A Cruisy Christmas

We've never been a family for going "away" at Christmas. In fact, I don't have any memories of being anywhere other than home for Christmas growing up. As adults, it turns out it didn't take much to drag some of the family away from decades of Christmas normalcy and try something new. A cruise to New Zealand!

Embarkation on Radiance of the Seas was in Auckland on 16 Decembers.

The actual embarkation process was pretty smooth. They told everyone cabins would be ready around 1:30pm, but an announcement was made to say that they would take a little longer. Ended up being closer to 2pm before we could get in. Luggage was another issue. Mine took about 8 hours between check in and delivery.

Our first stop was Tauranga. As would be the way for almost every port in NZ, you need to catch a bus for a short distance after getting off the ship. This is a result of the ports all being operational. In fact, there were almost no ports that I can recall where you were not greeted with this as a view from your stateroom on arrival.

At Tauranga I decided to take a ship excursion to nearby Rotorua to see the geysers. I remembered doing an assignment on them at school and cutting up pictures from the encyclopedia and was keen to finally see them for myself! The cultural center, which was part of the tour, also included some great discussions on Maori history and culture. The geysers were will worth the trip.

Day 3 was the small art deco town of Napier. It was a truly beautiful spot.

For the most part I spent the morning wandering around on my own and exploring and checking out the aquarium. There were tour operators all lined up outside the information center (or i-site as they call them in NZ) and in the afternoon we jumped on a bus for a short trip around the area to try local fresh fruit, chocolate and honey. We also had a trip up a local peak to get a better view of the region.

Day 4 was Wellington. Again, we were bused into the city.  I decided to take the day off from site seeing and instead completed my Christmas shopping and caught up with some friend who live in the city.

On day 5 we were in Picton. We had opted for a one of the ship tours - the Cloudy Bay Winery and lunch tour. This tour was quite pricey but well worth it. it was a lovely small group tour. our first stop was to Cloudy Bay winery for some wine tasting. Their wines are some of my favorites, so i was looking forward to this!

We then headed up to Bancroft Estate for lunch. The view from lunch was spectacular. The food, and the matching wines were also fantastic.

On day 6 we headed to the small port of Akaroa. Most people seemed to head into Christchurch from here, but I decided to explore the small town. This was a tender port, which was a little frustrating as you couldn't 'book' your tender, you just had to line up in the morning and hope for the best. The rest of my group had gone on tours, so getting a solo tender ticket made life easier (I was put on the next available boat - others in line with me were getting numbers that were up to 2 hours wait).

This town was so pretty.

I highly recommend having fish and chips on the beach at lunch! It was lovely and relaxing. One of the major sites in town is The Giant House. I was blown away by the amount of work that had been put into the artwork and grounds.

 It was in an amazing spot up on the hill overlooking town as well.

Day 7 was Dunedin. We were all a little worried about this port. Ovation of the Seas and her 4000+ passengers were due to dock in town the same day as us. Knowing Dunedin was a small town we were a little worried about it being over run. Unfortunately for those on Ovation, they were delayed due to bad weather and were forced to cancel to Port.

 The actual port is in another town. The shuttle bus ticket for Dunedin was $15 for the day. It was fine getting to Dunedin, but it was miserable trying to get back to the ship. I was in a line of several hundred people trying to get back on a bus about an hour and a half before all aboard. i can't imagine how much worse that would have been with the Ovation passengers.

We did the number one tourist thing in town - the Cadbury factory tour! We we lucky we booked in advance as they were turning people away due to being full for the day. The shop in the factory though was NUTS. pretty much the entire crew of Radiance were in there buying hundreds of dollars worth of chocolate each. I've never seen anything like it.

Dunedin was our final port. The following day we were treated to a day of scenic cruising through some of the spectacular fjords on the south island. this included the famous Milford Sound.

The weather was perfect for it, and we were able to spend almost all day on deck enjoying the views.

After that, it was two sea days to get us back to Sydney. It was nice to wake up to this view on Boxing Day.

 For the most part the food on the ship was pretty good.

