Celebrity Solstice April 3 2015 Sydney to Honolulu

[ordnael]

Anyone else out there booked this cruise? Still months away, but already counting the days!

[Lucky Phil 1973]

Anyone else out there booked this cruise? Still months away, but already counting the days!

 

You're in luck... we're two guys from Bendigo (Victoria, Australia) who'll be joining you on this awesome itinerary (I still can't believe that we're REALLY going to Bora Bora)! We had great FOD meetings on our recent NCL Sun cruise from Miami, and we hope that there'll be similar opportunities to mingle on this gorgeous-looking ship. Roll on, April 2015!!! :)

Edited May 26, 2014 by Lucky Phil 1973
Factual content correction

[ordnael]

You're in luck... we're two guys from Bendigo (Victoria, Australia) who'll be joining you on this awesome itinerary (I still can't believe that we're REALLY going to Bora Bora)! We had great FOD meetings on our recent NCL Sun cruise from Miami, and we hope that there'll be similar opportunities to mingle on this gorgeous-looking ship. Roll on, April 2015!!! :)

 

 

Hey there! Thank goodness I had a response!! There's a very active straight thread for our cruise and I was beginning to think my partner & I would be the only gay men onboard!!

Like you can't believe we will actually visit the South Pacific! And Australia is the first for us too... We'll be in Sydney a couple of days before we leave.

We cruised on the Equinox last year and the Solstice is similar, and it is indeed a lovely ship...

Get together on board? We always check the FOD and have made great friends that way.

Cheers!

 

 

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[Lucky Phil 1973]

Hey there! Thank goodness I had a response!! There's a very active straight thread for our cruise and I was beginning to think my partner & I would be the only gay men onboard!!

Like you can't believe we will actually visit the South Pacific! And Australia is the first for us too... We'll be in Sydney a couple of days before we leave.

We cruised on the Equinox last year and the Solstice is similar, and it is indeed a lovely ship...

Get together on board? We always check the FOD and have made great friends that way.

Cheers!

 

 

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Hey, I think this will be an UNREAL cruise! We're really looking forward to seeing what Celebrity have to offer, but we have very high expectations of the Solstice based on the amazing photos that we've seen. Glad to hear that your experience on the Equinox was so positive... sounds like a great benchmark. Looking forward to catching up with you on the ship... FOD works out nicely!

 

On another note, I'm sure you'll have a great time in Sydney prior to embarkation. At least you'll have a couple of days to unwind, to see some of the many sights on offer, and to board the cruise without the worry of arriving late from your flights! We did the same thing in Miami, and everything worked out perfectly. I'm happy to offer some tips on what to see/do in Sydney, too!

[ordnael]

Hey, I think this will be an UNREAL cruise! We're really looking forward to seeing what Celebrity have to offer, but we have very high expectations of the Solstice based on the amazing photos that we've seen. Glad to hear that your experience on the Equinox was so positive... sounds like a great benchmark. Looking forward to catching up with you on the ship... FOD works out nicely!

 

 

 

On another note, I'm sure you'll have a great time in Sydney prior to embarkation. At least you'll have a couple of days to unwind, to see some of the many sights on offer, and to board the cruise without the worry of arriving late from your flights! We did the same thing in Miami, and everything worked out perfectly. I'm happy to offer some tips on what to see/do in Sydney, too!

 

 

Hey there! Less than 300 days to go!

We'll be at the Sydney Harbour Marriott prior to the ship leaving. From the looks of it, the Opera House, Botanical Gardens and other interesting places are within walking distance. Any other suggestions?

Cheers and have a great week!

 

 

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[Lucky Phil 1973]

Hey there! Less than 300 days to go!

We'll be at the Sydney Harbour Marriott prior to the ship leaving. From the looks of it, the Opera House, Botanical Gardens and other interesting places are within walking distance. Any other suggestions?

Cheers and have a great week!

 

 

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Hey, that's a pretty good start! The great thing about the Sydney CBD is that everything is reasonably compact for such a major city (in comparison to the expanse of the metropolitan area), so there are numerous things worth seeing that aren't too far away.

 

I might also suggest investigating The Rocks (right next to Circular Quay, where the Solstice will be docked), and maybe even Luna Park for an old-style fairground experience (across the Harbour Bridge). Head around under the bridge and past Millers Point and Barangaroo, and you'll find yourselves in Darling Harbour - this is a plaza-style harbourside development with cafes, the Sydney Aquarium, the Australian National Maritime Museum, and Star City Casino just across the waterway (this can be reached via footbridge). Further afield, there's the famous Taronga Zoo (reachable by ferry), and the iconic Bondi Beach (only a couple of miles to the east of the CBD).

 

You can also try taking the Harbour Bridge Walk (across the top of the bridge) or ascending Sydney Tower for stunning views of Greater Sydney and beyond. If nothing else, do make sure that you catch at least one harbour ferry ride (it's public transport, but gives you AMAZING multidimensional views of the city from the water, thus you'll get a better sense of the interesting layout of the harbour). I've ridden on the Manly ferry a few times, but there are numerous others that'll take you up and down the harbour from point to point!

