Sydney

Day 1 – we arrived in Sydney at about 6.30am and had to anchor outside the harbour because the Celebrity Edge was on the ‘proper’ berth. 

The crew are really good at setting things up quickly and efficiently and the tenders were running by 8am easily.  We weren’t in a huge rush to get ashore so I think it was about 10am when we went down.

Tenders always amplify any wave activity and oh boy is there activity in Sydney Harbour.  The ferries that move people around from the outlying ‘villages’ into Sydney town go at such a lick it’s frightening!  There are jet skis, sailboats, party boats, catamarans, ferries over to the zoo … it’s mad out there!

Unfortunately, “amplifying the waves” is not really my cup of tea, and it didn’t help when the tender before us had trouble disembarking their passengers and we were sat bobbing about in the bay for a good 20 minutes … another 20 minutes more and I could have given the seagulls their breakfast!

Anyway, we made it ashore, wobbly boats an’ all and we’d decided to do an open top bus tour around Sydney.  The first circuit was to Bondi Beach and back.

 I know it was Sunday but there was lots and lots of scantily clad people on that beach!  Sadly, it was very obvious where the two gunmen had stood some weeks ago and killed those 9 (?) people.

The second circuit was around the Sydney Harbour area, somewhere they call Circular Quay (looked pretty square to me!)

We got back on-board late afternoon and had a swim and then watched as the ship manoeuvred from the bay berth onto the ‘proper’ harbour berth.  It was dark by this time and the bridge was lit up beautifully.

It’s really difficult to describe how close the ship gets into the town centre … for anyone familiar Hull city centre, it’s like pulling into Queens Gardens.  There is a camera mounted on the front flagpole which beams a live picture onto the TV in your cabins … when it was daylight this morning, you could see how close we were!

Day 2

The two berths in front us are the ferries dashing around the ‘villages’ and obviously you can see the ship front and skyline … it couldn’t be any closer.

Day 2 was leisurely in that we had a wander about, went to Darling Harbour and Cockle Bay to try and find a restaurant to eat in … all I wanted was a lobster roll but there was nothing doing!  We ended up with a – and I quote because the Aussies are allergic to finishing a word – “chicken and avo wrap” 😊

Hysterically, whilst eating our lunch we were sat next to a banking guy who was urging his company to send him to London.  His colleague was asking where he would live etc and, according to this chap, he wouldn’t have a problem because “all the Aussies live in the same suburb” … riiiiiight, OK then.

We decided to refill the fluid levels in a local hostelry before getting back on board and just for a laugh looked at the humidity levels.  It says it’s only 24 degrees (liar!) but there was 83 percent humidity, most of it running down my back.

Whilst we were out we saw a lady taking “face mask” to a whole new level.  I don’t wish to mock the afflicted but it was too outrageous not to capture.  I’ve included the original picture and a cropped version, but that’s quite blurred.  The mask she had on went from her hairline, round her eyes, through a beak-like point in front of her mouth and then down to her chest.  Overkill perhaps?

When you book a cruise, with P&O certainly and I’m sure others are the same, there are tiers which reward how loyal a traveller you’ve been.  With P&O you (automatically) join the Peninsular Club and every time you pass another milestone you get a perk … I am not brand loyal so our ‘points’ have been on hold since we did a P&O cruise a couple of years ago, but 100 nights round the world starts to see benefits.

A third of the way in we reached Pacific Tier and got 5% discount on all onboard purchases including your bar bill.

In Sydney we reached Atlantic Tier and got 7.5% on all onboard purchases (ditto bar bill) and a glass of champagne (not your rubbish Prosecco) AND a ‘sail away’ drink. Oh, and we got a lapel pin!

We have to wait until San Francisco before we reach Mediterranean Tier and get a whole 8.5% discount, but the crowning glory is a pair of P&O slippers and a cocktail party … don’t even get a knacking bathrobe!  However, 8.5% off my bar bill will do 😊 

All of this would have been fantastic had we not got back to our cabin and found that only I had got this upgrade, Chris hadn’t!!  Therefore, a repeat of the child-on-board saga … “I’m not having this!” etc etc and so I now feel that the Reception team are having a couple of paracetamols and a stiff drink.  Funnily enough, Chris now has the upgrade 😊

Anyway, 3 days at sea until we reach New Zealand … apparently, it’s a bit cooler there!