The main Christmas meal was done on Christmas Eve, which was a little strange for us - as we usually celebrate with lunch on Christmas Day. The meal in the main dining room on Christmas Eve was however amazing. This turkey dish was the best thing I ate the entire cruise.

They also had Christmas crackers on the table at dinner. It was kinda amusing - you could pick the tables of Australians and Kiwis - we were the ones who had hats firmly affixed before dinner. All other nationalities were looking at us like we were nuts. Some traditions die hard!

 The whole ship was decked out for the season.

There were tree lightnings, carols, balloon drops and even a visit from Santa (who had a gift for each passenger under 17). Under the tree there were even some special towel animals.

The different departments on the ship also had a competition to design a Christmas Tree in the theme of their area. I was a big fan of the entry from Housekeeping.

All in all, not a bad way to spend Christmas. There were a few small frustrations. On the first of three sea days they were running out of things in the bars and coffee shop, which you would have thought they could have stocked up on in port anytime in the previous seven days knowing we had three sea days coming up. I wasn't as bored as I thought I would be at sea for three days straight. I found a lot of things to do - movies, bingo, trivia, even the egg drop contest was highly entertaining!

We were really lucky weather wise. Every port the weather was stunning, and we had smooth sailing for a lot of it. It did get rough a few nights, but we were tucked up in bed by this point, so the impact was minimal. We did have an issue on a sea day where the ship needed a medical evacuation and we were out of helicopter reach so we were at full speed in rough-ish seas. That was unpleasant, but nobody was complaining given the circumstances.

A Retrospective - Part 1

I've been pretty slack this time around. I had every intention of posting during the holiday as a number of you asked me to, but then I just kept getting distracted. Luckily I took notes! Consider this a Holiday Retrospective series...

So, the holiday started on a Friday afternoon at Jacksons International for a flight to Sydney. Air Niugini decided to give me a mild panic attack by telling me I wasn't booked on the flight. Thankfully it turned out it was just that the check-in staff confusion and I was soon on my way. Phew. The joys of flying on the final day of a code share arrangement between two airlines (and being booked on the airline that cutting them loose).

On Saturday, there was markets and Pokemon hunting and coffee and a Mintie hunt. The highlight of the day though was when Ms Moore and I hit up Momofuku at The Star for a long lunch.

The meal started with a chef coming to our table with two live marron and introducing us to our lunch whilst it was still alive. Seriously. 

The first edible course was corn and caviar.

The second course was snail. We were very glad we didn't know it was snail until AFTER we ate it (Momofuku give you menu at the end of the meal). Not because we don't like snails, or were squeamish about eating them. No, full blame for our newly found snail-a-phobia comes from Dr Catherine, who the previous night at dinner had told Gaye and I in great detail all about Rat Lung Disease. Don't google it. just take my word for it that it is bad, and rinse all your food that a rat or snail could have pooped on.

Next up was black pudding. The cucumber cut through the richness really well.

 

We then had a jerk chicken salad. That chicken skin on top was waaaaay too spicy for me.

 

It was then time for some mulloway with rice. I'm not a fan of rice at all - but this was delicious.

Remember those live marron that the chef introduced us to? Well they finally made an appearance. They were delicious. They just melted in your mouth. And don't get me started on the warm buttery roti and onion butter they served with them. I could have had 12 courses of this. It is one of the best things I have eaten in a very long time.

The chef that served the next course seemed a little surprised when we replied in the affirmative to the question "do you know what cassava is?". I did do a small face palm that I went to the trouble to go on holidays from Melanesia and a fancy restaurant in Australia was going to make me eat cassava. Possibly the tastiest cassava I have ever eaten though. They made it into little gnocchi type dumplings. Served with a tomato based sauce and crab.

It was then time for some roast pork. I think Gaye was disappointed she didn't get introduced to that meal as well. It came with crackling, candied pumpkin and curried onions with goat cheese. The crackling was really ordinary.

Time to move to the sweet courses. And to do so you need a pallet cleanser, right? how about passion fruit ice. So cold, so so so cold.

We then got to try a plate of petite fours. Which to be honest seemed odd as these normally come after the dessert, not before.

