2023 Grand World Voyage with The Inside Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

49 minutes ago, aliaschief said:

Just an outstanding cruise blog. Again thank you very much. Giving us ideas for our WC next January.

Will you be on the Zuiderdam?

[alibabacruisers]

Kathi has updated her blog.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

1 hour ago, alibabacruisers said:

Kathi has updated her blog.

Here is the link 

https://2022-2023hal.blogspot.com/

 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

We went to the Sydney Opera House (SOH) to see the show "Velvet Rewired"   

 

The SOH has five theatres, five rehearsal studios, two main halls, four restaurants, six bars and numerous souvenir shops. 

 

So - there is much more to see in the SOH than opera - here is the trailer for the show we saw - more later - tomorrow is a sea day and my catch up day..

 

 

 

[Duck Creek]

Hi Peter

Webcam of you leaving Sydney. Hope you had a nice time in our lovely city!

[The-Inside-Cabin]

3 hours ago, Babsjo said:

Hi Peter

Webcam of you leaving Sydney. Hope you had a nice time in our lovely city!

Thanks!   That is an incredible photo - Thanks for sharing.   Once again, we had a wonderful time in Sydney.  What a wonderful city!

 

Pete

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

5 hours ago, Babsjo said:

Hi Peter

Webcam of you leaving Sydney. Hope you had a nice time in our lovely city!

What a gorgeous photo!  HAL should pay you to use it in their marketing. Sydney is my favorite city in the world, and I hope to get back there sometime soon.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

6 hours ago, SJSULIBRARIAN said:

What a gorgeous photo!  HAL should pay you to use it in their marketing. Sydney is my favorite city in the world, and I hope to get back there sometime soon.

That is a beautiful photo - I didn't take it - just to be clear - but @Babsjocaptured if from the Sydney WebCam - HERE  https://webcamsydney.com/

 

Here are some old clips - 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 10 by The-Inside-Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

You can get a time lapse of the sydney webcam here for the last 3 days

 

https://webcamsydney.com/timelapse.php

 

Here is the old Prinsendam Leaving 

 

 

Here is our early morning arrival

 

 

 

And our departure - there time lapse are available for 72 hours - don't delay!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tampa Girl]

On 2/8/2023 at 9:12 PM, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Will you be on the Zuiderdam?

 

I am curious about your response since we are booked on the '24 WC and it is presently scheduled to be on the Zuiderdam.  Is there any talk about changing ships for that cruise?

[The-Inside-Cabin]

12 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

I am curious about your response since we are booked on the '24 WC and it is presently scheduled to be on the Zuiderdam.  Is there any talk about changing ships for that cruise?

There is no talk about changing the ship for 2024.   I would be very surprised to see a change for 2024.   2025 is still up in the air and could stay with the Zuiderdam or go to a smaller ship - we should get the final answer in April - They usually announce the next world cruise schedule officially during the executives visit in that time frame.    I don't have any inside info - this is my guess based on past practice...

 

As always - this year could be different

[Tampa Girl]

39 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

There is no talk about changing the ship for 2024.   I would be very surprised to see a change for 2024.   2025 is still up in the air and could stay with the Zuiderdam or go to a smaller ship - we should get the final answer in April - They usually announce the next world cruise schedule officially during the executives visit in that time frame.    I don't have any inside info - this is my guess based on past practice...

 

As always - this year could be different

 

And, as always, thank you for your prompt  response to my questions.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

14 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

And, as always, thank you for your prompt  response to my questions.

I always try to respond within 24 hours -

 

Anyone can send me an email at connect@theinsidecabin.com if you prefer a private response.

[RBB]

On 2/3/2023 at 4:54 AM, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I think there is a marker on google maps!  that's as good as it is going to get!

         Hi Pete.  It looks like I gave you bad information about the 0/0 point where the equator crosses the prime meridian, sometimes called "Null Island."  Using an advanced tool called "Google" I just found out that there is, in fact, a marker at the spot (although we sure didn't see it and our captain apparently didn't know about it either, judging from his remarks at the time).  According to Wikipedia(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Null_Island) :

 

"The exact point, using the WGS84 datum, is marked by the Soul buoy (named after the musical genre), a permanently-moored weather buoy."

