Emma Chisit

Missed ports are part of cruising so those choosing this type of travel need to be aware of the possibility. In certain parts if the world this is unlikely, but in others chances are great especially if tendering. For example, we were lucky to get into Falkland Islands where tenders frequently can't land. However, we didn't get our two days in Easter Island. We're taking another run at Hanga Roa later this year. So we'll see!

Missed both the Falklands and the next port of Puerto Madryn on a 2006 Celebrity cruise. Just back from a South America/Antarctica cruise on Holland America and we were lucky enough to get into both ports - and also have two glorious sunny days in Antarctica (as well as two other days which were tending more to the foggy and atmospheric. But there were still penguins floating past on icebergs…..)

A thought to those pondering the difficulty of getting to Easter Island ….. At the end of the 2006 Celebrity cruise we hopped home across the Pacific from Santiago, and spent three nights on Hanga Roa. You might consider doing something similar, maybe as an add-on after a South American cruise (on Oceania of course) to ensure you get there.

Hi cbb and Mr Wonderful, and all the gang - As you see - am emerging from the fog of jet lag after our brutal trip home and catching up with your terrific blogs. Wilting in the heat, though….

Thanks for mentioning this tour/transfer, as I'm now booked. It's not cheap, but it is 8 hours and includes lunch and a tango show that has positive reviews. The HAL description now says only passengers with flights after 20:30 should book the tour; fortunately my flight is at 22:05. Wish me luck!

I couldn't remember what the cut-off time was, ie whether 7 pm or 8 pm, but knew our flight was too early.

I think you should enjoy the lunch & tango tour if it is anything like the dinner & tango show we did back in 2006 from the ship. It's never easy with late flights which is why we thought we would try a different approach with a disembarkation transfer/tour. Decided it isn't for us - but might have been when we were younger...:D

Good point about not being able to check in at the airport. Our flight was at 9:30pm, and we got there at around 4:30. Luckily they started checkin at 5:30. Absolutely no where to sit at the airport.

Wow, long time to wait. Yes, pretty bad wasn't it. There was some additional seating upstairs (for anyone else reading this) but you cannot go in the lifts with a trolley. If you have only one bag each ( which would be us, normally) then that would be an option.

I don’t feel so bad for getting green slime squirted at me.

Hi there wesport. We were on the same Zaandam cruise as you, though never met. I agree, we were so lucky to have two glorious sunny days in Antarctica (as well as the two foggy but atmospheric ones). Not to mention that we made it into the Falklands and Puerto Madryn, two ports often missed - and which we we missed on a 2006 Celebrity South American cruise (which did not include an the Antarctica Experience.) Sorry to hear about your taxi and slime experiences in BA.

I am chiming in here about our experience with the HAL transfer as people have been recommending that as an alternative to getting a taxi. After our 2006 Celebrity cruise we took a cab to our hotel. Had been warned back then that the port taxi situation was chaotic - and it was - but no doubt has got worse.

Anyway, the HAL transfer we booked was "BA Highlights with Airport Transfer" at $AUD 79.95 per person. Tour length was 4 ½ hours with a tour start time of 8.15 am. We were in the first scheduled group off the ship with our assigned departure time 7.45am. At that time the lines to exit were not too bad and the tour started pretty much on time. This tour is only available to those with flights departing after 5pm. We would have preferred the tango tour with lunch but it is only offered to those whose flights leave after 7 or 8pm and our flight was at 6.20pm. The Highlights tour does a scenic overview of the city and then two stops, one at Recoleta Cemetery and one at La Boca. The guide was engaging and we have no complaints about the tour. A couple of comments on our transfer experience which might be useful to other travellers.

Firstly, we were concerned that because it was a disembarkation tour we would have all our valuables (some fragile) with us in hand luggage. Destination Services on board Zaandam reassured us that the bus would be locked and under the supervision of the driver at both sightseeing stops. (They also reassured me that there would be space in the overhead storage for our hand luggage as it would be a big bus - and indeed there was space. We sure didn't want to nurse our cabin bags on our laps for 4 ½ hours if they couldn't fit overhead.). However, arriving at the first sightseeing stop the guide said that we should take our valuables with us or put them in the under bus storage. People reacted with some dismay so I pointed out to the guide that I had raised this very issue on board Zaandam and had been reassured by Destination Services that our hand luggage could be locked securely inside the bus under the supervision of the driver. The guide said that it wasn't usual practice but that she would make an exception. Maybe I will communicate with HAL when I have recovered from jet lag and point out that it is very important that on the on-board information given out isin line with what their tour contractors are doing, especially with something as important as a transfer tour. Clearly most passengers would have fragile items in hand luggage and not want to put them under the bus with possibility of damage ensuing. (I did not count numbers on the transfer but estimate probably thirty people with all their many bags.)

