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

[catspaw1]

So accounting for time to get off the ship at 10am & last boarding at 230pm- you have less than 4 hours to see Napier. That's not good. Was this a tender port also? Is there anything to see close by the port? O have enjoyed reading your blog so far as we were thinking about the same cruise. On TripAdvisor many people suggested a land tour was preferred as they said the "good stuff" was too far from the cruise ports to get a really good feel about NZ. Can anyone comment on this?

[catspaw1]

Southernmost on TripAdvisor they say the good places to see NZ are further from the cruise port. Their advice was to take a land tour. We want to go to NZ also so would like to hear comments about this. We have never taken a European cruise as I can't imagine going to Rome for a few hours! We spent 5 days there on our own & didn't see everything 

[suech1970]

So enjoying reading these posts, big thanks 😁

I’m very jealous to see Giuseppe is your CD plus he’s doing the The Naughty List tonight! Our most memorable night with him by far! Totally adult only entertainment but I’ve never ever seen my mother in law laugh so hard😂

Any pictures of that crazy Sicilian will be gratefully appreciated 😉

[81Zoomie]

2 hours ago, suech1970 said:

So enjoying reading these posts, big thanks 😁

I’m very jealous to see Giuseppe is your CD plus he’s doing the The Naughty List tonight! Our most memorable night with him by far! Totally adult only entertainment but I’ve never ever seen my mother in law laugh so hard😂

Any pictures of that crazy Sicilian will be gratefully appreciated 😉

I’ll see if I can get a pic for you 🥰.

[suech1970]

🥳🥳🥳 maybe when he’s finished the officers v passengers pool volleyball game?😍

[kiwichick62]

3 hours ago, catspaw1 said:

Southernmost on TripAdvisor they say the good places to see NZ are further from the cruise port. Their advice was to take a land tour. We want to go to NZ also so would like to hear comments about this. We have never taken a European cruise as I can't imagine going to Rome for a few hours! We spent 5 days there on our own & didn't see everything 

A cruise around NZ is a nice introduction and many attractions are reachable from cruise ports.  We did a 14 day cruise from Auckland to Sydney in 2019 and enjoyed seeing our country in a different way to road trips.  I do recommend land tours for the South Island for visiting places like Queenstown.  Also highly recommend the various tourist train trips available for seeing some great scenery.

[catspaw1]

Thanks Kiwi. We sailed with a lot of Kiwis & they always told us how beautiful NZ is. Can we get around as an independent traveler without renting a car? Driving on the left is hard for me. The cruise sounds great. We thought we would get a one way cruise & see NZ by ourselves after the cruise 

[southerngoose]

@kiwichick62 I think my goal is to just do a quick survey of what New Zealand has to offer and then decide if I want to come back.  I've heard about train rides through the country etc.    My travel agent is trying to get me on an excursion to see a sheep farm and sheep shearing.   I spin wool into yarn and it would be cool to see where it came from.  🙂   She's also going to get me to the Zorb place where it was invented.   I know it sounds crazy, but I'd like to try it once.   

[81Zoomie]

2 hours ago, kiwichick62 said:

A cruise around NZ is a nice introduction and many attractions are reachable from cruise ports.  We did a 14 day cruise from Auckland to Sydney in 2019 and enjoyed seeing our country in a different way to road trips.  I do recommend land tours for the South Island for visiting places like Queenstown.  Also highly recommend the various tourist train trips available for seeing some great scenery.

Cruising is a bit like speed dating for me.  You get a little taste and can go back for more if you are interested 🏃🏽‍♂️❤️👀.  And speaking of a quick peak, that’s what we got in Napier.  It appears to be a very cute seaside town.  Like most of NZ, there is a lot of agriculture in the vicinity.  Apples and vineyards here.

 

 

Most of the waterfront buildings were destroyed by a big earthquake in 1931.  The buildings were rebuilt in art deco style.  It’s very cute, much like small seaside towns in California or Florida.  Lots of small stores and cafes. We got a drive through.  Simply not enough time to walk about and we were dodging rain showers.  The beaches are smooth black stones.  There were a lot of nicely planted flower gardens and fountains.  Palm trees lined the streets.

 

 

 

 

We booked a small group tour with Vines and Views Tours. It is more intimate for us than the big bus tours.  There are some very steep windy streets up on the hills.  The views from up there are fabulous!