 

Seems to me the name should be Soul Man, but regardless here is a picture of it:

 

 

    Maybe if your captain knows to look for it you folks will be able to spot it.  It would be great to see a new picture, if its still there.  By the way, someone who was on the Grand Africa has actually designed a baseball cap for "Null Island,"  a place we have been to twice but never seen.

 

Rick

Edited February 10 by RBB

[The-Inside-Cabin]

1 minute ago, RBB said:

         Hi Pete.  It looks like I gave you bad information about the 0/0 point where the equator crosses the prime meridian.  Using an advanced tool called "Google" I just found out that there is, in fact, a marker at the spot (although we sure didn't see it and our captain apparently didn't know about it either, judging from his remarks at the time).  According to Wikipedia(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Null_Island) :

 

"The exact point, using the WGS84 datum, is marked by the Soul buoy (named after the musical genre), a permanently-moored weather buoy."

 

Seems to me the name should be Soul Man, but regardless here is a picture of it:

 

 

    Maybe if your captain knows to look for it you folks will be able to spot it.  It would be great to see a new picture, if its still there.  By the way, someone who was on the Grand Africa has actually designed a baseball cap for "Null Island,"  a place we have been to twice but never seen.

 

Rick

Wow - thanks for the info - last time we were here in 2018 we passed in the dead of night - maybe we will get close enough in the day time.   Reading the wikipedia page only has a reference in 1998...apparently the first buoy only lasted a year.   I can't find anything about the water depth here.  

 

Thanks!!!

[RBB]

2 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Wow - thanks for the info - last time we were here in 2018 we passed in the dead of night - maybe we will get close enough in the day time.   Reading the wikipedia page only has a reference in 1998...apparently the first buoy only lasted a year.   I can't find anything about the water depth here.  

 

Thanks!!!

The Wikipedia page says:

 

"The depth of the seabed beneath the Soul buoy is around 4,940 metres (16,210 ft).  So be sure not to fall in leaning out for a better view.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

1 minute ago, RBB said:

The Wikipedia page says:

 

"The depth of the seabed beneath the Soul buoy is around 4,940 metres (16,210 ft).  So be sure not to fall in leaning out for a better view.

I didn't think they could moor a buoy over water so deep.....This website says they have some going down to 20,000 feet.    Data Buoys: Sentinels Of The Sea | BoatUS

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

SAILING THE TASMAN SEA (POST #37)

FEBRUARY 8, 2023

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Continuing across the Tasman sea we enjoy a Sea Day Brunch, dinner guests Tom and Mary, Tuxedo Junction, Zuiderdam Singers and Dancers along with Cantaré!

This post will cover the highlights of the final two days (out of three) of our transit from Wellington to Sydney.

7 Feb

Tuxedo Junction

Tonight was another dressy night – which requires only a collared shirt for men.  Nevertheless, it was hard to spot anyone not wearing a tie, and there were quite a few tuxedos.  Grand Voyages, and particularly World Voyages, tend to have much higher numbers of people dressing up than on shorter cruises.

While tonight was dressy, there wasn’t an officially published theme.  I filled the vacuum and declared this night “Black and Gold” on our Cruise Critic roll call.

Two great-looking jackets in the Ocean Bar on Dressy Night! Pete and Judy in The Tuxedo Junction!

 

You can find all the activities and themes on my website HERE

Zuiderdam Singers and Dancers

The Zuiderdam Singers and Dancers performed “Your Song” featuring hits from Elton John.  These shows get better and better every time.

Michael Roach, Sveva Petruzzellis, Cole Cloutier and Kiana Bell singing “Benny and the Jets” Sveva out in front singing “Philadelphia Freedom” The finale of Your Song!

 

8 Feb

The Tasman Sea can be pretty rough – however, this crossing was relatively mild.  Although there has been significant deck motion, there wasn’t any time when we felt we needed to put our glasses on the floor to avoid them from sliding off our desks.

