New Zealand - Australia Cruise

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NEW ZEALAND – AUSTRALIA CRUISE

January 2 – 16, 2013

Since my trip “down under” twenty-five years ago, I couldn’t wait to return. I wanted Bill to experience their stunning natural beauty and diversity as well, but neither of us wanted to withstand the excruciatingly long plane ride in coach class. So, we saved up until we had 600,000 frequent-flier miles, enough for two round-trip business class tickets, and booked a 12-day cruise with Celebrity Cruise Lines, one of our favorites.



Our flights were spread over three legs—Houston to LAX to Sydney to Auckland on United and Air New Zealand—and they were, as expected, luxurious. The food was elegant and plentiful, the on-board entertainment system offered over one hundred program choices, and the seats reclined to a full 180 degrees, which enabled me to get about seven sound hours of sleep. Bill, instead of sleeping, chose to watch all eight episodes of Downton Abbey’s first season.



After a total of 21 hours of flying plus 10 hours of airport waiting time, we were delighted to touch down in Auckland! It’s hard to imagine a more geographically blessed city than Auckland, New Zealand, which is located on a narrow isthmus punctuated by volcanic cones and fertile farmland between the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The cab driver who drove us to the ship from the airport was a typical Kiwi—friendly and talkative. He drove us around the city, pointing out various sights, including the iconic Auckland Harbour Bridge, which is famed for its bungee jumping, plus One Tree Hill and Mount Eden, which are volcanic cones in the middle of the city. New Zealand has a population of about four million, and a third of them live in Auckland.



Our ship, the Celebrity Solstice (rated 5.5 stars out of a possible 6), was a floating palace. A magnificent, modern ship, it was bright and spacious and had all the facilities of a luxury hotel resort. We later discovered that it was one of the most decorated ships at sea with $6 million worth of art enhancing its public rooms. In fact, Conde Nast Traveler recently named the Solstice and Celebrity the best premium ship/cruise line in the world.



Upon arrival at our Concierge class stateroom, we couldn’t help but be impressed by the sheer size of the cabin and extended balcony. There was a 32-inch flat screen TV with 20 channels plus music, room service, movies on demand, and a computer keyboard for wi-fi. Storage was plentiful and cleverly located, the bed was delightfully comfortable with Egyptian cotton bedding, and we loved the fact that the shower had sliding glass and not the flapping wet shower curtain that most other ships have. Waiting for us were a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine, fresh fruit, and fresh flowers, plus a leather key holder, tote bag, binoculars, and an umbrella. We were going to be totally spoiled!



Friends from California had also booked this cruise, and we met up with them for dinner after the mandatory lifeboat drill. The Grand Epernay dining room was elegant, with a two-story glass wine tower in the center. There was a grand staircase with silver railings and an immense chandelier of hanging silver bubbles. Smaller versions hung above individual tables. There was a wide variety of food available on the menu--more about that later.



We arose early our first morning on board and relaxed on our balony as we approached our first port of call, Tauranga, New Zealand. We were fortunate to be on the correct side of the ship to see up close the majestic Mount Maunganui, an unusual, extinct volcano that is connected to the mainland by a sand bar, a geographical formation known as a tombolo.



As our excursion today, we chose a sightseeing and cultural tour that took us from the beautiful port and through the town to a Maori marae. While en route, our guide shared Maori history, culture, and proper protocol for visiting. We practiced Maori phrases and songs that we would use during our visit to the marae. The Maori are the adventuresome, resourceful, indigenous people of New Zealand who arrived in canoes from eastern Polynesia a thousand years ago. A marae is a communal or sacred place, a ceremonial place of tribal identity that includes a carved meeting house, a dining hall, and sacred ground.



Our visit began with a formal welcome ceremony called a powhiri. As we waited outside the gate, we listened for a call, after which we moved slowly and silently together into the courtyard, women first and men behind, as a Maori warrior advanced cautiously toward us with ceremonial weapons, performing threatening gestures and grimaces, calling out battle screams, and generally giving an impression of being ready to explode into violence against us visitors at any moment. Historically, this aggressive challenge has roots in both showing off the martial prowess of the tribal warriors, as well as testing the steadfastness of the visitors.



After one of the women in our group, whom we had chosen earlier, stepped forward and pronounced that we had come in peace, we walked slowly to some benches, where the men sat in front this time. We sang songs in Maori (that we had practiced on the bus) before our Maori hosts came to us one at a time with a welcoming “hongi,” or touching of noses. We then took off our shoes and were invited inside the ceremonial meeting house, where we admired their intricate carvings and paintings and learned more about their history and traditions.



