Rare Port Power Posted July 23 #51 Share Posted July 23 1 hour ago, RachelG said: Recap and briefing —tomorrow is Ashmore Reef. JP and Chris snorkeled here a month ago. George had brought his new snorkeling gear with him looking forward to this as a highlight of the trip, and nothing was mentioned at all about any snorkeling. He is really upset. No one at the expedition desk to give any explanation tonight. Our dinner in La Dame was delicious. The food is excellent though very rich. But everything perfectly prepared. I snorkelled at Ashmore Reef and Scot Reef earlier last year when on an Australian registered expedition ship. When I was on a foreign registered vessel, it was not permitted. We could only zodiac to view bird breeding colonies, rays and turtles. Therefore I was surprised when JP said they snorkelled in that area. Their good luck! All those expedition ships, including Silversea, provided snorkels, masks and find for the duration of the expedition. (On Silversea we snorkelled off Queensland islands.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare taxatty Posted July 23 #52 Share Posted July 23 2 hours ago, Port Power said: I snorkelled at Ashmore Reef and Scot Reef earlier last year when on an Australian registered expedition ship. When I was on a foreign registered vessel, it was not permitted. We could only zodiac to view bird breeding colonies, rays and turtles. Therefore I was surprised when JP said they snorkelled in that area. Their good luck! When we went to Ashmore Reef on the Silver Explorer last July, despite several passenger requests to the expedition staff, no snorkeling was allowed--just a zodiac tour--very disappointing. Subsequent 2023 Silver Explorer trip reports mentioned snorkeling there had been permitted, so something changed. I wrote to Silversea asking about this, but not surprisingly, I never got a response. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare RachelG Posted July 24 Author #53 Share Posted July 24 On 7/22/2024 at 8:53 PM, Port Power said: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare RachelG Posted July 24 Author #54 Share Posted July 24 Landing site 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Rare RachelG Posted July 24 Author #57 Share Posted July 24 July 24, 2024–Ashmore Reef, Australia Ashmore Reef is very remote, so even with sailing all night we didn’t arrive until after 9 am. We slept well, best thus far of the cruise. When we awoke, it was already brightly sunny. Forecast was for temperature in the 80s. There was a light breeze. Since we had lots of time, we decided to give the restaurant a go for breakfast. I had my usual yogurt, but you can order fresh strawberries, so I added that. George had delicious blueberry pancake and a waffle with strawberries and cream. Great breakfast! When we arrived at the reef, we had to anchor quite a ways off as this is a protected area. We could see the graduations in color of the sea, from a deep navy to the lightest aqua blue, depending on depth. There are 3 small islands, and you are not allowed to land on any of them. Only one are you allowed to approach closely. Our zodiac was first group out. It was quite a long ride to the island with a bit of a swell, but we stayed dry. Once near the island, we were greeted by literally thousands of birds of all different species. There were brown and red footed boobies, frigate birds, a very rare white bird which is endangered but I can’t remember the :name, some gulls, and a bunch more. Occasionally one would try to dive bomb us or zoom right past our heads. Then the sea turtles appeared, and there were lots, but impossible to get a good picture of those. We also saw some stingrays, but again, good pictures are difficult. After an hour and a half, we came back to the ship, having a bit of a race with another of the zodiacs. Since breakfast was so good, we decided to give the main dining room a go for lunch as well. Again delicious, and they figured out how George likes to make his own iced tea and brought all the ingredients. I had a Niçoise salad which was quite nice followed by a quinoa cake (sort of a veggie burger without the bun). George had some hummus and pita followed by a delicious looking fettuccine dish with tomatoes. This is definitely the place to eat if you aren’t in a hurry. I walked upon deck to finish out my steps while George went to the gym. He is still mad about the no snorkeling thing. We went down to the expedition desk this am to complain. First they said that it was because there wasn’t enough time here (we were here from 9:30 to 4:00–more than enough time). Then they said “well, we would have to do a briefing and a sign up sheet and issue equipment.” So?? I can’t imagine with the demographic on this cruise that there would be more than a dozen or so that would want to do it. Basically they just didn’t want to bother. We pointed out that we knew it had been offered the previous cruise in June as we had friends on that and had seen their pictures, so they couldn’t tell us it wasn’t ever offered. We came in third at trivia today, having recruited 2 Aussies for our team. We missed a couple that we should have gotten (should not second guess ourselves). The Venetian society reception and dinner was tonight. We had the 3rd highest number of nights. There are only 80 Venetian sailors onboard, a lot of newbies, which you can tell. We had dinner in La Terrazza with the assistant expedition leader, Ben, a very interesting fellow from Belgium who now lives in New Zealand. I had the pasta pesto which was great. The seabass was over cooked, but I had plenty to eat. