Australia and New Zealand Port Reviews: Sapphire Princess SYD to AUK 2/4/07 - 2/16/07

Hi everyone,

We were on the Sapphire Princess for our honeymoon. This was the best vacation ever! Here are links to port reviews with plenty of pictures. Even though this was our first cruise, we knew we were on a special boat. The Sapphire herself was magnificent. (I haven't been able to make a tabblo for her yet, but there other very thorough reviews of her and the Diamond.) Embarkation in Sydney was a snap: no line at all. Debarkation in Auckland wasn't bad. The line was long, but it moved swiftly. We had such a great time that we can't wait to sail with Princess again.

Helen

Sydney http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14084/c4pkazler7s58qx

Melbourne http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14085/brwjp21ts89e3c0

Hobart http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14086/q3up8kw2v5r6xb7

Fiordlands http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14087/tfq0an1ye63rhk8

Dunedin http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14088/hgslcyjzupf74b3

Christchurch http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14089/5c6swdxl37mkauo

Tauranga http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/13936/fzlkm91j8txn7gb

Thanks so much for all the wonderful pictures and information!!! We are on the Auckland to Sydney 3/12 voyage and really enjoyed your review.

I love your images and narrative.

Many of your images are postcard quality. You both have a wonderful eye for them.

I'm glad you enjoyed your honeymoon here, and thanks for taking the time to post your albums.

wow, thank you , thank you.

what a wonderful review and such amazing photos. You did a great job.

I am so glad you enjoyed your time here and in NZ.

makes me even more impatient to sample her myself

karon

We are also on the March 12 itinerary. Your photos are terrific! We will also be joining Arthur and ians Tours. Look like we made the right choice!

Congratulations and blessings on your marriage.

PS I am watching the Sapphire prepare to leave Sydney - she's heading towards Auckland to pick us up!!

PS I am watching the Sapphire prepare to leave Sydney - she's heading towards Auckland to pick us up!!

She on the way!

Helen & Hue,

First of all Congratulations on your Wedding & Honeymoon!

Great Photos, we will be boarding the Sapphire on March 24 and will be doing some of the same sightseeing you guys did. Can't wait!

Thanks for sharing your photos, and best wishes on many years of wedded bliss!

Hello to Everyone:

I can't believe, after waiting all this time, that there is only one cruise before ours. We're awaiting another big snow storm in the midwest (Iowa) and I wish it would all go away before we have to fly to O'Hara Airport in Chicago next week. I've had enough of the snow and ice here. It hasn't been this bad in a lot of years. We're just cleaning up after our last snow storm which left a lot of people without power for a very long time. You know it's big news when they show it on the national stations, which they did.

Hope everyone has safe travels to New Zealand and we'll see everyone there.

Happy Cruising.....Sparkle 10 (Anita);)

What a fabulous review. Thank you and Congratulations.

Thanks so much for posting. It brought back some wonderful memories of our cruise a year ago. What a great place for a honeymoon.

AWESOME! Thanks for sharing your experience. We are scheduled for this cruise in Feb. '08

Hi everyone' date='

 

We were on the Sapphire Princess for our honeymoon. This was the best vacation ever! Here are links to port reviews with plenty of pictures. Even though this was our first cruise, we knew we were on a special boat. The Sapphire herself was magnificent. (I haven't been able to make a tabblo for her yet, but there other very thorough reviews of her and the Diamond.) Embarkation in Sydney was a snap: no line at all. Debarkation in Auckland wasn't bad. The line was long, but it moved swiftly. We had such a great time that we can't wait to sail with Princess again.

 

Helen

 

Sydney http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14084/c4pkazler7s58qx

 

Melbourne http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14085/brwjp21ts89e3c0

 

Hobart http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14086/q3up8kw2v5r6xb7

 

Fiordlands http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14087/tfq0an1ye63rhk8

 

Dunedin http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14088/hgslcyjzupf74b3

 

Christchurch http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14089/5c6swdxl37mkauo

 

Tauranga http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/13936/fzlkm91j8txn7gb[/quote']

What a great story and wonderful images, we are pleased to have played a small part in the day, will pass on the details to Odette who i know will be pleased to day was a success. MCT

Congratulations on your wedding, Aloha Y'All. What a perfect way to spend your honeymoon.Thanks so much for your impressive, inspiring and informative review. I was taking notes all along. The links to the tour companies will be particularly helpful for our cruise planning to New Zealand in Feb 08. By the way,the photographer deserves an award. My favourite picture was the cathedral in Christchurch taken from that unusual angle. It needs to be on a calendar. Thanks for a great effort.

Cheers,

Kinkacruiser

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your positive feedback! I’m glad that the reviews were helpful. It really makes the time spent organizing and posting worth the effort. I would be remiss if I did not thank Mike for his wonderful and thorough review of the Diamond (AUK to SYD). Mike, your review was the talk of the onboard Cruise Critic party. Without it, we wouldn’t have found Arthur’s Tours and Mount Classics (who planned phenomenal tours). Pheonix down under, please pass on our best wishes to Odette.

All Good Wishes and Safe Journeys,

Helen

Thanks you for posting such a great review, with websites no less, and wonderful pictures. We are cruising to Australia leaving LA in August and you review is most helpful. Thanks again and have a great life!

Carol

Helen,

Thank you so much for your nice comments. I am so glad that our review helped you to enjoy your cruise to this awesome destination. I am sure that your's will also help future cruisers; and excite them about what we both have experienced Down Under.