Our visit continued in the “eating house,” where we were treated to cookies and tea, followed by a 30-minute cultural dance performance, including the haka, or warrior dance. These were the ancient Maori of New Zealand, justifiably proud of their culture and happy to share their way of life with us!



Much to our surprise, we were feeling very little jet lag; nonetheless, the day was gorgeously sunny and mild, so we spent the afternoon on our balcony napping in the fresh air. Dinner, showroom entertainment, and the casino completed our evening.



Day two of the cruise was at sea, but there was plenty to do on the ship. First, we awoke around 8 a.m. and while still in bed, watched our Houston Texans defeat Cincinnati in round one of the NFL playoffs on television. With the 18-hour difference in time, kickoff had been at 7:30 a.m. our time! Later, we enjoyed a tour of the galley, a lecture on our destination ports and another lecture by our humorous onboard naturalist, who spoke about ocean wildlife.



After lunch, while Bill sat on the balcony and read, I made my way up to the 16^th deck to experience two of the innovative features that set the Solstice apart from any other ship on the seas: the Corning hot glass show and the Lawn Club, a full half-acre of lush living grass for putting, bocce, or just lying around! At the glass-blowing demonstration, we passengers were able to observe up close the creation of complex works of glass art from basic raw materials to the finished objects by entertaining artisans. A scrapbooking class filled the remainder of the afternoon before we had to get ready for formal night. While dressing, we enjoyed the plate of hors d’oeuvres that was delivered to our cabin every afternoon.



We docked the next day in New Zealand’s capital of Wellington, population 350,000. The city’s focal point is the harbor, one of the world’s most beautiful, which was formed by the flooding of a very large extinct volcano crater. Perched on hills surrounding the sparkling bay, the city bends gracefully around the port, and the colorful houses seem to flow out of the hills right down to the sea. The picturesque rugged hills, cable cars, Edwardian buildings, and narrow streets have caused it to be compared to San Francisco.



There is so much to see and do here, from “Lord of the Rings” film locations to cable cars that take you to the summit of Mount Victoria for panoramic views to the National Museum. The excursion we selected combined natural beauty with history and was called “City and Shipwreck Coast.” First, we explored the beauty of Wellington’s botanical gardens, which were established in 1866 and feature majestic old trees, duck ponds, waterfalls, and picturesque gardens over a gigantic area the size of sixty football fields.



A leisurely, spectacular drive along New Zealand’s Shipwreck Coast began after a brief tour of downtown Wellington, where we saw the magnificent Old St. Paul’s Cathedral (1866) and the instantly-recognizable Parliament building called the “beehive” because of its unique appearance. The Shipwreck Coast stretches from Wellington’s hills to the easternmost point of the harbor. The scenic route followed the dramatic harbor shoreline, where we saw quaint coastal villages and bays and heard tales of the dozens of wrecks as ships battled the rocky coastline, sand bars, and the windy and changeable weather. We marveled at the long lines of swells that rolled in from Antarctica, turning into froth-topped waves that smashed against towers of rocks off the coast. Only one of the ships has been recovered from the bottom of the harbor, the M.V. Bianca. Our driver stopped, and we were able to walk around its rusty hull.



After a photo stop at New Zealand’s oldest lighthouse, we arrived at Pencarrow Station, one of the area’s first sheep and cattle stations (ranches) situated at the easternmost end of the harbor. The panoramic views from the lodge across Cook Strait were stunning. After refreshments of tea, coffee, and dozens of varieties of New Zealand breads, pastries, and sweets, we were treated to a delightful sheep herding demonstration by the owner of the station and his two dogs, a Border Collie (who didn’t bark) and a Huntaway (energetic and barked constantly). Both types have their unique uses, the owner said. “The quiet one can be used to steal sheep, while the vocal one lets you know at all times where the sheep are!”



On the drive back, the guide pointed out the homes on steep hills that are not accessible by car. The owners keep their vehicles at the foot of the hills and instead of walking up the steep mountain to their homes, they use cable cars to get there.



One of the many things we like about cruising is the onboard entertainment at the theater every night. This ship has had the most phenomenal performers of any cruise we have ever taken, indeed ever seen in any venue. So far, we have been amazed by the three shows: Will Martin, a young, classical-crossover tenor and all-around entertainer; the production show called “The Spirit of Broadway,” celebrating the best music of Broadway, past and present; and tonight’s performer, multi-instrumentalist Danny Elliot. This man was versatile! During his high-impact performance, he played twelve different instruments, sang with a beautifully rich voice, and danced, too. What a talent!



