Live on Edge Down Under - Mar 24 & Apr 5 - NZ and S Australia 🛳️🇦🇺🦘🇳🇿🥝🛳️

[81Zoomie]

Well,  we sat in the cabin and waited to hear that we had been cleared to disembark.  We were not on the gangway side.  We finally heard the NZ food restriction announcement.  We finally decided to go to the gangway on deck 5 and wait.  We got there with only about 10 people ahead of us.  Then we heard the announcement that the ship had been cleared.  We went down the gang way and found the shuttle to Lyttelton where we were meeting our tour.  Just as we got on the bus we received a call from our tour company asking where we were.  We told them we were on the bus.  When we arrived at the bus stop, a lady told us the bus had departed as we were the only ones missing.  She said not to worry, she was driving us to meet the bus at the first stop.  Service with a smile.  We have no idea how everyone else got off, or how we missed the all clear announcement.  First time for everything!

 

Our tour was 4 hours around the local area.  First stop was to a pathway to a scenic overlook.  

 

 

Then we drove about and went to a lovely and peaceful garden park.  It had beautiful flowers 💐 🌹🪻🌸 and the biggest hydrangeas I have ever seen!

 

 

Then we headed off in the direction of Christchurch.  The city was planned in  the 1800s with a church in the center.  The recent history revolves around 2 catastrophic earthquakes in 2010 and 2011.  Much of the downtown area was leveled.  14,000 homes were either lost or deemed uninhabitable.  Due to the high water table, the area was subject to liquefaction where the soil loses strength and becomes more like liquid.  Miles of land were deemed red zones and uninhabitable in the future.  New construction downtown is limited to 7 stories and giant springs are incorporated into the structures.  What is very amazing is the resiliency of the residents and their positive attitude about the opportunity to recreate their city to accommodate a modern lifestyle.  It makes you think about the hazards to LA and San Francisco.

 

 

We had stopped for a quick lunch and to visit a souvenir shop.  It’s Easter Sunday, so not much was open.  The local “pies” were very convenient and tasty.  I had chicken, Brie, cranberry and DH had butter chicken.  They are like large puff pastries and were delicious!😋 

 

It was now time to head back to Lyttelton and the ship.  It’s a very small port town.  We walked the Main Street.  There is a statue of a sled dog.  This small town used to breed all the sled dogs for Antarctica!

 

And as with the other ports we have been in, lumber is stacked for export.  Most of the logs are exported to China.

 

 

[hcat]

Still following this great review..learning so much, nixe details, and love the photos...

 

I have looked at the Hobbit pics a few times with my husb..he knows so much..more than I care to but it  was fun.. thanks again for posting them.!

[81Zoomie]

We opted for cocktails in the Retreat as we had a few questions for the concierge.  We are changing CC levels after this cruise and would like to have our new status reflected so we can get our additional perks.  After all, it’s all about the laundry, right? 🧺🧺🧺🧺 😀😀😀😀.  He balked telling us it takes 3 weeks. 🙄  I pointed out that others have been accommodated when they asked.  Then he said, “I could send an email to the CC concierge.”  It was a bit frustrating to have to insist.  The second question was our remaining nonrefundable OBC.  As we booked this just after the CV pause, we had over $1000 we needed to spend. Those days are now gone.  Our server in the retreat is a lively breath of fresh air, Shevil.  After chatting with her we created a tequilatini 🍸.

 

 
We were now ready for dinner.  The Luminae was busier than normal.

 

 

I ordered the pea salad and veal cheeks.  DH had the steak salad and tuna.  Happiness was a glass of Emmolo Merlot 🍷🍷. I have to click really fast before DH devours his meal 🍽️🍴🥢😛.  I had no idea what veal cheeks were, but I was adventurous.  They were AWESOME!  So tender I could cut them with a fork!  DH loved his vanilla crème brûlée!  Notice he has already started 😂. My mango sorbet was really good, but the chocolate was like a thick bar of fudge 🍫.  It was so thick you could barely get a fork into it.  I love chocolate, but this was a miss.  No, we didn’t eat dessert first, but that’s how the pics loaded.

 

 

The show schedule was is a state of change because of the cancellations due to weather yesterday.  Due to the late notice, we missed the Aussie comedian.  The Wisper game show was entertaining. The passengers won!🥇.  The casino 🎰🎰🎰 was closed, AGAIN, we we turned in for the night.

 

[81Zoomie]

Happy Easter to all those on the other side of the date line 🐣🐇✝️.

