Jump to content

Voyager NYE Fiji & NZ… Live Blog


Recommended Posts

Warning to anyone planning to cruise RCI from Sydney- once you board the ship, you are not allowed to leave!!!!

We have cruised 4 times with RCI before, in Europe, & there was no problem leaving the ship once we had checked in & boarded.

Yesterday was the 1st day of our NYE cruise from Sydney. We had been offered a 4pm checkout at our nearby hotel, so we planned to leave our cabin luggage (containing our medications, makeup etc) in the hotel room, check in to Voyager, settle our 3 teenagers on the ship, eat lunch there, then do some post Christmas sale shopping in the city before returning to hotel to pack shopping into cabin luggage & reboard. The 5 of us walked to the wharf, checked our lager suitcases in, then went through the boarding process, which all went very smoothly. The problem arose when my husband & I tried to leave the ship. We were told we weren't allowed to leave!

It took a very stressful hour or so to be able to convince staff to let us leave, so that we could collect the cabin luggage. We had our passports & sea pass cards. A staff member took our sea pass cards & said to find her when we returned to the ship. By the time we managed to get off the ship, I felt so stressed & exhausted that I just went back to the hotel room to rest, while my husband went shopping. When we got back to the ship, our sea pass cards had gone missing, & it was again a long process getting them re-issued.

We were told that the rule of no disembarking in Sydney has only been enforced for the past week.

So please don't make the same mistake we did! :eek:

 

On the plus side, Sydney harbour looked spectacular in the sunlight from the ship. Our balcony looked straight out at the Opera House.

It is lovely to be one of the first groups of passengers to travel on Voyager since the refurbishment. New, clean carpets & curtains. New furniture.

Our room attendant, Diogo seems very friendly & helpful. :D

 

Our next stress came in the main dining room. Our family of 5 has 2 cabins, & when we booked 6 or 7 months ago, linked our bookings, & linked our bookings with 5 other extended family members. Each of us spoke with our travel agents, requesting we be seated together in the main dining room, as we did on a fantastic Baltic cruise 3 years ago. Come dinner time, we realised that 8 of the 10 of us were seated at a table of 8, & 2 of us (myself & my daughter) at an adjacent table of 6. We were told that all of the tables for ten were taken. Our tables can't be pushed together (attached to the floor). This is soooo disappointing! The head waiter said he will see what he can do. He might be able to put us together tonight. I hope so! I feel it is unacceptable that our family of 5, after booking so long ago, was separated, & find it amazing that all of the tables of 10 had been taken before we booked in June.

 

Anyway, I feel better after debriefing, & will hopefully have a less stressful day on board today, & will settle into a holiday mood. I'd better shower now before going off to the Meet & Mingle :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The stress of day 1 is starting to feel like a distant memory.

We have woken to a warm, calm, sunny morning on the Pacific Ocean.

Yesterday was a lovely day.

Gym in morning, then Meet & Mingle, & met family for lunch in Windjammer (couldn't get a table there so ate by the pool). Continued chatting with them at the Promenade Cafe. Back to room to read for a while.

Was called by the restaurant manager. They had an oval table for 8 that they could add 2 more chairs to, so the 10 of us dined together last night & will for the rest of the cruise.

The show was a pleasant vocal group. We really enjoyed the Finish that Lyric show.

Today promises to be a fun & memorable New Years Eve.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you so much for starting this thread. Please keep sharing your experiences and thoughts with us all. I am booked on Voyager with my family in April 2015 from Singapore to Japan and cannot wait.

 

Glad to see they did their best to accommodate your entire group in the MDR.

 

Add any comments you can whilst you are cruising. Don't forget, your cruise comes first, adding comments here comes later. Not sure how you can go with Pictures, but maybe once you get back home, any pictures of the Voyager will be much appreciated.

 

Enjoy the rest of the cruise and keep up the positive mind set, it makes a difference on how much you enjoy the cruise in the end. Yes, things go wrong, let people know what you want, hopefully they get fixed and move on. No use worrying about what cannot be changed - cruises are for relaxing and enjoying family time.

 

Looking forward to your future posts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Happy New Year everyone!

Here I sit on my balcony looking out at a beautiful view of Fijian islands as we sail towards Lautoka, our 1st port of call after 3 days sailing from Sydney. Clear, sunny skies, calm water. Our family has booked a tour of giant zip lines & trekking through jungle to swim by waterfalls today, & it looks like absolutely perfect weather conditions. Must remember to apply sunscreen!

New year's eve was fantastic. I can see why so many people do repeat NYE cruises. Lobster & champagne, live music, dancing…

We have been really enjoying the entertainment. Ice show was excellent, highly recommend. The quizzes & game shows & theatre shows, & bands...

The welcome back event was yesterday in the ice theatre, & even the captain put on skates & performed!

I have taken some photos of the ship, & will post as soon as I work out how to do it. Can anyone help me?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, they did the balloon drop in the promenade on NYE, then dancing with a band on deck 11.

RCI made an effort to make it a fun time for everyone, & it seemed to go really well.

