Tuesday Dec 10 - Auckland
Ah embarkation day - we packed and headed over to our ship, the Celebrity Solstice around 11:30am - the ship was docked right on the Hilton wharf about a 3 minute walk for us - pretty easy even with all our luggage. We dropped our bags and proceeded to NZ exit-immigration, security and check-in. Considering that they need to board 3000 passengers it all went very smoothly - only a few minutes. They was a bit of kafuffle at check-in when they could not find our sea-passes (pre-prepared card keys which give you access to the ship, your room and other options like the drinks package we had pre-purchased) but all was resolved quickly.
We proceeded on board and checked out the ship which needless to say is monstrous - our suite (9299) was at the stern port corner with a wraparound balcony with sliding glass doors as well as another very large round porthole window. It seemed larger than the ones on Seabourn.
We had a bit of a disaster with our luggage - after getting into our cabin around 2:00pm (it was in fact ready even earlier but we were having a bite to eat) our large red-roller arrived quickly but our 2 tote bags were MIA - after many calls to our butler we finally found out at 6:30pm that these bags were being held in "confiscated" luggage as one contained my travelling kitchen knives (for use in holiday apartments) and the other a Swiss army knife. We need to surrender these for safe keeping which in hindsight makes sense but in all the copious documentation Celebrity gives you this is never mentioned. Ah dear - a poor start - mainly because these bags were obviously just sitting there for 5+ hours but we were not informed.
Another disaster struck - my nifty 2degrees mobile data fob also did not work - claimed I was out of data even though I had loaded (or at least thought I did) an additional 3GB. I had to get off the ship and find a pay phone to call 2degrees to get it sorted out - which they said they did but it would take a few hours (or up to 24 hours) for it to register.
So after a quick shower we hit the deck to enjoy the 8:00pm sail-away from Auckland harbour as the sun set. Then it was off to dinner in the MDR (aka Main Dining Room) - we had select seating which meant we could eat at any time we liked but it was still best to have a reservation.
Our first dinner in the MDR was fine - Dieter had prime rib and I had spinach ravioli - all OK.
Wednesday Dec 11 - Bay of Islands
The ship arrived in the Bay of Islands at around 7:00am and anchored off Pahia which meant a tender situation. It was a mostly sunny day high around 20℃ but it felt even warmer. After breakfast at Blu (the restaurant reserved for Aqua guests but open to suites on an as available basis) we took the tender to shore. From here we took the ferry to Russell where we had never been even though we stayed for 5 nights in the area a few of years ago. Russell is a very scenic town with many water-front old homes which have been lovingly restored. We did a bit of a hike up the local hill for a scenic outlook then headed back to Pahia and the ship arriving around 2:00pm for a late lunch. We had lunch at the Mast Grill - basically a burger / hotdog bbq pool side venue - it was fine. I booked a spur of the moment pedicure then later we had sundowners watching the islands of the Bay of Island float past as the ship set sail for it's overnight trip to Turanga. We had a really excellent diner at the Tuscan Grill.
Side note - my 2degrees mobile data fob could not get any 2degrees coverage even though Videophone did - good grief I was thinking this nifty gadget was a a bit of a lemon - so it was another day off the air.
Thursday Dec 12 - Tauranga
We steamed into Tauragna and docked at 10:00am - it was an amazing sunny and warm day - high in the low 20's but it seemed warmer. Tauragna is a town of some 140,000 people and one of the largest ports in NZ - we docked pier-side along with many freighters. The entrance to the port is very tricky - at times it looked like we were only meters from the beach. The town is in a beautiful setting with the port on one side and the ocean beach just a couple 100 meters on the other side.
Disembarkation was easy as we were along side the pier and easy walking distance to the local area (the actual town center is a few k's away but there was a bus or even a small ferry across the harbour). We choose to hike up the nearby hill (250m) - a very steep climb but well worth it with great views - then we did the around the hill walk - 3.4 k's and very scenic - water on all sides.
We went back to the ship for a late lunch and decided we had done enough for the day (we had planned to return to the town center). I had a manicure at 5pm then we hit the sundown bar for sundowners followed by dinner in Blu.
Back to the 2degrees data fob - it was still not working due to no data even though there was coverage - I again found a pay phone and called 2degrees who put their best people on the issue and abracadabra on returning to the ship all was good - I had my 3GB back and was able to catch up on important world issues like my e-mail backlog and Flyer Talk blog site.
Friday Dec 13 - at sea
A day at sea as we steamed towards Wellington - not much to report except we had dinner at Murano's - the top restaurant on the ship with a cover charge of $45 pp - we had a speciality dinner package as well as 2 nights free in speciality restaurants which come with a suite so we did not pay the full amount. The dinner service was a bit over the top for our taste - very old fashioned - with table-side preparation of some dishes. The food was good but a bit rich - I had the lobster which was great but the cream based sauce was too rich, Dieter had venison which was very good but not excellent.
As expected there was no (data) phone coverage while at sea.
Saturday Dec 14 - Wellington
We docked at 8:00am and thought we had arrived in the wrong city - it was sunny and calm with a high of 18℃. After coffee in the cafe we went to the MDR for breakfast - first and last time - crowded, slow service and luke warm food.
We had a nice day in Wello - hiking up Mt Victoria where we met and chatted with a Canadian couple, Ken & Heather from Kelowna BC who were on a world trip and will be spending 7 months in OZ - I gave them our contact details and they may look us up.
