2020 New Zealand Cruise on the
Celebrity Solstice
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Notes for Auckland
- Weather was 71, sunny
- 5:00am woke up
- Showered, dressed
- Breakfast was in hotel. A very good buffet
- Ate breakfast with Celebrity Solstice directly across from the hotel restaurant on the same pier
- Check out of Hilton Auckland +64 9-978 2000
- 47 Quay Street, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Embarkation Day
- Walked 100 yards from Hotel to Cruise Pier baggage drop
- Had to answer some health screening questions
- Took our temperatures while in line (35.5 Celsius)
- Lunch in Grand Epernay Restaurant for Concierge stateroom guests
- Talked to Hostess Carla to arrange for special seating
- Lunch in MDR special for Concierge
- 1:00pm In Stateroom, started unpacking
- 4:15pm Lifeboat drill
- 5:30pm Dinner: in Grand Epernay Restaurant with waiter Alnullah and assistant waiter Katrina
- Bought cruise ship model and Christmas ordainment. Forgot toothpaste, so bought onboard
- 9:30pm Bedtime
Notes for Tauranga
- Weather was 74, sunny in morning turning cloudy in late afternoon. Avoided rain
- 6am Woke up
- Showered, dressed
- 8:15am Captains Club (Elite) breakfast in Tuscan Grille
- 10:30am - 7:30pm Shore Excursion in Tauranga: with Russell
- Costco Shore Excursion tour
- Shore Trips and Tours operator
- Rotorua Te Puia Cultural Center & Hells Gate Geothermal Park, 9 hours
- 11:15pm tour started with 8 onboard bus
- Bought French fries at pier before boarding bus
- Kiwi Orchard
- Te Puia Cultural Center watched ceremony and dancers
- Walked to see vent hole and Kiwi bird
- Drove to Hell's Gate, walked paths
- Drove to waterfall
- Accident diverted traffic
- Lunch none provided, none available
- 7:30pm back on ship
- 7:45pm Dinner was in Grand Epernay Restaurant with waiter Alnullah and assistant waiter Katrina
- 10:00pm Bedtime
Notes for Cruising
- Weather was overcast, 65. Colder today with move waves and clouds
- 6:00am Woke up
- Showered, dressed
- 7:45am Breakfast in Oceanview Café
- 8:15am Captains Club (Elite) breakfast in Tuscan Grille
- 11:15am Opened new Tiffany's
- Noon lunch in Oceanview Café
- Janine had bracelet cleaned at Tiffany's
- 2:00pm Naps back in stateroom
- 5:30pm Dinner: in Grand Epernay Restaurant with waiter Alnullah and assistant waiter Katrina
- 9:30pm Bedtime
Notes for Picton
- Weather was 71, sunny
- 6:00am Woke up docked in Picton
- Showered, dressed
- 7:30am Breakfast in Oceanview Café
- 8:00am Captains Club (Elite) breakfast in Tuscan Grille
- 9:30am meet in theater for ShoreEx, group 12
- Port was Picton from 8am to 6pm
- 10:00am Celebrity tour of Marlborough Train Tour, 5 hours
- Self explore town of Blenheim,
- Walked to New World grocery store, bought additional toothpaste and shaving cream
- 12:30pm Lunch at McDonalds in Blenheim
- 1:45pm back on train
- 3:15pm pack in Picton
- 5:30pm Dinner was in Grand Epernay Restaurant with waiter Alnullah and assistant waiter Katrina
- 7:00pm Showtime: Magician Matthew Mcgurk & Katia; excellent close up card tricks
- 9:30pm Bedtime
Notes for Akaroa
- Weather was 66, partly cloudy
- 5:45am Woke up
- Showered, dressed
- 7:30am Breakfast in Oceanview Café
- 8:00am Captains Club (Elite) breakfast in Tuscan Grille
- 9:45am Met in Cellars for Concierge special boarding for Tender
- Port was Akaroa Harbor: 8am-6pm
- 10:15am Costco Shore Excursion tour: Banks Peninsula & Christchurch, 5.5 hours
- Leisure Tours (www.cruiseexcursions.co.nz)
- Bus ride through the countryside along the coast between Akaroa and Christchurch
- In Christchurch toured museum
- Bus ride to main business district
- Lunch on our own in Christchurch at Howker & Roll (Malaysian)
- Photo stops on bus ride back to Akaroa
- 4:30pm Tender back to ship
- 5:30pm Dinner was in Grand Epernay Restaurant with waiter Alnullah and assistant waiter Katrina
- 7:00pm Captain announced New Zealand was closing their ports as of tomorrow midnight and Celebrity Cruises was suspending operations for 30 days
- Due to continued port closures and global travel restrictions, as well as to help ensure the continued safety of our guests and crew, we are temporarily suspending all cruising operations globally beginning tomorrow, 3/15th and plan to resume sailing again on Saturday, 4/11
- 10:00pm Bedtime
Notes for Dunedin (Port Chalmers)
- Weather was 60, cloudy
- 5:15am Woke up, did not sleep well after yesterday's announcement
- 5:45am called front desk, Rita said we could have a refund on our scheduled Shore Excursion. Canceled ShoreEx: Celebrity tour: Lanarch Castle & Taieri Gorge Train, 8.5 hours
- Decided to look at flights home from Sydney
- Showered, dressed
- 7:15am Captain announced future cruises canceled
- Tour Desk refused credit
- 7:30am contacted Travel Insurance Company
- 8:00am Booked flights home from Sydney on Hawaiian Airlines. Canceled shore excursions with Costco Shore Excursions
- 9:15am Captains Club (Elite) breakfast in Tuscan Grille
- Noon lunch in Oceanview Café
- Solarium and hot tub
- 3:30pm Future Cruises: booked 2022 Australia, New Zealand, and South Pacific; also booked 2021 New England and Quebec
- 5:30pm Dinner: in Grand Epernay Restaurant with waiter Alnullah and assistant waiter Katrina
- At dinner, heard Australia closed ports. No cruise ships for 30 days. No announcement from Captain.