 

The OV had some very nice displays to help celebrate the holiday.

 

 

[81Zoomie]

Day 9 - Dunedin

 

Good morning from Dunedin, our last opportunity to set foot in NZ this trip.  We scheduled our only ship tour on this cruise.  In anticipation of an early-ish meeting time we ordered room service.  We have never ordered room service on Celebrity before.  There is only one room service card for breakfast in our cabin.  Our breakfast was timely, hot, and delivered by our butler.  I’ve heard about table cloths and table set ups.  That didn’t happen, and I didn’t really expect it. I had grabbed my own tea earlier.  Take away paper cups are an elusive commodity in the OV.

 

We were instructed to be in the theatre to meet our group at 8:45.  We didn’t get in our bus and go until 9:15.  Celebrity was in full sell mode in the theatre.  A destination video was playing.  (I noted everyone in it looked 40 ish.  No gray hair in sight.). And, the spa ladies were offering chair messages.

 

 

 

[81Zoomie]

Well, we have not seen the sun since we arrived on the South Island.  This port looks like most of the others with logs everywhere!  99% go to China.

 

 

Dunedin is predominately a college town.  There are quite a few Universities here.  We drove around a bit before stopping at Olveston House.  It is a stately home/estate built 1904-1906.  There are not many pics because non were allowed inside the home.  It was donated to the city by the last surviving member of the family in 1966. We were in tightly metered small groups.

 

 

 

Next we drove by the steepest street in the world.  They have a race up and down it every year!

 

 

our next opportunity to get off the bus was at the Otago Museum.  We were not very excited about being on another inside viewing activity.  DH called an audible and we took the 45 minutes to walk the Main Street and shopping district.  This gave us a better flavor of the community.  It is Easter Monday, so lots of the stores were still closed.  We really enjoyed the refreshing walk and fresh air.  At one point we popped into a mini mall.  There was a store with Chinese electric cars 🚘🚘.

 

 

While walking back to the museum to meet the bus we passed several decorated buildings. Then we came upon the old Capt Cook Hotel.  Funny, it’s a NY Pizza place now 😂🍕🗽.

 

 

 

Keeping on with what seems like a NZ city must have… we went to the first botanical garden in NZ.  It’s a little cooler here, low 50s today, so some of the plants were past prime.

 

 

Im am amazed we are still seeing palm trees 🌴🌴🌴.  And, if you look close at the purple flowers you can see a bee pollinating 🐝!

 

 

 

Our last stop on the tour was the train station.  It was an impressive classically styled building inside and out.

 

 

We arrived back to the ship in light drizzle at 2:45 pm.  Not meant food options at that point, so we grabbed a quick hot dog 🌭🌭.  We have been told that Albatrosses live on the point to the right of the ship during sail away.  We have a plan to get a Birds Eye 🦤🪶🪽🐦‍⬛ view if they are out and about!

 

[Suzi66]

1 hour ago, 81Zoomie said:

Well, we have not seen the sun since we arrived on the South Island.  This port looks like most of the others with logs everywhere!  99% go to China.

 

 

Dunedin is predominately a college town.  There are quite a few Universities here.  We drove around a bit before stopping at Olveston House.  It is a stately home/estate built 1904-1906.  There are not many pics because non were allowed inside the home.  It was donated to the city by the last surviving member of the family in 1966. We were in tightly metered small groups.

 

 

 

Next we drove by the steepest street in the world.  They have a race up and down it every year!

 

 

our next opportunity to get off the bus was at the Otago Museum.  We were not very excited about being on another inside viewing activity.  DH called an audible and we took the 45 minutes to walk the Main Street and shopping district.  This gave us a better flavor of the community.  It is Easter Monday, so lots of the stores were still closed.  We really enjoyed the refreshing walk and fresh air.  At one point we popped into a mini mall.  There was a store with Chinese electric cars 🚘🚘.

 

 

While walking back to the museum to meet the bus we passed several decorated buildings. Then we came upon the old Capt Cook Hotel.  Funny, it’s a NY Pizza place now 😂🍕🗽.

 

 

 

Keeping on with what seems like a NZ city must have… we went to the first botanical garden in NZ.  It’s a little cooler here, low 50s today, so some of the plants were past prime.

 

 

Im am amazed we are still seeing palm trees 🌴🌴🌴.  And, if you look close at the purple flowers you can see a bee pollinating 🐝!