There are a couple of useful websites where you can see the global wave and swell forecasts.  The first one – Storm Surf, is HERE. It’s privately run and is described below:

STORMSURF provides surf forecasts, surf reports, wave models, weather models, buoys reports and buoy forecasts all with research grade accuracy.  Our buoy reports update hourly highlighting individual swell trains and surf height with pinpoint accuracy.  Our weather and wave models update 4 times daily zooming down through 5 levels to cover the spectrum from global to true local weather coverage, all at professional grade resolution.

STORMSURF also offers a full lineup of custom Surf Forecasts, QuikCAST’s and an El Nino forecast.  Our Chartroom houses tools that link you to our favorite marine weather sources across the planet.  And our Tutorials provide learning opportunities for beginners to experts.  It’s all here, quick, easy and always free

 

Here is a screenshot from STORMSURF showing the wave forecast off the coast of Sydney

 

The US Navy manages a global weather forecasting site HERE.  Their security certificate is not kept up, so you will get a warning, but the site is safe to visit.

This is a screenshot from the Navy Site – the darker the color, the higher the waves.

 

We enjoyed another Sea Day Brunch – Menu HERE.

DINNER GUESTS

Table 89 was joined by Tom and Mary from Oklahoma – We had a great time chatting and catching up.

Tom and Mary join table 89

 

Cantaré

Cantaré was the headliner on the World Stage – performing their show called “Timeless”  featuring love songs from over the years including:

• Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
• Lay Down Beside You
• Higher Love
• Love Can Move Mountains

Serge, Ceasar, Chris, Michael

Their show was wonderful as always.

 

We will arrive in Sydney tomorrow for an overnight port visit.

Edited February 11 by The-Inside-Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Here are a few pictures from our Meet and Greet for the new segment that started after Sydney.   We had about 50 people attend.   

 

 

Cruise Pastor Reid joined the ship in Auckland and talked about his daily services

 

 

Jerry discussed the details of our next Slot Pull on Feb 24th at 3 PM

 

I will be posting about Sydney later today.   

[The-Inside-Cabin]

TWO DAYS IN SYDNEY (POST #38)

FEBRUARY 10, 2023

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We spent two days in Sydney – thunderstorms on day one followed by sunshine on day two. We enjoy a yarn crawl, a night at the opera house and Bondi beach!

9 Feb 2023

Sydney Arrival

Due to the tides and the height of the Zuiderdam, we had to arrive earlier than usual this morning to maintain at least a 2-meter clearance under the Sydney Harbour Bridge on our way to the White Bay Cruise Terminal.  Consequently, it was quite dark as we sailed thru the harbor at 5:15 am.

Ian Page, Cruise and Travel Director, was up early in the Crow’s nest, providing his usual outstanding commentary to about 50 guests who set their alarms.

 

Coffee, juice and pastries were available in the Crow’s Nest.  In the past, “Sydney Opera House Rolls” also known as “Panama Canal Rolls” would be served.  Today only the standard rolls available every morning in the Lido were being served.

Big smiles in the Crow’s Nest for the early risers

Taking photographs from a moving ship in low light is challenging, and I could not capture anything worthwhile.  A few people got some great photographs, all taken with their phones.  Modern phone cameras are pretty good in many situations, and this was a good example.  Check out this post from Jo Johnston, Writer on Deck, for an excellent early morning shot of the Sydney Opera House framed by the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Photo by Jo Johnston, Writer on Deck – used with permission – Taken with Iphone 13 Pro

 

The Sydney Web Cam HERE – captures some great shots, and here is the one from our arrival.

Early morning arrival – captured on the Sydney Web Cam Points of interest from our visit A closer look at where we went on this port visit A closer look at White Bay Cruise Terminal showing the location of the shuttle buses, taxis, and Uber pick-up spot

 

White Bay Cruise Terminal

 

We moored, port side, at the White Bay Cruise Terminal.  The elevated gangways were not in service today due to maintenance, so we would leave the ship from A Deck and walk into the terminal.

DO NOT PLAN EARLY EXCURSIONS FOR THE FIRST DAY IN SYDNEY.  IMMIGRATION MAY TAKE LONGER THAN EXPECTED.

