Day 13 – Sea Day Three, Happy and Sad
The final day of a cruise is always a mix of emotions. We love travelling and we love cruising, but we also love our home and, most importantly, we love...
Day 12 – Sea Day Two, Calm Seas and Sunset Skies
Thursday was our second sea day on the run back to Sydney, and it couldn’t have been more different from the day before. The sea was calm, the wind light,...
Day 11 – Sea Day One, Wind, Trivia and a Bit of Luck
Wednesday marked the first of three sea days as we began our journey back to Sydney. The slower routine continued, although the weather had clearly turned. Following the forecast we’d...
Day 10 – Bay of Islands, A Change of Pace
Today was our final port of call before beginning the journey back to Sydney. We arrived at the Bay of Islands, right at the northern end of New Zealand’s North...
Day 09 – Auckland, Family Time and Trivia Wins
Our arrival into Auckland Harbour was a bit of fun. As Discovery Princess entered the harbour, we were greeted by water cannons and a small fanfare. The skipper joked over...
Day 08 – A Perfect Day in Tauranga
Tauranga is one of those places that just works. It’s beautiful, relaxed and, when cruise ships are in town, very busy. We visited here in April when we sailed on...
Day 07 – A Long Sea Day North
Day seven was another sea day as Discovery Princess made her way up the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island. After departing Picton, the ship first headed south to...
Day 06 – Picton, Wind, Wildlife and the Sounds
Picton was our port of call today. It’s very much a working port, and that’s obvious from the moment you arrive. One of the first things we noticed, even standing...
Day 05 – A Gentle Sea Day
We love sea days. They’re a perfect opportunity to slow down, relax and enjoy everything the ship has to offer. Discovery Princess has plenty happening, but this morning we deliberately...
Day 04 – Dunedin Wildlife and Steep Hills
Today was our first port of call. Discovery Princess docked at Port Chalmers right on time, but we had only an hour to spare before our excursion started. Because it...
Day 03 – A Quiet Day in Fjordland
After a hectic embarkation and two full days at sea, yesterday was exactly what we needed. Slow, quiet and restorative. We took the morning gently, drifting between reading and watching...
Day 02 – Turning 60 feels like…
I never thought I’d spend my 60th birthday somewhere on the Tasman Sea, on a luxury cruise liner between Sydney and New Zealand. But Mardi, who always plans ahead, booked...
Day 01 – The day the ceiling fell in, quite literally!
After a long travel day yesterday we slept well, but the morning gave us a shock. Around 6.00am ship time I got up to use the bathroom. While I was...
Day 00 – Discovering a Princess
It was already 30 degrees when we left Canberra at 8.00am. Three hours later we arrived in Sydney where it had climbed to 35. We moved quickly from the air-conditioned...
Sydney to Eden and Back
Anthem of the Seas felt less like a ship and more like a floating little city that we got to call home for a while. From the moment we walked...
Cruising Sydney to New Zealand to Sydney
In April Mardi and I decided to cruise from Sydney around New Zealand and back to Sydney. I'd had a couple of very tough months. Well, not only me, my...