 

 

 

Our last stop on the tour was the train station.  It was an impressive classically styled building inside and out.

 

 

We arrived back to the ship in light drizzle at 2:45 pm.  Not meant food options at that point, so we grabbed a quick hot dog 🌭🌭.  We have been told that Albatrosses live on the point to the right of the ship during sail away.  We have a plan to get a Birds Eye 🦤🪶🪽🐦‍⬛ view if they are out and about!

 

You should definitely be able to see them, they will be just before the lighthouse but the chicks look like white dots in the grass.  This is a photo taken from the Eclipse last season.

Looking forward to joining you on Friday.

[benjoon]

It's great reading through your review. We board on Friday. I've just got to get through the next two days at work. See everyone soon.

[Scottishclover]

Just wanted to say how much I am enjoying your review. I love the balance between ship information and your port activities. And I also appreciate the gluten free food photos. The gluten free rolls at breakfast are new I think!
 

My sister lived in New Zealand for 5 years and we didn’t go to visit as my nervous flyer husband couldn’t face the long flight from Scotland. Looking  at your photos I wish we had taken the opportunity.

 

Thank you for taking the time to review. Enjoy the rest of your trip.

[rsato]

Interesting experience about "missing the bus" - my wife and I sailed on the Edge in February 2024. At Tauranga, our Viator private tour to the Glow Worm Caves was supposed to leave just after the ship docked. My wife and I headed down and sat in the bar next to the gangway waiting for the OK to leave the ship. The overhead announcement was made and we headed down the gangway briskly with few other people exiting with us. When we got to our tour van, we found that we were the last two guests to arrive. Go figure.

[southerngoose]

@rsato   Hi...I want to go to the glow worm caves.   Was it worth going?     I get the feeling I signed up for a different cave because I'm going in Bay of Islands.

 

[81Zoomie]

It was misting a bit, windy, and chilly at sail away from Dunedin.  Everyone is different.  There were people on the walking track all dressed differently. Some were in shorts and t-shirts, some in winter coats and hats.  We had another idea!  We opted to view sail away from the retreat hot tub 🔥🛀.  We grabbed 2 towels and headed up top.  It wasn’t a novel idea and the retreat hot tub had apparently been occupied for a couple of hours by the same group of people.  Plan B, we went to one of the martini glass tubs and it was empty 😍

 

 

The plan was to watch for albatrosses from the tub.  Sail out was a bit longer than expected.  We soaked for 30 minutes and then returned to our cabin. We did spot some penguins and what we think were albatrosses on the hillside.

 

 

 

With our bird watching complete it was time for a drink and then dinner.   We opted to go up to the Retreat because of the views.  DH enjoyed a Cuba Libre and I had a skinny Margarita 🥃🍹. It’s nice to have a little finger food to nosh so we are not drinking on an empty stomach. Live and learn 🤪.

 

We have been seated with the same waiter all cruise.  This works for us because of my allergy.  Tonight however, we were seated along the banquet wall and had the opportunity to have a panoramic view of the dining room.

 

 

DH selected the carrot salad and chicken.  I had the potato soup and beet ricotta ravioli.  Amuse bouche lead the meal.

 

This was the first entree that totally missed the mark for me. The beets totally over powered 💥💥💥 the nuts and ricotta.  Any kind of sweetness or spice to soften the beets, beets, beets, would have been welcome!  The desserts were really good! I placed my coffee ice cream 🍦🍨 into the chocolate soufflé for a yummy combination 😋😜😀.

 

After dinner we attended the game shows and the watched the Cover Girls.  Full transparency, I fell asleep listening to the singers. 💤💤💤 However, I did tell DH before we went I would probably fall asleep 😴.

 

 

Edited April 1 by 81Zoomie

[rsato]

3 hours ago, southerngoose said:

@rsato   Hi...I want to go to the glow worm caves.   Was it worth going?     I get the feeling I signed up for a different cave because I'm going in Bay of Islands.

 

The first time we cruised in NZ and stopped at Tauranga, we did an excursion that included the Rainbow Springs wildlife park, lunch on a boat on Lake Rotorua, and a stop at Wai-O-Tapu thermal wonderland. That was a can't miss excursion. On this 2024 trip we went to the glow worm caves - it was a 2.5 hour drive from the ship to the caves, lunch in a nearby town, and a visit to a Kiwi bird shelter (they were asleep). The cave excursion was good, you start by walking into the caves which allows your eyes to get used to the dark. It is a well organized and easily navigated path. Then you get in a canoe like boat and float and see the glow worms. Pictures aren't allowed as it is a burial location. I'm glad we saw the caves but it was a very long day for a relatively short experience.