Helen,

I also thank you for bringing back wonderful memories, especially of Dunedin. I'm very jealous that you got to see two albatross flying so close by. Mike and I only got to see them up close by using the binoculars. I love your writing style, very descriptive yet informative. Congrats on your marriage!

Keep up the good work,

Carol

Thank you so much - what a wonderful post. We are sailing Sapphire for 29 nts from Sydney to LA in April and looking at your fab photos and reading the text has made me even more excited (if that is possible). I will be posting on the rollcall to let everyone know about the great information you have shared with us.

Thank you, thank you. Your posts and pic's were a delight to read and view. We will be on Statendam next Feb. for our trip of a lifetime. I will be using your advice on excursions. Many blessings on your marriage, we will be celebrating our 39th year of marriage on this cruise.

Hi everyone' date='

 

We were on the Sapphire Princess for our honeymoon. This was the best vacation ever! Here are links to port reviews with plenty of pictures. Even though this was our first cruise, we knew we were on a special boat. The Sapphire herself was magnificent. (I haven't been able to make a tabblo for her yet, but there other very thorough reviews of her and the Diamond.) Embarkation in Sydney was a snap: no line at all. Debarkation in Auckland wasn't bad. The line was long, but it moved swiftly. We had such a great time that we can't wait to sail with Princess again.

 

Helen

 

Sydney

 

 

 

 

http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14084/c4pkazler7s58qx

 

Melbourne http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14085/brwjp21ts89e3c0

 

Hobart http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14086/q3up8kw2v5r6xb7

 

Fiordlands http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14087/tfq0an1ye63rhk8

 

Dunedin http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14088/hgslcyjzupf74b3

 

Christchurch http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14089/5c6swdxl37mkauo

 

Tauranga http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/13936/fzlkm91j8txn7gb[/quote']

 

YOU HAVE THE BEST SENSE OF PERSPECTIVE AND COMPOSITION I HAVE EEVER SEEN.

 

ARE YOU A PROFFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER AND WHAT CANMRA DID YOU USE THANK YOU:cool::cool::cool:

Hi everyone' date='

 

We were on the Sapphire Princess for our honeymoon. This was the best vacation ever! Here are links to port reviews with plenty of pictures. Even though this was our first cruise, we knew we were on a special boat. The Sapphire herself was magnificent. (I haven't been able to make a tabblo for her yet, but there other very thorough reviews of her and the Diamond.) Embarkation in Sydney was a snap: no line at all. Debarkation in Auckland wasn't bad. The line was long, but it moved swiftly. We had such a great time that we can't wait to sail with Princess again.

 

Helen

 

Sydney http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14084/c4pkazler7s58qx

 

Melbourne http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14085/brwjp21ts89e3c0

 

Hobart http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14086/q3up8kw2v5r6xb7

 

Fiordlands http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14087/tfq0an1ye63rhk8

 

Dunedin http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14088/hgslcyjzupf74b3

 

Christchurch http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14089/5c6swdxl37mkauo

 

Tauranga http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/13936/fzlkm91j8txn7gb[/quote']

 

Helen.....we were on your cruise......thanks for posting all your photos.....I enjoyed reliving our trip. I have posted a few of my photos, that I am using for my screen saver photos....on the Webshots link below.

YOU HAVE THE BEST SENSE OF PERSPECTIVE AND COMPOSITION I HAVE EEVER SEEN.

 

ARE YOU A PROFFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER AND WHAT CANMRA DID YOU USE THANK YOU:cool::cool::cool:

Hi jonsey,

Thank you! :D To answer your questions: No, I am not a professional photographer. I just really enjoy photography. My husband always jokes that I can tolerate any kind of extreme condition (heat, cold, wet, bug-infested) so long as I have a camera in my hand and something to photograph. The camera I used on this trip is a Canon Powershot S1 IS. At the time we bought it (Nov. 2004), it was a great camera for the price and size.

Helen

Aloha Y'All:

Fabulous photos! Thank you for posting. We'll be sailing down under in December, NZ to Australia. (I'll be going home to Sydney for Christmas!)

Helen,

I've just read your review from start to end. It was beautifully written. Thanks for sharing.

If you ever want a job as a travel ambassador for Australia and New Zealand...............

Cheers,

Steve.

Hi everyone' date='

 

We were on the Sapphire Princess for our honeymoon. This was the best vacation ever! Here are links to port reviews with plenty of pictures. Even though this was our first cruise, we knew we were on a special boat. The Sapphire herself was magnificent. (I haven't been able to make a tabblo for her yet, but there other very thorough reviews of her and the Diamond.) Embarkation in Sydney was a snap: no line at all. Debarkation in Auckland wasn't bad. The line was long, but it moved swiftly. We had such a great time that we can't wait to sail with Princess again.

 

Helen

 

Sydney http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14084/c4pkazler7s58qx

 

Melbourne http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14085/brwjp21ts89e3c0

 

Hobart http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14086/q3up8kw2v5r6xb7

 

Fiordlands http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14087/tfq0an1ye63rhk8

 

Dunedin http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14088/hgslcyjzupf74b3

 

Christchurch http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/14089/5c6swdxl37mkauo

 

Tauranga http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/13936/fzlkm91j8txn7gb[/quote']

 

Great photos & information...am saving it to look at it again closer to our cruise. :cool: