New Zealand Cruise

On the 27th October 2014 we will be boarding the " Sea Princess " in Brisbane for a 14 day voyage to  New Zealand. There will be a group of us totalling 40 and mostly from our local Motorhome Chapter so there will be plenty of company on board.

                     Day 29.    Dubai to Brisbane - Homeward bound!

Well no upset tummies after the dinner cruise - I was a bit worried as there was some funny food and the salads weren't stored on ice so I tried to stay with what I thought was okay. Even so I didn't eat brekky today just in case.We finished packing when we got home last night and it is just as well Emirates allows 30kgs on way back as we are definitely over the 23kg now.I really wonder how the baggage handlers manage such weights even tho' they must heave them with abandon by the looks of our cases.

We got a cab to airport  - and only $8 as opposed to $14on arrival??Eric had already done check in online so that was good.Even so, by the time we had walked to our gate - good 20 mins or so, there wasn't a lot of time to spare.I had a look in duty free and decided to buy a couple of Nivea products and then wished I hadn't with the bother of having to take it elsewhere to be packed and sealed etc. Anyway we did the walk down escalators etc (after going through scanners yet again!!!!) and then on buses about another 10-15mins out to plane and boarding. We had missed our slot so had to wait another 30mins for takeoff.Finally on our way!

Although we felt okay on the flight, it is not for everyone as you just feel like cattle being herded and then virtually penned in a small space.There should have to be more seat room and leg room on long haul flts. Strangely neither of us slept at all so it felt very LONG I can tell you. However , apart from a few rough patches, it was uneventful.I sat near a nice lady from Rochedale who does cake decoration.I should have asked her name in case we ever need that service.

The plane touched down at 6.10am, 30 mins early. We thought we'd be smart and make a beeline out as we were just behind First Class ( note not actually IN first class)  and get to Immigration early and that was good but then we were also first to baggage collection and that didn't work out as our bags took some time to appear and one bag had been taken off by someone else and I had to rescue it. Jim and Bev were nearby to meet us and then it was home sweet home, a cuppa and to bed for a few hours. I had another nap pm after doing a few loads of washing etc. Basil and Lorraine called about 4.30. I did another couple of loads of washing and to bed about 9.30 after a few phone calls to catch up.

So that's the end of the Bonwick Travels.

                         Day 28.   Dubai

After a great night's sleep we were ready to face another day in this amazing city. We had a buffet brekky here and then caught the first Red Bus and got off to do the Dhow Cruise for 1 hour.We found the commentary very helpful in explaining the buildings and shipping from the river perspective.I really don't know why they call it a creek.Before oil and tourism took off here it was known for pearling, diving and fishing.Words really can't describe what this city is like with it's courts still practicing Sharia Law and then all the opulence of everything modern.  Our next stop was the Old Souk where we wandered through marveling at the array of splendid fabrics on display.It would be lovely to choose one of these and have a gown made but then where would I wear it?This is the first place where we have been hassled by shop keepers trying to get us to buy. One chap even took Eric,s cap off and did him up in an Arab headdress - as if he would buy that! Then it was off in a cab to the Burjuman shopping mall for lunch and a look around in absolute awe at the shops in there. it sure makes you wonder if they ever sell anything - they are all suited up with nothing to do but dust and look the part. The jewels in the window display are really something but they don't show any prices - I wonder why.Tonight we are booked on a Dhow River Dinner Cruise so that will give us another chance to view the city at might. We have got our boarding passes for tomorrows flight so only have to be at the airport 1.5 hours before flight ( 10.25 am monday ).So all going well , will arrive in Brisbane on Tuesday at 6.40am. Looking forward to catching up with everyone after we get home. It's been a great trip.!!! Hope you have enjoyed the ride with us.

                             Day 26 - Venice to Dubai

Well here we are at Venice airport all checked in and waiting.They say it is quite a small airport but it doesn't look small and you can't check in too early tho' check in opened 3 hours before so that was good for us as our transfer brought us here at that time.Some people have to wait till a midnight flight so a lot of sitting around for them tho' they only have a 2 hour Flt to Gatwick.We had a rest at ship tho' couldn't sleep as all the new arrivals were wandering in and out exploring the ship's ins and outs.There appeared to be more children coming on - maybe because of school holidays.We were a little sad to leave our " home" of the past 2weeks.We met a few people who were staying on the ship and going back to Rome as it stops at a few different ports on the way.Both lots were from Perth and said they got a terrific deal for the return.I wondered why and the lady said she thought these deals are sometimes offered to selected travel agents so you have to be lucky.This particular lady belonged to the Elite Captains Circle with the status of having done more than 16 cruises with Princess Line! 