[81Zoomie]

Day 10 - Sailing the sounds.

 

Wow…what a difference a day makes!  We woke up to this! Not a cloud in sight ☀️🌞☀️

 

 

We decided to go down to the Captains Club breakfast.  The officer attempted to seat us in the middle.  We asked for a table by the window.  🪟 She was very protective of the tables for 6.  One table for 2 was clearing and we said we would wait.  We filled our plates and went to the window table.  Surprisingly, when the next couple entered she sat them at the big table 🙄 without a sermon.  Well, we must have been in the penalty box, because we were ignored for the rest of our meal.  No juice, coffee, tea, or water ☕️🧉🧃💧.

 

Deja vu!  When we sailed to Antarctica on Ponant, early one morning the French “cap-e-taan” came on the intercom and whispered about the beautiful scenery we should go out and see.  Fast forward to this cruise and an Italian voice, Giuseppe, whispered something very similar.  So, if you have always dreamed of a European man whispering to you in the morning 😉😉😉, go on a cruise 🥰.

 

DH and I went up to the retreat sundeck to view Dusky sound.  We were layered up, shirts, fleece, Omni heat jackets.  I covered my legs with a blanket.  I finally got my hot tea 🫖🍵.  The bar staff had coffee, tea,bloody Mary’s, and pastry waiting.

 

 

After Dusky sound was completed we went to the back to back briefing for the next cruise.  Happy retirement… our first B2B!!!!!  In Sydney you actually have to get off the ship for over an hour.

 

 

To our surprise, the staff pulled names of B2B cruisers out of a bowl and gave away prizes.  I don’t know if this is a normal occurrence?  They were actually nice prizes!  Several bottles of Vive Cliquot, nice Syrah and a Pinot Noir, 2 sets of behind the scenes ships tours, some free laundry, and free specialty dining. As usual, Giuseppe was very funny.  He certainly lives up to his reputation as a great CD!!!

 

Now it’s time for Doubtful Sound.  It’s warming up.  We shed a layer of fleece.  Since it was getting balmy 😄, DH had a Bloody Mary.  I decided on a Bloody Maria. 🍹🍹.  A vacation splurge 🙃

 

 

The weather was so beautiful that we shed our jackets 🧥 🧥. 
 

 

We worked up an appetite and ordered lunch.  It was so sunny and warm we ate outside ☀️☀️☀️ The chicken sandwich was good.  We went to the OV to collect some cake and sorbet for a sweet treat.

 

 

Our only disappointment for the day is we are not able to see the women’s Iowa - LSU NCAA basketball game.  We hoped it would be on at the casino bar, but nope.  Only men and rugby.  Being on this side of the world we haven’t been able to stream the game either 😞.

 

We are waiting for the grand NZ finale with Milford Sound later this afternoon.  We hear they saved the best for last!

 

[Ciaranaman]

Wonderful pics of the Sounds!  What fantastic weather you have!  We weren't so lucky on our cruise (2017) - it was drizzly and chilly.  But we did have decent views, regardless, so I won't complain!  Such a beautiful area!

~Bernadette 

[Barwick Cruiser]

I’m so glad that the weather for the fjords is cooperating for you! Milford is amazing, the waterfalls should be flowing well! We did the fjords a few years ago on Solstice and we also did the slow shedding of outer layers as the day went on. By the time we reached Milford we were on our balcony in tshirts! Thanks for taking us along, loving the pics and details! 🥂 

Cathy

[Suzi66]

Definitely Albatrosses on the hillside.

You were lucky if you saw penguins before dusk as they don't exit the water until then.

The sounds are beautiful and you still have the best to go.

[hcat]

stunning pics..love this one especially!

[81Zoomie]

I am glad you are enjoying the pics 🙂. A few clouds are starting to appear as we sail north.  Not certain what the weather will be like in Milford.

 

 

 

[maggie.1008]

We will be on the Edge Alaska cruise in August. Can you please ask who the Captain and CD will be?

[81Zoomie]

In between sounds we decided it was time to pay to play so to speak.  In our case it was burn some calories in the gym to allow for those desserts ands beverages!  💪 🏃‍♂️Best views in gyms are usually in cruise ships!  I snapped a pic from the cardio machines in the sound.  It doesn’t get much than this to pass the time while exercising.

