Day 4 - Melbourne, Victoria

Tuesday December 18th 2012
Weather - Beautiful & Sunny 26C

We docked at South Melbourne earlier than scheduled around 6.30am. Glorious sunny day so we had our coffee & juice on our balcony overlooking St Kilda Beach. We then showered and dressed and headed to breakfast to avoid the rush getting off the ship. It was around 9.15 when we walked off and it was very quiet. Just a 500 metre walk to the Port Melbourne Tram stop so we hopped onto a tram thinking it would go to St Kilda, however we ended up in the city so jumped on the free tram to do a circuit of the city. All well until the brakes locked about 3/4 of the way around so we all had to get off. Then we walked around, had a coffee and off to St Kilda.

After a walk around St Kilda we found a bottle shop to restock our stateroom fridge supply of wine, purchasing the allowed 1 bottle per passenger. Will restock again in NZ in 2 days. Then we found a nice little dumpling restaurant for lunch. We did consider walking back to the ship, however grabbed a taxi instead. Once we arrived back we discovered the distance was much further than initially thought ($15 Taxi fare).

Now back on ship and just 1 hour from sailing so I will post part one of today with a few photos shortly. Don't expect any more entries for at least 2 days as we have 2 days at sea then one cruising Milford Sounds so don't think we git have Internet access until 21st or 22nd December.

We are having a wonderful relaxing holiday and don't want the cruise to end :)

I am posting a photo of a Church in Federation Square, Melbourne. I took the photo. From the tram and wondered why so many people around as well as lots of Police. Then a Taxi driver told us it was where Dame Elizabeth Murdock's funeral was being held and lots of road closures were in place.

Other photos are taken from Port Melbourne towards St Kilda, plus a few random ones.

More in a few days.

Day 3 - At Sea Hobart - Melbourne

Monday December 17th 2012
Weather - Fine & Sunny Temp range 14 - 24 C

We awoke to a beautiful sunny morning after a great sleep. The seas are pretty calm and you would barely know we were at sea ..... unless you look out of course!

After room service coffee & juice we showered, dressed and headed to the dining room around 8.30am. Sat at a table with 3 other couples, 2 from Oz and 1 from UK. Really nice people and we spent almost 90 minutes chatting & eating. I had fruit & an omelet ..... Very nice and no toast of course. I have been very good resisting the bread rolls, toast & pastries so far. Still eating more than I need, however it's easy to stick to the healthier options such as fish, salads and fruit mostly.

We are sailing pretty close to the coast of Tasmania so I am getting intermittent phone signals. I just managed to upload yesterday's blog entry which was unexpected.

Because today is a sea day there won't be a lot of photos so I will just bore everyone with food and activities.

During the morning we had a nice walk around the ship, chatted with some people we met earlier, stopping for coffee at the Atrium & then decided to check out the trivia. Well luckily we sat in the wings and observed, making mental notes of our answers, because when the true answers were revealed we discovered our grand score was 5 out of 20! They were tough questions and some teams only scored 2, but I think we will need to join a good team to improve & play for real.

Another stroll then off to lunch. I had grilled sole & Mike had lamb, we both then had a fruit plate. Very enjoyable. Now time for a little afternoon rest as we have tickets for a supposedly high quality wine tasting & canapés at 3pm.

The wine tasting was fantastic. 6 top quality wines from all over the world paired with canapés which were delicious. Don't think we will be drinking many of the wines again as the prices ranged from $50 - $85 per bottle. Nice to dream though.

We then had a walk before I attended the Captains Circle Party for Gold Level passengers. It was just a little talk and a performance by some singers and dancers and a voucher for a free drink. I met up with Mike and we had a drink (yes I felt the urge to use my voucher) in the Atrium before dinner.

