Now for something completely different

[MicCanberra]

[MicCanberra]

21 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

it is billed as a 43 night "collector" cruise on Holland America Westerdam it begins in Auckland March 16th 2025 and ending in Seattle 27th of April. Of course there is a stop in Victoria on the 26th so we will arrange to get off here.

The original 14 day cruise was $14,000.00, so by changing cabins categories we are adding 29 days for $16.000.00 and eliminating one long haul flight, of course we get to see more new places we haven't been as well. Then there is the whole crossing the equator by sea thing, probably not a big deal for Lynn but it is for this old Sea Cadet.

And crossing the date line.

[Blackduck59]

18 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

And crossing the date line.

There is that too, although I'm not sure that is a big deal in Navy circles. First crossing of the Equator, Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope are all big deals.

[MicCanberra]

32 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

There is that too, although I'm not sure that is a big deal in Navy circles. First crossing of the Equator, Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope are all big deals.

https://www.amusingplanet.com/2019/01/ss-warrimoo-ship-that-missed-new-years.html

[Blackduck59]

So we have the new cruise itinerary sorted. With the previous booking in place it was best to do the booking as a B2B. We have the same cabin throughout. We changed cabin class for the first 14 day leg, we were in a signature suite but switched to an SA Veranda on deck 5. The original 14 day cruise was just over $14,000.00 CDN. This included the enhanced Have it all package including "Crew Appreciation", Elite beverage package etc. With the new 43 day cruise that has the enhanced Have it All package as well  for a little under $30,000.00 CDN. So we think it is a great deal, not to mention we eliminate one long haul flight.

[mr walker]

Looks a great option Lyle.

 

Adding to what Mic already replied re the Sth Pacific Islands

- Noumea is on the main New Caledonian island Grande Terre & is a modern city & Lifou is an island in the Loyalty Islands province of New Caledonia  which is more rustic & basically a beach day

- Vila is a relatively modern city (by Sth Pacific standards) on Efate island of Vanuatu. Mystery Island is an uninhabited 'cruise-ship' only island, where locals come from nearby islands for the day - it again is basically a beach day.

- Lautoka & Suva are on opposite sides of the Fijian main island of Viti Levu, Savusuva is on Vanua Levu Island (I have not been there) & Dravuni is a very small island which is a beach day

 

All of these places are very interesting to visit, each different to each other. 

 

Based on you updated plan, when will you likely be in the Sydney area as I am keen to meet with you & Lynn and maybe visit Penrith & the Blue Mountains - Penrith is about 50km west of Sydney CBD and at the base of the mountains.

 

Cheers

[Blackduck59]

@mr walker Thanks Neil, we will probably fly in to Sydney around the 18th of February 2025 maybe a little later. We are keen to meet the friends we have been in contact through Cruise Critic and will definitely plan to visit your part of OZ. I had hoped for about 4 weeks in Oz but it will more likely be 3 weeks. The road trip will start in Sydney and end in Melbourne. We want to choose a route that lets us meet people and see Oz. While I will use Motor Ways we would prefer perhaps a slower pace, so we aren't missing the very place we came to see. We want to be able to stop at local places to eat or buy groceries if we have arranged accommodations with a kitchenette. When doing road trips here we have a little power cooler that plugs into the car's power points. It works really well, we'll buy one of those because Lynn will need to keep her insulin chilled. We can leave it with @possum52 Leigh in Melbourne if she wants it. We will be flying out of Melbourne for Auckland on the 13th or 14th of March, we board the cruise on the 16th. There is a port stop in Melbourne on the cruise and also a day in Sydney (turn around day between the 14 day and 29 day itineraries) perhaps we can catch up with Graham @gbenjo while we are there.

[MicCanberra]

Hi Lyle, we will likely be in Sydney on the 20th as we sail out on the 21st on the Diamond Princess to Japan.

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, MicCanberra said:

Hi Lyle, we will likely be in Sydney on the 20th as we sail out on the 21st on the Diamond Princess to Japan.

We disembark from Diamond on the 21st, we're bringing her down from QLD for you. I'm hoping the waiter team we had in Japan will be on the ship then - they seemed to think they would be. So book the Da Vinci MDR for dinner just in case.

