Diamond Princess - December 2013 - Post 3

With Sun Princess in Tauranga, New Zealand 22/12

  

Sun Princess, also on a cruise from Sydney, sailing for Wellington

At Auckland 23/12. Turn around day - end of this cruise and start of the next, back to Sydney

 

Phil Garvin, a friend of mine, took this great shot from atop Mt. Manganui 24/12

The expedition cruise ship Caledonia Sky in Tauranga 24/12

 

Sunny day this time in the Sounds

 

Diamond Princess - December 2013 - Post 2

My cabin

A sunny day at last! Akaroa, New Zealand

Tendering ashore

Returning to the ship

Diamond Princess - December 2013 - Post 1

This year I spent Christmas and New Year aboard Diamond Princess on a cruise from Sydney to Auckland and back to Sydney. The ship was spacious and in very good condition and as I always find aboard Princess ships, the food and service I received were excellent.

Sailing from Sydney, 9pm on 11th December 2013

 

Arriving at Melbourne 13/12

Backing up to Outer West Station Pier

 

Sailing from Melbourne

At Hobart

  

In Milford Sound, New Zealand

 

Transiting Doubtful Sound

Celebrity Solstice - sailing from Melbourne 1/12/13

I took these photos from the refurbished Princes Pier.

Melbourne Cup - November 2013

Each year P&O Australia sends one or two of its ships from Sydney to Melbourne for the Melbourne Cup horse race. Usually the ships sail from Sydney on the preceding Saturday afternoon, arrive in Melbourne on Monday morning, sail Wednesday afternoon and arrive back in Sydney on Friday morning. This year the visiting ships were Pacific Pearl and Pacific Jewel. I took these photos when they both sailed on Wednesday 6th November.

(L-R) Pacific Jewel at Outer East Station Pier and Pacific Pearl at Outer West.

Pacific Pearl underway.

Having attended Pacific Pearl, tug Keera next attended Pacific Jewel.

Pacific Jewel letting go.

Pacific Jewel's Captain and Port Phillip Sea Pilot on the bridge.

Unfortunately a passenger was taken seriously ill during the sailing so the ship had to reberth, at Outer West, to land that passenger.