Live on Edge Down Under - Mar 24 & Apr 5 - NZ and S Australia 🛳️🇦🇺🦘🇳🇿🥝🛳️

[81Zoomie]

18 hours ago, southerngoose said:

I happen to love Bingo on a cruise ship, but I think I need to limit myself.   Luckily, it's not been a problem for me on other ships (I got into a "bad" habit of buying cards at every session).   But I'm wondering if people enjoy going to Bingo and Deal/NoDeal without buying and just watching?   I'm thinking I might try that (unless there's a better offering at that time...).   I just don't want to be sucked into buying (which is controllable, by me, but you know...).   I almost need a support group to enjoy watching, but not spending.   Otherwise, I'll have to do what I have done before and just be a hermit in my room and watch a movie or work on my crafts.

I have watched Deal or No Deal on other cruises for the entertainment.  Truthfully, I have no idea how the “cards” or audience participation works with this game.  It is simply fun to watch the participants and the dynamics.  Unfortunately, there was limited space in the venue today.

[southerngoose]

@81Zoomie thanks...I needed to know that you found it "fun" even though you didn't pay into it.   I will try that.   I've watched it on tv and have fun, even though I can't win.   So I assume that it would be the same in this "live" version.  

 

[81Zoomie]

We decided to go to the Officer’s soirée in the Retreat this evening.  It was packed!  The one noticeable omission was a lack of any bridge ⚓️⚓️⚓️ officers.  We did learn the fate of the harbor pilot leaving Sydney.  Due to the  very rough and windy 🌊💨🌊💨 sea conditions the pilot could not leave the ship 🚢.  That is actually not a surprise as we saw the pilot boat being tossed about.  The pilot got a bonus cruise to Melbourne!  Then he will fly 🛫 back to Sydney.

 

Tonight is Eden for dinner.  This is our third and final time.  As usual, we had a superb meal.  There was a slight tweak to the menu.  The Lobster Casserole was renamed Australian Rack Lobster 🦞.   
 

 

We started with the amuse bouche.  DH had the Tandoori beef, soup, and the filet mignon.  I had the risotto and the salmon.  Everything was delicious 😋♥️😋!

 

 

For dessert we both selected the lemon tart 🍋🍋.

 

 

After dinner we decided to listed to the music 🎶 duo playing in Eden 🎸🎻  It was very relaxing and they were quite good.

 

 

At this point we were both quite full and had shared a bottle of very nice Australian wine from the Margaret River region.  We wandered back to our cabin.  Yes, the weather was dismal, but we had a very relaxing day.  That is what vacation is all about 💕🥰💕.

 

Upon returning to our cabin we found a gift from Eden.  This was new!  We had dined there twice on the previous segment with no acknowledgment.  It was a very nice gesture 😊👍

 

[hcat]

the EDEN gift was a nice surprise..very tasty!

[81Zoomie]

Day 3 - Melbourne 

 

Good day from Melbourne!  We awoke early (or so we thought 😅) just as we were pulling into port.  My phone said 5:30 am.  It’s nice of the Aussie Navy ⚓️ to welcome us!

 

 

As you can see, the jury is still out on the weather.  When we turned on the TV, it indicated one hour later than the devices we synched to Melbourne time.  There was no notice to change our clocks ⏰ ⌚️last night.  All of my devices show a different time 🤪.  OK… auto synched the devices and they now all agree it’s 8:05 am.

 

We have no organized excursion here today.  DH has found that there is a public transit station close to the pier.  We plan to go into the business district and then to the Victoria market. After that we are flexible based on the weather and how we feel.

 

We will have a leisurely breakfast  🍳 🥯 🍉 since we are in no rush to get off the ship.  It’s very nice to be able to take our time today.  

[Boatharbour]

Can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying reading about your trip especially after we left the ship last Friday. 
Daylight saving ended overnight which explains the time difference. Eden is our favourite specialty restaurant. They need to change the wording for the Australian rack lobster though to Australian rock lobster. Still, that’s better than the “blueberry mouse” which was listed on the app one day last week! 
Thank you once again for taking the tone to share your adventures. 

[Lena11033]

Poor pilot I guess that's a thing with the job that could happen. But imagine the conversation 'sorry not coming home today, I'm on my way to Melbourne. See you in a couple of days'

[81Zoomie]

27 minutes ago, Lena11033 said:

Poor pilot I guess that's a thing with the job that could happen. But imagine the conversation 'sorry not coming home today, I'm on my way to Melbourne. See you in a couple of days'

I might add, “I will try to endure the plentiful dining options and live music.  I may seek a massage to relieve these stressful conditions!”
 

Hope the pilot packs a small essentials backpack when conditions are iffy for return.