We had dinner in The Savoy dining room (shrimp bisque & scallops for both of us) with two other couples (one from Sydney and the other from Canada) and had another bottle of wine. The company with dinner has, without exception, been great. I tossed up between Traditional (same time, same people every night) or Anytime Dining (choice of 4 restaurants, turn up anytime from 6-10pm and sit with different people). I chose Anytime and so far we are very happy with that.

After dinner we attended the 8.15pm show in the Princess Theatre. Tonight it was a magician/comedian and he was really good. The theatre was packed as usual and considering there are 3 shows per night, attendance is good. We headed back to the Crooners Lounge after the show and another performance from the Canadian piano player/singer from the night before. Tonight his show was called "The British Invasion" & covered lots of songs from The Beatles, Cliff Richard, Freddie and the Dreamers and more I can't remember. When he took a break he came up to us and said he had noticed I was singing along with him which was good. I replied that he was lucky he couldn't actually hear me! I had a martini & mike had a whiskey. Very enjoyable night.

Back to our stateroom and off to sleep. Melbourne tomorrow.

Day 2 - Hobart Tasmania

Sunday December 16th 2012
Weather - Overcast to Sunny 20C

We docked in Hobart around 7.30am to a very overcast sky and intermittent drizzle so decided to have a leisurely breakfast on board in the dining room. By the time we had finished and collected our things from our room it was quite sunny so we walked off the ship and into town, stopping at the Visitors Centre. We purchased tickets to the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus and took the 90 minute tour around Hobart which included the Cascade Brewery, Botanical Gardens and lots of other attractions. Great commentary but lots of places were closed because its Sunday.

We then wandered through the Salamanca Market area (also mostly closed) had a coffee, and then discovered free Internet so I managed to publish yesterday's blog entry. Sky is beginning to look dark & threatening so we walked back to the ship & had our first meal (lunch) at Horizon Court Buffet. It was not bad, however I am not a fan of the buffet on ships for 2 reasons, firstly too many people have no idea of basic hygiene so despite staff keeping an eye on things, so you can never be sure if someone has touched anything with dirty hands. The second reason is the temptation to pile too much food on your plate as there are so many choices. In the dining rooms you order up to 5 courses, however the portions are very small and there are more fish/salad/vegetable options. Because the International Dining Room is closed on port days (due to most passengers being ashore on tours) we only eat at the buffet on the few occasions we are on board on port days.

This afternoon we went to the musical afternoon tea, followed by an onboard performance by the Tasmanian Police Pipe Band & Dancers.

Tonight we had dinner at The Savoy Dining Room, so gradually working our way through them. The food as usual was delicious and fresh. We had a fresh pineapple & pistachio appetiser, then a mango, pear & ginger soup (served in a wine glass with a straw) was to die for! Then I had a lamb shank in a 4 bean cassoulet .... yum. Mike had some sort of pork dish which he really enjoyed.

After dinner we headed to the Princess Theatre to see a performance by a great singer Davinia. Hadn't heard of her before, but she was really good. The main shows in the theatre only last for 30-35 minutes as they have 3 sessions to allow for different dinner times. That suits us as you don't have to sit for long periods through performances you don't like. Not that we have struck any so far.

We then went for a walk through the promenade deck and stumbled across the Crooners Lounge where a singer & pianist (Dan Hodge) was performing. We sat down and ordered a drink and ended up staying over an hour. He started by singing some 1 hit wonders, then began taking requests. Of course I asked for Frank Sinatra's "My Way" & he sang it beautifully. We also enjoyed an Irish Coffee then headed back to our stateroom & off to bed.

One thing I forgot to mention last night ...... We arrived at the dining room for dinner & were shown to a table with 2 other couples. One were at our table in another restaurant the previous night & the other couple were also from Bathurst, NSW. In a ship with almost 3,000 passengers, what are the chances of that happening? Not high I think!

I apologise in advance for the random photos. I seem to have no say as to which order they appear in here after I select them, so I can't place a comment re what they are. That's my next project .... To work out how to fix that.

More tomorrow from Melbourne.