At this point in the cruise, we left the North Island of the country and cruised overnight to Akaroa on the even-more-beautiful South Island. We had originally been scheduled to visit Christchurch, which is said to be “more English than London.” However, the devastating earthquake of two years prior had virtually destroyed the central part of the city, including the historic cathedral, so we decided to stay in Akaroa for the day. Akaroa is a historic French settlement located about 50 miles from Christchurch on a dramatic and scenic bay created by an ancient volcano.



Our excursion took us into these deep blue waters for a spectacular wildlife cruise. It was clear, sunny, and cool—about 55 to 60 degrees, perfect weather to stand on the deck to try to spot the rare varieties of wildlife. Top on our list was to see and photograph the Hector’s dolphin, the smallest dolphin in the world, easily fitting inside a bathtub. They are rare, endangered, and protected, and they are found only in New Zealand. We were in for a treat, as we saw dozens of the friendly, inquisitive creatures as they cavorted alongside our boat. We were also extremely lucky to spot, swimming near us, a blue penguin, which is the smallest species of penguin in the world at only about 13 inches in height. They spend their entire day swimming, i.e., hunting, from sunrise into the evening. We also found New Zealand fur seals and spotted cormorants. Numerous sea caves, volcanic cliffs, and lava flows were other highlights in this spectacular setting.



After the cruise, Bill found a lovely sunny spot on a bench to read while I explored the boutiques and historic buildings of the village. When we returned to the Solstice by tender boat, we lazed on our cabin’s balcony and then watched the NCAA Championship game on television before enjoying another terrific dinner (I had broiled Australian barramundi) and an extraordinarily talented ventriloquist, puppeteer, and comedian named Michael Harrison who once was a finalist on “America’s Got Talent.” His magic was extraordinary, but his combined comic genius and ventriloquism were the best we had ever seen. After the show, the casino beckoned!



The next day we docked in Port Chalmers, the port town of Dunedin, which is New Zealand’s oldest city and the gateway for Antarctic expeditions because it is the southernmost city in the world. Originally a Scottish settlement, it wears its Scottish heritage with pride and is known as New Zealand’s “Edinburgh.” On one of his visits to Dunedin, Mark Twain once remarked, “The people here are Scots. They stopped here on their way home to heaven, thinking they had arrived.” It is also called the “capital of wildlife” in NZ because it is the gateway to the Otago Peninsula, which has the South Island’s most accessible diversity of wildlife.



A tour bus picked up our group at the ship for the excursion titled Wild Wonders, and we drove about an hour, through Dunedin and nearly circling Victoria Channel. The rolling hills of the peninsula dropped directly into Victoria Channel, so the road was narrow and curving with deep water to our left and walls of rock to our right. It was nerve-wracking because you couldn’t see around the bends of the hills. It was all worth it, though, not only because the rugged countryside across the channel was gorgeous, but because our upcoming adventure would be our favorite of the cruise!



Our driver pointed out in the distance the world’s only mainland royal albatross colony, where with binoculars you could see one parent of each pair guarding its nest while the other hunted. They are majestic birds with the world’s largest wingspans of ten feet.



We finally reached the tip of the peninsula for our much-anticipated scenic adventure! We donned green rain jackets (for possible rain, but mostly for camouflage) and climbed aboard an 8-wheel-drive, all-terrain Argo amphibious vehicle for our one-hour tour of nature’s wonders. The beautiful Otago Peninsula provided the scenery of rugged coastline and windswept cliffs, but it was the wildlife that stole the show!



It didn’t take long to find the New Zealand fur seals on a mass of rocks along the shore. This was a breeding colony, and having given birth within the past month, there were dozens of mother seals lounging on the rocks while their pups nursed. Some of the males were quite noisy as they demonstrated their superiority, but they were not frightened of us at all, and we could have stayed there for hours. But, we had more wildlife to experience!



We drove to a high vantage point at the top of some cliffs with a white sandy beach below, and the guides asked us to stay very quiet as we got out of the vehicles. They had spotted several groups of yellow-eyed penguins, some nesting and some on the beach returning from hunting. This was a real treat because yellow-eyed penguins are endangered; they are the rarest penguin species in the world and only live in New Zealand. They are just two feet tall and get their name from their yellow iris and characteristic yellow headband. Biologically different in many ways from other breeds, the yellow-eyed is thought to be the most ancient of all living penguins. Again, we could have watched them for a long time—their characteristic wobble-walk was so cute!



