanax also contributed to my joyful flight. A word of warning - as they don’t weigh the carry on hand baggage, Air New Zealand is very strict about the 15lb. weight restriction. I got so paranoid about the carry-on situation, I went ahead a checked a third suitcase for $50. I will be a little lighter coming home, so I probably won’t have to check the extra bag. I brought Christmas with me, so it did add some weight/space. I did leave the coffee maker and artificial tree at home.

 

Dec. 10 - Lost that that day somewhere over the Pacific Ocean

 

Dec 11 - AUCKLAND - arrived 7:30am. Immigration and customs was painless. Line moved quickly. After collecting luggage, went to info desk to check pricing on transportation to the hotel. Three choices - Air Bus $16/pp, Super Shuttle 20/pp ot Taxi $75. We opted for Supper Shuttle. The Air Bus was too difficult with all of the luggage we had. Supper Shuttle was perfect. We made two stops in route to the hotel and the driver gave us a great little tour along the way. I also had to get some local currency. I had exchanged a little bit of cash in LAX just in case of an emergency. The exchange rates were bad at the airport in LAX. Upon arrival in Auckland I compared the exchange rates at the airport agency to those in LA, and they were better. I should have waited til I got to Auckland to exchange money. I marched straight the the WestPac ATM machine at door 4, the Bank of America sister bank in New Zealand.Australia.Fiji/Cook Islands. No fees, cash in hand. I am ready to go. Lots of ATM choices at the airport. The ride from the Airport to our hotel, The Auckland Hilton, was 30 minutes. Traveling on a Sunday morning made everything go a lot faster as there was no traffic. The Auckland Hilton is the ultimate pre-cruise hotel. It is not just a hotel, it is an experience with a view. I would not stay any where else. It is located on the Princess Wharf adjacent to the cruise ship berth. I had booked a room several weeks in advance online at Hilton.com. I kept checking the rates, as they change daily in the travel business. A week before leaving, I found the “December Sale“ promo. My rate went from $465 to to $335 in an upgraded Harborview Plus room, worth every penny. Corner room over the water with gorgeous views of the harbour, skyline, cruise port, and Devonport. We arrived at the hotel around 10am, another SCORE. No charge for early check-in and the room was ready. So, if you divide the fact that I paid $335 for two days, it’s a deal. Plus they gave us free drink coupons at check in. I was a disheveled mess by the time I checked in. The make-up was long gone and my bed head was horrible. I promised the hotel employees that when they saw me again I would look like a super model. I needed about three hours to regroup. I needed to shower, repack my luggage for the cruise ship, and figure out the plan for the afternoon. By 1:30pm we were out the door, no time for sleeping. I am the HOHO bus queen. It’s my favorite activity in any large city. We spent the afternoon riding both loops of the Auckland Explorer Bus. $40/pp. We were too tired to get off the bus to tour, but we were perfectly content riding. The weather is cold today. Cloudy and very windy. Double layers and a fleece jacket. Reminded me of a cold summer day in San Francisco. We had planned on going to dinner at Fish, the Hilton restaurant or Harbourside at the Ferry Building. We were too tired for white table cloth dining. We walked to the Viaduct Harbor next to the hotel. There are many restaurant choices. We ate at Waterside. It was fine - snapper fish and chips($28) and seafood chowder($18). We were getting pretty tired, so I am not sure we even tasted the food. I am totally embracing the non-tipping culture. The prices are much higher than what you would pay in the US. I haven’t felt any guilt in no tipping. The only problem is that the workers in the service industry would never expect a tip from a local, but they probably think the Americans should tip. I will tip when I feel like someone has done something extra special for me. Internet at the hotel is priced $15/hr or $25/day. I don’t mind spending for the internet. It’s all part of the vacation. There is a wine shop at the wharf for anyone that wants to buy some New Zealand wines for the cruise. We bought our two bottle allotment.

 

Auckland is pretty cool, as Miley Cyrus would say. There is something extra special in New Zealand during the month of December - the Pohutukawa trees. This is the New Zealand Christmas tree. I am going gaga over these trees with the most gorgeous red blooms. I must get some photos.

 

http://eaglekiwi.*************/hub/New-Zealand-Pohutakawa-Flower

 

Dec 12 - AUCKLAND. Here she comes into port, The beautiful Celebrity Century. I got up at 5am to watch the show……….

 

See you soon!