Secondly, our transfer tour dropped us at the airport at 1.15 pm. BA International Airport is one of those airports where you cannot check in until three hours before your flight departs whatever class you are flying in. The business class lounges are on the other side of immigration and security. There is very limited seating available for those waiting to check in and we walked up and down and stood around for a while before we found some where to sit. Once the check-in was open we were processed quickly as there was no business class line, but it still took us over an hour to go through the customs/immigration process which means standing in lines in a hot stuffy area. From what I heard from another passenger - if travelling in economy class you could add an additional hour to this for the economy class check-in process. This might be the usual situation or it might be worse because it is SA summer holiday time.

We are unlikely to fly to South America again. Not that it isn't lovely, but we are not young and the long flights from Australia are increasingly difficult for us. We had something like 36 hours of travel to get home with connections in Santiago and Auckland as well as waiting time atairports and a long drive from our final destination in Australia back to our home. If we were doing it again I would not take a cruise line transfer but would adopt our usual procedure of a night or two at a hotel post-cruise and then arrange an airport taxi through the hotel. An early start from the ship is never relaxing, and a tour before arrival at the airport we found to be quite tiring, especially as it was hot.

But that's travel - we always forget the discomforts a week later and start planning the next trip. Travel is always worth it.

forgot to tell OP--both Wayne & I posted on ccritic almost every day of our ATW16 cruise.

 

do a search for the 2 threads--will have lots of info for you or do a search for each of the ports you're interested in. I think both of us told the reader if we were DIY or taking a shorex or private tour.

 

have fun!!

Hello there. Was going to say this but you beat me to it. Definitely worth searching for those threads.

And OP - the person who started the wonderful roll call for ATW16 did not actually end up taking the cruise....

Cheers from a "segmenter" on ATW16.

Count me as one who does not like it for the "too much white space" reason. Not the "I don't like change" reason. I use a PC to access CC and with the new dazzling snow white format I really needed :cool:.

I can understand that it might be different if you use another device.

I had already found out how to switch back to the old skin before I saw this thread. As long as CC continues to offer that option they will keep me as a subscriber.

Joining all the other posters in saying..…….

Thanks for taking us along on this exceptional World Cruise journey (literally so for our 71 days on board Miami to Singapore.) What a long time it seems since those early days on the roll call, all the planning, and chit- chat, and excitement. And how impressive were the wonderfully positive “refugees” from the cancelled inaugural 2015 World Cruise who dusted themselves off after such a great disappointment – and started organising all over again!

Don’t be sad it’s ending. You’ve had some extraordinary life-changing experiences, made some excellent friends, and you have so much to process now. When you get home there is the wonderful feeling of hugging family and friends again, and catching up with all the little things that didn’t get communicated by email or phone while you were gone.

But be warned from our experience - they make excuses and melt away when you offer to show your thousands of photos.

You’ll definitely be very busy for a while catching up to date with stuff at home ….and Mr Wonderful of course has his picture books project.

And then you’ll find - it is time to start researching the next trip….

Hugs… d & d

Wayne, thank you so much for your excellent trip diary which will be so useful to those who do this cruise in the future. We enjoyed meeting you and Freda on board and around the ship, and sharing a muster station during our 71 days on board. When we got home it was very handy for us to download that portion of your blog - as we had already forgotten some details of the early days by the time we finished.

I was going to add a wonderful quote about travel and coming home again – and then I thought, what if I chose the very one you had been saving till last? Oh no!:eek:

So… will just say - safe travelling to you both in the future, wherever it may be. Cheers, d & d

That sail away would have been wonderful - I would have had a lump in my throat, even as a foreigner... Agree about San Diego too. (But not about the life jacket whistles. Ewww. Germs.....)

sitraveler: we heard through the RTW grapevine (and believe me, one does exist, and is not always accurate!) that yesterday was our last life boat drill.