[Barwick Cruiser]

Wonder who pays for the pilots flight back home? 🤔

Thanks @81Zoomie for a wonderful review…your pics are lovely and I’m enjoying all the onboard info! Hope your weather improves soon 🤞

Cathy

[81Zoomie]

We had a nice time exploring Melbourne on our own.  We heard that while Sydney is the tourist capitol, Melbourne is the business capitol of Australia.  We found this to be true.  By my watch we walked about 6 miles!  Lots of walking because the public transit isn’t as seamless as in Sydney
 

The city has a unique blend of old and new architecture.  We enjoyed the contrasts as we walked.

 

 

We were able to find the Victoria Market.  Since we didn’t wish to wait 30 minutes for the free zone city tram, we walked.  The rain was light and we enjoyed the fresh air.  The market was amazing.  It was quite large and comprehensive.  The produce was beautiful.  You could buy everything from merino sweaters to baby clothes!  We even saw gas cans ⛽️. Who knew there were so many types of eggs 🥚🪺🥚?

 

It was certainly a world of colors and flavors.  We noted the extensive use of shipping containers for stores and restaurants as well.  You could buy culinary delights from all parts of the world. We had never seen fried potatoes on a skewer before! 🥔🍟🥔. Photographs of your iris, who knew this was a thing? If I remember correctly, your eyes 👁️👁️ are like fingerprints and DNA, so this one makes me nervous…

 

 

We continued our adventures and took in the sights and sounds of Melbourne.  The best part was that after 2.5 days the sun finally came out!

 

 

By this time noon had come and gone. 🕛 DH wanted to eat, but couldn’t decide what 🙄🙄.  I knew he wanted something Asian, which is risky for me.  I finally ate my protein bar which gave him a green light to stop for food.  🍲🍱🥘  He was delighted with his Singapore Noodles. I’m still not sure why we didn’t eat at the market? 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️

 

 

We caught a tram and made our way back to the ship 🛳️.

 

[81Zoomie]

I do have a question for the E Class experts.  Getting on and off the ship and the location of the gangways seems a bit odd.  I do not remember this on Apex.

 

 

Today there was one skinny gangway on deck 5.  You use the same tiny walkway getting on and off.  The security was set up in the Casino.  In Sydney, it was through Raw on 5.  The area is very small and gets quite congested.  It seems as though it’s a lot of work to move all the scanner and metal detector equipment into place and then break it down when we sail.  It must be a pain for Raw on 5 when the ship sails late.  Is this the same situation on the newer E class ships?  Or, did X design a better solution/location for the gangways?

Edited April 7 by 81Zoomie

[81Zoomie]

I did a quick pass in Blu to get a photo of tonight’s menu.  We have enjoyed our meals in Blu when we sail in Aqua and I know others do as well.  It feels lovely and intimate in Blu on Edge.

 

 

Tonights menu:

 

 

[81Zoomie]

Wow, what a gorgeous afternoon 😎☀️🌏!  Simply ideal conditions for a cocktail by the pool.  DH had a Tito’s and tonic and I had the Spicy Margarita.

 

The Melbourne skyline glistened in the sunshine!

 

 

And finally, Melbourne all lit up!  It’s a lovely skyline!

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

Wow! What a great day in Melbourne!  Thanks for the Blu menu. Have to agree that the space looks way more intimate and appealing (to me) than Luminae. 

[depplep]

Really appreciate the pictures of Melbourne as we are coming in a day early before the cruise. 

[81Zoomie]

We were a bit tired as dinner time approached.  But, the visions of filet energized me.  We were quite surprised to be seated by the window for the first time in Luminae in 2 weeks!  What a perfect night to have this happen!  We watched the lights of Melbourne fade into the distance as we ate 💕.

 

 

The dinner menu is now beginning to repeat.

 

 

I decided on the burrata and the filet.  DH had the salmon and the filet.  We did remember to order extra vegetables.  Otherwise you get a dollop of potatoes and a tablespoon of spinach.  DH did devour his salmon before I could snap a pic 😂. I have had the burrata twice now.  The cheese is the size of a baseball.  I could have easily done with 2 more petite ping pong ball sized portions 🏓🏓

 

 

 

I had the poached pear for dessert 🍐😍.  It was so delicious that I dove in and ate the entire thing is a flash!  I highly recommend it 👍👍👍.

 

We were not feeling the need to watch the Cover Girls again.  We elected to retire early and just put our feet up and read 📖👓📚.

 

 

[81Zoomie]

Day 4 - Sea Day

 

Good morning from the Great Australian Bight.  That is the name of this body of water.  The sun is beginning to peak out but we are rolling a noticeable amount and it is 61 deg outside.  For todays activities:

 

 

The Caltain’s Club breakfast in Tuscan seemed like the perfect venue for a quiet breakfast bite.  To our surprise, we were offered a table by the window in the little back room.  It was like private dining 😍.  We are not certain what has changed, but our luck  🍀🍀🍀 with dining location has certainly improved!