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Rare RachelG Posted July 25 Author #60 Share Posted July 25 July 25, 2024–Swift Bay, Australia After a great nights sleep and sail, we awoke anchored in a big bay with rocky small hills all around. We were to visit two different areas with rock art today, but much newer than the previous, only a few hundred to 4000 years old. We went to the main dining room for breakfast (as good as yesterday) then went for a mani/pedi as we were the last zodiac group. The girl didn’t do nearly as good a job as my manicurist at home,which is consistent with previous experience on ships, but I was in dire need. She finished just as our zodiac group was called. I rushed down and was last on. The water in the bay was completely still and smooth. The landing was onto rocks, so dry, then there was a bit of a rock scramble up to the path to the cave and rock art. We had been warned, and it think a lot of people wisely skipped this one. I didn’t have any issues, nor did George the mountain goat, but if you had any balance or stability problems, it would not be the place for you. Once up the short path, we were at a rocky ledge and overhang with magnificent art. Ducks, fish, people, hand prints, a crocodile, an echidna. It was huge and the images were clear and detailed. Afterwards, we went back down to the rocky outcropping and walked a little, too short to call a hike. Back to the ship in time for morning trivia. We came in 3rd again, with the questions being very difficult. We got 8 out of 20 with the winning team only getting 11. Lunch in La Terrazza. Our afternoon tour wasn’t supposed to go until 3:30 as we had rotated to last in the line, but so few people went from the earlier group that they called us at 3:00. It was a long but relatively dry zodiac ride to the other side of the bay. There was a pretty steep scramble up some rocks then a narrow short climb to the rocks and caves where more elaborate rock art was located. This time we saw a wallaby, a couple of kangaroos, a snake, people and hand prints and fanciful space alien like creatures that were really detailed. George climbed up some rocks where no art was located of course, just because they were there. It was really a beautiful day, not too hot but sunny with a little breeze, and the zodiac ride back to the ship was quite pleasant. We had a quick walk around up on the walking track to top off our steps while they hoisted up the zodiacs which is quite an efficient production. Dinner was in La Terrazza. I had something new-Frito-which is a potato cake of shredded potatoes topped with carmelized onion and served with a radicchio and walnut salad. It sounds weird but was great. George and I both had pasta for our mails and too tired and full for dessert. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Rare highplanesdrifters Posted July 25 #63 Share Posted July 25 Great rock art pics! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare taxatty Posted July 25 #64 Share Posted July 25 On 7/24/2024 at 9:43 AM, RachelG said: July 24, 2024–Ashmore Reef, Australia Ashmore Reef is very remote, so even with sailing all night we didn’t arrive until after 9 am. We slept well, best thus far of the cruise. When we awoke, it was already brightly sunny. Forecast was for temperature in the 80s. There was a light breeze. Since we had lots of time, we decided to give the restaurant a go for breakfast. I had my usual yogurt, but you can order fresh strawberries, so I added that. George had delicious blueberry pancake and a waffle with strawberries and cream. Great breakfast! When we arrived at the reef, we had to anchor quite a ways off as this is a protected area. We could see the graduations in color of the sea, from a deep navy to the lightest aqua blue, depending on depth. There are 3 small islands, and you are not allowed to land on any of them. Only one are you allowed to approach closely. Our zodiac was first group out. It was quite a long ride to the island with a bit of a swell, but we stayed dry. Once near the island, we were greeted by literally thousands of birds of all different species. There were brown and red footed boobies, frigate birds, a very rare white bird which is endangered but I can’t remember the :name, some gulls, and a