A few more types of wildlife were pointed out as we returned to the wildlife center, but we had already had our high point with the sighting of the yellow-eyed penguins in the wild! As we returned to the ship, the driver took us on a tour of Dunedin’s best known sites: Dunedin Railway Station (the most photographed building in New Zealand), Otago University (oldest in NZ), the Octagon (city “square” with eight sides), 150-year-old Speight’s Brewery (the “pride of the South”), St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, St. Joseph’s Catholic Cathedral, and a spectacular hilltop photo stop called Admiral Byrd’s Lookout for stunning views of the ocean, the peninsula, and city. It marked the spot from which American Admiral Richard Byrd left on his expedition to Antarctica in 1928.



That night at the theater we were spellbound by vocal impressionist Karen Grainger, who recreated such diverse performers as Tina Turner and Barbra Streisand as well as a variety of male singers, capturing spot-on not only their voices, but also their mannerisms. Later, we also enjoyed the a cappella group called Full Tilt as they offered renditions of popular favorites.



The next day, number 7, marked the midpoint of this wonderful cruise and was eagerly anticipated by all onboard because we would spend the entire day cruising Fiordland National Park on the southwestern tip of the South Island. Some of New Zealand’s most spectacular mountain and lake scenery is found in Fiordland. Over three million acres (an acre is roughly the size of a football field) in area, it is one of the largest national parks in the world, and the terrain is so precipitous and heavily forested that parts have never been explored. It has been judged the world's top travel destination by TripAdvisor. Today we would be leisurely cruising through Fiordland’s Doubtful, Dusky and Milford Sounds.



After breakfast, we listened to our genial and comedic naturalist talk about the sounds, how they were formed, and what to expect. Then we hurried back up to the Oceanview Café on deck 14, from where Bill would take it all in while snacking and drinking coffee. Since deck 14 had an open area as well, I planned to scurry back and forth between the Café and the open deck, where I could take unobstructed photographs and move around from one side of the ship to the other. Unfortunately, as we entered the first sound, Dusky Sound, the winds were blowing somewhere around 70 miles per hour and the decks were roped off. Some other determined (crazy?) photographers and I jumped over the rope and braved the elements anyway. But not for long! It was almost impossible to stand up, much less take photos, so I clicked a few while desperately trying to keep my balance before going back inside to the safety and warmth of the Café, from where the scenery was just as beautiful!



Isolated and secluded, Dusky Sound is the longest of the three sounds and is almost inaccessible. No roads reach it, and he ship had to navigate carefully among the finger-like islands and peninsulas guarding its entrance. The lush green vegetation and pristine water are home to a variety of wildlife, and we saw numerous New Zealand fur seals lounging on tiny islets throughout the sound. My concern about it not being a sunny day turned out to be unnecessary because the low-hanging clouds actually made the fiord look even more mysterious! The farther north we went, the taller the mountains and the steeper the drop-offs were. Every minute brought a different view.



It took us about an hour and a half to transit the sound, after which we grabbed lunch while the ship continued north about 25 miles to Doubtful Sound, the deepest of the three sounds at about 1,500 feet. Seemingly more peaceful and tranquil than Dusky, there were also higher mountains and more waterfalls than we had seen in Dusky Sound. Verdant rainforests, rugged peaks, and twisting, hidden inlets take one’s breath away. Again, it is virgin, untouched wilderness as no roads lead to the sound.



World-renowned Milford Sound offers a different experience. It was described by no less a writer than Rudyard Kipling as “the eighth wonder of the world,” and it is indeed magnificent. There is no other way of describing the primeval grandeur of this region sculptured by Nature. Thousands of years ago great glaciers gouged out the land from granite rock, forming a deep basin that later filled with sea water. From the water’s edge, towering, almost-vertical cliffs rise several thousands of feet with lush rainforests clinging precariously to their sides. Like a forbidding guardian, rocky Mitre Peak rises a mile high to dominate the sound.



Everywhere one looks are waterfalls, hundreds of them, some tumbling 1,500 feet or more into the sound in a flurry of spray, but the most unusual of all is the fact that this is one of the few places in the world where the waterfalls flow uphill! Yes, uphill! The winds are so strong that they push the water uphill. We saw dozens of waterfalls that seemed to just stop about halfway down to the sea! It was a battle of the forces of nature, between the force of gravity pulling the water down and the force of the wind pushing it back up!