We have just had 2 fantastic days in Fiji- zip lining then swimming in a waterfall yesterday, & snorkelling at Bird Island & surrounding reefs today.

Feeling weary but happy

2 more sea days ahead until we arrive in Auckland.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interested to see pics of Voyager to compare what has changed.

 

2 ways of adding pics:

 

You can insert images into your post by clicking the little image icon that is in the tools above the area you type in when posting, it's yellow.

 

Or you can upload pics to a photo sharing site & insert the links.

 

Back to Voyager, I would be interested to know what has changed regards the movies. All the hype was that they were adding a 3D cinema, turns out they said when I asked on their FB page that it was actually in the theatre, but they have had 3d movies in the theatre for years - what's new? If you can find out that would be nice to know.

 

Hope you have a great cruise. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't been on Voyager before, so can't really comment on the changes apart from they have added a flow rider ( my teenagers love it), cupcake shop & Izumis, & huge TV screen near pool, & have new carpets, curtains, upholstery etc. I haven't been to a movie yet, but the cruise compass has the occasional 3D movie in the theatre.

I am trying to upload photos but the internet speed is pretty slow

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interested to see pics of Voyager to compare what has changed.

 

2 ways of adding pics:

 

You can insert images into your post by clicking the little image icon that is in the tools above the area you type in when posting, it's yellow.

 

Or you can upload pics to a photo sharing site & insert the links.

 

Back to Voyager, I would be interested to know what has changed regards the movies. All the hype was that they were adding a 3D cinema, turns out they said when I asked on their FB page that it was actually in the theatre, but they have had 3d movies in the theatre for years - what's new? If you can find out that would be nice to know.

 

Hope you have a great cruise. :)

 

Hi Avalon007,

I am having troubles uploading photos. Is it possible to take files directly of computer or does it need to be done from a URL? I don't a have a photo sharing site or anything similar.

 

Many thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Avalon007,

I am having troubles uploading photos. Is it possible to take files directly of computer or does it need to be done from a URL? I don't a have a photo sharing site or anything similar.

 

Many thanks.

 

They are probably too large in size to attach directly. You probably need a photo sharing site like photobucket or snapfish, or what you have there. :)well, that worked!

Edited by Coralc
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't been on Voyager before, so can't really comment on the changes apart from they have added a flow rider ( my teenagers love it), cupcake shop & Izumis, & huge TV screen near pool, & have new carpets, curtains, upholstery etc. I haven't been to a movie yet, but the cruise compass has the occasional 3D movie in the theatre.

I am trying to upload photos but the internet speed is pretty slow

 

 

OK, hard for you tell what has changed then.

 

Cupcake shop isn't new it was always there, but flowrider & outdoor movie screen is new.

 

Speciality restaurants have been added, but they are not really a big deal for me as they are the same as those that have been on Radiance etc for ages now.

 

But good to have new furnishings, that is always nice & I think from what I've already seen & heard several bars/lounges have been made over which was much needed.

 

Do they have the aerial shows in the Centrum area on Voyager now do you know?

 

Regards the movies, sounds much the same as before.

 

:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, if it is at all possible, can you please find out whether Chad, John & his wife Charlie (casino host) are still in the casino? I want to bring photos for them from our last cruise. Have you also seen Seno from the casino and our favourite barman Eco? Thanks, hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise. :D

 

Thanks, Mick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, if it is at all possible, can you please find out whether Chad, John & his wife Charlie (casino host) are still in the casino? I want to bring photos for them from our last cruise. Have you also seen Seno from the casino and our favourite barman Eco? Thanks, hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise. :D

 

Thanks, Mick

 

I'll see what I can find out.

Something fantastic about sailing out from Australia is that there is no smoking in the casino. In other ships I couldn't stand walking through the casino. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We're sailing from Fiji to NZ.

The seas have been rough, the ship's rocking and a lot of people are feeling sea-sick.

Our strategy has been to find things to distract us from sea-sickness.

We made the most of the ship's entertainment yesterday.

We took a Cha-cha class in the morning (which had an added degree of difficulty with the rocking). Lunched in MDR - buffet salad was lovely. Then came 2nd in the Afternoon Trivia. Yay!

The belly-flop competition was cancelled due to conditions- water splashing out of pool- I hope they run it later in the cruise.

Everyone donned their Hawaiian shirts for casual tropical evening.

Went to see the RC Singers & Dancers perform, then to the Star Lounge for "If you know it, dance it", & live music by Kinetic. It was scheduled to be a Dancing under the stars at the pool deck but was bought inside due to weather. I bought my 1st cocktail of the cruise, in a flashing glass, & had a great time dancing for hours. The dance floor was full.

We really love Darryl, the Activities Director & have decided to try to get to anything he's hosting as its sure to be fun. Elliot is great too- we remember him from Indy.

:)

Edited by Beyond The Sea 03
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll see what I can find out.