 

 

 

We went to a boutique vineyards and then a honey store.  Unfortunately, the weather and timeline didn’t allow for much more.  An overnight in one of the ports we visited would have been more productive in terms of seeing more of NZ.

 

 

 

 

 

Getting on and off the ship proved to be easier than advertised.  They opened a second gangway on deck 2 that had no line.  There were 20 busses waiting to shuttle us to town.  Pretty much the same in reverse.  We allowed plenty of time in both directions and tried to avoid having to stand out in the rain.

 

Back on board, we decided to grab a lite bite since we toured over lunch… again.  It was raining, so the outdoor venues were a no go.  It was 2 pm and we went to the OV.  I think half the ship was in there.  We grabbed a quick plate and looked for a place to sit.  That was a futile exercise.  We took our plates to the Spa Cafe, nope, full.  Finally, we went to the Retreat and had a long table to ourselves.  Now we have some down time before a second dinner in Eden.

 

The Captain has announced that we can expect 5-6 hours of rough seas and wind again tonight before it calms down 🌊🌊🌊💨💨💨.  As I said, the ship rocked, rolled, and creaked last night.  We heard from the occupant that a six foot sliding bathroom door in one of the Edge Villas shattered early this morning as the ship rocked. Fortunately it was safety glass and no one was injured. 

 

Edited March 30 by 81Zoomie

[81Zoomie]

We didn’t get the best sleep last night and DH is 😴💤😴💤.

 

A few interesting things about NZ!

 

- The population of NZ is about 5 million, very similar to Sydney.

- The #1 export is dairy products.  This is followed by meat 🐄🐑, produce (apples, kiwi fruit, and more)🥝🍎, and lumber 🪵.

- Tourism is a big industry. ✈️🛳️🚂.

- Kiwi fruit were originally known as Chinese Goose Berries.

- The ring of fire passes through NZ.  The country experiences an earthquake nearly every day. 🫨

- Auckland is a huge container port.  There is a world glut of shipping containers.  The port stores containers for a fee, refurbishes them, sells them, and uses them as building materials.

 

 

[jamscckmc]

I’m on the cruise with you. I’m a beef eater and also enjoyed the filet but the other steak entrees in Luminae were weirdly cut. Both the ribeye and NY drip were thick squares that neither looked like or tasted the way they should. The sirloin was two thick rectangular pieces. Again didn’t look or taste like sirloin. The entrees come with maybe a teaspoon of a starch and a piece of a vegetable. I did learn you can request mashed or a baked potato. We had dinner in Blu one night and their ribeye looked and tasted normal. We have the steakhouse later this week and are looking forward to a good steak!

[81Zoomie]

13 minutes ago, jamscckmc said:

I’m on the cruise with you. I’m a beef eater and also enjoyed the filet but the other steak entrees in Luminae were weirdly cut. Both the ribeye and NY drip were thick squares that neither looked like or tasted the way they should. The sirloin was two thick rectangular pieces. Again didn’t look or taste like sirloin. The entrees come with maybe a teaspoon of a starch and a piece of a vegetable. I did learn you can request mashed or a baked potato. We had dinner in Blu one night and their ribeye looked and tasted normal. We have the steakhouse later this week and are looking forward to a good steak!

We agree.  DH is a ribeye lover.  He just stared when his steak was delivered.  As you described, it was a thick square.  The one thing that I have found disappointing is the plating of the entrees in Laminae.  The appetizers and desserts are nicely arranged and decorated.  The entrees are pretty much just dropped on the plate.
 

I remember seeing the pics posted by @Jim_Iain when Edge arrived in Australia.  I thought the entree presentations he posted looked very artistic.  However, that said, my food has been hot and for the most part tasty.  
 

 

[81Zoomie]

13 hours ago, hcat said:

I am  very much enjoying the photos..so beautiful!   Do you have any from the Hobbit tour?  My husb would love that one..I would've gone with your choice!

 

Looks like you are eating well!  Enjoy!

Calling all Lord of the Rings fans… here come the Hobbiton pics!!!  Hubby said the recreated movie set was very well done and has become a large tourist draw for NZ.  The visitors were encouraged to touch things, sit on chairs, etc.  He gets credit for the pics 🤳📸🤳

 

 

Edited March 30 by 81Zoomie

[Boatharbour]

8 hours ago, catspaw1 said:

So accounting for time to get off the ship at 10am & last boarding at 230pm- you have less than 4 hours to see Napier. That's not good.