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

We disembark from Diamond on the 21st, we're bringing her down from QLD for you. I'm hoping the waiter team we had in Japan will be on the ship then - they seemed to think they would be. So book the Da Vinci MDR for dinner just in case.

Us too.

How did you find CD Ester? She was pretty good as an ACD on Coral, and we are hoping she stays connected to Diamond when cruising down here.

[Blackduck59]

6 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Hi Lyle, we will likely be in Sydney on the 20th as we sail out on the 21st on the Diamond Princess to Japan.

Thanks Mic, I always thought it would be hard to find you at home. Hopefully we can at least meet up for a pint before you go. 

[lyndarra]

3 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

Thanks Mic, I always thought it would be hard to find you at home. Hopefully we can at least meet up for a pint before you go. 

Heads up. You will need to get used to drinking schooners. I suspect that wont be a problem for an old salt.

[MicCanberra]

10 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

We disembark from Diamond on the 21st, we're bringing her down from QLD for you. I'm hoping the waiter team we had in Japan will be on the ship then - they seemed to think they would be. So book the Da Vinci MDR for dinner just in case.

We do anytime dining, so will go eat when we wish, is the Da Vinci, the MDR for fixed dining or anytime?

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, MicCanberra said:

We do anytime dining, so will go eat when we wish, is the Da Vinci, the MDR for fixed dining or anytime?

There is no Da Vinci MDR on Diamond.

International is usually the fixed dining, with the other 4 being anytime.

[Mareblu]

16 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

@mr walker Thanks Neil, we will probably fly in to Sydney around the 18th of February 2025 maybe a little later. We are keen to meet the friends we have been in contact through Cruise Critic and will definitely plan to visit your part of OZ. I had hoped for about 4 weeks in Oz but it will more likely be 3 weeks. The road trip will start in Sydney and end in Melbourne. We want to choose a route that lets us meet people and see Oz. While I will use Motor Ways we would prefer perhaps a slower pace, so we aren't missing the very place we came to see. We want to be able to stop at local places to eat or buy groceries if we have arranged accommodations with a kitchenette. When doing road trips here we have a little power cooler that plugs into the car's power points. It works really well, we'll buy one of those because Lynn will need to keep her insulin chilled. We can leave it with @possum52 Leigh in Melbourne if she wants it. We will be flying out of Melbourne for Auckland on the 13th or 14th of March, we board the cruise on the 16th. There is a port stop in Melbourne on the cruise and also a day in Sydney (turn around day between the 14 day and 29 day itineraries) perhaps we can catch up with Graham @gbenjo while we are there.

That’s a great itinerary, Lyle.  The main highway between Sydney and Melbourne is not overly scenic, apart from vast stretches of grazing and farmed rural land, which of course holds its own special beauty.  Most of the towns the road used to pass through are now bypassed, so I would recommend the longer, but incredibly scenic, coastal route.  It offers beautiful, captivating vistas.  You may have missed my previous post where I mentioned you and Lynn are most welcome to stay with us at our beach house in Batemans Bay, which you will pass on your way.  The offer still stands, but we realise you may prefer to be independent, in which case we can arrange to meet anyway, and more importantly, with Les, perhaps in Moruya where he’ll be by then, or at his favourite Chinese restaurant, Raymond’s, in Malua Bay, which is part if the wider Batemans Bay area.  

[MicCanberra]

1 hour ago, arxcards said:

There is no Da Vinci MDR on Diamond.

International is usually the fixed dining, with the other 4 being anytime.

Right, Julie had mentioned the Da Vinci mdr, as long as they have good food and service,  I don't care what it is called. From years ago (2012) I thought it had names like Vivaldi, Savoy, Santa Fe and such.

[arxcards]

1 minute ago, MicCanberra said:

Right, Julie had mentioned the Da Vinci mdr, as long as they have good food and service,  I don't care what it is called. From years ago (2012) I thought it had names like Vivaldi, Savoy, Santa Fe and such.

Pacific Moon, Santa Fe, Savoy, Vivaldi - correct. These are the midship ones on 5 & 6. On other ships these would be just 2 dining rooms, but they are split in half for whatever reason on Diamond. International is aft on deck 6, and was our fixed dining last time we cruised on Diamond. I can book the 4 x restaurants as anytime on the app, while International isn't visible on it. I don't know how that one is booked, or whether it is possible to pre-book in the old fashioned way.