[Texed]

Girl,

Thanks for posting. :)

[Aussie Gal]

Sungirl,

 

We are doing a similar cruise on Celebrity in 2013 so I will be reading your report with anticipation. We normally do our own excursions with our Roll Call buddies so hopefully I will be able to pick up lots of contacts etc. that you are going to use. Have a great cruise and thanks for the tip re The Hilton hotel. We will be spending a night or two precruise so will definitely look into booking that hotel.

 

Jennie

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Thanks for posting Sungirl.

Heres a few captures from local webcams of the lovely Century in Auckland.

Shame about the weather...

 

Early morning sail in...

 

Looking across Queens Wharf to your ship at Princes Wharf...

 

A very grey day...

 

 

For those following , heres where they go......

 

Itinerary

Date Port Arrive Depart

Mon 12/12/11 Auckland / New Zealand 18:30

Tue 13/12/11 Bay of Islands* / New Zealand 07:00 17:00

Wed 14/12/11 Tauranga / New Zealand 06:00 17:00

Thu 15/12/11 Napier / New Zealand 12:00 18:00

Fri 16/12/11 Wellington / New Zealand 09:00 18:00

Sat 17/12/11 Akaroa* / New Zealand 07:00 18:00

Sun 18/12/11 Dunedin / New Zealand 07:00 17:00

Mon 19/12/11 Dusky Sound / New Zealand 08:30 09:30

Mon 19/12/11 Doubtful Sound: Scenic Cruising / New Zealand 11:30 13:00

Mon 19/12/11 Milford Sound / New Zealand 16:30 18:00

Tue 20/12/11 At Sea

Wed 21/12/11 At Sea

Thu 22/12/11 Melbourne / Australia 08:00 18:00

Fri 23/12/11 At Sea

Sat 24/12/11 Sydney / Australia 06:30

[DrKoob]

Thanks for posting and thanks for letting all of us on the January 6th cruise know about it.

 

Can we ask questions?

 

If so, what time did you board? How long did it take? Organized? What time was lifeboat drill/muster?

 

Are you early or late seating?

 

Jim

[Bruin Steve]

Sungirl,

Thanks for the report...I almost feel like I'm cruising with you! (Close, huh?)...

Anyway, take good care of the Century for us...

We'll wave as we cross paths in Sydney on the 24th!!!

 

Have fun...

[rokalada]

Sungirl,

Thanks SO much for your newsy posting. We are on the 1/6 sailing of the Century, so I can hardly wait to hear all about all the stops you make - what you did in each port, etc.

 

One question - we are taking a week in NZ ahead of the cruise, and we're renting a smallish vehicle that won't hold the three of us and all of our luggage. Does anyone know of a place we could securely leave our 2 or 3 large suitcases packed for the cruise? I have asked the cruise line, and they have no facilities for this purpose.

 

Thanks!

[lightning bolt]

We were on the sailing to Hawaii and had a great time.

 

There is a wonderful singer guitar player, Jana Seale who can be found at different venues throughout the ship. Check her out.:)

[Minsufl]

Thanks for posting, can't wait to hear more! Counting down the days till we sail on Jan. 6.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Anchored in a rather damp Bay of Islands....

(from the local cam at Russell....)

 

[tright]

Sungirl thank you so much for the live review!! Can't wait to read more

[Chunky2219]

Sungirl,

 

We are doing a similar cruise on Celebrity in 2013 so I will be reading your report with anticipation. We normally do our own excursions with our Roll Call buddies so hopefully I will be able to pick up lots of contacts etc. that you are going to use. Have a great cruise and thanks for the tip re The Hilton hotel. We will be spending a night or two precruise so will definitely look into booking that hotel.

 

Jennie

Looks like we're on the same 2013 Solstice version, so will be watching your posts as well!

[Aussie Gal]

Chunky,

 

Why don't you come over and join our Roll Call. We already have 25 members on it. It should be a great cruise.

 

Jennie

[MargoK]

Sungirl,

Thanks SO much for your newsy posting. We are on the 1/6 sailing of the Century, so I can hardly wait to hear all about all the stops you make - what you did in each port, etc.

 

One question - we are taking a week in NZ ahead of the cruise, and we're renting a smallish vehicle that won't hold the three of us and all of our luggage. Does anyone know of a place we could securely leave our 2 or 3 large suitcases packed for the cruise? I have asked the cruise line, and they have no facilities for this purpose.

 

Thanks!