bunch more. Occasionally one would try to dive bomb us or zoom right past our heads. Then the sea turtles appeared, and there were lots, but impossible to get a good picture of those. We also saw some stingrays, but again, good pictures are difficult. After an hour and a half, we came back to the ship, having a bit of a race with another of the zodiacs. Since breakfast was so good, we decided to give the main dining room a go for lunch as well. Again delicious, and they figured out how George likes to make his own iced tea and brought all the ingredients. I had a Niçoise salad which was quite nice followed by a quinoa cake (sort of a veggie burger without the bun). George had some hummus and pita followed by a delicious looking fettuccine dish with tomatoes. This is definitely the place to eat if you aren’t in a hurry. I walked upon deck to finish out my steps while George went to the gym. He is still mad about the no snorkeling thing. We went down to the expedition desk this am to complain. First they said that it was because there wasn’t enough time here (we were here from 9:30 to 4:00–more than enough time). Then they said “well, we would have to do a briefing and a sign up sheet and issue equipment.” So?? I can’t imagine with the demographic on this cruise that there would be more than a dozen or so that would want to do it. Basically they just didn’t want to bother. We pointed out that we knew it had been offered the previous cruise in June as we had friends on that and had seen their pictures, so they couldn’t tell us it wasn’t ever offered. We came in third at trivia today, having recruited 2 Aussies for our team. We missed a couple that we should have gotten (should not second guess ourselves). The Venetian society reception and dinner was tonight. We had the 3rd highest number of nights. There are only 80 Venetian sailors onboard, a lot of newbies, which you can tell. We had dinner in La Terrazza with the assistant expedition leader, Ben, a very interesting fellow from Belgium who now lives in New Zealand. I had the pasta pesto which was great. The seabass was over cooked, but I had plenty to eat. For the sake of comparison, here is a current review of a Seabourn Pursuit Kimberley cruise, including a photo showing snorkeling off a Zodiac at Ashmore Reef. Truly, Silversea "just didn't want to bother." https://thepointsguy.com/guide/kimberley-australia-cruise-seabourn/ 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare RachelG Posted July 26 Author #65 Share Posted July 26 19 hours ago, highplanesdrifters said: Great rock art pics! I can actually see some of the images more clearly in my pics than when actually there. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare jpalbny Posted July 26 #66 Share Posted July 26 5 hours ago, taxatty said: For the sake of comparison, here is a current review of a Seabourn Pursuit Kimberley cruise, including a photo showing snorkeling off a Zodiac at Ashmore Reef. Truly, Silversea "just didn't want to bother. That's disappointing. For our cruise they did warn us that it "wasn't guaranteed" and again on the day of, they warned us about strong currents. But it didn't seem like such a production that they couldn't offer it again for this cruise. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Port Power Posted July 26 #67 Share Posted July 26 (edited) 5 hours ago, taxatty said: For the sake of comparison, here is a current review of a Seabourn Pursuit Kimberley cruise, including a photo showing snorkeling off a Zodiac at Ashmore Reef. Truly, Silversea "just didn't want to bother." https://thepointsguy.com/guide/kimberley-australia-cruise-seabourn/ Perhaps snorkeling was allowed because of Seabourn’s partnership with local traditional caretakers? I do remember the wind and current picked up. Before it became too strong and we were called back to the Xplorer, many less strong swimmers used noodles to help themselves float. Edited July 26 by Port Power 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare RachelG Posted July 26 Author #68 Share Posted July 26 July 26, 2024–Hunter River, Australia We awoke at anchor at the mouth of the Hunter River. One the schedule for today—crocodiles. This are is known for an abundance of saltwater crocodiles. The zodiacs set off very early, 6:15 am, but fortunately I was in the later group. George however was scheduled for a helicopter ride to Mitchell Falls. Again a bright sunny day. We were warned it might be cool in the morning but would quickly warm up and no breeze at all. The water was smooth as glass. We set off in zodiacs up a wide river mouth with mangroves at waters edge backed by steep peaks. It was low tide, so there were muddy beaches in places which is where the crocodiles like to hang out. We saw a bunch of dolphins first, beautiful but very difficult to photograph. Finally our first crocodile, in the water close to shore. We watched for a while, but he didn’t seem interested in