 

@OzKiwiJJ we haven't booked our dining assignment for next Feb yet. Which is the best one to go for?

[lyndarra]

1 hour ago, Mareblu said:

That’s a great itinerary, Lyle.  The main highway between Sydney and Melbourne is not overly scenic, apart from vast stretches of grazing and farmed rural land, which of course holds its own special beauty.  Most of the towns the road used to pass through are now bypassed, so I would recommend the longer, but incredibly scenic, coastal route.  It offers beautiful, captivating vistas.  You may have missed my previous post where I mentioned you and Lynn are most welcome to stay with us at our beach house in Batemans Bay, which you will pass on your way.  The offer still stands, but we realise you may prefer to be independent, in which case we can arrange to meet anyway, and more importantly, with Les, perhaps in Moruya where he’ll be by then, or at his favourite Chinese restaurant, Raymond’s, in Malua Bay, which is part if the wider Batemans Bay area.  

From my experience I would add to avoid the coastal route on weekends.

[Mareblu]

13 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

From my experience I would add to avoid the coastal route on weekends.

Particularly between Sydney and Nowra-Mollymook, but such beautiful scenery to miss.  The alternative, of course, is to drive to Batemans Bay, with any desired designated stops on the way.  The scenery to the Bay on the coastal route is stunning.  Then take the Kings Highway through the Clyde Mountain climb and historic Braidwood to Canberra.  Here we again offer accommodation, with a free sightseeing tour thrown in.  Canberra to Sydney on the Federal Highway and then Freeway to Sydney is then not a long drive at all.

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, arxcards said:

There is no Da Vinci MDR on Diamond.

International is usually the fixed dining, with the other 4 being anytime.

Arrgh! I'm getting my ships mixed up. On Diamond it's the Savoy MDR, deck 5, where we found the wonderful waiters - Ana Joy and Fernando.

[arxcards]

1 minute ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Arrgh! I'm getting my ships mixed up. On Diamond it's the Savoy MDR, deck 5, where we found the wonderful waiters - Ana Joy and Fernando.

All good. Thanks.

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, arxcards said:

There is no Da Vinci MDR on Diamond.

International is usually the fixed dining, with the other 4 being anytime.

The isn't really any fixed dining any more either. If you wish you can book a time in one of the MDRs for the whole cruise, or you can just walk in when it suits you. If we find a good waiter team we ask to have a booking at a particular table and time for the rest of the cruise. We were very lucky on Diamond as we found our perfect table on the first night.

[arxcards]

Just now, OzKiwiJJ said:

The isn't really any fixed dining any more either. If you wish you can book a time in one of the MDRs for the whole cruise, or you can just walk in when it suits you. If we find a good waiter team we ask to have a booking at a particular table and time for the rest of the cruise. We were very lucky on Diamond as we found our perfect table on the first night.

Thanks.

I have noticed that International dining room can't be pre-booked on the app though. I will likely just pre-book the same restaurant/same time via the app, then just adjust to suit when we are aboard. It has worked pretty well that way for us on Coral & Majestic so far. I don't figure there will be any difference from one to the other. In the early days of Diamond, each of the 4 midship dining rooms had a varied "signature dish" each night to encourage passengers to move around, but that feature is way long gone.

[Blackduck59]

@Mareblu Thanks Linda, we are grateful for your offer and we accept. We are still more than a year out and we had planned a road trip before with several places to meet people. Of course there are more people now so we will be going out The Great Ocean Road as far as Warrnambool. Most of the trip was along the coast, travelling south west from Sydney. There were stops at Philip Island (we want to see the Penguins). I also want to see Ballarat, maybe overnight at Craigs Hotel. We will be in Oz about 3 weeks. With Mic & Rosie setting out on their Voyage on the 21st of February, hopefully we can meet up in Sydney on the 20th. We will arrive in Sydney on the 19th of February and leave from Melbourne on the 13th or 14th of March, the cruise boards in Auckland on the 16th.

[MicCanberra]

I think a plan is taking shape, I am sure your holiday will be packed with highlights.