 

 

The tiny bagels are hiding in the back of the pastry section on the buffet.

 

 

I had tea this morning.  It may just be me, but I have not been able to pour the tea out of this container without it leaking all over the table.  

 

[81Zoomie]

We are up in the Retreat passing time while our wonderful cabin attendant freshens up our room.  She is truly awesome!  The Captain just announced we can expect 65 deg, 12 ft seas and swells 🌊💨🌊.  He always recommends wearing flat shoes.  I started leaving my higher heels 👠 👠 home when we sailed to Antarctica and have continued with that tradition.

 

I just had to chuckle when I saw 👀 two attendants cleaning the windows of the Retreat porch this morning 😅😅.

 

The windows and sliding glass door in our cabin have not been cleaned in many days, if ever, since we boarded on Mar 26.  Yesterday when the sun came out I couldn’t take the salt spray and droplets anymore 💧💧💦💦.

 

I grabbed a pool towel and cleaned the sliding glass door so at least we had a clearer view in the center.  I also cleaned and dried the upright chairs and the top metal piece of the railing.  Everything was wet and caked in salt spray. These details appear to have been overlooked.

 

 

It’s far from perfect, but at least we can see out of the center and sit down.  The windows need a good scrubbing with some vinegar and a squeegee.  I do not know if they hosed down the IV windows when we were in port.  If you are in one of those there is no way you can clean the glass from the inside.

 

[81Zoomie]

Well, that small peak of sunshine ☀️ this morning was a bit of a tease.  We are back to the gray.  It feels a little bit what I would envision a norther Atlantic Ocean crossing would be like.  With the exception of yesterday afternoon/ evening, we are on day 4 of gray and windy 🌬️💧🌊.

 

DH wore himself out watching a movie, so he is already napping 😴 💤😴 before lunch 😆,

 

 

How about some fun with shapes about the ship 🔴🔻◼️🔹🛳️?

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK, we worked up an appetite for lunch doing not much of anything 😆😋😉.  Decisions, decisions, where to go when everyone on the ship is inside.  We did not want a large meal.  So it came down to Eden or OV.  Since I was feeling the need for some greens and veggies we went up to the expected sea of humanity 🫣😵‍💫🫠.  And, for added ambiance there was a shrill alarm sounding off and on ‼️🔔‼️📢.

 

 

DH filled his plate with Indian and I got a salad with a touch of briyani rice mixed in for a pop of flavor.

 

 

Live and learn, when what looks like butter, is actually a blend of butter and rapeseed oil.  

 

 

Another option for lunch could have been the Spa Cafe.  The Solarium was quieter than we expected.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 8 by 81Zoomie

[jelayne]

On 4/7/2024 at 12:08 PM, Barwick Cruiser said:

Wonder who pays for the pilots flight back home? 🤔

Thanks @81Zoomie for a wonderful review…your pics are lovely and I’m enjoying all the onboard info! Hope your weather improves soon 🤞

Cathy

Had lunch with Captain today.  Celebrity pays for  the pilots flight home.

[emdmistycc]

I had tea this morning.  It may just be me, but I have not been able to pour the tea out of this container without it leaking all over the table.  
 

I also had a problem pouring tea this morning down at the Captain’s club breakfast.

 

i have enjoyed following along with your journey.

 

Elaine

 

 

[81Zoomie]

12 minutes ago, jelayne said:

Had lunch with Captain today.  Celebrity pays for  the pilots flight home.

 Thanks @jelayne !  Appreciate that insight 😊

[81Zoomie]

4 minutes ago, emdmistycc said:

I had tea this morning.  It may just be me, but I have not been able to pour the tea out of this container without it leaking all over the table.  
 

I also had a problem pouring tea this morning down at the Captain’s club breakfast.

 

i have enjoyed following along with your journey.

 

Elaine

 

 

Thanks for following along!  
 

I have had better luck with the ceramic pots.  Not sure all the restaurants have them.

 

[81Zoomie]

We hope the sunset this evening is a hint of improved weather conditions in Adelaide tomorrow 🙂.  It is the first real color in the sky we have seen all day!

 

 

 

[hcat]

23 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Wow! What a great day in Melbourne!  Thanks for the Blu menu. Have to agree that the space looks way more intimate and appealing (to me) than Luminae. 

We find BLU to be a much brighter space than Luminae and an easier menu for us...simpler and fewer sauces!

 

In the photos, did you notice the market prices for various items..eggs, bacon?  ..If in US $ seems quite high!

 

(I have to scroll back to catch up!..Great blog)