getting out. We saw another in the water, but then a big guy laying on the mud bank. We were able to get pretty close for a good view but still a safe distance. We saw a few more birds and lots of mud skippers, those little frog/fish like creatures that live on land and water. Soon it was time to head back to the ship. A perfectly smooth ride, even going fast. George came back from this helicopter trip. He said it was great. The waterfall is not as spectacular as it would be in the wet season, but still impressive as it is like a 4 layer wedding cake with cascades between each layer. After lunch, we went out again, but the weather changed abruptly after we had been out only a few minutes. Some heavy clouds came in with a strong breeze. It was actually comfortable and cool. First we saw a crocodile resting on the shore, posing for photos. Further on, the tide had come in (a 7 meter difference since morning), so all the mud was gone, and we could only see the tops of the mangroves. A dolphin jumped up right in front of us. He was alone, and didn’t want to show himself again. We pressed further into the mangroves, seeing a huge jelly fish and a bunch of birds. No ore crocs, and by this time we had been out almost 2 hours, so it was time to head back to the ship. The wind had really picked up, and there were big waves. One of the other zodiacs broke down, and they couldn’t get it restarted. We were still really far from the ship, so a rescue team was sent out from the ship. We got really wet what with the waves breaking over the bow of the zodiac and a lot of spray as well, but made it back safely. One of my friends who was on the zodiac that broke down told me the engine kept cutting out and overheated, apparently due to some leaves caught in the exhaust. So the people on that zodiac had to transfer over to the rescue boat—pretty exciting. The expedition leader and another guide stayed aboard the broken down zodiac and were able to eventually get it going again and return to the ship. We had very little time till trivia, and came in 2nd today so improving. I got some great sunset pics including a really cool rainbow. Our dinner reservations were in La Dame again as George wanted to return. The food is wonderful, but just too rich for me. I gave it my best effort, but couldn’t even get past the main course. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare RachelG Posted July 26 Author #69 Share Posted July 26 Crocs 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Rare RachelG Posted July 27 Author #72 Share Posted July 27 July 27, 2024–Montgomery Reef and Freshwater Cove, Australia We had to be up early as we were the first group off at Montgomery Reef at 6:45 am, so I actually set the alarm clock. Looking outside, the sun had just come up. It was a clear day, but there was a strong wind, and the sea was really picking up. Our group was called. We were warned. YOU WILL GET WET! And told to sit down immediately upon entering the zodiac. I am a good rule follower and had my butt down in a flash after pretty much falling into the zodiac. It was really rough going out to the reef, but we stayed pretty dry. Once we entered the reef, it was much smoother. Imagine a river of saltwater flowing between coral ledges on either side with waterfalls cascading down from either side. The reef is underwater at high tide, but exposed at low tide, and then becomes a seafood buffet for the birds. There were lots of sea turtles, but impossible to get a decent picture as they just pop their heads up then back down. We saw lots of birds too, but the real show is the water flowing in off the reef from both sides, just spectacular. We headed back to the ship after an hour and a half. The sea was really moving, the roughest I have every been in, and that is saying a lot because I have been on hundreds of zodiac trips. waves were coming over the bow of the zodiac and dumping gallons of water in. Fortunately the water was actually warm, and zodiacs drain quickly. By the time we got back onboard the ship, we were soaked to the bone. George’s Apple Watch actually recorded him as swimming. We had another shower and clothing change as we were dripping salt water. Yesterday, George had complained about the sorry state of the ship’s hamburgers. Norman, the head sommelier, discussed this with him and promised that the chef would make him a delicious hamburger, served wherever he wanted. We went to La Terrazza. Our presence was noted. They had an extensive seafood buffet, including crab, lobster, shrimp and clams, set up. Now this is just about heaven for George, so he tucked in. I am surprised, because crab has all but vanished on Regent, but it was there in abundance. Then the hamburger appears, and it was just about the perfect burger. I had a bite and it was nearly as good as our own beef at home. Clearly they had ground it onboard. So point being, they actually can produce a quality hamburger onboard, but you