 

This is only a taste of the sorts of things I've done during my brief stints on Sydney, but I emphasise that I'm no local there, so others may have better or more specific suggestions. But I think that you'll find it easy to see plenty within a couple of days, without having to venture far from your hotel digs! :)

[ordnael]

Hey, that's a pretty good start! The great thing about the Sydney CBD is that everything is reasonably compact for such a major city (in comparison to the expanse of the metropolitan area), so there are numerous things worth seeing that aren't too far away.

 

 

 

I might also suggest investigating The Rocks (right next to Circular Quay, where the Solstice will be docked), and maybe even Luna Park for an old-style fairground experience (across the Harbour Bridge). Head around under the bridge and past Millers Point and Barangaroo, and you'll find yourselves in Darling Harbour - this is a plaza-style harbourside development with cafes, the Sydney Aquarium, the Australian National Maritime Museum, and Star City Casino just across the waterway (this can be reached via footbridge). Further afield, there's the famous Taronga Zoo (reachable by ferry), and the iconic Bondi Beach (only a couple of miles to the east of the CBD).

 

 

 

You can also try taking the Harbour Bridge Walk (across the top of the bridge) or ascending Sydney Tower for stunning views of Greater Sydney and beyond. If nothing else, do make sure that you catch at least one harbour ferry ride (it's public transport, but gives you AMAZING multidimensional views of the city from the water, thus you'll get a better sense of the interesting layout of the harbour). I've ridden on the Manly ferry a few times, but there are numerous others that'll take you up and down the harbour from point to point!

 

 

 

This is only a taste of the sorts of things I've done during my brief stints on Sydney, but I emphasise that I'm no local there, so others may have better or more specific suggestions. But I think that you'll find it easy to see plenty within a couple of days, without having to venture far from your hotel digs! :)

 

 

Hi Phil!

Thanks for the great tips! I appreciate them all. We were thinking of doing the zoo too, that way we can also get the ferry done and see a Koala! 😉

I checked out the walk along the top of the bridge and it sounds awesome! I want to check it out! So much to see and do, so little time...

Any excursions planned for the stopovers? We looked at a few from Celebrity's site, but would like to use more of the time on land to sightsee, especially in the South Pacific.

Cheers!

 

 

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[Lucky Phil 1973]

Hi Phil!

Thanks for the great tips! I appreciate them all. We were thinking of doing the zoo too, that way we can also get the ferry done and see a Koala!

I checked out the walk along the top of the bridge and it sounds awesome! I want to check it out! So much to see and do, so little time...

Any excursions planned for the stopovers? We looked at a few from Celebrity's site, but would like to use more of the time on land to sightsee, especially in the South Pacific.

Cheers!

 

 

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You're sure to have fun in Sydney. We're flying in from Melbourne mid-morning, so we'll likely reach the ship for boarding around midday (and probably just in time for lunch!)....

 

As for excursions, we haven't yet planned anything specific. I envision the Bay of Islands as a beach day for us! As for Auckland, we've visited Auckland once before and liked it a lot, and the docks are on the edge of the CBD, much like Sydney. We'll probably just have an easy day walking the downtown district, as it's even more walkable than Sydney in this respect. I imagine the Bay of Islands to be a beach day! As for Moorea and Bora Bora (especially), I'm so bewitched by images of those islands, that I'm likely to go ashore, stand there and gawk in a hypnotic trance at the incredible scenery! Papeete and Lahaina have yet to receive much consideration, but exploring and beachcombing are the likely respective orders of the day. We also have two nights in Honolulu booked to wrap up the great itinerary.

 

Maybe I'll have another browse of the Celebrity excursions on the site, just to get an idea of what'll be available to us should we wish to do more. Woohoo, the adventure draws ever closer...! :D

[ordnael]

Perfect timing, arriving at lunchtime!

We've researched things to do in Aukland and decided to walk around town. Like you said, it's walkable and interesting too. Bay of Islands we'll probably get a ferry to some nearby island and sightsee. I've been to Maui several times, so I'll rent a car and show my soon to be husband (We will marry in December - the cruise will be our honeymoon) around, up Haleakala, Waileia, Makena. We have just the rest of the day we arrive in Honolulu to sightsee, and again I'll rent and drive Alex to one of my favourite spots, Hanauma Bay, and other places before we leave. I read that Moorea is good for landside sightseeing and Bora Bora & Tahiti for the lagoon/ocean, so we'll look into doing that when we're there... 274 days to go and I'm already thinking of starting to pack!!

 

 

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[Lucky Phil 1973]

Perfect timing, arriving at lunchtime!

