Celebrity Solstice NZ/Aus 1/4/15 to 1/18/15

[BayAreaBC]

I heard back from Derek and they have no pre-cruise party and he suggested people connect through facebook. I personally never use facebook. I can't say I'm impressed by his response. I know they are a discount gay cruise agency but something like this would cost them nothing.

 

Anyway, we are happy to join the group at Sky City for drinks and dinner at Caluzzi. I think we will need reservations and from their website it looks like you have to guarantee your booking with a credit card.

 

We can do this for Randy and myself but will need to know what time. Since it's a Saturday night we probably should book soon.

 

Note the apartment we are renting is in between Sky City and K Road thus if people want to meet for drinks at our apartment instead of Sky City (and save money) we are willing to host.

Edited November 15, 2014 by BayAreaBC

[BayAreaBC]

According to the Caluzzi website the doors open at 7pm and everyone must be seated by 7:45pm.

 

Thus the time is not flexible. I'll make a reservation for Randy and I and mention that we are with the Celebrity Solstice cruise group.

[BayAreaBC]

Caluzzi is closed for a couple weeks at that time.

 

Oh well. I tried. I will keep looking.

[BayAreaBC]

Okay there is another drag cabaret in Auckland called the Encore Room (formerly the Bluestone Room)

 

http://www.thebluestoneroom.co.nz/home.aspx

 

http://www.mylimelight.co.nz/

 

https://www.facebook.com/EncoreCabaret

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g255106-d723128-Reviews-Encore_Entertainment_Cabaret_Restaurant-Auckland_North_Island.html

 

Believe it or not I'm not a drag queen but I do like to support gay businesses.

 

Anyway, I will check to see if they are open on January 3, 2015. Apparently a lot of businesses close for their summer break then.

[RaynJeffnOhio]

Bummer! Thanks for finding out and relaying the info. We'll keep looking... :rolleyes:

[socialworkers]

Hope to be able to meet up with some of you guys in Aukland for at least happy hour night before sailing. My partner's and my 5th Pied Piper, we know will be mostly guy couples, which we always enjoy! Have made some long-term friends among the guys we've met aboard! Getting close, excursions!

Susan and Diane, Dallas

Edited November 16, 2014 by socialworkers
Typos

[BayAreaBC]

Another gay dinner cabaret. I contacted them to see if they are open.

 

http://www.encore-entertainment.co.nz/Home

 

Gay Auckland map

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?oe=UTF8&gl=DE&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ptab=2&hl=de&mid=zJkzlhEu0qUU.kx90AxbRGOZ0

 

Gay Auckland magazine

http://www.gayexpress.co.nz

 

Rainbow Guide to Auckland

http://www.rainbowtourism.co.nz/auckland-venues/

 

Most of the gay bars are along K Road. There is a lesbian coffee and pizza shop called Garnet Station. It's very far on the west side of Auckland though.

 

http://www.garnetstation.com/garnetstation.com/Open.html

Edited November 16, 2014 by BayAreaBC

[RaynJeffnOhio]

eDocs were posted last evening for us, and I ordered our luggage tags this morning.... YEEEEAAAH!!!

 

Not sure where we'll wind up for dinner on the evening before the cruise.. but for sure we'll be having drinks in the tower's Sky Lounge. Probably around 5-ish.

 

Looks like we'll also be doing the glow-worm cave excursion recommended by both Pied Piper and one of our friends who's also going.

 

Again... YEEEAAH!!!!!! :rolleyes:

[BayAreaBC]

For any fellow tech geeks you can download and install free New Zealand maps onto your GPS by following the directions at the link below

 

 

It worked for our Garmin Nuvi. We like to have the freedom of exploring on our own and a GPS is a tremendous tool for this.

 

The POI are mostly restaurants but these are still useful information.

[BayAreaBC]

On a local Auckland community board that I read often an Aucklander claims that Orphan's Kitchen is the best restaurant in Auckland.

 

It's located in Ponsonsby not far from K-Road. The tripadvisor reviews are stellar. Prices seem reasonable for dinner. They also serve brunch which gets raves too.

 

http://orphanskitchen.co.nz/

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g255106-d5493216-Reviews-Orphans_Kitchen-Auckland_North_Island.html

[BayAreaBC]

I'm not sure why no one seems to post here but apparently a lot of people read this from looking at the board statistics.

 

Anyway, more advice from a local Kiwi from an Auckland community board. We plan on doing both of the following.

 

Take a 10 minute ferry ride from downtown over to explore Devonport. Great views looking back toward Auckland City from there.

 

If you have time to a day trip, grab a ferry to Waiheke Island and do a tour. Even better - rent scooters or something and go for a blast. Wear togs and go swimming at each beach you come to.

[RaynJeffnOhio]

OK, just got back from the Pied Piper Post Thanksgiving Caribbean cruise. Super fun. Now it's time to think about this one. Nobody we asked on the PP staff could relay how many PP folks will be on this cruise.

 

We're traveling with Miami and Stockholm friends that will probably have restaurant ideas for the 3rd.... the day we all converge on Auckland. The only thing we have agreed upon is starting with drinks at the Sky Lounge. That may be all we know until we get there. :)

 

It is unusual that there isn't more activity on this forum. The Post Thanksgiving forum was active, but then there were over 900 guests too... most not on Cruise Critic or Facebook. I'm guessing this number, based on others I've asked who took similar cruises, will be 70-100. Guess we'll have to wait and see?