There were 12 immigration groups this morning.  A few days ago, everyone was asked when they wanted to depart the ship.  Passengers were assigned a group based on their plans.  We had no early plans, so we were assigned to Group 12, the last group.   The ship was required to reach a “ZERO COUNT,” which meant everyone had to leave the ship and go thru immigration in the terminal.   No one would be allowed back on the ship until everyone cleared immigration.  If you have no early plans – going thru immigration with the last group will minimize your waiting time in the terminal.

We were advised that masks MAY be required in the terminal.  The crew reminded people to wear masks as they left the ship, but it turned out masks were not required.  We didn’t find any Sydney establishment, bus, or ferry that required people to wear masks, and very few locals were wearing masks.

There was some confusion with the HAL tours as to whether people should meet on the World Stage first – then go through Immigration – or go directly through Immigration.  The result was some of the tours were delayed by almost 2 hours.

Groups began to be called at 7:45 am.  People in those earlier groups reported waiting 30-45 minutes to get thru the Immigration line.  Group 12 was called at 10:45 am.  We were off the ship and in the terminal at 10:54.  We cleared Immigration 10 minutes later.

Wi-Fi is available in the terminal, along with a shop selling soft drinks and a few snacks.

Sydney Yarn Crawl

 

Our plan for today was to visit three yarn shops, a camera store, the Apple Store, and the Tommy Bahama shop, before returning to the ship to drop off our purchases, change and head over to the Sydney Opera House to see an evening performance of Velvet Rewired in the “Studio”.

Our first stop was the yarn shop Skein Sisters at 721 New Canterbury Rd in Dulwich Hill.  The Uber ride took about 20 minutes and cost $20 USD

We were here in 2018 and the shop is light and airy with a nice selection of local and international yarns.   Olga was working today and she was very helpful.  This is a great Local Yarn Shop and should be on your “Don’t Miss List” when you visit Sydney.  Skein Sisters has developed their own line of yarn since we last visited.  Their “Fabulous Sock” is a blend of 80% Australian Extra Fine Superwash Merino and 20% nylon.  Judy chose a color called ‘Neon Graffiti’ which is a mix of mostly pinks with bits of purples, greens, yellows and corals thrown in.  She bought the last four hanks they had of this color and is now considering what she wants to knit with this lovely soft yarn.  Dulwich Hill has several nice shops and coffee shops if you want to get a bite to eat afterward.  As we were leaving, the rain started hard – and we were able to get into our Uber without getting too wet.

Judy Purchased Neon Graffiti yarn Two comfy chairs inside Skein Sisters Olga was very helpful

 

Next up on the Yarn Crawl was “Granny Square” at 47 King Street in Newtown.  Granny Square is branded as a Boutique Wool Shop and has several locations.  It is owned by the larger yarn shop Morris and Sons.  This location is small and cozy and has some cute knitted monkeys from the Ravelry pattern “Monkey Jacobus” by the Dutch designer Annita Wilschut , in the window.

Granny Square Yarn Shop Inside Granny Square

 

Our final stop on the Yarn Crawl was Morris and Son’s at 50 York Street in the Central Business District.   This is a huge wool shop, with a large selection of Rowan yarns.  Manos del Uruguay and Regia Sock yarn by Schachenmayr  were well represented as were needlepoint kits by Kaffe Fassett and Ehrman Tapestry.  There is also a small selection of quilt fabrics towards the back of the shop.

Morris and Son’s Inside Morris and Son’s

 

After our Yarn Crawl, we stopped by the nearby Apple Store to use their fast, free WiFi to update our phones’ apps and back them up.  This took about 45 minutes, and while we were waiting, we enjoyed a couple of free classes about how to use our phone to manage still photos and take better videos.  We were happy to be in the Apple store when the rain began to pour down with the occasional loud pop of thunder.

Fast, free WiFi inside the Apple Store

 

Georges Camera is nearby, and Tommy Bahama is across the street.  We enjoyed browsing in these shops and picked up a few shirts and a wireless microphone.

Georges Camera has an amazing selection. They even sell film! Tommy Bahama was right across the street from Georges Camera and the Apple Store.