All aboard on time and there is just a good amount of leg room and we have 2 seats on the window so all looked good.Staff were very efficient and we had a drink and the a lovely meal(?) and dozed off?However about an hour later Eric went to loo and while he was away I started to feel ill and then he came back a lather of sweat and said he was I'll and nearly passed out in the loo. So there we were both holding fiercely to our sick bags and feeling decidedly "off". It was ever so strange to both feel like this at the same time and not be of any help to each other apart from being very sympathetic.We called the flight attendant and enquirer if anyone else was ill as we were blaming the Lamb Medallions we both. Chose for our meal but she assured us no one else was I'll. However, by the time we were descending we were feeling on the improve and, just as well, as when we got to Immigration we had to stand in a queue for 1hour and 10mins.Oh, the frustration! We were not amused.Chap behind us said it was not unusual.It appeared some of the staff just seemed to wander around in their white robes looking important and re arranging their veils or whatever - and these were all males!

However we chose a Lady Taxi to the hotel and , could she motor along.Eric said she was doing 120 at times. Anyway she brought us to the correct hotel and , fortunately for us, our room was ready so we immediately went to bed about 8am and had a couple of hours sleep.Then it was showers and off to catch one of the Hop on and Hop Off tourist buses to see the city ($70) for 24hour pass. For a small extra fee you can get a 48hour one)Firstly we did the Red Route which encompassed more of the older part and then we did the Blue Route which took in the modern Dubai.The first route was very interesting but the second route was really mind blowing in its development in such a short period of time. Some of the structures and projects seem impossible but they have made it happen.The most incredible was the new Atlantis which is part of the Palm Project still being developed.It really is so massive and so over the top and that is just from the outside.One couldn't even begin to describe it. Maybe try Google. Dubai uses something like 250million gallons of water per day with 97 % desalinated.There are some lovely parks but it seems you have to pay a small fee to use them.We did see a lovely beach at Jumeirah from where you can view the tall sail like structure of the Burj Al Arab. By the time we eventually finished these tours (about 5hours,)we were really tired ,though, as the city lights were coming on it was also very pretty and different. However the traffic also increased and it was very slow.Wandered back to hotel and had a simple meal and straight to slumber no trouble at all.A really enlightening day.I didn't mention the heat but it is pretty intense but luckily the bus is air con and provides free water. Oil was only discovered here in 1966 and all this work has been done since then.

                             Day 25 - Venice (cont)

We had a really lovely day in the city today and were so glad we had not joined a tour excursion especially when we saw the humongous crowds queuing for the Doges Palace and the Basilica which we had seen on a visit in 1990. We just wandered up and down the narrow alleyways and over the canals etc just taking our time. Eric thought we might have a gondola ride even though he didn't like the smells in the canals last time, but at €80($100) we gave it a miss.We found a little cafe with free wifi and had a leisurely coffee (make that 2) and a fresh croissant while we read our emails etc.We apologise that we have not been able to send many emails as it is too difficult to negotiate. We are able to send texts on the phone but for some reason can't make calls.At present we are planning to take the water shuttle (25minutes)to StMarks Sq. again tomorrow and have another wander if the weather is good again.

Another top meal tonight with our elderly Scottish ladies.They go off each day and do their own thing and stay up later and see more than we do.Tonight's show we are having a 17 piece Venetian Chamber Orchestra perform a selection From the Old Continent to the New World - sounds interesting. After the show tonight we have to have our suitcases outside our stateroom by 11.00pm and just keep the essentials for tomorrow.

Well what a night!There is a motor for the jacuzzi behind our bed head and for the past few days the on and off noises have been very offputting to say the least?It got really bad last night so we phoned through about 10pm and they sent 2 separate guys up and said the motor is broken but they would try to get the engineer to shut it off but 3hours late still the same so rang through and said they hadn't isolated the problem( we could have told them that) and said no rooms spare though they would try to find another room but that was the lat we heard from them - hence just dozing rest of night and very tired today.We also asked if we could get a room for a couple of hours this Argo but no, so then asked if we could use private Sanctuary area and grudgingly said we could use that privately so, as we will be at airport and flying to Dubai arriving at 5am, we are looking forward to some rest.

                                             Day 23 - Corfu

We berthed at 7.15 and enjoyed brekky up on Deck 15 overlooking the port of Corfu.Once again we have chosen not to do an organized excursion and will do our own thing.We took the local bus to town (€1.50) and just wandered around the labyrinth of very narrow streets.Again it was a real wonder to see cars and motorbikes scurryingthrough amongst the pedestrians.No one seems to worry about who has right of way  etc. as it just all seems to work out.We visited the church of St.Spyridon (his silver coffin is displayed there) and enjoyed a drink at a little cafe while Eric used the free wifi.The proprietors are not at all pushy and very friendly.There are a lot of illegal(?) Africans walking around offering watches for sale and the locals don't seem to mind them wandering in and out of their customers.

It was a surprise to look out today and see greenery again after the barren landscape in Santorini and Mykonos.The old port area is dominated by a huge old fortress and has been governed by different nations.The villa of Mon Repos was built near the ancient necropolis and this is where Prince Phillip was born in 1921.

The swimming pools are very busy in the lovely sunny weather but really I don't know how they can lie out there baking. We haven't bothered to venture into the pools - we have been too busy. Lay around the pool after lunch today.