 

Now I have to try and find the best ways to get from the airports in Sydney and Auckland to the downtown areas. We'll be in Sydney prior to the cruise for New Years... can't wait. Hope I can stay awake... we arrive the morning of the 31st. I'm thinking about the bridge walk there... but am not ready to commit yet.. maybe if I wait long enough it'll be sold out. ;)

[BayAreaBC]

You can take the train from the airport to the Sydney CBD.

http://www.airportlink.com.au/

 

There is a bus from the Auckland airport to the Auckland CBD.

http://www.airbus.co.nz/

 

Taxis in New Zealand are very expensive. It would cost about $100NZ to take a taxi from the Auckland airport to downtown.

[RaynJeffnOhio]

You can take the train from the airport to the Sydney CBD.

http://www.airportlink.com.au/

 

There is a bus from the Auckland airport to the Auckland CBD.

http://www.airbus.co.nz/

 

Taxis in New Zealand are very expensive. It would cost about $100NZ to take a taxi from the Auckland airport to downtown.

 

Looks almost too easy, thank you! :)

[CrusingJoe]

OK, just got back from the Pied Piper Post Thanksgiving Caribbean cruise. Super fun. Now it's time to think about this one. Nobody we asked on the PP staff could relay how many PP folks will be on this cruise.

 

We're traveling with Miami and Stockholm friends that will probably have restaurant ideas for the 3rd.... the day we all converge on Auckland. The only thing we have agreed upon is starting with drinks at the Sky Lounge. That may be all we know until we get there. :)

 

It is unusual that there isn't more activity on this forum. The Post Thanksgiving forum was active, but then there were over 900 guests too... most not on Cruise Critic or Facebook. I'm guessing this number, based on others I've asked who took similar cruises, will be 70-100. Guess we'll have to wait and see?

 

Now I have to try and find the best ways to get from the airports in Sydney and Auckland to the downtown areas. We'll be in Sydney prior to the cruise for New Years... can't wait. Hope I can stay awake... we arrive the morning of the 31st. I'm thinking about the bridge walk there... but am not ready to commit yet.. maybe if I wait long enough it'll be sold out. ;)

 

That is one of the best cruises we have been on. Bet the spa was very busy. Enjoy your trip to NZ

[BayAreaBC]

Note there are 8 bars in SkyCity. I assume that the bar that people are planning to meet is at 5 pm on Saturday 1/3/15 is the SkyLounge

 

https://www.skycityauckland.co.nz/bars/sky-lounge/

Location

 

Level 50, Sky Tower, Cnr of Federal and Victoria Streets, Auckland

Cnr of Federal and Victoria Streets, Auckland

View Map

 

 

Opening Hours

 

Sunday–Thursday

9.30am–10pm (last coffee served at 9.30pm)

Friday and Saturday

9.30am–11pm (last coffee served at 10.30pm)

 

 

For those of us who don't know each other I'm not sure how we will recognize our fellow cruisers. I will likely be the tallest person in the room (6'5")

[RaynJeffnOhio]

We're definitely planning on SkyLounge, for the view. It's hard to determine what time we will be there though, as 4 of us don't arrive in Auckland until around 3pm that day. We're definitely shooting for around 5-6 though, earlier if the travel gods are with us. :) Jeff and I look like our thumbnail... we'll probably be with 4 others.

 

At 6'5" you should be easy to find! :)

 

If by chance we miss each other... we are Martini Bar regulars onboard, around 6-8pm.

Edited December 13, 2014 by RaynJeffnOhio

[BayAreaBC]

Two other Pied Piper gay cruisers may join us at SkyLounge at 5pm on January 3, 2015. Carlos from Buenos Aires and Dave from San Francisco.

[laloglz]

Hi all,

 

I have no idea what the Pied Piper cruises are but I have a contingent of gays joining. We booked through Celebrity directly though. We are a couple from Chicago celebrating my partners 40th bday and joining us is another couple from Minneapolis as well as two single friends one from SF and the other from Chicago.

 

We are also getting into Sydney for NYE then flying to AKL on the 2nd to spend some time there.

 

Thanks for all the research you have already done, it's super helpful!

 

Best,

Abel & Danny

[RaynJeffnOhio]

Welcome aboard guys! Pied Piper is a gay travel agency who organizes smaller groups aboard traditional cruises, usually with a couple of organized events onboard. We've booked with them now for a couple cruises. You've probably read the forum, so you know what we've been up to here... and what we're looking forward to. It should be fun, but not difficult, finding each other on the ship. We look forward to meeting the whole gang! :D

Edited December 15, 2014 by RaynJeffnOhio

[laloglz]

We are usual Martini Bar goers or Molecular Bar, I'm sure we won't miss each other :) We also use the Ship Mate app and there is a roll call and other info there as well.

Edited December 15, 2014 by laloglz

[RaynJeffnOhio]

Thanks for the scoop on the Ship Mate App. I didn't know about that one. :rolleyes:

[RaynJeffnOhio]

Anybody else going to the LGBT party NYE in Sydney at the Museum of Contemporary Art rooftop? :)

[charp092]

I live in AKL and a Taxi from the airpot is $50-$60 max

[BayAreaBC]

Avoiding the most expensive taxi fares in the world

 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11248648

Edited December 23, 2014 by BayAreaBC