Dessert was amusingly called the "Conkie" on the menu. If only a dessert that I shared a nickname with was tastier. I was a little underwhelmed. It was banana and raisin.

With very full bellies, we headed off to the Seymore theater to see our friend Darrin in "Next Fall". I will be honest - it is nerve wracking to go see someone you know in a show. Daz wasn't just the star, he was also the producer. What if it sucked? (it didn't) What if he sucked? (nope) What if we were sitting so close that he could see us in the audience? (we were) would we throw him off? (People in front super tall!). Thankfully the show was great, Darrin was amazing, and by the end of the show my only concern was 'I am going to kill him for making me cry'. The upside of seeing a friend in a show that is great is that you walk out not just entertained, but feeling immensely proud that you know the person that created something that good.

Sunday morning was for some more Pokemon hunting, and breakfast and a lot of coffee at Bills. 

Gearing up for my afternoon flight from Sydney to Dallas I got a text from Qantas letting me know I had been upgraded to First Class. First Class on one of the longest flight legs in the world. Ahhhh. My own little private bubble for 15 hours.

There were even pre-flight canapes...and yes I realise I am not making the most of it from the glass of water in the picture above. Don't worry, I did try the VC bubbles during the flight itself.

Sadly, I got no sleep the entire 15 hours. I laid down in the dark with my eyes closed for about 7 hours. I tried the sleep mask. I tried the ear plugs. I tried everything to block out my rude fellow passengers who kept turning on lights, having loud conversations and snoring. The guy snoring sounded like a lawn mower. I've never wanted to smother someone with a pillow more in my life. I did feel bad for those back in economy when an announcement was made letting them know that in Sydney they didn't load all their food (!!!), so the crew were scrambling through first and business asking us to identify everything we wanted to eat for the whole flight and everything we didn't reserve was then served to economy. 

So, I arrived in Dallas a zombie. Went and got a manicure in the airport in an attempt to stay awake (after walking about three laps of the terminal and having a few rides on the monorail). There was one key lesson to be learned. A Texan airport is not a place to be on a Sunday afternoon if you don't like football. Every screen in the terminal that wasn't showing arrival and departure information was showing a game of some description.

It was then time to head to Orlando. I got to witness the cabin crew and the gate attendant get into a fight. Seriously - there was yelling and name calling in the front galley as we boarded. I'm not sure who has the 'on time departure' KPI in their performance agreement, but by the way that the gate staff were acting it was them (unless they could blame the cabin crew, and boy did they try). Cabin crew and pilots then hit back by getting everyone seated so fast that we left early. Won't hear me complaining.

Finally made it to Orlando. Caught the bus to the Mouse. There was a hot shower. And a quiet room to sleep in.

Stay tuned for part 2.

Fjords and food

Well, I am finally back in the land of wifi that works - hello Copenhagen airport!

When I last left you I was resting my tired feet after a day of climbing in Alesund. Back on board, it was time for dinner! Tonight was a little hit and miss in the dining room. The first course, a duck terrine, was lovely.

Next was an abomination. This was so bad I ate two mouthfuls and could not do anymore. It was supposed to be chilli. 

I tried to redeem the meal with dessert - soufflé - but sadly it was really chewy. I ended up going to get a sneaky snack from the Windjammer instead. 

I was really struggling to go to sleep, despite a 7:35am meeting in the theatre the following morning. The trip down the fjord was spectacular, and the midnight sun meant you could continue to enjoy the view well into the wee hours.

The following day we arrived in Geiranger (along with our stalker, the Norweigan Star). The Star was given a tender, where as we got the moving dock. Basically the dock comes to the ship.

This may be one of the most amazing places I have ever been. I can't talk more highly of this port. I did an excursion to the glacier, and I think after talking to others who went on different excursions, it was the real winner. We started by getting in the bus and starting the climb up into the mountains.

Before we knew it, we were in snow! And, it was actually snowing at times as we drive through the peaks (which were about 3000 feet above sea level). 

There were even a number of frozen lakes along the drive.