At this point, we had retreated to our cabin’s balcony because we knew we would be able to see all 360 degrees of the stunning sound since Milford is a “true fiord,” that is, it has no exit. The ship has to turn around and sail back the way it came, so we were able to see both sides from the comfort of our balcony as we entered and exited the fiord. The sound lies directly in the path of Antarctic weather systems, providing a constantly changing climate. Indeed, we experienced nearly the entire meteorological spreadsheet: rain, sunshine, rainbows, sleet, thunder, lightning, hail, and snow (seen at the higher elevations). The winds were so strong that the rain was horizontal at times, as we watched from the protection of our covered balcony.



The next two days were at sea as we sailed toward Tasmania, crossing the Tasman Sea, commonly known by Kiwis and Australians as “The Ditch.” I had been nervous about this part of the cruise because the Tasman Sea is known to be among the roughest in the world, plus we were sailing westward, which was against the swells. I kept my supply of ginger gum handy and was pleasantly surprised that it really worked. Although the swells never reached the height of thirty feet that they sometimes do, it was still somewhat rocky, although not enough to keep us from the myriad of activities planned onboard.



I attended several art lectures, including Thirty Thousand Years of Art in Thirty Minutes, The Artistry of Thomas Kinkade, Old and Modern Masters of Art, and The Art of Collecting. I also attended a couple of exciting art auctions, where I didn’t purchase anything; however, a 5-inch by 5-inch Rembrandt etching sold for $10,000! There were also several entertaining and informative talks by Milos, the naturalist, including one titled The Night Sky, where I learned amazing information about the stars and planets, such as there are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on Earth; echoes of the Big Bang, which sounds like distant thunder, can still be heard today reverberating in space after almost 14 billion years; and as many as 2,000 stars can be seen by the naked eye on a clear dark night.



I found time for two fun scrapbooking workshops, and of course, there was the daily relaxation on our balcony, reading, eating canapés or ice cream, and drinking wine. For dinner I had escargot, Caesar salad, seafood with orzo, and chocolate marquise for dessert one night and frog legs, panzanella salad, shrimp scampi, and cherries jubilee the other night.



After the two days of traversing the Tasman Sea, we arrived at the wild island-state of Tasmania to discover its capital, Hobart, one of the world’s most picturesque harbor cities. Wonderful stone buildings, little colonial cottages, and vintage vessels surround the waterfront of a city rich in character and history. Tasmania, a British penal colony until 1901, when it joined Australia, is about the size of West Virginia and is an island located about 150 miles to the southeast of Australia. Most of the island is a relatively unspoiled natural environment, lying in reserves, national parks, and World Heritage sites.



We tore ourselves from the scenic waterfront to board the bus for our excursion. The first stop was the Royal Tasmanian Gardens, overlooking the mile-long Tasman Bridge. A celebration of all things botanical on the banks of the Derwent River, the gardens are well laid-out, charming, and serene, with grand old trees and a number of “special” areas such as the Japanese Gardens, lily pond, and vegetable patch.



After photographing the sweeping views of Hobart and the Derwent River from the Rosny Hill Lookout, we ascended 4,000-foot Mount Wellington. The thirteen-mile drive to the summit lookout took us from temperate rainforest to alpine flora and glacial rock, ending in unrivaled panoramic views of Hobart, the Derwent River, Storm Bay and even part of the vast World Heritage Tasmanian Wilderness Areas. The remainder of the tour took us through the renovated warehouse district, where we saw the buildings where the convicts and guards had been housed, and the elegant 19^th century mansions at Battery Point.



We spent another day at sea sailing to Sydney. It was our third formal evening, and the lobster dinner was delightful, as were the oysters Rockefeller, cold wild berry soup, and baked Alaska. The third elaborate production show was probably the best ever. Titled “Solstice, the Show,” the spectacular Cirque du Soleil-styled theatrical circus featured incredible acrobatics and beautiful movement. In addition to being singers and dancers, the entertainers had to be aerialists, too! It was one of the most incredible performances we had ever seen anywhere.



The sail into Sydney the next morning was magnificent and worth getting up for at 5:30 a.m. to witness gliding into Sydney harbor past the distinctive profile of Sydney Opera House and the proud arch of Sydney Harbour Bridge with early morning light of dawn illuminating them. It was absolutely breathtaking. The Opera House is the most photographed building in the southern hemisphere and is the scene most associated with Sydney around the world.