We’re on this cruise too and took the ship’s tour of Napier and Hawkes Bay. It gave us an excellent overview of the area. We had a volunteer guide from the local art deco heritage society with us.  After touring the town we were taken to a theatrette and had a short time to wander the streets.  The driver then took us to Hawkes Bay and  surrounding areas. I’m surprised at how much we saw in such a short time. 

[Jim_Iain]

12 hours ago, 81Zoomie said:

We agree.  DH is a ribeye lover.  He just stared when his steak was delivered.  As you described, it was a thick square.  The one thing that I have found disappointing is the plating of the entrees in Laminae.  The appetizers and desserts are nicely arranged and decorated.  The entrees are pretty much just dropped on the plate.
 

I remember seeing the pics posted by @Jim_Iain when Edge arrived in Australia.  I thought the entree presentations he posted looked very artistic.  However, that said, my food has been hot and for the most part tasty.  
 

 

 

Have to agree -   The first time I saw that steak I scratched my head and never ordered again.  Instead I would order the Petite Filet.   Not a big Meat Eater (except Love Hamburgers).  When I do have a Steak I want a GOOD Steak -

 

I think I would have preferred food that wasn't cold in the middle to something that was artistic.   The F&B Director - was new and had never run F&B.  They sent him home after a couple months.  Just my opinion but the food on Edge was kinda hit and miss for us and almost totally convinced us to stop sailing E-Class.  

 

Looking forward to comparing to S-Class shortly.

 

[81Zoomie]

Our waiter in Luminae made us another reservation in Eden.  We could not get in until 8 pm.  After chatting in the cabin a bit we decided to get a cocktail 🥃🥃.  Hubby suggested Eden because it had live music.  However, I was more focused on catching the sunset 🌅.  After a quick orientation, I recommended the Retreat, if it wasn’t crowded, for the best view.  It wasn’t crowded and we saw a lovely sunset over New Zealand!

 

 

Then off to dinner we went!

 

 

We decided to mix it up a bit tonight.  We both had the crab cake, I had the lobster casserole, and DH had the Branzino.  All were very good.  I has the chocolate tart for dessert and DH had the strawberry cake.  It was another awesome meal.  To top it off, we had a table by the wake and no one sitting next to us.

 

 

In an impressive attention to detail moment, the maitre’d from Luminae appeared with  tomorrow’s menu so that I could pre order my dinner.  Those of you with food allergies can appreciate how great this gesture is ❤️.

 

The shows were postponed this evening due to the rough seas.  As usual, we wandered a bit after dinner.  We spent some time in the atrium listening to the music.  The “pit” (no windows and no views) area as I refer to the martini bar and stage, was busy again.  It is my least favorite area of the ship.  I know the martini bar 🍸🍸🍸 fans will take issue with this, but it’s just my opinion.

 

 

When we walked by Cafe Al Bachio, tucked into the bottom corner were coconut macaroons! SCORE!  We got a bag to go!
 

[81Zoomie]

Day 8 - Christchurch, NZ

 

Happy Easter 🐣✝️🐇 from this side of the date line!  We have made it to the South Island and are inching into port.  It is cloudy, but there is no rain in the forecast.  It’s getting cooler as we sail south.  It is 55 deg this morning.

 

 

Today is another leisurely morning with a late arrival.  We elected to eat our first breakfast in Luminae.  We split a fruit plate and DH had salmon Benedict.  I had the peach crepe.  The pastries were very good, still warm, this morning.  They were decadent!  I selected a chocolate au pain and frosted croissant.  There were 2 bars of chocolate in the au pain and caramel filling in the croissant 🥐🥐.  To avoid a sugar coma, 🫠 I only ate half of each 🤣.  I have come to terms with the Lavazza coffee ☕️ by avoiding it.  My stomach is much happier.  I have switched to tea. 
 

 

For those inquiring about sugar and artificial sweeteners, here is a pic.

 

 

We are pulling alongside the pier in Lyttelton.  We have 2 tugs at the ready.  This looks like another busy container port.  We will be taking a city highlights tour booked through Viator.

 

Edited March 30 by 81Zoomie

[hcat]

18 hours ago, 81Zoomie said:

Cruising is a bit like speed dating for me.  You get a little taste and can go back for more if you are interested 🏃🏽‍♂️❤️👀.  And speaking of a quick peak, that’s what we got in Napier.  It appears to be a very cute seaside town.  Like most of NZ, there is a lot of agriculture in the vicinity.  Apples and vineyards here.