After that we had a pub lunch at the harbour front (Brewhouse), walked around the city some more checking out some of Dieter's old haunts then back to ship for late afternoon drinks, showers and dinner in Blu.
Being in Wello I could get online again with my 2degrees mobile data fob - hurrah!
Sunday Dec 15 - Akaroa
We anchored in Akaroa to a fine and sunny day with a predicted high of 24℃ which it never seemed to reach. Akaroa is the port of Christchurch about a 90 minute drive away - naturally many people took tours to Christchurch - we did not having just been there on our arrival in NZ. Akaroa is a lovely sea-side town in it's own right. We went ashore and checked things out opting for a 2-hour scenic cruise to see Hector dolphins, seals and even one penguin. We headed back to the boat for a late lunch and nearly froze on the tender as a very stiff breeze had come up. We had dinner in Silk Harvest - the Asian fusion speciality restaurant which was pretty good particularly considering this sort of cuisine is not really Dieter's bag.
2degrees data was working well.
Monday Dec 16 - Dunedin / Port Chalmers
We docked in Port Chalmers, the port for Dunedin some 12k's away. It was quite cloudy and around 18℃ high - by late afternoon the odd bit of drizzle gave way to heavy showers - it did not arguer well for the following day cruising the sounds.
Since we had been in Dunedin with E&H about 15 months prior (and done all the interesting tours - Albatross, seals, penguins etc) we elected to just hang around the small town of Port Chalmers where we did 2 really nice hikes (mini-hikes). We had an excellent dinner in Tuscan Grill - the amazing veal chop for me and a steak for Dieter.
2degrees data was working well.
Tuesday Dec 17 - The Sounds
Wonderful - it turned out to be a clear but crisp (felt like low teens) and a bit windy day - perfect for cruising the Sounds. First up was Dusky Sound from around 9-10:30am followed by Doubtful Sound from noon-1:30pm then finally Milford Sound from 4-5:30Pm. At around 1:15pm we went for a special lunch at Blu where each course included one selection from each of the 3 speciality restaurants - the Maitre'd had invited (/booked) us a few days earlier but no one ever told us there was a $30 pp cover charge so we were a bit taken aback when presented with a $60 bill - will be included this on any feedback we eventually provide.
At the very end of Milford Sound - only a couple 100 m from the very end we picked up some 80 passengers who had been on an overnight excursion to Queenstown - they were brought out by boat. Then in what seemed very narrow confined space the Solstice literally turned around on a dime - in the Dusky and Doubtful it was more of a sail through.
Even though we were still full from out blowout lunch we went back to Blu for a light dinner - all a bit too much for one day. As the clocks went back one hour that evening as we steamed across the Tasman we were happy to get an extra hour's sleep.
No data coverage in the sounds - so will be off the air until Hobart - with 1.5GB left on my fob.
Wednesday Dec 18 - Sea Day
It was going to take 2 sea days to cross the Tasman for our next port, Hobart. We weren't really looking forward to this as there really is not all that much to occupy ourselves with - well not anything that really interests us. I got up around 8am (new time) to have a very light brekkie on my own - Dieter stayed in bed not feeling well - a sore throat and general queasiness. I also felt quite below par . We spent a very quite day but still had dinner in Murano as were unable to change our booking.
Thursday Dec 19 - Sea Day
Another sea day with not much to do - we attended a couple of presentations - a cooking thing where 2 of the chefs, each with a volunteer from the audience to assist, had a cook off then a presentation from the chief engineer on the ship's propulsion. We had an early dinner in Blu and off to bed early.
We also cleared Australian immigration on board today with officers who had joined the ship in Dunedin.
Friday Dec 20 - Hobart
We docked in Hobart at 8am to a pretty dismal day - 14℃, very overcast and drizzle - apparently it had been in the 30's the day before. After breakfast we walked around town and got Dieter some cold medication. I suggested / recommended we jump ship and fly home but he was not interested for unspecified reasons. We were back on the ship for a late lunch and a restful afternoon. We had dinner in Silk after watching the sail-away from the Sky Lounge then watched half of the gala show before heading to bed.
Now that we were back on Australian soil my iPhone was in range of Optus so I was able to hot-spot it and get my MacBook onto the internet - somehow connecting via WiFi proved unreliable (MacBook internet access kept stalling) - it worked better using a good old USB cable. Seems we again missed nothing of importance by being off the air for a few days - mainly Flyer Talk chatter.
Saturday Dec 21 - Sea Day
Got up to another boring sea day as we continued steaming to Sydney - it was warmer but very overcast with some rain showers. Dieter was still very much under the weather so I had brekkie on my own then off to our favourite spot - Cafe Al Bacio for a long black and a few mini-pastries. As we are out at sea there was no Optus coverage - withdrawal again.
Dieter eventually joined me for coffee but no brekkie.
We spent a lazy day, as sea days tend to be, attended a lecture and some entertainment and finished off with another excellent dinner at The Tuscan grill.
Sunday Dec 22 - Home Sweet Home
The ship docked to a beautiful Sydney day at 5:00am - we were off the ship and back at home by 8:30am. We celebrated our homecoming with croissants from the bakery in the Rocks - ever so delicious particularly when you haven't had them in years.