Something fantastic about sailing out from Australia is that there is no smoking in the casino. In other ships I couldn't stand walking through the casino. :)

 

Hi Mick,

 

I'm sorry to report that I went & asked a few staff at the casino your list of names, & no-one knew them. The entire casino staff have changed. I'm not sure whether you are able to find out where they might be now

:(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, if it is at all possible, can you please find out whether Chad, John & his wife Charlie (casino host) are still in the casino? I want to bring photos for them from our last cruise. Have you also seen Seno from the casino and our favourite barman Eco? Thanks, hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise. :D

 

Thanks, Mick

 

Hi Mick,

 

I'm sorry to report that I went & asked a few staff at the casino your list of names, & no-one knew them. The entire casino staff have changed. I'm not sure whether you are able to find out where they might be now

 

:(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow! Its already day 11! Only 4 more nights left of our 2 week cruise.

We have been having a fantastic time.

We really enjoyed Auckland. The weather there & yesterday at Tauranga was beautiful- blue skies, about 24C each day.

The ship in Auckland docks very close to the city. We went to the helipad. It feels like you are in the centre of Auckland from there, & a great photo opportunity.

It was a quick walk from the ship to the ferry terminal in Auckland, where we caught a ferry to Devonport (ferry took about 10-15mins). We had arranged to do a 1 & 1/2 hour segway tour there. Our 1st time segwaying, & it was so much fun! Devonport is so picturesque. Lovely, quaint old homes with pretty gardens, parks, great views back towards the Auckland city centre.

We had lunch in a cafe there, then took ferry back to Auckland. We went shopping in Queen St, which was opposite the ferry terminal. Bought some NZ souvenirs, & got some good post-Christmas sales clothing buys.

When we returned to the ship, we realised that people over 18 needed photo ID, as well as their sea-pass cards, to re-board. Apparently this was mentioned in the Cruise Compass, but we hadn't noticed it. My husband had his license in his wallet, but as I had left my purse in the cabin safe, I was without ID, & was asked to wait in another queue. There were a LOT of other people in my queue in the same boat as me. Once at the front of the queue, a customs person asked my name & cabin number. this matched their list, a pink sticker was put on my sea pass card, & I could go back in the other queue. We have never encountered this before. I realise it was NZ customs, & not RCI who decided to do this, but it would have been good to have had more notice; maybe a sign as you leave the ship, or even someone reminding people as they leave the ship. So yesterday we were all sure to take photo ID with us, & of course, weren't asked for it when we re-boarded :)

We had a private tour booked in Tauranga. We were collected at the ship, driven to a beautiful beach, a kiwi-fruit farm, & passed beautiful scenery on the way to Rotorua. There we were shown traditional Maori housing, a wood carving workshop, & saw a Maori cultural performance which was excellent. We walked around a geothermal park, & saw bubbling hot mud, boiling hot springs, & geysers shooting into the sky. We took a different route back to the ship & stopped at a beautiful lake.

Some friends spent the day swimming in the beach (quick walk from where ship docks), & exploring Tauranga & also had a great day.

Today is another sea day, & we are all feeling grateful to be having a more restful day.

I think Voyager offers a fantastic holiday. The ship is at capacity, which means that the Windjammer can be quite crowded at times, & the lounges get busy & hard to find a seat when there is something good happening, but really, things are running efficiently & smoothly despite this. The ship is kept very clean & orderly.

There are a lot of children & teenagers on board, being school holidays, and all seem to be behaving well & happy. The 7 teenagers in our group are having a fantastic holiday.

There was an hilarious magician performing in the theatre a couple of nights ago. We watched the Love & Marriage show which was fun. We are enjoying the trivia quizzes. Our teenagers love the sports court & flow rider.

This morning my husband & I took a Mambo dance class. He's gone to watch "Gravity" in 3D in the theatre, while I laze in my cabin. :)

Edited by Beyond The Sea 03
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Mick,

 

I'm sorry to report that I went & asked a few staff at the casino your list of names, & no-one knew them. The entire casino staff have changed. I'm not sure whether you are able to find out where they might be now

 

:(

 

Hi, Thanks for trying anyhow, i really appreciate it!

 

Mick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello, Thanks for your updates. Did you get your teenagers a drinks package each? If so, how much were they and do you think they were worth it?

 

Dean

 

Hi Dean. Just got off the Radiance on Sunday. I had the Royal Replenish package at the $19 USD a day. We purchased it before we left though and paid in AUD, which was nice. I enjoyed it as I just bought a few alcoholic drinks along the way.

 

Here is a link to the drink package comparisons: http://media.royalcaribbean.com/content/shared_assets/pdf/menus/beverage_packages.pdf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello, Thanks for your updates. Did you get your teenagers a drinks package each? If so, how much were they and do you think they were worth it?

 

Dean

 

Hi Dean,

 

We are coming to the end of our 5th 2 week family cruise, & we have never got a drinks package. They provide water, cordial, iced tea, tea & coffee in the cost of your fare, & there is a crazy amount of sugar available to consume in the form of deserts, cookies, soft serve etc, that we don't see the point in paying for more. I find it hard enough to try to get off the ship the same weight as I got on without soft drink. Also, for us, with a family of 5, it would really add up in cost, & we'd rather spend the money on activities & shopping. :cool:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...