 

 

Most of the waterfront buildings were destroyed by a big earthquake in 1931.  The buildings were rebuilt in art deco style.  It’s very cute, much like small seaside towns in California or Florida.  Lots of small stores and cafes. We got a drive through.  Simply not enough time to walk about and we were dodging rain showers.  The beaches are smooth black stones.  There were a lot of nicely planted flower gardens and fountains.  Palm trees lined the streets.

 

 

 

 

We booked a small group tour with Vines and Views Tours. It is more intimate for us than the big bus tours.  There are some very steep windy streets up on the hills.  The views from up there are fabulous!

 

 

 

We went to a boutique vineyards and then a honey store.  Unfortunately, the weather and timeline didn’t allow for much more.  An overnight in one of the ports we visited would have been more productive in terms of seeing more of NZ.

 

 

 

 

 

Getting on and off the ship proved to be easier than advertised.  They opened a second gangway on deck 2 that had no line.  There were 20 busses waiting to shuttle us to town.  Pretty much the same in reverse.  We allowed plenty of time in both directions and tried to avoid having to stand out in the rain.

 

Back on board, we decided to grab a lite bite since we toured over lunch… again.  It was raining, so the outdoor venues were a no go.  It was 2 pm and we went to the OV.  I think half the ship was in there.  We grabbed a quick plate and looked for a place to sit.  That was a futile exercise.  We took our plates to the Spa Cafe, nope, full.  Finally, we went to the Retreat and had a long table to ourselves.  Now we have some down time before a second dinner in Eden.

 

The Captain has announced that we can expect 5-6 hours of rough seas and wind again tonight before it calms down 🌊🌊🌊💨💨💨.  As I said, the ship rocked, rolled, and creaked last night.  We heard from the occupant that a six foot sliding bathroom door in one of the Edge Villas shattered early this morning as the ship rocked. Fortunately it was safety glass and no one was injured. 

 

really enjoyed your  photos  of Napier and your excursion..Did you get to taste the honey?  

sorry bad weather..

[hcat]

Guess  my husb and I am not the only non- fans of Lavazza Coffee.  I just stick with tea..  For my tastebuds, LaV just has a bitterness that can't be overcome.

 

Also not fans of Luminae..we prefer BLU food and style!

[depplep]

Do not like Lavazza to put it politely.  Bumming hard on that since we're doing Celebrity in July. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this review. I appreciate the facts and history and the pictures are stunning. Thank you so much.

[81Zoomie]

14 minutes ago, hcat said:

really enjoyed your  photos  of Napier and your excursion..Did you get to taste the honey?  

sorry bad weather..

 

14 minutes ago, hcat said:

really enjoyed your  photos  of Napier and your excursion..Did you get to taste the honey?  

sorry bad weather..

Yes, we got to taste honey in Tauranga and Napier. The hone shop had a tasting bar 🍯🐝🍯

[kiwichick62]

On 3/30/2024 at 1:10 PM, catspaw1 said:

Thanks Kiwi. We sailed with a lot of Kiwis & they always told us how beautiful NZ is. Can we get around as an independent traveler without renting a car? Driving on the left is hard for me. The cruise sounds great. We thought we would get a one way cruise & see NZ by ourselves after the cruise 

Hi Catspaw, I think it would be difficult to travel independently without renting a car.  Maybe someone else here has experience with this? 

[Jim_Iain]

3 hours ago, depplep said:

Do not like Lavazza to put it politely.  Bumming hard on that since we're doing Celebrity in July. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this review. I appreciate the facts and history and the pictures are stunning. Thank you so much.

I have to agree ---- Even the pods in the upper suite rooms are like battery acid.   I won't even describe the sludge they serve in OVC

[hcat]

20 hours ago, 81Zoomie said:

Calling all Lord of the Rings fans… here come the Hobbiton pics!!!  Hubby said the recreated movie set was very well done and has become a large tourist draw for NZ.  The visitors were encouraged to touch things, sit on chairs, etc.  He gets credit for the pics 🤳📸🤳

 

 

fabulous..will ve a big hit with my husb..but he knows the trip is too far away for us..esp me..

[hcat]

3 hours ago, 81Zoomie said:

 

Yes, we got to taste honey in Tauranga and Napier. The hone shop had a tasting bar 🍯🐝🍯

I hear  it is  very smooth!  ..special hives,