Day 2 - At Sea, Sydney to Hobart

Saturday 15th December 2012
Weather - Overcast with occasional drizzle, and Warm 26C

We awoke nice and early after a good sleep (bed much more comfortable than on previous ships) & checked out the weather from our balcony. Very overcast & a bit of light rain.

Our tea, coffee & fruit juice (ordered from room service last night) arrived just after 7am. We then showered, dressed & checked out the Princess Patter (ships daily newsletter) to mark different events we wanted to do during the day. Then we headed off to the International Dining Room for breakfast. We both had a yummy tropical fruit salad served on a fresh pineapple ring, then I had a smoked salmon bagel & Mike had pancakes. Service was unusually slow this morning for some reason, so it was around 9.30 when we finished.

Another stroll then back to our stateroom for a short time. Then we headed up to Skywalker Nightclub on deck 17 for a Meet & Greet with other Cruise Critic members. It was great to put a face to a name and we had a cider (only one type available on this ship - Strongbow in a 500ml can). We left around 12.30 & had another browse around the ship & then headed into lunch (yes I know ..... It sounds like we are always eating). I had grilled red snapper & mike had a burger.

Because of the inclement weather we decided to go to a movie at the Princess Theatre @ 2pm. We saw "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel". Hadn't seen it before so really enjoyed it. Judy Dench is amazing, is there a role she can't play?

Tonight is formal night so will need more time to brush off the cobwebs and get ourselves dressed up. Not an easy feat trying to transform this old duck!

Off to the Captains welcome aboard cocktail party and a few glasses of free champagne. Watched the traditional champagne waterfall which was pretty amazing then we headed to dinner in the Summer Moon Restaurant. Once again beautiful food, I had crab quiche and a yummy prawn dish for main. Can't remember what it was called though. Mike had the same. We also polished off a nice bottle of White Zinfandel wine.

After dinner we headed to the show at the Princess Theatre at 10pm. It was very good, can't remember the exact name, but was a selection of Elton, John, Billy Joel music. The dancers were great as well as the singers. It was straight back to out stateroom and off to bed afterwards. A very nice but busy sea day.

Not many photos today.

Day 1 - Embarkation Diamond Princess

Friday December 14th 2012
Weather - Fine, partially cloudy Warm - Hot 28C

Our holiday has finally begun!

After a fairly uneventful drive from Bathurst, we arrived at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at approximately 12.30pm. We then just dropped off our luggage and proceeded to a car park in George St. Next was lunch with Sarah, Naomi & Ruby at a nice little cafe at The Rocks. We then strolled down to the OPT and said our goodbyes around 2.30pm.

The embarkation process was really fast and we were had our cruise cards, went through customs and were in our stateroom before 3pm. Two of our suitcases were already there (the other two arrived approx. 2 hours later with a large sticker on each which contained the word "ALCOHOL". Need I say more? The booty was intact & was soon safely in our refrigerator!

Our stateroom (a mini-suite on Dolphin Deck) is really nice.Will attach some photos shortly. There is heaps of storage, a full sized sofa, 2 x TV's, table, desk & bathroom with bath tub. The balcony is quite large with a table & 2 reclining deck chairs plus foot stools. Was lovely sitting on balcony (with our complimentary glass of champagne watching the harbour traffic around the Quay.

After unpacking we went on an exploratory tour of the ship. This is much larger & newer than the Sun Princess so I could easily get lost. Thank goodness Mike has better radar than I. We ended up on the Horizon Deck so sat and relaxed with a Beverly Hills Iced Tea. Nice but lots of gin.