 

Another Uber took us back to the ship with enough time to change our clothes and get ready to go to the Sydney Opera House (SOH) to see Velvet Rewired in the  venue called “The Studio.”

Velvet Rewired is a musical production featuring hits from the Disco Era.

This big, bold, and beautiful production stars the iconic Marcia Hines as The Diva, Joe Accaria as The DJ and the spectacular Craig Reid as Hula Boy. They are joined by a cast of internationally acclaimed circus, dance performers and vocalists in a fusion of flawless glamour, glitz and jaw-dropping circus skills!

You can watch the trailer on YouTube HERE..   The show was 75 minutes long.   More about the show HERE.

We left the ship at 5 pm to allow for plenty of time for traffic and not be rushed for the 6:30 pm start of Velvet Rewired.  Remember that taxis can only drop you off about 300 yards from the entrance, so you need to factor that into your planning.  Our Uber left White Bay Cruise Terminal at 5:12 pm, and we arrived at the Opera House at 5:34 pm.  After pausing for some photos, we entered the waiting area for the venue at 5:45 pm.  To recap – we left our cabin at 5 pm and were outside the theater door at 5:45 pm.  Our Uber XL, holding our group of 5, was about $45 each way.

Note – We bought our tickets online thru the SOH website.  Keep checking this website as events are often added as you get closer to your sailing date.  I strongly recommend that you buy your tickets and transportation privately.  We learned later that the HAL tour to the opera “Don Giovanni” arrived late, and arriving late to any theatrical performance is a BIG DEAL.  They will normally require you to wait for a break in the performance before they allow you into the theatre.

The show starts with the DJ playing Disco Music above a narrow stage that extends about 50 feet.    There isn’t any plot, but about ten unrelated acts featuring singing, dancing and acrobatics with frequent use of a suspended cable where they would spin and somersault in mid-air.   One of the show’s highlights was “Hula Boy” – who didn’t look like much of a performer but dazzled the crowd with his skill with Hula Hoops.  Interspersed between the acts, singers belted out hits from the Disco Era accompanied by a pair of singing Go Go dancers.    The show was tremendous fun and we enjoyed it very much.

Craig Reid as Hula Boy The cast of Velvet Rewired during the finale

 

Note – Getting a taxi or Uber after the show can be difficult due to crowds.   My advice is to take a walk to the Rocks – enjoy the stroll along Circular Quay and get your ride there.

Velvet Rewired played in “The Studio,” one of the smaller venues in the Sydney Opera House with a capacity of 280 people.   Non-Flash Photography was permitted for our performance.  I strongly recommend that you take the Sydney Opera House Tour to gain a full appreciation of this magnificent facility and all the different venues.

Table 89 outside The Studio in the Sydney Opera House as we waited for the doors to open

 

After the show, we walked over to the Rocks and enjoyed a light meal at the oldest pub in Sydney, “Fortune of War”.  We sat outside and needed a smartphone with data to pull up the menu, order our food and pay online.  Our table number was automatically recorded, and our food arrived without any wait staff interaction.  If you don’t have a smartphone – it is getting harder and harder to enjoy essential services.

NOTE:  I have not yet discovered any Sydney area restaurant, a retail establishment, or venue that didn’t take credit cards.     Changing your money is almost not necessary.   AMEX is not widely accepted – bring a VISA or MC.  We are starting to see a few establishments that have a sign posted – No Cash.

After our dinner, we went back to Circular Quay to watch the evening light show on the Sydney Opera House Sails.    The shows are usually every thirty minutes on the hour and half hour starting after sunset.   Tonight’s show featured a black ribbon in memory of the people killed in the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.   See the feature photo at the top of this post.

We returned to the ship using Uber to prepare for our next day.

10 Feb 2023

Day 2 – Sydney

We were off the ship around 11:30 am and headed to the terminal to take the Shuttle Bus to Darling Harbor.  The ride is about 10 minutes –  Check out the maps above on this page for the exact location.  There is a lot to do in this area, including the Sydney Zoo and Aquarium – check out this MAP for more information.

