Live from the Diamond - Australia/New Zealand

[SPI_Rick]

If any of you are interested in the Australia/New Zealand itineraries, we are currently on the Diamond Princess doing the Sydney to Auckland cruise with a 6 day pre-cruise land tour and a 2 day post-cruise stay in Auckland. Comments and pictures are being posted to:

 

http://mysite.verizon.net/res05j2i/ricks_site/

 

I apolgize in advance for not looking for replies to this post...the ship's internet and the speed of the CC boards ares not cooperating with us on this cruise, but I will try to answer any questions via email.

[CruisinChris]

Rick,

 

Excellent review. I commend you for being resourceful enough to be able to get it published while on the road. I wasn't able to get much posted during the trip and haven't posted my review from the trip before yours yet. need to get on that. We did many of the same tours - interestingly.

 

Have a great time. Tauranga/Rotorua is the highlight, in my opinion!

 

(Oh, and I am jealous you made into Fiordland as we missed it due to 170 mph winds.)

 

Smooth sailing!

[kftw]

A wonderful review, I'm really enjoying it. Thank you for sharing.

[Ms Understood]

I love a wry sense of humor. You are too funny. We are taking this trip in Feb 2007 on the Sapphire Princess so I am hanging on every word. Thanks for taking the time.

[SPI_Rick]

I'm glad to share.....I'd be doing a lot more if we had a good internet connection. I hope to keep posting until after our post-cruise stay in Auckland is concluded.

[cactusrose]

Hi Rick. . . glad to see you still have that great sense of humor. I'm really enjoying your website. Enjoy the rest of your trip.

[PescadoAmarillo]

I'm sitting here in stitches, laughing from your review (in a good way). I will watch out for the old men going after free drinks, the wine that wine steward was promoting with that winning look, and any Aussie warning me of a "bit" of anything. Thanks for the review...we leave a week from today, and your photos and narrative just ratcheted up the excitement level and the laughter relieved some pre-cruise preparation stress.

[GottoCruise]

Rick - You are the Bill Bryson of the Cruise Critic Board. :p I am enjoying your web site........our turn soon.........Thanks - Renee

[berylmorris]

Rick, thank you, fantastic reviews and so so funny. We Aussies love to laugh at ourselves too. Regarding the "bit" - sometimes it does only mean a tiny portion. Someone offers you cake, "yes, just a bit please", means a small piece. A favourite is talking about the opposite sex "she's a bit of all right". Not sure where all that fits in!!

 

Our American friends love our accents and sayings. A lot of the time we are not sure what we have said that is funny; they wrote lots of stuff down that we said! They liked expressions such as "full as a goog". Of course we used to think the rest of the world spoke English like we do!!

 

Thanks again for the great reviews - and humor. Of course you do know that we spell it humour! How funny.

[JoMojo]

I loved your description about our driving, especially since I work in Insurance and most of our claims are Motor Vehicle accidents!! :)

[SPI_Rick]

I have made updates through our arrival in Auckland and the disembarkation. The info on the disembarkation day tours is very brief since I was a little pushed for time (no lazy sea days now to compose my thoughts).

 

I would like to say that disembarkation was a breeze....no problems at all.

 

I would also like to mention that the tours coordinated by cruise critic "Andrea A" were excellent....more information is available on my website.

 

http://mysite.verizon.net/res05j2i/ricks_site/

 

We have a little free time in Auckland again today and then head out to the airport for the very long trip home. I hope to make the final update to the trip website in 2 or 3 days.

 

.........SPI_Rick, having a blast down under....

[SPI_Rick]

The final updates to the Australia/New Zealand Cruise Tour website have been made. The site is at:

 

http://mysite.verizon.net/res05j2i/ricks_site/

 

Just a final word of thanks to the Cruise Critics on our Diamond Princess Roll Call (and to those who were on the ship, but not on the roll call) who helped make this a very enjoyable trip. Sometimes the general population on a cruise is great, sometimes they are a pain.....this cruise had a great group of people to sail with.

[Wormy53]

Why you bugger, you! What a bit of fun! Thanks for the info - plan on doing this one soon! You made me want to go sooner - even with that terrible plane trip.

[cactusrose]

Riick,

 

Just went back and re-read your web site for the third time. Very entertaining. Thanks for the great pictures.

 

Stacey

[SPI_Rick]

Thanks, Stacey. I'll look forward to reading your cruise review when you return....I just wish I was going along.

 

And thanks to all the other posters for the kind comments.

 

Now I have to get started on my next "High Priority Project"........figuring out what cruise to take next.:)