Celebrity Solstice arrival

[lizzy77]

Well the tendering was a long long process. The problem was that they had organized 2 catamarans from Bali along with 3 ships tenders and one of the cats couldn't dock beside the ship!!!!! We had a birds eye view of the whole fiasco as we were supposed to be first onto that boat. The driver....... I hate to say this .... But........it was a woman!!( I know, please don't bash us female drivers) AND she tried for 40 minutes to try to get that boat alongside the ship and she just couldn't do it:rolleyes: she finally got it right and when they put the gangway up the bl--dy thing moved 3 feet( with me on it!) as they didn't have the catamaran tied up right. It took ages to get about 25 folks on and then the captain pulled the pin as it was just too dangerous. So that meant they were without a vessel that could carry 450 people.

 

Today in Yorkeys Knob all went well but it still takes a long time to get ashore with any tendering. You have to shake your head and wonder why we aren't catering for these big ships in Aus. But that's another tale for another forum:)

 

I organized a private tour for 10 in Bali which cost us $72 for all of us. Needless to say we did give him more than that. The same ships tour was $99.25USpp!!! Even if you don't organize a tour there there were heaps of taxis available for day tours charging $40-$50.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

The problem with tendering at Benoa in Bali?

* The ship anchors a long way from the tender landing dock.

The tenders have to go around a sandbank and then up the estuary.

*Returning....

Everyone is told the time of the last tender.

Everyone wants to make the most of their day in Bali

Everyone including ALL the tours ,return to Benoa at the time of the last tender.

Everyone cant be tendered back at the same time....hence long queues.

We were there with Princess , who did charter a local catamaran , and that certainly helped to move the crowd....but even then although 300 may be moved on the cat you can still only have one person at a time getting off the tender and onto the ship.....even if they have all landing platforms down , thats still only 4 at a time.

 

 

[JacintaH]

Yep..

There she is at anchor....

Maybe too far off shore for a good shot...:D

 

 

Yes we went down after lunch and the ship was too far out for a decent shot, it was also a lot of glare and taking a photo just didn't seem worth the effort.

 

I then went back to work and pretended to care.

 

19 sleeps to go :D

[JacintaH]

.... and wonder why we aren't catering for these big ships in Aus. But that's another tale for another forum:)

 

Although there is a commitment by govt to help get the Cairns inlet dredged I don't think a ship the size of Solstice would ever get to dock at Cairns. Too much shallow water.

[Sutho]

Yes we went down after lunch and the ship was too far out for a decent shot, it was also a lot of glare and taking a photo just didn't seem worth the effort.

 

I then went back to work and pretended to care.

 

19 sleeps to go :D

 

I know that feeling of having something too far away to take a photo of it!!

 

I took this one this year from the Beach in Yorkey Knobb

 

 

Zoomed in to about 330mm on a SLR camera with 1.4x crop sensor managed to get it.

 

Borrowed pic from the net you would need a lens this long to get it:

 

and it snubs to about this size and needs its own carry case:

 

The fluorite crystal in the lens gets rid of all the glare and lens hood provides adequate shade.

 

This is what it is capable of at full zoom:

 

In fact the main reason I am mentioning this lens is that I am hoping if the ship sails close to the coast on Saturday I may be able to spot it as it heads to Sydney on the Saturday depending how close the ship wants to get the day before. Thats the plan anyway. The Rhapsody of the Seas will be in Newcastle so I will just ride my mountain bike in and take my camera for something to do.

[gbenjo]

So does Solstice arrive at the OPT for the first time Sunday? I was of the impression she arrives first up on Saturday for the 'Sampler.' Ugh.

No... Rhapsody Friday....Voyager Saturday......Solstice Sunday (overnight booze crooze):(:eek:......Solstice Monday

[GandM-nq]

I went out to Yorkey's to take a look at Solstice too. I had no camera on me though, but it did look a long way out.

 

Also noticed what appeared to me to be Celeb cruisers waiting for the local public bus. ugh I would have thought there would be busses provided by Celebrity for them to get into Cairns proper.

 

There are plans for dredging Cairns inlet going through the process of EIS at the moment. The propsal is for the inlet to be widened, deepened, the current swing basin enlarged and a further swing basin added. This is so that 'mega liners' (Ports Authority's terminology) can dock in Cairns. Expected completion date of dredging (assuming it passes EIS) is sometime in 2015.

[Neil R.]

Come on Sunday night - cant wait!

[lizzy77]

Solstice did provide shuttle buses into Cairns but charged $15 for the privilege. Those at the bus stop were just trying another option. We go to Brisbane in 2 days and the shuttle bus will be $22pp.

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

Last time we were in Cairns on Rhapsody our Captain was the first to dock an RCCL cruise ship there, it was a very tight turnaround but quite possible and he did it.

Rhapsody is 297m in length

Solstice is 314m in length

If they could just widen the inlet a teensy bit more then larger ships could dock which would be a perfect outcome for all concerned.

Jilly:)

[6andy6]

Sutho.

 

I actually think that long distance photo was fine....