 

You can store luggage at the I-site (Information centre) on Princes Wharf. I understand it is $10 per bag, but not sure how long that is for. Here is the link to there site - would pay to email and check length of time http://www.i-site.org.nz/auckland

[KCSungirl]

Dec. 12 AUCKLAND continued

 

After I woke at 5am to watch the Century pull into the Auckland harbor, I was too excited to go back to sleep. We enjoyed a buffet breakfast at the Hilton - $39./pp. A little pricey, but all I could eat lamb chops and the view made it special. I had to decide how I wanted to spend my day in Auckland before boarding the ship. Mother Nature was not cooperating so I gave up my planned trip to Waiheke Island via ferry. We shopped on Queen St. and made a visit to Kelly Tarlton’s Antartic Exhibit and Underwater World. For $34/pp I saw three stingrays, rode a 9 minute disneyesque ride through a penguin habitat, and saw a tank full of small sharks. We didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. This is a great excursion if you have kids under 12, otherwise it was probably the cheesiest excursion I have ever done. I wanted to see the penguins, but then I ended up depressed to see them in captivity. I would pass on this attraction unless you have a lot of extra time to spare. They do provide a free shuttle from the ferry building which makes getting there easy.

 

Hilton gave me late check-out. The service I receive at the hotel was 5 star. We checked out around 1:30pm, walked out the front door to the left ten steps to the embarkation check-in desk for the cruise. It could not have been any easier. If I figured what I saved in cab fare from another hotel to the port, I felt I got a steal on my pre-cruise accommodations.

 

After going thru security and checking in, all of which took fifteen minutes, we were ready to board the ship.

[KCSungirl]

The Practical Princess - A Modern Day Fairy Tale by Sungirl

 

Once upon a time there lived a plump, but beautiful Princess named Paige. She lived a sweet life with her Prince Charming. Princess Paige spent her days taking care of many duties and making others happy. Princess Paige decided she and her Prince needed an overseas adventure to escape the stresses that come with life in Fairlyland. The Princess also decided she would book a very special suite on a very special ship. The Princess was much too practical to normally book a suite, but thought she was deserving of this special reward. She was over the moon with anticipation of her first suite.

 

The day before the Princess was preparing to leave for her adventure, she heard a phone ring. A Genie named Celebrity appeared. The Genie said to the Princess- “I have an offer for you. You can give up your special suite and be blessed with unknown riches or you can keep your suite. You have 30 minutes to decide your fate.” The Princess started thinking about all of the unknown riches - business class upgrades, special excursions, expensive bottles of wine, etc Being the practical Princess that she is, Princess Paige took the Genie’s offer and gave up her suite for unknown riches, concierge class, shipboard credit, and a nice lump of cash credited back to her credit card. She thanked the Genie for his offer. She spent a few hours sulking as she knew her “suite” opportunities were limited, but the Genie’s offer was too good to pass up. Even a Princess can be prudent and practical and live happily every after. The End

[KCSungirl]

Dec 12, 2011 - Celebrity Century Embarkation

 

We boarded the ship around 2pm. It was the easiest embarkation ever. It’s not like boarding a ship in FLL. It’s a slow stream of people all day long. No lines, no fuss.

 

We made our way to our concierge class cabin 9172 on the Vista deck. Perfect balcony concierge class cabin.

 

We went to the buffet for lunch. The buffet is so huge and spread out. The food is almost cold by the time you make your way back to your seat. We enjoyed the carvery - with roast, chicken and the best AuGratin potatos I have ever had. I had a lot of work to do in the cabin as not only did I pack clothes for a month, I brought Christmas with me.

 

***Newsflash**** This is the DH’s first Celebrity cruise. I have cruised the Century twice previously and the Horizon, now out of the fleet. The DH and I are Elite on Princess, so it is sometimes hard to give up the perks we have with Princess and cruise other lines. DH was due for a change. Cruising had become very stale for him. He is crazy for Celebrity in the first five hours on board. I guess we have a new goal - getting to elite status on Celebrity. Since most of our cruise experience has been on Princess, I will make a few comparisons along the way.

 

Officers:

Captain - Isidoros Karamaunos

Hotel Director - Darren Tiller

Guest Relations Manager - Jeff Potts

Cruise Director - Ian Cresswell

 

I unpacked and decorated every inch of the cabin in holiday décor, including lights all the way around the perimeter of the ceiling. Only a crazy person like me would drag Christmas decorations halfway across the world. I even have the Yankee Candle Mistletoe and Christmas air fresheners in the cabin. It smells like Christmas. I have my iPod loaded with holiday music and our stockings are hung.