Tonight we have been invited to the Captain's Cocktail Party (as we are second time cruisers) and then will go to dinner and the theatre show again. The theme is Shake, Rattle and Roll so it sounds good.There are also formal portraits too so we may front up as we didn't previously.The cocktail party was short and sweet with a good selection of drinks to choose from and a little speech from the captain ( he is awfully short of stature so I hope he can see out of the wheel house ) .There were some passengers who had cruised for a total of 930days on Princess ships (all up). Fancy spending that amount of time on  a ship doing nothing but eating and sleeping. At that level (after 16 trips) you get all sorts of privileges like the most popular one of FREE LAUNDRY SERVICE.Apparently that is more popular than the free minibar!

                    Day 24    Split,   Croatia - 

The weather today is much cooler and as we are doing a tour of 4.5 hours we will probably put a jacket in. This will be the first time on this cruise that a jacket will be required. We have been very fortunate with the weather.We enjoyed the show last night with plenty of tunes from our era.Again the costumes were really something and the incredible speed for changes has me bewildered - I really don't know how they don't get something mixed up like black knickers instead of white or black shoes instead of white. It is all just lightning fast.

The population of Croatia is 4.5 million and Split is the second largest city with a population of 450,000 ( I think ). There are some 1,400 islands .The ships tenders ferried us into the city where we joined a tour of 4 - 5 hours.A coach took us 30 mins. to Trogir,a town which sits on a small island of Ciovo. Here is St.Lawrence Cathedral, Trogir's grandest building with an impressive bell tower and an example of Romanesque-Gothic architecture. The local tour guide was a bit of a character and told us a joke which went like this : -

" Tourists often ask me what Croatia produces. I answer by saying ,Idiots - some of them are in Parliament and the rest of them we export ."

I know some of the residents at Sapphire Gardens will go along with this comment.

We then came back to Split and did a tour through Diocletian's Palace built in 280AD - a long time ago but much of it still standing. There were many shops and very narrow streets here.We left the tour a little early and got the tender back to our ship, as we were all "historied out" you might say and finding it all very confusing.Also the guides were not fitted with a microphone so this made listening quite difficult with such a large group.I am really in awe of how knowledgeable all our guides have been.

Once again a beautiful dinner in our Botticelli Dining Room and then to the theatre to watch a magic show which was quite good .We also listened to some Gershwin music in one of the lounges too. Oh, and decided to buy a photo from our formal night as a memento of the trip. There are so many photos taken that we haven't been too bothered to follow them up. 

                                          Day 25 - Venice

Well the guides all rave on about Venice being the ultimate destination so we were up on deck by 7am to watch our progress through the islands of Venice, past St.Marks Square and Doges Palace and to our berth. You could not have wished for a more perfect morning, all clear and bright after a bumpy night (apparently) between 2 and 3am.Fancy me not feeling it at all - probably thought it was a dream or something.Eric said he got up and felt he was on a downhill slope to the bathroom. They had rain here yesterday so we look to be very lucky today.  We don't have a tour booked so will just get the water shuttle to the city centre and walk around for a bit and have a coffee or ice cream or something amongst the pigeons etc.

Eric will have to see if he can reclaim his knife (the pink one you bought Bev) as it was confiscated coming back from one of our excursions when he had taken it with him to peel an apple.Our cases have to be packed and outside the door tonight even though we are the last group to leave the ship at 6pm tomorrow night. We are free to go into Venice again or just laze around on the ship but have to be out of our stateroom by 8am so it will be a very long day and night tomorrow as our flight is at 8.45pm and then a 5 hour trip to Dubai.

                                       Day. 22.  Katakolon

Today we have decided not to do an organized excursion and will just walk off the ship and on to the pier where I believe we will see cafes and restaurants and souvenir shops (well what else do we expect !) The excursions go to Olympia, the home of the very first Olympics but we feel we have done and heard enough of same and are looking forward to a rest day today as we both have colds etc and are starting on our antibiotics to try and ward it off before it really takes hold.

Our day has been spent wandering around the shops looking at the clothes and souvenirs etc.Luckily we were able to find a suitable suitcase to replace ours (cost €135)which was very convenient as the shops were just at the end of the pier.The weather has been more than perfect with no wind at all and calm seas. It was really special to sit along the beachfront cafe and have a long cool drink and watch the throng as there were a couple of ships in so that could have been 6,000 or so visitors for a pop of some 600 residents.

I thought it would be a good idea to watch our departure from Deck15 but for some reason it made me woosey so then I had to lie down and missed the lovely dinner in the restaurant. Eric had to go on his own and keep our two Scottish ladies company ( and they really are ladies - very proper).Went to the Theatre tonight ( 9.15pm ) and it was another spectacular show with 17 singers and dancers in a full-on show. There were many change of costumes and it all happens so quickly and the stage props and lighting were tremendous. After that we had an early night at 10.30pm???By the way our waiters in the restaurant are Nuno ( Portugal) and Slobadan ( Serbia ) and both are excellent and do everything the way it should be done - very correct and in a very pleasant manner. It is lovely to see the waiters interacting with each other in a happy and jovial  way conveying that they really do enjoy their work.