shouldn’t have to have special treatment to get it. Tomorrow, we have burgers ordered for both George and myself. The afternoon excursion was to Freshwater Cove, a short distance away, and the ship sailed during lunch. The sea was much calmer, and we were really close to shore, so had a nice smooth and dry zodiac ride over to a sandy beach. The indigenous people control this area but are kind enough to welcome visitors. We were greeted with a welcome to the nation ceremony where they apply ochre to your face. Then there was the option of a long hike or a short nature walk. Guess which we chose? The hiking started with a smooth sandy dirt path through high grass with no shade. It was pretty hot, in the upper 80s. Then we started climbing, gradually at first, but then a pretty steep rock scramble. Really big boulders on places. We were drinking a lot of water. Eventually we arrived at a cave where there were exceptionally detained rock paintings. We were allowed to photograph, but can’t publish online. The native guide actually knew the tires being told so was interesting. We rested awhile then hiked back down, much easier going down. There was a small shop with expensive native art. I didn’t buy any as we have more art than our house can hold, but it was high quality. Back to the ship, another shower and clothing change. The first 3 clothing change day of the trip. Fortunately I had planned for this. Actually surprised it didn’t happen sooner. George got way overheated, so much so that he didn’t wander around. We brought some liquid IV, so he rehydrated with that but was still under the weather. I went up to trivia, where we came in 4th. I should have been more forceful with one of my answers. Didn’t have George for backup. There were whales on the ocean behind the ship, a lot of them. George was still recovering from heat exhaustion/dehydration so I went to the captains farewell alone.i love seeing the crew members who take a lot of pride in their work. Dinner was in the main dining room. George had recovered enough to join us. My salad and pork medallions were great. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Rare RachelG Posted July 28 Author #75 Share Posted July 28 July 28, 2024–Talbot Bay, Australia We anchored overnight in Talbot Bay, as the Cloud can only enter and leave when the tide is right. We were the 2nd group of zodiacs today, so had a leisurely breakfast. George was still recovering from his dehydration and heat exhaustion from yesterday, so elected to stay onboard. It was pretty warm outside already at 9:30 am when we went out. The main feature of the excursion was the Horizontal reversing falls. I will try to explain. Talbot Bay is filled with hundreds of islands large and small. Between 2 of these, there is a narrow gap. The tides are very extreme here, so when the tide either goes in or out, the rushing water creates a rapids like flow of water. We were there when the tide was flowing out, so the water was coming toward us. You used to be able to ride all the way through, but there was a fatal accident, so now there is only one company which is allowed to go through. Rumor has it that they won’t be able to either when their contract comes up for renew next year. At any rate, zodiacs are still allowed to go into the falls, just not all the way through. We headed off. The current was very strong, and getting stronger the closer we got to the falls. We were just almost to the turn around point when the current grabbed the bow of the zodiac and flipped it around quickly, with a resulting massive amount of water coming into the zodiac and drenching everyone on that side, me included. Surprisingly, our lifevests did not deploy. After we had bobbed around in the rapids for a while, we headed off the explore further. Alongside came a zodiac with bartenders, champagne, mimosas, and beer to refresh us. We went further and saw a couple of crocodiles resting onshore. We were able to get really close, and they didn’t seem the least bothered. We also saw sea turtles and birds as well as a lot of geology. After 2 1/2 hours, we returned to the ship in time for lunch. They had prepared special hamburgers for both of us. They were quite tasty. After lunch, the dreaded packing had to begin. Plus a nap. Due to the shallow entrance into the bay, Cloud had to leave on a precise schedule. At 3:15, she started snaking her way through the maze of islands toward the ocean. Lots of people, including me, were up on deck, and it was very scenic. Trivia at 4:15 was hard. We came in 3rd yet again. The social hostess does put a lot of effort into the trivia questions—not just out of some trivia book. This was followed by a viewing of the voyage video which was very well done. Final dinner with friends in the grill, AKA Hot Rocks. Very good, but I ordered touch and couldn’t finish my food. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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