We are having a pretty quiet day as we are both feeling really tired. Must be all the excitement of the Hobbits yesterday. We managed to get our room just after 12pm so sorted some clothes & discovered there is a guest laundry just a few metres away on the same floor. So we have done our first real load of washing in 2 weeks. We avoided using the laundry on the ship for a reason I will share shortly, however we had a full size bath with a clothes line running the length of it, plus clothes hooks & plenty of hanging options. It was easy to wash our unmentionables each day & a pair of casual pants or a shirt each. Anyway, this afternoon we washed all the other stuff and dried it within a couple of hours.
After a wander around the local area (hotel is very close to the harbour) we had a little nap & then wandered up to the top floor where the restaurant & bar are located. I am almost positive this is the same hotel I stayed in about 6 years ago when I was in NZ with a group of friends. As soon as we reached the top floor I recognised the bar/restaurant area which overlooks the harbour. A certain reader may not remember the night she spent in the hotel for reasons which shall remain untold, she will know what I mean. Beautiful views so we had a cider and booked a window table for dinner. When we returned at 6.30pm we had a table with a view of the Diamond Princess. She was still in port when we left so must be sailing late tonight. Dinner was very nice, but very expensive. Wine was also pricy at an average of $50/bottle of average quality. Maybe we are just too accustomed to ordering whatever food we wanted without paying.
OK .... Now to the story re the ships laundry. On each deck there is a laundromat for passengers to use. On the first day we spoke to several people who had boarded the ship in Bangkok & were doing the full Bangkok to Auckland leg. Apparently there were several reported occasions of "laundry rage" where women were shouting at each other for either not returning in time to remove clothes from the washer or dryer, or removing other people's clothes from the dryer when dry so they could put theirs in. In one instance it became so heated, 2 women (reported from the US) threw irons at each other. Security were called & both women were taken to collect their belongings and escorted off the ship in Darwin. One was with her husband & son, but they chose to stay on the cruise. She had to find her own way back to the US. We were told the same story by different groups so assume it was true. I decided then that I would not risk the laundry! Can you see why?
Getting ready for an early night so will upload this on Saturday. We plan to go on a tour of the city or harbour cruise (not sick of water yet) tomorrow.
Will add a couple of photos of our early morning arrival in Auckland as well as a couple from the hotel restaurant.
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