We are so lucky with the weather!  Milford sound had phenomenal weather with little or no wind!  These fjords have a different look than those in Alaska and Norway.  Since it had been fairly dry, there were very few waterfalls. Sitting up top was a wonderful way to pass the afternoon.  The vistas were stunning!

 

 

If photography is important to you, here is a major hint. 📸🎥🤳📷  The only unobstructed forward view on the ship with no glass wind breaks is the Thermal Spa sun deck.  We saw folks out there earlier in the day.  The spa attendants guarded it like it was Ft Knox. 🔐🔒🔑🔐. Literally with lock and key.  No thermal spa pass, no Aqua cabin/suite, no upper suite, NO ACCESS.  I tried…. The fjords are quite narrow.  The only options for forward looking pics are between the wind breaks or sliding your phone sideways out the glass.  It made getting landscape photos difficult.  One man had a tall telescoping monopole and her extended his camera above the glass.  If photographs are really important to you, book your cabin class accordingly.

 

We ended up in the end of the sound for an extended period of time, nearly 2 hours.  Unfortunately, someone was quite ill and needed medical evacuation .  They were taken by tender to shore and then to a hospital.  
 

It was now time for dinner!  
 

 

DH had the soup and the duck breast.  I had the kale salad and the veal cannellini.  We opted for the Opulance Cabernet (+$10 per glass) again this evening.  Life is too short to drink bad wine 🍷🍷!  The appetizers were good and DH enjoyed his duck.  The veal in the cannoli was shredded and not nearly as tender as the veal cheeks the other night.  I needed a knife to cut them, which is a bit for pasta. 🍝🍝

 

 

 

No meal on vacation is complete without dessert 🍨 🍰🥮🧁. DH ordered the chocolate Neapolitan and I had the hazelnut cake.

 

 

We went to the game show in The Club to pass a bit of time.  It was fun and we participated!  DH was actually a semi finalist.  Nope, we didn’t win a t-shirt 🤷‍♀️.

 

We went to see the show this evening.  It was the NZ singer Will Martin.  He is a very talented vocalist! 🎶🎤🎵

 

 

This concludes another great day on Edge.  Bonus, we get to set the clocks back one hour tonight! 

Edited April 3 by 81Zoomie

[81Zoomie]

Day - 11. The Tasman Sea

 

Good morning.  We were so happy to sleep in.  When we opened the curtains it was even dent what a difference a day makes!  It’s windy, gray, damp, and we have some swells. 💨🌧️🌊. Our balcony and sliding glass door are wet.  The Captain deviated around a storm to facilitate better conditions.  And, we heard that today Milford sound had 70 kt winds.  We were in deep fortunate yesterday ☀️❤️☀️.

 

 

We decided to eat breakfast in Luminae.  Good thing we weren’t in a hurry.  It appeared the rush was over, but service was very slow.  Breakfast took nearly an hour.  We did have nice seats though!

 

 

I ordered the peach cobbler French toast 🍞and DH had blueberry pancakes 🫐🥞.  We each had bacon 🥓.  Nothing extravagant.  We waited what seemed like forever for our food.  When it finally came, my French toast was not hot or warm.  It was cold.  The bacon was piping hot.  Well we didn’t have to cook or clean up, so that is a plus 👍.

 

After breakfast we went to see CD Giuseppe’s presentation of life on board.  Today is his eight year anniversary with Celebrity.  As usual, he was quite entertaining.  @maggie.1008 he mentioned that his contract is up mid May, but he will be back in Australia next year.  Giuseppe did not mention who will follow him.

 

 

Given the weather the. Interior sections of the ship are quite crowded. The shops and Cafe Al Bacho are packed.  There are probably plenty of outdoor pool loungers available though 🤣🤣🤣

 

We will be chilling and passing time until La Petite Chef tonight.  It will be the first time we sample this dining experience.

[81Zoomie]

I almost forgot the Daily!

 

[Barwick Cruiser]

I’m so glad that you had such fantastic weather for the fjords! And amazing photos to remember it by! Sometimes you just get very lucky! 
 

We had Will Martin on our Solstice cruise precovid in NZ…whether he performed in the theatre or the Atrium the venue was packed..amazing voice and a great sense of humour. 

[TheHawk1]

3 hours ago, 81Zoomie said:

 If photographs are really important to you, book your cabin class accordingly.

Does the ship not turn around and go back the same way out of the sound? I’ve booked an SV and am expecting to get good views and pictures on the return portion?