Eventually we started the drive back down the other side, and out of the snow. Before we knew it we were at the park around the glacier. The excursion included lunch, so we sat down to three courses in the resturant there. We had soup, and salmon and crepe for dessert. Then we had the hike up to the glacier itself. This was all at your own pace. You could take a 'troll car' most of the way if you chose, but I am so glad I walked. 

Once you started getting closer the scenery became more amazing.

Then, the glacier was in sight. 

Seriously, how pretty is that? When we finally got to the glacier it was cold, and windy, and raining, but worth it. 

The walk back was all downhill, so pretty easy, though you did need to watch out not to get run over by a troll car! 

Back in the bus we drove back through the hills, stopping several times for pictures. It really was a day where your camera got a good workout! 

Once back on board, we basically had an epic three hour scenic sail away as we went back through the fjord and into the North Sea. We also got to see a number of great waterfalls along the way, including the famous 7 Sisters waterfall. 

I was a little peeved I didn't get to enjoy that much of it, as the Murder Mystery Dinner I had booked had been moved to the Friday night (was supposed to be Thursday). We were apparently the smallest group the cast had ever had. It was all good fun. One of the girls wigs came off early in the piece, so it became a running joke that was cracking up cast and audience as no one quite knew where the jokes were going at times. It was really interactive (both between cast and audience during the dinner portion and with your fellow guests). The food in giovannis was great (no pictures, I was having too much fun!).  We were all chatting with the cast afterwards who told us the scenario changes all the time. Talking to the 'victim' he was just cranky his character was the one who died so he didn't get to have as much fun as the others. 

I was greeted that evening by a new cabin mate.

Saturday was a sea day. And a miserable one at that.

The constant rain meant everyone was inside, and the ship felt really crowded. There were announments in the windjammer at lunch about eating and leaving quickly so everyone could come in. 

I was supposed to do the All Access Tour that day. Booked it months ago and was really looking forward to it. I went to Guest Services to ask where I needed to go. They informed me it was cancelled (as only five people had booked it) and had no idea why nobody had told me. At this point I realised every single thing I booked on Cruise Planner had been cancelled or changed by RC. Everything. Fair to say I won't be bothering to book anything in advance for my next RC cruise in December as a result. 

I struggled to find things to do (given I had planned the day around the tour). I watched the movie in the cinema (Room, pretty depressing for a holiday flick), and went to bingo, though when I got to that they were also about to cancel due to lack of interest! They ended up playing one game only, fully card only. There were a few women in there who looked like they may roll the bingo caller if he hadn't done that! 

Sea was a bit rocky, so the aerial show was also cancelled, but thankfully they put on some live music instead. Show that night was a juggler (balls, rings and hats - no knives or chainsaws - though I had talked to him previously on the ship and he did tell us that he did have a routine involving knives). 

Had probably the best meal of the trip in the MDR. Started with eggplant tartare. 

Followed by turkey (this was unbelievably tender).

And key lime pie that they told me they smuggled from Florida.

This mornings disembarkation was a debacle. There was a delay in getting us cleared despite arriving pretty much on time (almost an hour delay I think). For reasons I don't understand they basically announced every group at once, and then announced that they needed the people on the airport transfers to come immediately. It would have made more sense to get the airport people off first, then everyone else if they wanted us off quickly, because having almost all groups at once just created congestion. They were yelling in the baggage area for the airport groups to be quick, but then when you got outside, there were no busses for the airport, they had been filled and gone and we needed to wait for the next batch. People were pushing and being rude. Knowing my flight was not for quite a few hours I dropped back and tried to let the madness past. There was almost a revolt on our bus when we were about to leave and the bus was waved down because a woman on the bus had taken someone else's luggage! She denied it, but what was hilarious was I saw the bags get swapped and they looked nothing alike! What was she thinking? I think we ended up leaving over an hour after our assigned disembarkation time. 

So now I am at the airport. I've realised my cruise account statement doesn't add up (going to need to get that sorted) and I am already crafting my narky email to RC about them falsely advertising streaming capable Internet that can barely load Facebook. 

Now for the long flight(s) home.