Cruise Day #45 - Sea Day 1 of 4

Last night we kicked things off in the Observation Bar. It was pretty quiet when we arrived, but by the time we left it was absolutely hopping. 🍸 

We had made dinner plans to meet Nyree — one of the new guest singers — in The Restaurant at 7:30. Our friend Mr C joined us and we ended up having a fantastic evening. Nyree was a semi-finalist on the 2023 Australian version of The Voice and is an incredibly lovely young lady! She'll be performing her Celine Dion tribute tonight. Originally, the Seabourn Singers and Dancers were performing tonight, but that show has been postponed due to the rough seas. 

After dinner, the four of us headed to the Grand Salon for the show. It was… okay. Just not really our thing. By the time it wrapped up, though, the ship was seriously rocking. Earlier, the Captain had warned us we’d be in 15 to 20-foot seas for the next 24 hours — and wow, he wasn’t kidding 🌊 It rocked and bumped all night long!

This morning it’s sunny outside, but the seas haven’t calmed down one bit. According to my trusty Windy app, it looks like this may stick around for a while! 😬

We ventured out of our stateroom for lunch in The Restaurant and then quickly retreated back to the comfort of our sofa! 🛋️ The ship is still rocking quite a bit — even the restaurant staff were having trouble navigating the floor.

This afternoon, we’ll be streaming Netflix until it’s time to get ready for our final dinner at Solis tonight. We’re also looking forward to Nyree's show!

More details in tomorrow’s blog… 👀

Cruise Day #44 - Fiordland National Park, New Zealand

As we were leaving Oban yesterday, the Captain announced that the overnight winds would reach 45 knots (52 mph)! That meant rough seas ahead… and he wasn’t kidding!

There was a nice crowd gathered in the Observation Bar as we sailed away from Stewart Island. At dinner in The Restaurant, we were seated next to a solo traveler who turned out to be one of the ship’s new entertainers, Nyree — a vocalist performing a Celine Dion tribute in a couple of nights. It was a pleasure getting to know her, and she joined us afterward for fellow vocalist Jennifer Gray’s performance in the Grand Salon. We’re even having dinner together tonight — this time at the same table! Jennifer's show was impressive, she sang mostly show tunes.

When we woke up this morning, we were already cruising through the Fiords. (Fun fact: Fiords and Fjords are the same word — “Fjords” is used in Norway, while “Fiords” is the New Zealand spelling.) It’s sunny today with just a few clouds. The naturalist’s commentary was available on the TV bridge cam channel and also being broadcast in the Observation Bar and Seabourn Square.

After toast and cappuccinos in The Restaurant ☕, we made our way up to the Observation Bar. Both the lounge and the outside viewing deck were quite busy. I snapped a few photos from the deck, although they really don’t do justice to the incredible scenery. 

We stayed up there for over two hours just soaking in the views.

By noon, hunger won out, and we headed to the Colonnade where — surprise! — it was Mexican lunch. All the favorites were there, including chilaquiles and churros. Muy bueno! 🌮

Yesterday, we were invited to a gathering this afternoon for the viewing of Milford Sound, in the Penthouse Spa Suite of our friends C & M. It was a lot of fun — beautifully catered by the bar and restaurant team with plenty of canapés, caviar, champagne, and wine 🥂. The aft suite was huge, with an equally massive veranda!

The guests were all part of our new circle of friends, and we had a great time! And the sights were absolutely stunning.

 

Cruise Day #43 - Oban, Stewart Island, New Zealand

As anticipated, the seas were rough again as soon as we left Port Chalmers yesterday afternoon 🌊 The rocking and rolling continued overnight until we reached the waters surrounding Stewart Island this morning, at the very bottom of New Zealand’s South Island.

After dinner last night, it was way too rough to stay upright, so we retreated to our stateroom and fired up Netflix — sometimes survival mode calls for streaming! 😄

This morning, we took the water shuttle into the tiny village of Oban on Stewart Island. 

You can see Oban in the center of the photo below. The photo was taken in the afternoon, after the sun made an appearance!

Oban has a population of only about 300 residents and serves as the gateway to Rakiura National Park. The rare kākā parrot thrives here, and it’s also one of the best places to spot the very elusive kiwi. 

Unfortunately for us, kiwis are nocturnal, so no sightings this trip! We were fortunate to see kākās in the wild during a previous trip to Wellington. Photo courtesy of Google. 

I did, however, spot a kererū (aka New Zealand pigeon) perched in a tree. 

It took us all of 15 minutes to explore the village, and thanks to the less-than-inviting weather, we passed on hiking into the park. Some photos from around the village. 

I spotted some nice blooming Asiatic Lillies.

Back onboard for lunch, I enjoyed another delicious locally sourced fish — trevally (aka araara). Always nice to sample the regional specialties!

Tomorrow, we’ll be cruising through Fiordland National Park, including Milford Sound. A naturalist speaker boarded yesterday and will be providing commentary during our transit — should be fascinating.

Details in tomorrow’s blog… 👀