We've researched things to do in Aukland and decided to walk around town. Like you said, it's walkable and interesting too. Bay of Islands we'll probably get a ferry to some nearby island and sightsee. I've been to Maui several times, so I'll rent a car and show my soon to be husband (We will marry in December - the cruise will be our honeymoon) around, up Haleakala, Waileia, Makena. We have just the rest of the day we arrive in Honolulu to sightsee, and again I'll rent and drive Alex to one of my favourite spots, Hanauma Bay, and other places before we leave. I read that Moorea is good for landside sightseeing and Bora Bora & Tahiti for the lagoon/ocean, so we'll look into doing that when we're there... 274 days to go and I'm already thinking of starting to pack!!

 

 

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All of the ports of call sound great to us! As we've only been to Auckland but enjoyed it immensely (the Sky Tower and inner suburbs/gardens of Auckland are great for scenic exploring, and there are numerous bays and inlets not far from the CBD if you feel like venturing out a little further), we're naturally anticipating some nice days ashore. We also look forward to our final 'wind-down' days in Honolulu before the longish flight back to Melbourne.

 

I can see myself anchoring around Waikiki and Diamond Head and not moving too far from that beautiful beach, but we'll also no doubt do a little exploring on Oahu as time permits. Pearl Harbour, downtown Honolulu and some scenic touring are probably musts. If you have any suggestions, though, we'd be most grateful!

 

It's also great to hear that we'll be there to help celebrate your honeymoon! What a way to mark the occasion of your marriage! Are you getting married in Florida? I don't think that same-sex marriage has been fully ratified there yet, has it (but don't worry, as it's also yet to be legalised in Australia)?

[ordnael]

Hey Phil!

8 months, 19 days to go!! Woohoo!!

Lots to see and do in Honolulu, but if you just hang out at Waikiki and chill it's all good too! Diamond Head is worth visiting - you can drive inside the crater and hike up to the top. Awesome views from there. Waikiki is a cool beach to people watch and enjoy the sun too. A little further away is Hanauma Bay - great snorkeling, and Waimea Bay. Even after Bora Bora they will still be worth the trip. Manoa Falls is pretty, located in an amazing rainforest. The USS Arizona Memorial is interesting if you're into history. And Ala Moana shopping mall is nearby if you want to buy stuff!

Thanks for the words of support regarding our wedding!! We are both very excited and looking forward to finally getting hitched! We've been together for 9 years and feel it's the right time to take things one step further. And you're right that we cannot get married on out home state... Yet! But someday I'm sure this will change, and in Australia too!

We will be getting married in New York in December. Several friends will be flying up to meet us and other friends from NYC will be there as well, so it's going to be fun!

And enjoying an amazing honeymoon on the ship with great people will be the cherry on top 😄

We have just paid off the cruise and cabin 9192 is ours!! We're also doing the select dining so we're not tied down to a specific time.

So now it's just counting the days... That's the toughest part, LOL!!

Cheers and happy week to you!

 

 

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[Lucky Phil 1973]

Regrettably, my partner and I split up late last year, and we're subsequently living in different states. Thus, I'm really sorry to announce that we won't be joining you guys on this wonderful cruise. Ultimately, the voyage became the victim of our unhappy circumstances, and was cancelled in recent weeks.

 

Although I won't have the opportunity to meet you guys on this particular cruise, I'm sure that you'll have a fantastic, memorable experience both on land and at sea - and I really trust that we'll catch up somewhere down the line. I'll be thinking jealously of how much fun you're having next month! ;)

Edited March 6, 2015 by Lucky Phil 1973
Correction of factual content

[ordnael]

Oh I am so sorry to hear about that... [emoji17]

We were looking forward to meeting you. Hope you're ok...

Catching up somewhere will be great... Stay in touch!

Hope I'm wrong, but judging by the lack of activity on this thread, it seems like we'll be the only two gay guys on the ship!

Cheers and all the best to you...

[Lucky Phil 1973]

Hey, not to worry!!! I'm fine here (actually, just a little disappointed)... I just couldn't really convince my new employer to allow me to take four weeks away from work to join you on this awesome cruise, unfortunately. But I still hope to hear how your imminent adventure pans out. So, please post at some point in the near future!

 

By the way, I've booked two cruises for early 2016 as a sort of 'consolation prize' for my wounded cruising sole.... ;)

 

Thank you heaps, guys, and HAVE A BLAST - and best wishes for your exciting future together!

Edited April 1, 2015 by Lucky Phil 1973
Correction of factual content

[insuranceguynyc]

First cruise, Alaska. Travelling by myself; not necessarily looking for much other than a friendly face(s); 57 yo.

[MikeandRon]

Mike and Ron here. We are way overdue checking in for family on this cruise and are so pleasantly surprised to see posts on here. We have always been the first looking for others. We recently added the B2B leg to Vancover to the South Pacific main event and then discovered it has a Pied Piper group too. What fun! This will be our first time to this part of the world so all advice is very welcome. We have two nights in Sydney before boarding with a package deal at the Four Seasons and will add a night on our own. We really look forward to meeting you guys here and ultimately in Sydney and beyond. Until then!