We are doing "Anytime Dining", so have a choice of 3 restaurants (Santa Fe, Pacific Moon, Savoy) from 6-10pm or Vivaldi from 8-10pm. They basically all serve the same menu, except each restaurant has a signature dish. Tonight we chose Santa Fe at about 7.30pm & we had only a minute to so wait until we were seated. Their specialty signature dish tonight were Mexican fajitas. I chose the shrimp as a starter, then grilled salmon with asparagus & Caesar salad. Couldn't resist the passion fruit soufflé for dessert! Mike had vegetarian spring rolls, pork medallions & cheesecake. I won't mention the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc we polished off as well! Nice folk on our table, 2 couples from the USA and one from Aus.

Sail away was at 8pm and we watched from our table in the restaurant. As it was just on dusk, the harbour looked fantastic with all the lights coming on.

After a stroll we headed back to our room and sat on the balcony for a while, then off to bed for an early night.

All Packed & Ready to Go!

With less than 24 hours until we sail out of Sydney I have finished all my packing, cleaned the house to within an inch of its life & completed all the last minute instructions for house sitting & dog minding! Phew ....... will need that holiday! Before anyone begins to feel sorry for me, I must confess to having a lot of help from Mike. I certainly didn't mow the lawns, vacuum or cook dinner!

The beautiful Diamond Princess arrived in Sydney around 12 MD today en route from Bangkok. Those staying on board will have an overnight stay in Sydney with most of tomorrow to check out the sights. We board around 2pm with sail away at 8pm.

We plan to leave Bathurst around 9am with Sarah & Ruby (daughter/granddaughter) then collect Naomi (daughter) from Camperdown and head to Circular Quay where we will drop off our luggage and find a car park. Then find somewhere nice for lunch before embarkation.

So time to do some last minute chores.

My next post should be from onboard the Diamond Princess Friday evening.

I have attached photos of our ship & the route we will be taking.

Just 2 More Days Until Departure!

After all these weeks of planning & waiting for this holiday, the time has come to put all those plans into actions. The numerous jobs which need to be left to the last minute are all needing attention. Thank goodness for all those lists!

With less than 2 days before we leave home I can tick off most of the important tasks. Of course I mean the pedicure, facial, hair cut & colour, massage etc. At least I can be sure to leave Sydney buffed & polished. Notice I didn't say beautiful? Now that would be going too far! As for how I look on return ..... Hopefully refreshed and not too shabby.

All Christmas gifts have been wrapped & left for the recipients to open on Christmas Day. I have packed my little bag of handmade decorations (with magnets attached) so we can decorate our stateroom door on the ship. I have been informed that having something unique on your door makes your stateroom easy to find. I have been known to become disorientated in my local tiny shopping centre, so any little bit of help will be good.

I am yet to share this blog address with family/friends so am unsure what the reaction will be. With so little time before departure, I will need to do this very soon. My aim is that this blog will provide some detail as to where we are & places of interest visited, thus replacing the need to write a travel diary and at the same time creating a permanent record of our trip. We spent 7 weeks travelling through the UK & Europe in 2010 & I just used a little journal to write each days events. We moved house a few weeks after we returned home and I forgot about the journal. Would you believe that when looking for something else last week I found it? Was really great reading it after 2.5 yrs and discovering many things I had virtually forgotten. So to those sceptics out there ..... You don't have to read this, the choice is yours. Also ...... it should become more interesting once the adventure really begins!

So what else needs to be done? Packing of course! I have everything ready to go, just saving the clothes that will crush until the last minute. Mike, as usual is a little further advanced and has his clothes packed. He is very capable with an iron, thank goodness! 

I am hoping to update this blog regularly on our travels via free Internet when in port on my IPad as well as using the hotspot on my IPhone once in NZ. Despite following instructions on unlocking my IPhone, until I actually insert a NZ SIM I won't know if I was successful. Of course I can use the ships Internet, however it is very expensive and painfully slow. The plan is to write each update when off line and then just connect to publish & check emails etc. We will be fine for the days spent in Hobart (16/12) & Melbourne (18/12), after that we shall just have to wait and see.

Please feel free to comment on my posts as I welcome feedback of any kind. 

Back to the packing ...... More to come before departure :)