Wow! What happened to June? All of a sudden the end is approaching .:D Sounds likely it was the last drill, I seem to remember every 14 days??? O how brave you were to blow those life jacket whistles....

Got some good news late yesterday - we had moved to a handicap cabin for the Sydney to LA segments and just last night found out we can stay there until Miami.* Hard to explain why it takes so long to determine if the cabin was reserved or not but it has worked out.

Good to hear it.:)

For what it’s worth this was our experience in July last year when we were on a Nautica cruise departing Copenhagen. Flew in the day before, stayed in a hotel we have used previously, took a taxi to ship after breakfast. In their pre-departure information (Blue Book & email) Oceania had told us that our dock was Sundkaj 245 Flexterminal. (We did not get the Blue Book until about a week before embarkation.) However, all along the Copenhagen cruise port website had said Nordre Toldbod Quay C190 dock. Our cab driver on Embarkation Day had a printout which also said Nordre Toldbod Quay C190 dock. He said it was still correct as far as he knew.

However, just to be sure I had checked the port authority website again in the hotel that morning and the dock had changed to Langelinie Kaj C 192. This turned out to be the correct dock where Nautica was waiting for us. However, just in case, we did a drive past of the two other possible docks en route to the correct one since they were all in the same general area.

So, my suggestion is - check the port authority website mentioned in earlier posts on the morning of Embarkation Day.

D-

 

I think I'm going to be able to finish the cruise....you said you didn't want to cruise anymore for a while...now you want to start over!!? You should get on in LA and finish with us! Say "hi" to your D..... c

Well about that "not cruising any more" thing.....Remember when I said that Nuku Hiva looked entrancing? Well, I checked out the Paul Gauguin website and they have two interesting repositioning cruises next year, one thing led to another and we booked on one. We were never really interested in their FP cruises because, although FP is gorgeous, we already live in a sub-tropical paradise. However, this cruise goes from Fiji to Bali with interesting port calls in several Papua New Guinea ports as well as Guadalcanal, Espiritu Santo, and a few Indonesian ports. A big attraction for us is Port Moresby, not a major cruise destination but PNG is where we started married life in the sixties. And this is a cruise where the flights at beginning and end are not long. Hope the ship will not encounter rough seas as it ventures away from its French Polynesian territory...

(D says Hi too and good to see you have updated your photo blog.)

Yes, the ports after LA do indeed also look entrancing but alas not do-able. Even with the luggage tags, someone else in "our" cabin might get a shock!

Many people were dancing and singing along , but towards the end we just went around hugging each other, teary-eyed.

Ah….travels coming to and end….it’s sad, but you have to end one journey before you can begin another….

Now, I didn’t mention this at the time on our wonderful Roll Call, but Oceania never managed to get the Cruise Vacation Guide booklet to us in Australia before the cruise. When it was finally sent to our TA we told her to keep it until we next saw her. Which happened to be today as we have some travel plans in the works…

It even has the official printed luggage tags tucked inside.

So, I’m wondering, does this mean maybe we can start all over again? :D

Aww…thanks C & C….Miss you all too.

And (I don’t think Wayne has used this quote yet), but with all the sea days coming up in your future, something to keep in mind…

How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then to rest afterward. (Spanish proverb).

I am looking forward to Nuku Hiva!

Wow. Beautiful Nuku Hiva photos on the blog....Now, I wasn't envious of you continuing on after we left (seems so long ago) in Singapore....

Until today.....:D

LOL, how very Emma Chisit of you!

I wonder how many Americans are in on that very British joke?

Some work it out because Google is your friend in helping to explain mysterious matters. (Assume you mean my screen name).

And for those who don't, it's Strine.

emmachisit....

girl, make sure you go to South Island and see Te Anau, get a hotel on the Lake, and also drive from Queensland to either Milford Sound or Doubtful Sound. Drop dead gorgeous!

I think you said you'd done the fiords by boat before but what a neat thing to do again.

having enjoyed Monday 23rd (day 141) so much in Samoa we're doing it again

in American Samoa!