The ship docked at Circular Quay across from the iconic Opera House, so we had great views on all sides of the ship. After breakfast our excursion, titled Panoramic Sydney, covered the highlights of the city, beginning with The Rocks area around the harbor. This historic area, which is comprised of gentrified warehouses and docks that have been converted to shops, restaurants, and boutiques, made a fascinating contrast with the gleaming flotilla of yachts, motorboats, and mansions we saw during our drive through the Watson’s Bay area that followed.



The Rocks area is historic because it was the site of the first settlers to Australia in 1788—the convicts; it was the dumping ground for English prisoners. English penalties back then were harsh. Stealing a loaf of bread in England could bring seven years hard labor or death. In fact, one of Bill’s distant relatives (who shares his name) was convicted of stealing a pair of shoes in England and sentenced to ten years hard labor in Australia. The vessel that transported him and 315 other prisoners, the Rodney, took eight months to sail from England to Australia in 1820.



Among other sights were Russell Crowe’s $15 million home, the red-light district of King’s Cross, Chinatown, the stunning terrace homes in Paddington, the largest Coca Cola sign in the southern hemisphere, the Hyde Park barracks where the convicts had slept, the ultra-modern Darling Harbor Complex, the stately Queen Victoria building downtown, the 1,000-meter Sydney Tower, and one of the most famous surfing beaches in the world—Bondi Beach. During our one hour at Bondi, we each enjoyed a huge barramundi fish sandwich that was about six inches tall!



In the afternoon we walked to the far side of Circular Quay to board a ferry for a scenic twelve-minute trip to Taronga Zoo, which contains the largest group of native and exotic animals in the country. The zoo is immense, so we only had time to hit the highlights, which for us were the Australian animals. More than 80 per cent of Australia’s plants, mammals, reptiles, and frogs are unique to Australia and are found nowhere else.



The koalas were snoozing, of course, as they do about twenty hours a day. All of their waking hours and energy go into digesting eucalyptus leaves, which contrary to common belief, do not make them drunk. They just sleep a lot! The Tasmanian devils were also sleeping. They are found in the wild only in Tasmania and are its iconic symbol. The size of a small dog, they are an endangered species. The egg-laying, venomous, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed platypus is nocturnal, so its enclosure was dark, and it was wide awake and swimming around in its sizeable tank. My favorite exhibit was a walk-through habitat of kangaroos, wallabies, and emus that you can pet if you can get them to be still. We returned to the ferry dock via the sky safari cable car, which gave us beautiful views of the harbor and the elephant enclosure.



The ship was docked overnight, so we didn’t have to depart until the next morning. Our last dinner onboard was delicious as they had all been. I had Cabernet-braised lamb shank, while Bill enjoyed a mild fish called hake, which was cooked to perfection. We love seafood and have had, by our count, fourteen different types of fish and shellfish on this cruise!



I’ve already raved about the outstanding entertainment on the ship, but I need to talk more about the exquisite food! In the formal dining room, there were four standard favorites in each of the four courses on the menu every night, such as French onion soup, shrimp cocktail, escargot, salmon, steak, crème brulee, cheesecake, and double chocolate cake. In addition, there were choices of each course that varied each day, with six different entrees from which to choose each day. It was tough to decide sometimes, but they were all presented at the highest standard and quality, easily comparable to the most expensive hotels in the world. We usually had lunch at the Bistro buffet on the 14^th deck, which was set out with different stations to serve large numbers of meandering diners and keep the lines very short. We’ve not ever been on a ship with a buffet service that was better in terms of variety as well as high quality taste and presentation. Bill loves bread pudding, so he had it every day! We so enjoyed these two dining venues that we never even tried the other eight diverse specialty restaurants on board! The dining staff was delightful—Sugi from Indonesia and Goran from Macedonia—and their service was a score of ten out of a possible ten! Of course, our delightful dining companions, Marty, Korey, Jim, and Suzanne were also tens out of ten! We always eagerly looked forward to sharing our day with them, and of course, Korey and Marty were absolutely perfect cruising friends!



There were only two negatives that even deserve mentioning: Internet service is expensive and slow, and shore excursions are expensive. Other than those, I can’t imagine a better ship, certainly the best we’ve been on, in 27 cruises. As for the two countries we visited, well, New Zealand is definitely one of the most beautiful countries in the world, both in its varied geography and its friendly people. Author James Michener called it "the most beautiful place in the world." My accolades extend to Australia, which is also spectacular and diverse. However, Australia is so big that it is difficult to see and appreciate all of its splendor. What is my advice to tourists who want to delve deeply in the wonders of these two countries? Take two months to tour New Zealand, and take six months to explore Australia!

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