 

Muster Drill is nice not having to bring life jackets along. Set up Select Dining reservations. We had to pre-pay gratuities to sign up for Select dining.

 

We were very tired and still suffering from jet lag, but we made it to dinner and the Welcome Show. Dinner was White Snapper and Lambshanks. Yum. The welcome show was good. I had seen the aerialists previously. The CD showcased all of the musicians on the ship to advertise the venues.

Entertainment :

Richard Rubin (piano entertainer, From Beauty and the Geek)

Jana Seale (acoustic guitarist)

Canonics - Party Band

On Point - A Cappella (Motown, etc. )

 

I am way too busy already. Don’t know when I will sleep. Maybe on the flight home.

 

FYI - I did hours of research on every port. I make independent plans and would rarely take a ship excursion. The ship excursions on this particular itinerary were grossly marked up. I always compare the price of every excursion from the ship to the source. The money, however is secondary, to the fact that we can cover a lot more ground if we book independent and can move much faster.

 

Coming Soon - Bay of Islands

[BridgeMates]

Dec 12, 2011 - Celebrity Century Embarkation

 

***Newsflash**** This is the DH’s first Celebrity cruise. I have cruised the Century twice previously and the Horizon, now out of the fleet. The DH and I are Elite on Princess, so it is sometimes hard to give up the perks we have with Princess and cruise other lines. DH was due for a change. Cruising had become very stale for him. He is crazy for Celebrity in the first five hours on board. I guess we have a new goal - getting to elite status on Celebrity. Since most of our cruise experience has been on Princess, I will make a few comparisons along the way.

 

We are in the same boat (so to speak). Haven't been on Celebrity in at least 10 years as it's hard to give up the Princess benefits. However, we're now broadening our horizons and have booked the Infinity for Anarctica in 2013. So, as you continue your review we look forward to your comparison of the two (good or bad). We're excited to try something different, but of course apprehensive as we'll be "newbies" on Celebrity.

[Jrnee4ever]

Coming Soon - Bay of Islands

 

 

 

Thank you, KCSungirl, for your exciting commentary. We are on the 1/6/12 sailing - right around the corner, or the year, as it may be.

Looking forward to your next post! By the way, was in KC last Monday for one night on a business trip - enjoyed the snow on Tuesday morning - don't see too much of that here in Florida.

[Azulann]

KCSungirl,

 

I love reading your "live" cruise report. Sounds like you are indeed ready for Christmas in your stateoom.:D

Is the ship decorated?

We will be on the Century next Christmas/NewYears on a Panama cruise.

 

Thank you for taking the time on your vacation to send these updates!

[DrKoob]

Coming Soon - Bay of Islands

 

 

 

Thank you, KCSungirl, for your exciting commentary. We are on the 1/6/12 sailing - right around the corner, or the year, as it may be.

Looking forward to your next post! By the way, was in KC last Monday for one night on a business trip - enjoyed the snow on Tuesday morning - don't see too much of that here in Florida.

 

Hey Jrnee4Ever,

 

Come on by the roll call thread for your cruise on January 6. There's a whole bunch of us at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1247548&page=31

 

We are a very friendly bunch and you can meet folks before you board, all just as excited as you are.

 

Jim

[jagoffee]

KCSungirl,

 

Enjoy your cruise. I will enjoy joining you as I wait the 1/18 version.

You are getting 3 cruise credit for this cruise and since you already have 2 previous CC you might be getting closer than you realize to Elite. Your DH will take a little longer, but he can get his is only 3 more cruises.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

In the port of Tauranga today at Mount Maunganui.

They are in port with HAL's Volendam..

 

 

A distant web cam view from Tauranga , looking towards the port with Mount Maunganui in the distance.

 

[garvii]

Sungirl,

 

Thanks for reporting live. My folks are on the ship with you and I haven't heard from them since they arrived in Auckland the morning of the 11th (local time). Your segments make me feel like I'm right there with you (and them)!

 

If you run into a couple in their mid-60s named Howard and Rhondi, tell them Jessica said hello! LOL.

[Breezey]

Sungirl

What fun reading your posts. Love your style. We are boarding as you disembark.

 

Thanks for writing and cannot wait to read your next post.

 

Good friends are also on your cruise. If you run into Warren and Jude from Toronto, tell them Amy said hi. Haha.