Ahhh….. New Zealand….what a lot of things they fit into a teensy little country! Have three weeks planned so far for the things we want to see in North Island alone - and starting to make bookings. South Island still fluid, ….

Will be interested in the reports and pictures on the Samoas. Thought Pago Pago was a beautiful place to sail into when on a cruise from San Francisco to Sydney back in 2009. Maybe you found our day which was lost back then, Sunday 11 October? If so, would like it back please – need all the days I can get at my age.

cbb - your posts are the most informative and entertaining. Thank you! I found them very helpful for planning our future travels. And I'm happy for you being a part of the RTW cruise. The dream comes through...

Olga

Yes, your blog and Wayne's as well are also helpful to someone planning a land tour. Of New Zealand in our case. Looking forward to hearing about both your 23 May days next.

Not that there is anything we can do, but the feeling about the Wellington for Hobart are mixed. Many people were looking forward to going to an animal wildlife park to see Tasmania Devils.

They are having very wintry weather in Hobart today. On our evening news it showed snow on Mt Wellington above the city.

In the other Wellington in NZ the Te Papa Museum is excellent.

May 9, 2016 Beautiful Sydney

 

We stopped and got a few things in the Aldi. I told one of the women at a cash register that I was an American, I asked her not to laugh too hard, but I would like to know where I could find Vegemite. She grinned at me, and the guy she was ringing up said, "first aisle, on the right, at top" and then we all really laughed because clearly this was a guy who loved it!! So, yes Vegemite has been acquired!!

cbb…..Not sure if you are getting re-acquainted with Vegemite, or are a Vegemite newbie.

However - How to eat Vegemite – A Warning. It is indeed the Food of the Gods but remember - It is nothing like peanut butter or jelly – you should never eat it straight out of the jar. Even an Australian wouldn’t do that. The best way to eat it is to gently scrape a little onto hot buttered toast – but only a thin scraping as it is quite salty. It is a health food too - rich in B Vitamins because it is a yeast extract, a by-product of brewing beer. It has its own song (from radio and TV commercials in the 1950s, and later.) Most Australians of my generation can still sing this – and do…..

We're happy little Vegemites, As bright as bright can be. We all enjoy our Vegemite for breakfast, lunch, and tea. Our mummies say we're growing stronger every single week,

Because we love our Vegemite, we all adore our Vegemite, it puts a rose in every cheek.

And you have acquired a Manly sweatshirt too. My son-in-law will be impressed - he is a Manly boy born and bred.

We also spent a few days here on our drive vacation in Jan 2012 so we have explored much of the central area of the city.

Today was the most perfect weather day of this voyage - temp around 28C (82F), mostly sunny with some puffy clouds, slight breeze and NO humidity - loved it.

Wayne, thanks for the compliment about the weather during your visit to my home town. It was horrid the previous weekend (very wet and humid). Do not fraternise with possums! One came and ate all my parsley recently so they are in my bad books. They are cute though.

May 06, 2016 Queensland, Brisbane

Our Aussie friend, EmmaChisit, hearing from me about our change in itinerary and knowing of our interest in the history of any place, sent me a wonderful heritage trail walking tour filled with her suggestions and detours. What a great friend to have! We printed it off in the computer center and were good to go.

Aww, thanks. :o

For those following along and collecting info for their future visits to Brisbane, the walk I recommended is one of many on the Brisbane City Council website which I listed in post # 461. I am now interested in some of the walks also; really have to try them someday. We are tourists too when we visit Brisbane.

cbb - you certainly had a very full day in my home town. Glad the weather co-operated – I see Wayne said the weather was “perfect” also in his blog. Not like some of those hot and humid African and Asian ports we visited, eh. However, had you been there the previous weekend, it was humid and very wet.

I am also leery of driving in the traffic in Brisbane when we visit; no longer the sleepy riverside town I grew up in…. There really is a lot to see there these days. Who know, you may get back again on a cruise – and score the “good” berth at Portside next time.

An Aussie hamburger ordered "with the lot" would include – beetroot, pineapple, fried egg, bacon, grilled onion, cheese, tomato, lettuce.* It was rare to get a burger without a big slice of beetroot included, just like a tomato slice in North America.

I have never embraced our Aussie love of pineapple on hamburgers - but beetroot (pickled beet) is yummy.