- 9:30pm Bedtime
Notes for Dusky Sound (Fjord) & Doubtful Sound (Fjord) & Milford Sound (Fjord)
- Weather was 62, Mostly Cloudy
- 5:00am Woke up
- Showered, dressed
- 7:30am Breakfast in Oceanview Café
- 8:00am Captain's Club (Elite) breakfast in Tuscan Grille
- Captain announced refund of missed port Eden, Australia
- OBC Credit Goodwill of $256.90 pp
- 8:00 - 9:30am Dusky Sound, New Zealand, Cruising
- 11:00am - 12:15pm Doubtful Sound, New Zealand, Cruising
- Noon lunch in Oceanview Café
- 3:00pm Captain's Club tea in Blu restaurant
- 4:00pm - 5:30pm Milford Sound, New Zealand ,Cruising
- Sunny and warm in Milford Sound
- Captain pivoted boat to provide everyone with a front row view of the waterfall
- 5:30pm Dinner: in Grand Epernay Restaurant with waiter Alnullah and assistant waiter Katrina
- 9:00pm found out we won raffle for 2 Behind the Scenes tours for next day
- 9:45pm Bedtime
- Rough seas, lots of rocking from the waves
Notes for Cruising
- Weather was 61, Cloudy
- 5:30am Woke up
- Showered, dressed
- 7:30am Breakfast in almost empty Oceanview Café
- 8:00am Captains Club (Elite) breakfast in Tuscan Grille
- 9:00am Behind The Scenes, Ship Tour
- Won the Raffle from the Future Cruises Office
- Shopping on deck 4 & 5, Tiffany's
- $800 OBC
- $300 for charms from Tiffany's and $450 for bracelet and $20 hat
- Noon lunch in Oceanview Café
- Met couple with 6 back-to-back cruises
- Made new arrangements for airport pickup with Taylor and Natasha
- 2:00pm Took nap back in stateroom
- 3:30pm spent last of OBC on snacks and face cream
- 5:30pm Dinner: in Grand Epernay Restaurant with waiter Alnullah and assistant waiter Katrina
- Set clocks back one hour
- Upgraded seats on Hawaiian Airlines for Comfort Plus
- Bedtime
Notes for Cruising
- Weather was 65, cloudy, calm seas
- 5:30am Woke up
- Showered, dressed
- 7:50am Breakfast in Oceanview Café
- 8:45am Captains Club (Elite) breakfast in Tuscan Grille
- Walk the deck, 2 miles
- Noon Lunch: in Oceanview Café
- Gelato then back to stateroom to nap
- 5:30pm Dinner in Grand Epernay Restaurant with waiter Alnullah and assistant waiter Katrina
- Lobster Dinner
- Set clocks back one hour, again
- 9:30pm Bedtime
Notes for Cruising
- Weather was 69, sunny
- Eden, Australia port canceled; Celebrity refunded for missed port
- 5:00am Woke up
- Showered, dressed
- 7:30am Breakfast in Oceanview Café
- 8:00am Captain's Club (Elite) breakfast in Tuscan Grille
- Packed stateroom
- Noon Lunch: in Oceanview Café
- Packed stateroom
- 5:30pm Dinner: in Grand Epernay Restaurant with waiter Alnullah and assistant waiter Katrina
- Finalized Packed stateroom
- 8:30pm Estimated arrival time in Sydney Australia
- Cannot disembark until tomorrow
- Arrived in Sydney, pier within view of the Sydney Opera House
- Packed luggage - 2 bags, set out for pick up
- 10:30pm Bedtime
Notes for Sydney
- Weather: 71, sunny
- Disembarkation Day in Sydney Australia
- 5:00am Woke up
- Showered, dressed
- 7:30am Breakfast in Oceanview Café
- Waited in Café de Becio
- 9:00am Disembark ship
- Pick up luggage, Clear Immigration, Clear Customs
- 45 minute Bus transfer from ship to airport, pre purchased $59.90/pp
- Lunch at Sydney Airport, outside of security, sat upstairs where it was quieter
- Panini sandwich
- Dinner at Sydney Airport, outside of security, sat upstairs where it was quieter
- Pad Thai shared with Janine
- 6:00pm check-in at Hawaiian Airlines at counter A
- Checked through 2 large suitcases and one small roll on
- TSA screening
- Locate gate
- 9:40pm Flight Sydney to SeaTac, on Hawaiian Airlines 9hrs 30min
- SYD to HNL; Flight HA 452; Reservation Confirmation AYRLWT
- Sydney, Australia to Honolulu, Oahu
- Depart 03/20/2020 09:40 PM
- Arrive 03/20/2020 10:35 AM
- Cleared Immigration and Customs in Honolulu
- Took 2 hours to retrieve luggage after Customs
- We had to wheel our luggage to the next-door Terminal to check through to SeaTac
- We had to run to our departure gate, upon arrival they had already called our boarding group
- Middle row of 4 seats empty, Don was able to lie down and sleep for a couple hours
- HNL to SEA; Flight HA 22; Reservation Confirmation AYRLWT
- Honolulu, Oahu to Seattle, Washington
- Depart 03/20/2020 01:35 PM
- Arrive 03/20/2020 10:15 PM
- Time to destination: 5 hours (4:57 hours)
- Taylor and Natasha picked us up from SeaTac in Lexus - car swap at SeaTac
- Midnight Bedtime