[rkmw]

Solstice did provide shuttle buses into Cairns but charged $15 for the privilege. Those at the bus stop were just trying another option. We go to Brisbane in 2 days and the shuttle bus will be $22pp.

 

when we were in Brisbane recently on the Sea Princess we docked at the Grain Terminal and Princess supplied free shuttles into the city , not sure if it was free as we were supposed to be at portside but they swapped us over with the Sun Princess and they got the best dock

[The_Big_M]

when we were in Brisbane recently on the Sea Princess we docked at the Grain Terminal and Princess supplied free shuttles into the city , not sure if it was free as we were supposed to be at portside but they swapped us over with the Sun Princess and they got the best dock

 

Princess normally charge there as well. Welcome to Brisbane's Grain wharf which is a long way from anywhere, and in the middle of nowhere!

 

I was there on Dawn Princess earlier this year - we were originally meant to be at Hamilton, but they switched us with Sun Princess a few months out... for some reason maybe Sun gets priority! Anyway, the charge was $26 to the city, so Celebrity's charge is a bit less.

[Gaznjo]

Hi Jo & Gazza, are you thinking about coming down on Sunday to see the ship ?

Would be great to see you both again. You be welcome to join us on the roof Sunday evening with a bottle of wine to watch the ship go out ( I will save you a table by the pool and a glass or two)

Regards Bob & Boz

 

 

oh bob so tempting .... let me speak with the boss!!

 

Rember my Carly.... ( our youngest ) she is having lunch on the ship on Tuesday!!

[JacintaH]

I just heard that four buses of Solstice guests missed out on their tour to the Great Barrier Reef yesterday as the Bruce Highway between Cairns and Port Douglas was cut after a nasty bike/truck accident. After the highway was cleared the buses continued up the Port Douglas but the Quicksilver boats did not wait for the passengers.

 

Such a disappointment for the passengers. I am sure for a lot of people this trip is a once in a life time opportunity and missing out on the Great Barrier Reef is a massive let down.

 

However the only thing the locals are talking about today (I am working in Port Douglas right now) is how uncaring the ships passengers were when they heard of the motor accident. Allegedly the passengers did not particularly care about the man that was seriously injured and airlifted to hospital.

 

I can see both sides of what has happened. Goodwill has been lost on both sides as a result of this.

[NSWP]

Hi Les. We arrive at the Overseas Terminal on Sunday morning. There's a one nighter then she's off to NZ.

 

We are just back from a day in Cairns. We were so happy that the tenders coped with the crowds today as the tendering in Bali was a huge disaster:( it took us 2 hrs to get off the ship and 2 hrs to get back on.:cool: there were lots of unhappy people. You can only imagine some of the whingers!!!

Thanks Liz and others re schedule into Sydney for Solstice. Yes, getting back to Benoa, we stopped there on Arcadia this year, it did take a while as we were a fair way out and we only used the ship's tenders no local craft. And it poured and poured.

 

Re Yorkeys Knob been into there a couple of times on Sun Princess and Star Princess, I always thought a lack of transport infrastructure was an issue if one did not take shorex several Australian Ports have the same problems. We are just not geared up for it.

[gbenjo]

oh bob so tempting .... let me speak with the boss!!

 

Rember my Carly.... ( our youngest ) she is having lunch on the ship on Tuesday!!

 

:confused::confused::confused::confused: I thought you were the boss

[Aussieflyer]

No... Rhapsody Friday....Voyager Saturday......Solstice Sunday (overnight booze crooze):(:eek:......Solstice Monday

 

On that one nighter - please God not a booze cruise like VOS sounded.

[NSWP]

On that one nighter - please God not a booze cruise like VOS sounded.

Do you believe in the Tooth Fairy? One hopes the drunken bogans do not appear on Solstice come Sunday night. But....I am a realist.

[The_Big_M]

Do you believe in the Tooth Fairy? One hopes the drunken bogans do not appear on Solstice come Sunday night. But....I am a realist.

 

Yes, that many people, and for one night, and the way it was sold... people will be out for fun, and for some that means lots of alcohol.

[NSWP]

The cruiselines having trouble with these one nighters and other short cruises in Australia need to hire a bunch of off duty cops as security, like they used to many years ago on the Russian ships of CTC Line operating out of Sydney. Those pax who played up to the max, impacting on other passengers safety and comfort, well they were confined to a security cabin under lock and key and upon arrival back in Sydney, into the slammer at the Police Station, usually Central on George St.

 

Trust me, that is what occurred. (now Uncle Les was on the outside looking in, not the other way round, LOL.)

[Aussieflyer]

Now you've burst my bubble - I was sure the Tooth Fairy was real! Next you'll tell me Father Christmas doesn't exist either :p

 

It's OK - I am a realist as well. I know what to expect and will be staying away from the party areas.

[Debsta]

I can't wait..........drunks or no drunks...............I will have a ball :D

[Aussieflyer]

I can't wait..........drunks or no drunks...............I will have a ball :D

 

It's your birthday so have fun! You're allowed to let your hair down :)

[NSWP]

I can't wait..........drunks or no drunks...............I will have a ball :D

Debsta I am sure you will behave, above all..ENJOY !!