Have fun in Brissie!

Re Brisbane. (It’s my home town but we live an hour’s drive away, and I don’t do tourist things down there. However some suggestions…..)

There are two cruise ship wharves for Brisbane, with differing facilities. Portside Wharf at Hamilton, a suburb of Brisbane, is an international standard facility with restaurants, shops, and more. However, due to the height restrictions of the Gateway Bridge, larger cruise ships must dock further down near the mouth of the river at the more industrial Multi User Terminal at the Port of Brisbane. Multi User Terminal is managed by the Port of Brisbane. It is also called the Grain Terminal and is built on reclaimed land called Fisherman Islands.

Portside at Hamilton is the most convenient to the city but P & O Pacific Dawn is scheduled for 7 May and I cannot find anything which indicates that Portside can accommodate more than one cruise ship. The website is:

http://portsidewharf.com.au/cruise-terminal/

The Multi User Terminal or Grain Terminal doesn't seem to have anything scheduled for 7 May (Pacific Aria is in the Brisbane area then but they are tendering into Moreton Island at the old Tangalooma Whaling Station site.). So my guess is the Insignia will dock at the Grain Terminal. Shame but I guess you can't expect anything else with a last-minute thing. Most CC comments indicate the drive takes about 40 mins into the CBD (depends on traffic, a Sat might be better).

According to the Port of Brisbane website (listed below) this terminal is approximately 25km from the CBD.

https://www.portbris.com.au/PortBris/media/General-Files/Shipping%20Operations/Information-for-Cruise-Ship-Passengers-and-Visitors-to-the-Port-of-Brisbane-Multi_2.pdf

It hosts only a small number of day visits from cruise ships each year, so it has limited facilities. There is no regular public transport available and no hire car facilities. Taxis are available at the terminal taxi rank. Any shuttle buses will be arranged by the cruiseline not the port authority. It has a small café, no public telephone, no postal facilities, no ATM.

Blogs by CC members, Solent Richard and NorbertsNiece give a good indication of what the Grain Terminal is like. Solent Richard also has some good suggestions for sightseeing in Brisbane.

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2016/01/08/one-way-to-do-brisbane/

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2336164&highlight=brisbane

Insignia is in port from 10 to 7, and most likely will dock about 40 mins away, with limited transport options into the CBD. If I were still on Insignia and had a day in Brisbane and wanted to DIY rather than use a ship’s tour I would take the ship’s shuttle to the CBD, assuming that Oceania organises something. (Comments I have read on CC indicate other cruiselines have done this, at a fee of $20 pp or more. However the late change of plan might have made it difficult for them to organise.) Otherwise the Port authority website says there are taxis.

According to comments on CC, the shuttles seem to drop off somewhere near Treasury Casino, which is at the river end of Queen Street pedestrian mall. Around the middle of this Mall there is the Brisbane Information Centre. It used to be the beautiful old Regent Theatre but now has tourist information. See below for details.

BRISBANE INFORMATION CENTRE Regents Theatre 167 Queen Street, Brisbane. (07) 3006-6290 On Saturday open 9-5.

http://brisbanevisitorsguide.com.au/places/australia/queensland/brisbane/tours-attractions/brisbane-visitor-information-and-booking-centre/

Armed with some suggestions, Brisbane is quite a walkable city. We call it the River City because the river is an important part of everyday life. So would definitely recommend taking a free City Hopper ferry or not-free CityCat on the river. (h2so4 provided the links for these). South Bank, on the opposite side from the CBD has lots of interest with excellent museums and outdoor areas. Even a beach.

http://www.visitbrisbane.com.au/south-bank?sc_lang=en-au

There are art and craft markets there on Saturdays, and also food stalls. Lots of restaurants in all price ranges. My favourite, Stokehouse, is beautiful but very expensive.,

Collective Markets, Southbank Outdoor market at Stanley St Southbank. Open 10am – 9pm on Sat 7 May.

http://www.visitbrisbane.com.au/south-bank/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/the-collective-markets?sc_lang=en-au

http://www.collectivemarkets.com.au/southbank/

BRISBANE CITY COUNCILTheir website has plenty of information on what to do in Brisbane, including walking tours (see below).

https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/facilities-recreation/sports-leisure/walking/walking-trails