Sea Princess (2011) - Post 4

November 20th. - Akaroa

 Because the tragic Christchurch earthquakes caused such serious damage to the port town of Lyttelton, large cruise ships now call at Akaroa instead. This was my first visit to this port and, like most other New Zealand ports I have visited, I found it was stunningly beautiful.

Ship's tenders transferring passengers ashore.

Sea Princess at anchor in Akaroa harbour.

Dawn Princess was also moored in Akaroa harbour that day. I'll be joining her in 3 weeks for Christmas and New Year cruises (to the same ports as this cruise except they are round trip cruises from Melbourne).

November 21st. - Port Chalmers (Dunedin)



Today, P&O (Australia)'s Pacific Jewel, originally Crown Princess, was in port with us. She was also on a Sydney / New Zealand / Sydney cruise, but like Dawn Princess was doing the ports in the opposite rotation to us.

Both ships were scheduled to sail at 6pm., with us saling first. Here, some of Pacific Jewel's passengers watch us sail.

The bridge team on Pacific Jewel waiting for us to sail.

Also in port that day was the container ship Irene's Rainbow. She is of the same design as (among many others) Cap Beatrice, the ship I sailed home from Philadelphia aboard, last year.

Linesmen waiting to let go Pacific Jewel's headlines as soon as we cleared the basin.