Today’s weather was perfect as we strolled the promenade toward Crown Sydney Hotel Resort.  There are many restaurants along the way, but not many retail shops unless you cross over Cockle Bay using the 1/4 mile Pyrmont Bridge to the Harbourside Shopping Mall.  I wanted to check out the Casino at the Crown Sydney resort but learned that it is only open to guests.

Darling Harbour Promenade

 

Our next stop was Bondi Beach which we reached using Uber in about 30 minutes for $22 USD.  The beach is a little over 1/2 mile long and has a wide, flat sand area perfect for sunbathing, surfing, and other water activities.  The sand is light-colored and soft, and the water is a vibrant blue-green color ideal for swimming and surfing.  The waves at Bondi Beach are generally small, making it an excellent place for beginner surfers and families with young children.

Bondi Beach

 

One interesting feature of Bondi Beach is the Graffiti Wall.  The wall is located on the southern end of the beach, near the Bondi to Bronte Coastal Walk, and serves as a canvas for local and international street artists to showcase their work.  The wall started when the local government realized they could save money by managing and curating the graffiti artists rather than constantly cleaning the wall.  You can learn more about the wall HERE

Bondi Graffiti Wall Graffiti Wall

 

We spent about 45 minutes here walking up to North Bondi and then back down toward the center, where we looked for T-Shirts in the store “Between the Flags.”

Uber brought us to the Ken Done Gallery in the Rocks.  We visit this gallery whenever we are in Sydney and enjoy seeing his new exhibits.

We were back on the ship at 5 pm and went to the Sail Away at 6 pm when we headed out to sea, passing under the Harbour Bridge and past the Sydney Opera House.  The best place for pictures would have been from the bow, but I was back aft where the Sydney Opera House was terribly backlit by the low sun and difficult to photograph.  The Ocean Bar Dance Band performed live during the sail away and waiters were out and about passing hors d’oeuvres.

Bridge walkers waved as we passed under the bridge From the Sydney Web Cam as we passed under the bridge Susan and Judy at the Sail Away party Leaving Sydney

 

Hyperion Knight was on the World Stage tonight.  Once again, he was fantastic.  Not only is he a great pianist, but he is also a great entertainer.  Hyperion tells a compelling story about the pieces he performs rather than simply naming the title and composer.

Hyperion Knight introduces his next piece – Led Zepplin’s Stairway to Heaven

 

Hyperion also played:

• Piano Concerto in A minor by Edward Grieg
• Gershwin’s Fascinating Rhythm
• Dave Brubeck’s Take Five
• Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven
• Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody
• Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue

Hyperion Knight

 

Edited February 14 by The-Inside-Cabin

[madera1]

Sounds like you are having a fabulous cruise.

[sfocruiser]

Don't see how you find the time to draft content for each day.   But it is very much appreciated.   We are about two to three years before our first world and we have really enjoyed not just the highlights but some "good to know" items about the ports.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

1 hour ago, sfocruiser said:

Don't see how you find the time to draft content for each day.   But it is very much appreciated.   We are about two to three years before our first world and we have really enjoyed not just the highlights but some "good to know" items about the ports.

Judy and I take probably 200 photos each day - then try to whittle them down to the best 20 or less.   I try to show things that may help future travelers plan their day.   Many photos are more documentary than a "great" picture.    

 

My blog is intended more as a port guide more than a daily recital of my activities.    I spend a lot of time researching links and other information about how to get around, what to see, and how to see it.

 

Thanks for following!   

[oakridger]

I am following Pete's world cruise reports as well as a few of the others posting here on Cruise Critic and their personal Blogs.  It really is nice to get the different perspectives of each as they usually are doing different activities each day.  I'm enjoying all of them!

 

~Nancy

[The-Inside-Cabin]

39 minutes ago, oakridger said:

I am following Pete's world cruise reports as well as a few of the others posting here on Cruise Critic and their personal Blogs.  It really is nice to get the different perspectives of each as they usually are doing different activities each day.  I'm enjoying all of them!

 

~Nancy

If you follow the link HERE and in my signature - you will find 12 other world cruise blogs - as you note - it's fun to see what everyone else is up to!